# Dorm Life



## white shores (Aug 30, 2004)

I'm a junior and its the year we start looking at colleges so this has been on my mind for a long time and i just want some responses. I have lots of gas and I'm afraid of stinking up my dorm room and grossing out my roomate. My stomache also gurgles and moans when I'm gassy and I don't want my roomate thinking I'm even weirder. In th mornings I spend a lot of time on the toilet and i feel fine doing this because its in my own private bathroom but at college one often has to share a bathroom with other people on the same floor. This is making me really nervous and anxious for college a time that is supposed to be fun. How have others coped with these difficulties?


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## eucg10 (Oct 25, 2004)

I'm in my second year of college, I lived in a dorm last year with a hall bathroom. You can always try living in a single, or trying to get a room that has a bathroom in it. But really everyone goes to the bathroom, and while it is uncomfortable going sometimes when other people are in there too, you get used to it. And there are times when the bathroom is usually empty, which is the best time to use it. On my floor one of the girls put up a "do not disturb" sign on the bathroom door that you could use when you wanted some privacy. It worked for us because it was a small dorm and there wasn't a lot of people on my hall, but it might not work in every dorm. As far as the roommate thing just tell them that you do have a condition, and try explaining certain things about it. My dorm this year is a suite and luckily its only two of us sharing the bathroom so it makes it easier, but I told my roommate and she actually knows other people who have ibs so she's been supportive and its not a big deal. And last year I told some of my friends on the hall that I had a stomach condition so that it wouldn't be weird that I was in the bathroom a lot. I hope this helps. Don't let it worry you too much and just try seeing how the different dorms are and maybe you can get into one of the ones that offers private bathrooms.


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## holly18 (Nov 10, 2004)

hiya i am applyin for university at the moment and i have been worrying about the same thing because im quite shy. Here in the uk nearly all student accomodation is single study rooms, normally sharing a bathroom with a few other students. At the university i am applying for, half the accomodation is ensuite so my doctor said he would write a nice letter to the uni for me explaining that i need to be a priority to recieve an ensuite room. Maybe you can find out if your college has some ensuites? you have a medical reason why you need one so you could get priority over some1 else


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

I didn't even need a letter from my doc to get an ensuite- i contacted the accommodation person saying about my problem and they said it was not a problem!


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## dave72200 (Apr 1, 2004)

I had trouble with using a community bathroom. Currently i share a bathroom with 2 roommates which is no big deal. Just be very open about your situation and trust me..your roommates will be understanding...Community bathroom 1)get a community radio 2)they really dont know who's behind that door 3)Everyone does it...I know it's pretty easy for me to say these things now looking back on it...Id just hope that you took my advice as well as others on dealing with the situation...Please do not let a bathroom determine where you go to college.


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## ETownChick (Nov 24, 2004)

The one thing you have to remember is that those noises your gut makes are normal. If you explain to your room mate your condition, I am sure she will understand. My room mate does. Bless her heart, she took me to the hopital at 2AM one day. Tell your roomie everything and explain what is going on with you. It is the best way. She will be there in the middle of the night when you need her. She will be your best support system. And as for the bathroom thing ... I use a co-ed bathroom and the guys can make it really smelly and noisy in there and they don't even have IBD.


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## FDNY83 (Nov 28, 2004)

Try to get a roommate you know.. And also the bathrooms are usually big and not a problem...There are many showers and many stahls, so nobody is going to know its you.College was when my IBs was undercontrol it was such a fun stress free environment.


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## shoes (Dec 14, 2004)

Don't worry about it. I am currently in my second year of dorm life with a communal bathroom. IT really is not a problem at all. One secret I have found to be incredibly usefull is that there is usually a bathroom in your dorm building that is not communal, meaning there is only one stall and one sink and one urinal or what not. This is usually the visitors bathroom and is often on the first floor. That is a good spot to go for privacy, even though that is not typically a problem for me. I think you will find that your stomach will adjust to what could be a very steady diet from the commons at your school. For instance, I can eat pretty much the same thing everyday, and my stomach seems to function more predictably as a result. Even though this is probably going to cause me problems later down the road (let me know if there is knowledge that it will) it is definately getting me through the here and now. I envy your situation though, I am and have been worried about far more matters than simpy going to the bathroom. Also, make for absolute sure that you let your roommates know about your condition. When you tell them, don't be all serious about it, just pass it off as a common thing, let them know about how it effects you. I am positive they will recognize that you cant do everything they can, and they might even become very interested in your condition and helping you out, because a roomstuck roommate is not as much fun. Good luck and definately email me if you need help with adjusting to college life as far as IBS goes, because i would be lousy at giving advise about other stuff =).


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## lbcgeek21 (Dec 28, 2004)

The unfortunate thing about this is that, if you're like me, the more you worry about this, the more likely your IBS is to act up!! I am a sophomore in college. I commuted my freshman year, and, as expected, had bad D the first days of classes. This year, I'm living with a roommate. I also have experienced a decrease in stomach episodes since being in college, hopefully you will be lucky with that as well.My advice is first of all to be honest with your roommate about it, just inform them of what IBS is, you don't necessarily have to tell them the exact symptoms you experience.Like I said earlier, unforunately the thing that will probably help the most is to NOT worry about it at all, and then maybe you'll experience it less. That's next to impossible, I know. At this point, there isn't much you can do about it. Good luck!!


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## evesedusn (Feb 1, 2005)

i was all about finding the single bathrooms in my dorm. visitors bathrooms were myh saving grace. and i made sure to find a public restroom somewhere near where i had class that not many people went to so i could use that too. i definately recommend rooming with people you know. i roomed with my two best friends, and i honestly cant imagine trying to deal with dorm life and the first year of college and IBS without them. do watch out for dorm food though, that stuff is totally brutal. if food triggers your symptoms definately plan on bringing a lot of your own food instead of relying on just the dorm cafeteria food cause its hard tot ell what the heck is in a lot of that stuff and jsut what part of it is making you sick.


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## lxdreamerxl (Mar 8, 2005)

I'm dealing with the exact same situation. I start college in the fall and I've been stressing myself out about the whole dorm thing. I don't know anyone who's going to this college who I could room with, so that's out of the question... Would you recommend trying to get a private dorm? I just don't know if I can live with someone else while dealing with IBS-D. It's hard to just up and tell a complete stranger what you go through every day. I need to know I can trust that person. But as a freshmen, you normally can't get private dorms. So should I try to get a private dorm for medical reasons?


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