IBS Tales

The journalist who interviewed me about a week ago called yesterday to read her story to me before publication. And it was…well, let’s just say that it bore some relation to the facts, something like a second cousin thrice removed.

So I wasn’t that happy with it, but the trouble is that the magazine has this weird first person, all-written-in-conversation kind of style where the writers basically have no choice but to make stuff up, because no-one can remember exact conversations from five years ago can they.

Still, the basic story about my IBS was there. I did object to the bit where she had me saying “I was terrified it might be bowel cancer” because I was absolutely NOT terrified it might be bowel cancer – I was terrified it might be IBS and they’d tell me to go away and live with it (which it was, and they did). Whether she got the message I don’t know, but I do not want people thinking that bowel cancer is horrific and IBS is a welcome relief.

She also had me saying “Now all I need is a man”!! Oh yes, because now that I have sorted out all my bowel problems I just need a good bloke to complete my life. Honestly. I don’t think they’re even allowed to write that kind of stuff in Mills and Boon anymore.

Oh well, I’ll let her have her little neat story of someone being incontinent, worrying about cancer, finding out it’s just IBS, changing her diet to cure it and now looking to get hitched. It’s pretty much inaccurate on every count but I can’t be bothered to argue every count, and at least it’s a story about IBS in the media.

Plus she said she’d mention my website. And pay me £100. So it’s not all bad…