# What do you tell people?



## 20663 (Jul 8, 2005)

hey all,hi!so im a senior in high school, and have had ibs since freshman year. the thing is, public high school, or any high school for that matter, sucks for a person with ibs,(not that ibs doesn't suck all the other time) Anyway, i deal pretty well, and have accepted that i just need to move on with my life. so the problem comes in gym class for me this year....see, mornings aren't agreat time for me, and gym is 4th period. but its so annoying, because they make you walk the track outside, or go to the workout room, or any where else they can possibly think of that's really far away from a bathroom. then they make a big deal about it when you need to go, not to mention all of the other kids suddenly care where you're going and ask you a million questions about where you go all the time or where you've been...cause none of them ever need to go during gym. and they switch gym teachers every two weeks, and they're all ...idk...really macho, and wouldnt get it even if i explained the problem. and i dont see why its such a big deal for them anyways..i mean jeez, i dont go everyday, ivegone like twice, and they made a big deal about it...so nowim making it worse because im all anxious about class now. So my question is..what do/did you all tell people whenthey start asking a lot of nosey questions, and you dont feel like explaining your whole life story to them?


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## 14849 (Aug 25, 2006)

You don't need to explain yourself to them. Get a doctor's note, and hand it to your gym teachers. Your personal life is not any of their business. The only thing that is your business is whether or not you show up to class.You're in a bind, especially because you're in h/s. People are nasty, and having a case of "the poops" is definitely something that people will poke fun at, and word would probably get around the school by way of gossip that you were always pooping. That's just the way h/s is. Unfortunately, in h/s the majority of people aren't mature enough to realize that everybody eats so everybody poops.I was lucky because my IBS didn't start until I was well out of school.Anyway, give the gym teacher a doctor note and be done with it. You're not obligated to answer any questions about your personal life.


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## masterplan (Aug 6, 2006)

I tell people I have IBS and it makes me **** all the time. If they laugh I tell them about the depression too. My boss is doing her best to help me at work and the Uni are doing their best too. My friends try as well. At the end of the day it's a disability and people will help if you let them.


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## 20663 (Jul 8, 2005)

thanks for posting you guys. you've been really reassuring for me. i agree, it definately wouldnt do me any good to go around telling the other kids about my ibs...like you said(flat4) it'd be aroundthe school in a day, and i'd never hear the end of it. when i got ibs freshman year, one of my close friends saw this bathroom pass i had and made all these loud immature jokes.i lied and told her i had a bladder infection..but i learned my lesson.my other teachers know, b/c i gave a doctor's note to the nurse, and they all to their best to help me too(like in not giving me a hard time about missing school or going to the bathroom during class) im lucky b/c my family is trying to help too. its just those gym teachers...but i bet if i told them/ showed them a note, they'd be fine with it and not give it another thought...i mean im just another kid in the school...they dont just sit there and think about me all day. thanks for the advice


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## 14849 (Aug 25, 2006)

> quote:Originally posted by lucythedog:thanks for posting you guys. you've been really reassuring for me. i agree, it definately wouldnt do me any good to go around telling the other kids about my ibs...like you said(flat4) it'd be aroundthe school in a day, and i'd never hear the end of it. when i got ibs freshman year, one of my close friends saw this bathroom pass i had and made all these loud immature jokes.i lied and told her i had a bladder infection..but i learned my lesson.my other teachers know, b/c i gave a doctor's note to the nurse, and they all to their best to help me too(like in not giving me a hard time about missing school or going to the bathroom during class) im lucky b/c my family is trying to help too. its just those gym teachers...but i bet if i told them/ showed them a note, they'd be fine with it and not give it another thought...i mean im just another kid in the school...they dont just sit there and think about me all day. thanks for the advice


No problem. Good luck with everything....


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## 21989 (Feb 13, 2007)

I'm getting used to being up front about it, but using weird words to describe my chronic D. Just be confident in how you say what you have, but try to make light of it so no one is too serious about it.Example: "Hey, I gotta go to the restroom often, so don't be wierded out. I have IBS. Long story short, it's a condition that gives me the hot poops."Of course, that's with friends. At work it's really no one's business but the bosses.


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## 13561 (Feb 28, 2007)

zack, i love what you said. that was funny.for me, i dotn tell people about my #### problem...i just say "i have ulcers and i need to vomit ALOT" and then i use that as an excuse as to why i dont eat. Majority of the time, they'll say "oh ok. no problem." Other times, theres always that one person that will ask "are you anorexic? are you on a diet?" ugh, that annoys the hell out of me. but anywho, after a month or so of knowing them,i say "hey, i got to use the bathroom. i have a lot of gas and my stomach is very sensitive...if you know what i mean..." and if they give me a weird look, i just say "ive got the 54its!" ahahahhaits not funny, but its funny...USE HUMOR!!! thats all you can do.


