Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hey there, Pretty Lady!

When I was a word processor for a law firm, I transcribed a LOT of medical record summaries. I remember as far back as 1989 having to type a lot of summaries of people having IBS. I had no idea at the time that I had it myself! (It wasn't until 1999 that I was finally diagnosed.) I had no idea what IBS was up 'till then.

This thing that we all share has been around a long time, yet it's amazing that we are so uninformed about it. Your situation is so common, and it's really unfortunate. Just last month I got a letter from a past fellow co-worker who told me she had just discovered that "IBS isn't all in the head," there is no cure, that it's treated with proper diet and medication, and she said I was doing everything right. Well, DUH. I had no idea she had ever believed otherwise!

Does your dad realize that he has IBS-C? Or does he think he just can't poop and that a laxative will solve the problem? Is he in denial about it, or does he just feel like everyone with IBS should just be a mensch and "suck it up"?

It honestly sounds like your mom is poorly informed about IBS even though her husband has it; is she in denial too? You need to CALMLY sit down with her in person, not on the phone, and present her with either Heather's book or one of the pamphlets on IBS from your doctor's office, and CALMY inform your mom so that she will realize this is a real problem for you, that it's much worse than your dad's occasional "C", and that you need her support.

I think sometimes we tend to close our minds to things we don't understand because we know nothing about them and can't offer suggestions on how to help. Now I believe that's what was going on with my ex-co-worker when I was working with her; all along she tried to provide support for me while not believing I had a real problem.

If, after all your good efforts, you don't get anywhere with your parents, it may be a good idea to just drop it; it could be that they don't want to hear about your pain because they don't WANT you to be in pain (it's all about "mind-over-matter"). Hopefully they'll eventually become better informed, as my ex-co-worker.

Meanwhile, Girlfriend, you can always come here for advice and support; we ALL know only too well what you're going through!

Bevvy

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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy

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