Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | My 2 cents (sorry so long! a heated topic for me!)

Well, I'm single, so that husband thing doesn't factor in... However, I've been AMAZED at the reponse I've gotten from men I date! They're soooo considerate, it's almost embarrassing. Now, granted, that's short-term stuff. I don't know how they'd be years into it. But for these men who I don't know terribly well to be so solicitous.... I'm really impressed. One guy got so upset when there wasn't something suitable on the menu that he MADE me get up and leave. Another asked me so many times if a certain restaurant was going to be "ok" that he actually started to get on my nerves! Another guy drilled me when I ordered a glass of wine. I thought he was going to take it out of my hand! It took me 5 minutes to persuade him I wasn't going to get sick off of one glass! MEN. God love 'em!

As far as family and friends go, everyone has been great. People ask a lot of questions (especially now that I'm steering away from wheat as an experiment!). At first, everyone assumed it was "going to go away." Now, it's obvious it won't. Everyone's quite kind. I was babysitting my niece Sat. and my sister-and-law was quite concerned that I have "safe" food. I had to tell her not to go to any trouble-- it was a treat for me to take some sushi with me!

As is often the case, I agree with Bev. A) Unsafe foods rarely look good to me anymore. In fact it's become a joke that whenever ground beef is shown on the TV, I get a little oookie! B) Even if it does look tempting, I think about crying in the bathroom for a few hours, and somehow the temptation goes away!

C) When they're all pigging out, I get to feel a little superior in my head. Why? THE CALORIES! HA! Let 'em get fat on the cheese dip and the ice cream sundae! When I skootch into my size 6s, I'm reminded of one of the good things about IBS! (I'm not big on feeling superior, but hey, in this case, I think I've earned a little bit of something for all of the pain and discomfort I've gone through, right!?)

By the way, I don't know if your hubbie is a "picky" eater? But all of the great IBS safe recipes out there taste sooo good, my family sure doesn't complain whenever I cook. Sometimes if I've got a request for stuff I can't eat or don't like, I indulge them and make some extra rice noodles or rice a side dish. Then I have that as MY main course, with a little of their veggies and chicken or fish or whatever as my SIDE! It all works out. As for ground beef, cream sauces, pizza, wheat pasta, high fat food, etc..., they can go to any restaurant they want and find that stuff! More power to 'em. If I'm cooking, ya get whatcha get! And if I'm cooking, it's gonna be good! I am a little sad 'cause my specialty used to be Mexican food and a lot of it I can't eat anymore. But again, I make it when people request it and stick with a chicken fajita (soy cheese and sour cream and baked tortilla chips are blessings!) and rice and my favorite: guacamole! They can have the steak stuff and the cheesy stuff. Fresh, homemade salsa: YUM! I can do some of that! Just need to be a little adaptable.

Friends are kind about restaurant choices. Besides, I'm adventurous. I like going new places. Now, with the wheat issues, I have my hesitations about going to an Italian place, but pretty much everywhere else has something I can eat. If not, I have no qualms about getting up and leaving. As for parties, I eat first so if there's nothing for me, no sweat! (See C) above, too!) I don't go to a lot of dinner parties-- that may be another story.

Good Luck!

PS: Try "foreign" foods when you're going out to eat! I'm a Thai, Afghani, and sushi JUNKIE! Lots of safe foods, just be sure to ask for a description of the food-- some hidden cream dishes and so forth if you're unfamiliar with the cuisine. Check Heather's book for some great non-American dishes to give you the idea.

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