women suffering diarrhea - page eight
The tale of...Brenda
Well, do you have a minute or 20? I myself have not been diagnosed with IBS. I am so intimidated to go to a doctor, at which point let me begin my story...I am now 27. I believe I can pinpoint the exact moment I knew that something was wrong. I was 24, in the Air Force stationed in Texas. I was on a road trip with a friend. If you've been to Texas you know on some roads there is no bathroom to be found for hundreds of miles.
Anyways, my stomach rumbled like never before, I began to get the sweats, I couldn't concentrate, I knew I had to make it to a bathroom. We eventually did, and I did not want to leave in fear that I would have to go again and that there would be no bathroom. This was a very stressful time in my life so that is what I accounted it to.
But it just got worse. The worst part was (still is) when I am driving. It got to the point where I didn't leave my room for two months. I offered to watch my friend's dogs while he was away for a couple of weeks, I had to leave his house at 5am to get back to base before there was any traffic in fear I would be stuck on the road and not able to turn off.
I was in the doctor's office one day for some reason, flu or something I think. Keep in mind this is at a base hospital. I had been in several times before for stomach pains; all they did was examine 'the evidence' and give me Imodium.
Well at this appointment I broke down in tears and told him I had been unable to leave my room for two months in fear of 'crapping my pants'. Hmm...let me get out my old med records, this is what he wrote, 'possible agoraphobia, symptoms of IBS, anxiety'. That was it. I was told later that the best way to treat it is to 'ignore it and it will go away by itself'. Well, HAHAHHAHA it's three years later and still going strong.
Now I'm married and my poor hubby thinks I'm nuts. I feel bad because I get really intimidated when we go out, we're newlyweds and I can't 'go out' with my beautiful husband in fear I might get stuck someplace.
If we do go somewhere, I hate to go out to eat because food hits my stomach and the drive home is unbearable, I have to drive to try to keep my mind off my stomach. He is aware of my situation, and urges me to go to the doctors up here in Alaska, but I don't want to be made to feel that I am crazy.
I now have to make sure compulsively that I try going to the bathroom at least three times before going anywhere. It seems like just in the past year I've had to go, when previously I think it was just anxiety that I might have to go. I either really have to go or get constipated for two to three days. I of course take Imodium when going shopping, or on big trips.
I got a cell phone to go with my current and disturbed mentality 'If I have to go so bad, I'll just have to crap my pants', at least I've got the phone to call wherever it is that I was heading. Those poor cops at the base gates huh? Did I tell you I made a car trip from Michigan to Alaska in three days and ten bottles of Pepto.
I would really appreciate some comments, I have never really talked to anyone who knows about IBS, but I would like someone to share with. Please, if you want to, drop me a line. Thanks for reading.
E-mail Brenda: sanders2[at]ptialaska.net
The tale of...Rebecca
I am a 22-year-old female and I have suffered from constant right-sided bowel pain for about four years. It became more severe about a year and a half ago. I went to a gyno thinking that it was ovary related. I had a laparoscopy which uncovered minimal endometriosis. I thought I was cured. No such luck, the pain continued. I do occasionally suffer from constipation and diarrhea but this I can live with. I do get very bloated, particularly at night. Sometimes I look about four months pregnant!
My doctor recommended taking a fibre supplement. The first day I took the full dose I woke up in the middle of the night in intense pain. I was screaming. My mum took me to the after hours centre where the doctor gave me Buscopan, no result, and Pethidine, and still nothing. I have never experienced pain like that ever! It was so intense.
So the doctor called an ambulance which took me to the hospital, where I was dosed on more Pethidine. Eventually they put in a rectal tube and blew my intestines full of air which relieved the pain.
I saw a specialist. Thought I might have Carcinoid Syndrome, a sort of tumour. I was terrified, thinking I was going to die. But tests and a colonoscopy revealed nothing. IBS was what the doctor thought. So I am now on Amitrip and have been for a year. It does help the daily pain. But I still get pain around my periods and other times for no particular reason. If I forget to take it I am in pain again the next day.
Don't get me wrong, it's great to have something to relieve the pain. With that constant crampy pain all day I couldn't even work. But I do not want to take an antidepressant for the rest of my life! I feel like the doctors don't have many answers.
E-mail Rebecca: Bex_Stone[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Jamie
I am 22 and work for a major airline (not a flight attendant). I was recently diagnosed with IBS and an ulcer... along with a few other things (I am falling apart at a young age, I guess). I was at work and started getting the tell-tale cramping and my stomach started to gurgle. Of course on my way to the bathroom I didn't make it.
So here I am on an airplane in the hangar, totally a mess! I cleaned up as best as I could and had to tie a coat around my waist and walk past all the mechanics and everyone on my team and drive to the break room. To make matters worse, our company parking lot is a ten-minute bus ride away from the airport. That has to be the worst.
I am too ashamed to tell anyone what has been happening to me. I have taken almost two weeks off from work (here and there) in the last month to try and cope with this. All night I wonder if it is going to happen again. Every little noise my stomach makes or every little cramp I get I wonder if this is "IT" again. My parents and my boyfriend think that this is all due to my other medical problems and I don't have the courage to tell them.
At work we all joke about what would happen if... and I take offence to it, even though they don't know that I have been in that situation many times. I don't like to go out because I get nervous and need to know where the bathroom is... but you all know that.
I am planning to go back to college for my second degree pretty soon and I am afraid that that will just be another place for me to embarrass myself. I like to be home because I don't worry so much about it, which I am sure makes it "better".
I am determined to find something to fix this because I don't want it to take over my life. I am glad to hear that there are others out there (especially nice to hear about people my age) that have this, though I feel for all of us. I know that I am not alone. Thanks.
E-mail Jamie: shmamyjo[at]juno.com
The tale of...Jackie
Around eight months ago I had this awful pain in my stomach and chest, I thought I was having a heart attack. I was admitted to the hospital and was poked and prodded for a week and the doctor said you have irritable bowel syndrome. Well I have a twin and she has it and her husband has it. So I say to the doctor is this hereditary, and he says yep it can be.
Well I am still suffering with this and I have this nagging pain in my right side all the time, which worries me. Well the doctor says this is part of the bowel and it's twisted. It has been there forever, once in a while it goes away. I can't eat right half the time, I can't stand the smell of food. I am tired, depressed, cranky, sick to my stomach and mad as heck.
I do a lot of praying and a lot of my friends pray for me. I guess they think I am a nut case, let them walk in my shoes...Sometimes I have to go to the bathroom all day and vomit, bloated till I look like a pregnant old woman. At least if I was it would end in nine months.
I am on Hysomine but it doesn't help, also on Reglan, no help. Just keep on praying for relief. Thanks for listening.
E-mail Jackie: jackeetwin1[at]yahoo.com