Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Tragic tale, and I think one we should all be aware of

I regularly check out www.ibstales.com, both to read Sophie's blog, and to read the tales (both sad, happy and embarrassing) of fellow IBS sufferers. Sophie is also a moderator on the IBS Self-help Group bulletin board. I hope she won't mind me posting this on here.

A few days ago (I only checked the site today) she posted such a tragic story that she heard on the bulletin board that I felt we should all be aware of it. It made me feel shocked, sad and so angry. Anyway, the main part of Sophie's post is below:

"One of our members, a 13 year-old girl, has died following emergency surgery on her bowel.

This is tragic news in itself, but what makes it even more terrible is the way in which she was treated before she died. Doctors told her that her illness was psychiatric, and because of this assumption they failed to properly investigate her problems.

This is my heartfelt plea to the medical profession - call IBS a psychological disorder, tell us it's all in our heads, well that's fine - but please, please make sure that you have diagnosed the patient correctly, that you've made sure that it's not celiac disease or endometriosis or lactose intolerance before you leap to the psychiatric conclusion, and that you then offer some solutions. A pat on the head and a reassuring smile really ain't gonna cut it anymore.

I have reproduced below a quote from one of the 13 year-old's last posts. I hope she wouldn't mind me quoting this here, as a tribute to her and also as a warning to anyone who makes lightning quick assumptions about what really lies behind our symptoms.

This is also a warning to patients: if you have symptoms this severe, always, always ask your doctors for further help. Weight loss in itself should have been a warning sign, as it's not usually a symptom of IBS; and anyone who has pain so bad it makes them scream deserves a lot more than a psychiatric referral.

"I am 13 and three months ago I started vomiting after eating, vomiting in my sleep, having severe pain in my abdomen making me unable to walk. I lost about 30 pounds. I went to my doctor and he explained that my pain was psychiatric without attempting to help me. I was basically wasting away by the day.

He sent me to be evaluated by an eating disorder clinic because he told me that usually people who have head problems like IBS have other psych problems (SO untrue). Of course I was told that I did not have an eating disorder and my doctor still told me I did. One night my pain got so bad that I was screaming bloody murder. I was taken to the ER and admitted to the hospital that night.

It turned out my doctor was wrong, I have chronic infection in my gallbladder and appendix. I was in the hospital for four weeks and got extremely sick. Because of my IBS and the stereotype put on it I almost died.""