# Excuses



## noname45 (Jan 7, 2005)

Hey everyone I am considering being homescooled now because my condition is so debilitating. If I am able to go back to my school I will get bombarded with all sorts of questions like Where have you been? What do you have? stuff like that. I have been telling people that I have a really bad stomach virus that won't go away, but if this continues I'm not sure what i should tell people. I really don't want to tell anyone whats really happening. I have missed about 3 weeks of school and i just can't seem to work up the courage to go back. I just hate lying but the truth seems worse.


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## Frank (Jan 10, 2005)

I don't mean to sound to over bearing or short here but you need..yes, need, to tell them (if they ask) what exactly it is. IBS has a stigma to it because of the exact fear you mentioned in your posting. People don't realize that 1 out of ten people is inflicted with IBS to some degree. My father had no idea what the heck was wrong for the longest time and never thought to ask around because it was "too embarrasing". He simply put up with it and kept it low key. When I told him what was wrong with me he had a sigh of relief just knowing it wasn't just him. The more people are aware that this is a common ailment, the more poelpe will be able to identify what exactly it is and get themselves help or resorses.Okay, I'm off my soap box.


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## smiley (Dec 28, 2004)

You can just say I have a stomach problem that causes severe pain and because of that I was on a leave of absence. IF they want to know more just say none of your buisness unless you want to tell


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## Rose05 (Nov 3, 2002)

Ive had IBS since i was 8... thats 9 years ago & let me tell you, it has only made my junior high and high school years hell. Don't let anyone tell you that its going to be easy because its not. You just need to remember that you're not the only one going through it. If you dont feel comfortable telling people, then dont. When people ask me, I give them the basics and dont go into detail unless I fully trust them. Dont ever feel like you need to tell someone if you don't want to. It's your business and whoever else you want to include.


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## noname45 (Jan 7, 2005)

thanks everyone for your opinions and i will take all of your answers and use them


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## 18784 (Apr 27, 2005)

I was off for the best part of 3months, mid December to beginning of March until I really did go back full time.I only told two of my best friends what was wrong but then one of them told another..and so on. Most never paid it a second thought but they are the loosers to try to make fun out of it. Well, then they are the ones that are sad! I have better things to do with my life than bully people about their problems.Anyone who asks now, I usually say yea I had IBS back in December but then another problems in Jan/Feb that caused me to be off. It's my health, I don't have to tell them. A guy in my year was off for about 6months, on and off, last year with some sort of illness that made him tired and unable to concentrate and I think many have assumed I have the same. They can think what they want







I have good days and bad days, or more precisely I have good mornings and bad mornings, afternoons are usually ok. One thing that has made it a lot easier is all my teachers know and some suffer themselves. If I need to go to the toilet or sickbay, none of them interrogate me and think I'm playing truent.3 weeks isn't that long, ok it is in a way but then again it isn't. How many other students have been off in your school for 3 weeks or more? More than you'd think. Take a story and stick with it. I don't like lying over and over, so I tend to rub it off when they ask where was I and what's wrong, 'Why did you miss me?







' It's not always easy and I take each class at a time.


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## 21315 (Apr 1, 2005)

hi i dont like to lie eithier especially to friends so when im off ill with IBS and someone asks i just say something like i have a few problems with my stomach and people dont really ask any more after that but my very close friends who i trust know i have IBS and are very supportive also its nice to have someone who knows about whats wrong with you when your feeling unwell to talk to


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## 15881 (May 11, 2005)

I have had the same problem at school. People have continuously asked me about Why haven't I been in school? I tried the direct approuch and explained to them that I had IBS and about its conditions. I no longer do this. Most teenagers (at lest the ones I talked to) knew nothing about the digestive track. They laughed at me, mocked me, said that i was "dying."Like Frank said many people aren't aware of IBS BUT most aren't interested in hearing what exactly it is.I'm not trying to scare you, really! When people ask me such quections I tell them it's personal or that I have digestive and intestinal problems. That's it. I don't like talking about so I don't. If you aren't comfortable then tell people that it's something you don't want to talk about. Like you, I have a REALLY hard time getting the courage to go back to school. But homeschooling would only make my fear worse. I might get to the point where you would be afraid to leave your own house if I don't do anything. It causes a lot less anxiety to just go to school and confront your peers. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am now and I still get afraid and uncomfortable. If you can go back to school, I hope you will and good luck.Good luck!


