Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I was extreme. I taught high school, and then in a 7 8 9 school. It was so wild. They had more suspensions in that school than in the rest of the entire board combined. It was so stressful. Plus, I couldn't leave all of my classes for an attack. Some were good, and I could slip out for a few minutes, but not all. It was awful. I lived on rice till I got home from school. I felt weak, and hazy and didn't have much energy. It sucked.
1. Get your admin on board. Go in and explain your situation. Now is not a time to be bashful.
2. I had a sympathetic IBS teacher 2 doors down from me in resource. If I was having an attack, I just had to peek my head in on my way to the bathroom and he would nip into my class and supervise for a few minutes (fortunately my attacks don't last long).
3. See if there is a librarian, resource teacher, teachers assistant, anyone available to nip in and cover for you. Make sure you know how much you appreciate this (a small thank you gift at the end of the year goes a long way)
4. Write your lesson out on the blackboard for first period in the morning before you leave the day before. Therefore, if you're going to be late, another teacher/admin/whoever can fill in while your students get started without you. Always set it up with an independent activity that the kids can take care of themselves. IE reading, whatever.

I found with these simple safety nets in place, it removed tons of my anxiety. I was able to eat healthier during the day, and worry less about attacks. If you're prone to morning attacks, try settling down with a peppermint tea at bedtime, and get up extra early. Good chance to implement yoga, meditation, exercise, something just for you that will also help your stress level and IBS.
Let us know how it's going!

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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.

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