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## 16229 (Jan 28, 2006)

Make it simple. "I have a digestive disease." Case closed. They don't need to know anything more unless you want to tell them. It should be dealt with the administrators, not teachers directly. It's the administrators job to tell the teacher you need help. If you want to go into specifics do it with the admin.


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## 18355 (Feb 18, 2007)

I'm with artjunky- I just tell people I have a stomach condition. It's a lot less embarassing and I find people don't ask a lot of questions. If they look at you oddly, say 'stab yourself in the stomach several times, then try to run a mile.'(I HATED gym- distance from the bathroom + really bad asthma + being overweight made me out to be 'that lazy fat kid.' Running itself always aggitates my IBS, especially on an empty stomach and I always had the last possible lunch period... right after gym).


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## 18122 (Sep 15, 2005)

I'm torn because I think all these are good ideas!I guess it comes down to your individual personality and level of comfort. I agree, if you want to avoid it for the most part, just say you have a digestive condition and leave it at that.Just today I was telling a co-worker something about the gingerale prep I did for my colonoscopy and she said "You're too young to have a colonoscopy!" so I replied "I have stomach issues." and then we chated about how horrible colonoscopies are, blah blah. No big deal at all.I guess they have no choice but to believe me because if they didn't they would wonder why on earth I would volunteer for a colonoscopy!







It seems like the more confident I am about saying what my problem is and showing that I'm not bothered by it so they shouldn't be really helps.Anyways, let us know how it goes and good luck!-Nicole


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## 22144 (Aug 6, 2005)

I tell people that I have IBS. If they don't understand or crack a joke, I judo throw them. Very effective.Only had to do that with my dad.


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi~ I guess for me it depends on the situation and the people... and on a need-to-know basis...If telling them is important and will do good, then I'll tell them. If not, I'll just say I have a stomach problem. And if I sense that they're going to make a big fuss if I tell them i have ibs, but then they are curious to know what specifically my stomach problem is, I'll just tell them that I have a list of food that I'm allergic/sensitive to.My strategy is to be tentative at first and if during the conversation it feels like we're all comfortable about talking about it, I may say more. Otherwise, I'll just say whatever that'll make them understand that I can't eat all that they eat and whatever that works for me in that situation...Good luck, Lucy and hope you've found a way that works best for you!


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## MyOwnSavior (Dec 21, 2006)

I just tell people I have "chronic pain". Which is true, given that IBS has that lovely "side effect". Still, most people I don't let know at all. I figure, if they knew me enough - or cared to know me enough - they would eventually learn on their own anyway. And yeah, people in high school are jerks. In fact, I've noticed that people in college tend to be even more narcissistic than those in HS were, unfortunately. Hence, why I don't bother to explain anything to people. It's not just students, though, it's professors or staff or whatever else as well. People have a hard time being compassionate about any kind of problem in the bowel area, it seems. The only time that area is talked about is seemingly when jokes are being made, which is obviously what kind of sets the tone for the context in which bowel disturbances should be talked about...


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## Dandaman (Jun 1, 2007)

i havent really actually told anyone really, its frustrating though ive tried to tell my parents but my mom is just like i get stomach aches sometimes too just suck it up and go to school blah blah blah go get a job.. doesnt help any. during my senior year of high school , which was a year ago, it was pretty unbearable , couldnt concentrate at all in class and missed a lot of school, would have missed more if i could. but it affects your social life so badly because you are afraid to go out because your stomach may bother you. i tried to really keep it to myself, even though i didnt even really kno what it was for a while, went to the doctors and they took stool samples and blood tests, but my mom told me the test came back normal and some stuff and didnt even take me to the follow up appointment so i dont even know haha. does anyone have problem with depression due to it? i mean i have depression without the ibs but i think it just makes it so much worse because all my problems revolve mostly around my family and i cant even get away from it because i cant go out like i used to when i was younger to get away..


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## MyOwnSavior (Dec 21, 2006)

Dandaman said:


> does anyone have problem with depression due to it? i mean i have depression without the ibs but i think it just makes it so much worse because all my problems revolve mostly around my family and i cant even get away from it because i cant go out like i used to when i was younger to get away..


I think nearly everyone with IBS - that I have talked to or have been exposed to - suffers from depression due to IBS. Myself, I know all to well what it's like. As you said, you can't "get away" from family, which keeps one from making friends, becoming involved in social situations, etc. etc. Life kinda sucks if the only thing you can do is sit at home for fear of what might happen if you don't... As for me, I can go out and do things, but I just have to do it by myself or with family; who will understand that I have to do things my way because of the control IBS has over any kind of situation


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