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## 17728 (Jun 7, 2005)

Ive had IBS from the age of nine, all through most of high school (UK) I had no idea what was wrong with me, I would manage at school but I would never go out with friends at the weekend or in the evenings. People at school just thought I was a very lazy person and that was a perception I was happy to allow.However in 2002 my IBS took a turn for the worst (I still wasnt aware that it was IBS at this point) so I went to the GP and was officially diagnosed. I tried to carry on covering it up for a while but I couldnt. I sat down with my three closest friends and explained everything to them, it turns out two of them had family members with IBS and they were very understanding, Im a guy so I was expecting a fair bit of ribbing from the other guys, but there was none. Having friends who where aware of what I was going through made things a lot easier, mentally if not physically.


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

I was kind of lucky, because my ibs didn't really start badly until the summer after my final year at school- then i moved to a 6th form collgee to do my a levels and it was much more laid back than school and you didnt have to go in all the time, only when you had classes. I worked out my classes around my stomach.Its hard, but yuo get used to it and find ways to cope with it. But don't do it alone, tell a close friend, even if you dont tell them all the details- it would take a huge weight off you mind!Nikki


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## 18095 (Jan 24, 2006)

Hellooo, I know it's a little late to reply to this post because you've probably already dealt with it but just incase someone in your shoes reads this I thought I would leave my story anyway. Sorry if its long.My freshman year of highschool my IBSd worsened and by January I was only making it to school about once a week. So I refused to go back to school and got a home tutor. I lost all my friends, and there were rumors going around that I got pregnant? (wonderful) Eventually I strengthened my stomach enough to go back to school full time in April. People didn't want to talk to me at first, they thought I was like contagious. I just told everyone that I had really bad stomach problems and food allergies, and when people responded childishly I just ignored them. I made friends in a nieghboring town and that was what really helped me, because they didn't know me as the "pregnant chick" or "the girl who took a 4 month vacation". My senior year my IBS came back full force and I was homeschooled from the end of decmeber untill I graduated. I didn't go to any senior activities or prom but I partied harder then anyone last summer to make up for all the things I missed during the school year, and thats what you have to do, you gotta cheer yourself up which ever way you know how.







I guess I should stop talking now, ahha.


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## 17176 (Mar 31, 2005)

hello and welcome to all the newbies


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## 16906 (May 21, 2006)

ive missed the past 3 wks of skool 2, i told sum people a little of wats goin on but not many, there is a big problem in society at the moment, people dont see IBS as a serious problem, they dont understand how unbearable it makes life, to the point where u cant even leave the house, funny ting is loads of people hav IBS all around the world and yet acceptance and understanding of it is low, my mum tinks im lying bout it 2 get out of school nd dat im like, afraid of social suituations, i must admit i worry more goin out now, but thats because i dont know wen i'll get an attack, at least there r sites like these 2 offer support nd advice, i dont now if i cud cope if there wasn't, thanks every1


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## 18200 (May 22, 2006)

i went to an allegerist because i had a allergic reaction to something and it was kinda bad... well my allgerist gave me a sheet to see if any of these conditions were present so i listed off a bunch and he aked me if i had and irrabile bowel and said i don't know, then my mother said hastily that oh no she doesn't because i had to do all these tests over the summer and felt like such a freak, but i guess he was right, but my mom and the rest of my family is like ohh you just fake those stomach aches after dinner to get out of cleaning the dishes, they seem to not even care i normally am forced into the fetal postion, well that actually hasn't happened in a while but it's not like i can talk to my mom about because seh just views it as a weakness, or that im whining, my mom does not condone whining


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