# Getting Comfortable



## VivaJayne (Jun 4, 2016)

Hello Everyone!

I'm brand new to this site, so I thought I would post my story as a pretty solid way to get started. First thing's first: a little bit about me and my history with IBS.

I'm 22 years old and female, living with IBS all my life. My entire family (All of Mom's AND the majority of Dad's side... yeesh) has IBS, so I was pretty much doomed from birth.

My IBS comes in "waves", so to speak. Often I'll go a period of two to three years where I'm terrified to leave the house because my washroom visits are so frequent, and then it'll slack off for a year or so, and pick up again. That being said this is something I constantly struggle with, but some time periods are worse than others. (I'm currently at a low point, nervous about leaving my apartment at all).

I'm diarrhea prominent, and suffer from too many symptoms to list but here are just a few: bloating, gas, nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headaches, etc.

I think the worst part about my experience so far with IBS is the panic and urgency that comes with every episode. It causes me a lot of emotional stress and discomfort, especially when leaving the house. I like to travel, and go out with people, but often times I'll decline invitations for fear of having an unexpected BM. I hate that, and lately especially I've been feeling like this condition is greatly affecting my quality of life.

I'm not on any particular treatment at the moment, but I have some basic fixes that I keep in mind: I try to get a lot of sleep, drink lots of water, avoid deep fried or really fatty foods, or foods that I know trigger me (Salmon and corn for some reason are big ones for me... It sucks because I love them). I don't eat very often when i do have to go somewhere, I always keep a roll of toilet paper in my car, and some Imodium in my purse just in case. Knowing I have these things is a big comfort, even if I rarely have to use them. In other news I'm currently working on improving my diet overall and devoting time to regular exercise (hopefully I see some changes in the future)

If I had any advice for someone suffering from IBS it would be to find someone that you can really trust with your issues. I was always embarrassed, shy, depressed, and anxious about my IBS (even though my Mom understands exactly how I feel), and I always felt very alone and like I had to hide my condition. However when I met my boyfriend (about 3 years ago now), I had no choice but to tell him (especially after we moved in together) and it was probably the best decision I've ever made. He's been so incredibly supportive throughout whatever "disaster" I happen to be going through. It's amazingly comforting to have someone who you know won't judge you, and will make every effort to help you when they can. So if you can find someone to confide in, DO IT.

That about sums up my IBS story, I'd love to hear from anyone who's had similar experiences, or even just to comment. Hope everyone has a great weekend!


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## Frola002 (Aug 8, 2015)

Hi, I have a very similar story. I have IBS alternating. I'm 25 abd have been dating my boyfriend for 4 years. Do you ever feel like he might get tired of hearing about your IBS problems? Sometimes I feel bad because he wants to fix the problem but there is no solution.


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