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Here is what I've been putting into my body in general:
...Sourdough or French bread from a bakery
...bananas
...cheerios/kix/oatmeal/rice chex with some rice or soy milk
...i put deli turkey or chicken on the sourdough/french bread with mustard
...occasionally i have potatoes (with the occasional dollop of baked beans)
...i made the "Brown Sugar Banana Bread"...
...sometimes i put some Rice Dream or Soy Dream ice cream on the Banana Bread, slightly warmed in the microwave.
...sometimes i have had the occasional bowl of "Graham Cereal" or "Post Honey Bunches of Oats".
...Carrots
...Beets
...Fat-Free "Saltines" It looks like you're doing a really good job taking care of you--choosing the right foods, following what Heather has written. I'd just like to suggest something that doesn't work for everyone. I see you have a number a dairy-alternatives: how many servings of soy/rice milk or ice "dessert" do you have a day? Although they may be lactose free or even dairy free check to see if carrageenan is one of the ingredients. For me, this was a big trigger--causing a lot of gas, pain, and frequent BMs. I eliminated products containing carrageenan for about two weeks and found that much of the gas and frequency went away. When I reintroduced it after two weeks, all those problems occurred again. I think it even bothers me more than HFCS!

Monday night into Tuesday AND Tuesday night into Wednesday I worked 12am-8am shifts at work. Lack of sleep and changing schedules are stressors. Do not underestimate the toll stress takes on your body. Unfortunately, with work, there's probably not much you can do as far as changing your schedules. Perhaps you should follow the BTC starting those days you work graveyard (if it's only two days a week). Maybe even start it the day you have to go in at midnight. This is what I do before a trip or during my period or during periods of high stress. I figure my intestines are getting irritated enough by outside stressors, so I should help out by eating easily digestible, soothing foods.

Yesterday when I got home from work at 830 am, I had bananas and oatmeal with a couple pinches of brown sugar for breakfast. An hour later, I took a warm bath, sipping on some water. An hour later, I had a bowl of kix cereal, with some Soy Milk. Then went to sleep for about 6 hours. When I woke, I had a banana and a Mission Flour Tortilla and a few Saltine Crackers. I had a "normal" movement (though the "movement" was a bit light in color (but most of the food I've eaten over the past several days has been pretty light in color)). I went to pay a bill. Came home, had another "regular but light" movement. Then I went out shopping for a few hours, then came home and had a banana, 1/3 of a potato and serving spoon of carrots. I sipped some water in between. About 2 hours later, I had a warm flour tortilla, and another warm flour tortilla with some deli turkey (warmed in the Microwave), with mustard. About 1/2 hour later, I had some Mango Flavored Gatorade (about 8-10 ounces). About 2 hours later, I had some Kix, with Soy Milk. About 1/2 later, I had more of Gatorade. I fell asleep about 2 am, then woke at 8 am. What are the ingredients in your flour tortillas? I find that certain brands bother me because they contain a lot of additives. I do best with homemade or locally prepared brands.

This morning, I woke and had one of my IBS-D attacks. I had a cold banana (i keep them in the fridge sometimes) Then I went to get some more "food" supplies. I went for about a 20 minute bike ride. When I got home, I drank some of the Gatorade. Then I had a bit more of my IBS-D attack.

That is what I'm physically doing. (I do NOT usually drink Gatorade)

Mentally, I wonder if i'm more stressed out and if that is adding to it. This is what is going on mentally:

...over the past year and 1/2 I've been going to see a therapist for depression and stress and, after it became an apparent "trauma", we started working on the sexual abuse i was subjected to when I was a young child.
...in therapy recently, we've been dealing with what my therapist says are very "core" issues dealing with my abuse.
...at the end of this month, i'm flying across country (from Spokane, Washington to Buffalo, New York) for the wedding of my sister. And my family has been a big "issue" in therapy.
....in reality, i'd rather not fly back to New York for this wedding. First because of my IBS. I don't want to travel with IBS. Second, because I have not been back to see these people in over a year and a half, since before I started therapy. That's a lot of stress, a lot of things to be dealing with in addition to your IBS!

i'm not really feeling all that great about anything at the moment. i'm sleeping bad, especially with allergies and sinus headaches; my work schedule keeps changing (which is unavoidable...since i'm a meteorologist and the weather is not on a 9-5 schedule); i'm in therapy; i have a wedding to go to soon; I DON'T see anything in my diet that is particularly bad...perhaps "HOW" i'm eating is still not great.

But IN THE END, seeing my IBS flaring up, I immediately just blame myself. (Though there is something whispering in me that says, my body isn't defective, but that this is just how my body works and it isn't wrong or right...it is just the way I am.) What's happening to you is not your fault. While you're responsible for taking care of your body, you're NOT responsible for a disorder that's still not fully understood by doctors. Like others have pointed out, IBS won't go away, but at least we now have the skills to manage it. Please remember that managing it doesn't mean no attacks.

But I think, I must be doing something wrong and stupid and I want to "yell" at my stupid body for being defective! And I just am so tired of this. I just want to cry, literally. Go ahead and yell! One day, I just cried out, "Cooperate brain and gut! Work together!" and I started feeling better. I cried a bit and that seemed to relieve some of the stress of trying to hold in the pain and be brave.

i don't know if anyone here can actually help. I don't think I was able to offer any help or anything new, but I just hope that you don't blame yourself. Please take care.

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