# a happy ending/new beginning (:



## faithxlove (Feb 2, 2011)

Hello all My name is Hannah. I thought I might like to share my story with all of you and spread a little light into the blackhole that is IBS







So... When I started high school is when I began to notice my symptoms. Everyday after lunch I would realize in my quiet classes (and every person whose been there just squirmed.. I know







) that my stomach would make noises, hurt and bloat.. I would ask to go to the bathroom EVERYDAY in class. So, to keep and extremely long story short... I went a while before really getting any help. And it only got worse each and every day. During that time I became beyond overwhelmed with anxiety. Classrooms gave me panic attacks just at the thought.. And tests/exams were a girl's worst nightmare. When my family moved, I started at a new school and had a horrfying semester of "Gas-X fixes" and confusion.. Haha, the noob IBSer's solution, I know. Anyways... By 11th Grade I was finally receiving some medical attention. I started on the classic Lactose Intolerance Diet... But that failed and was not useful. Over the course of the next year or two, I had every test.. every surgery... every elimination diet.. every food diary.. every specialist.. Yep.. I had it all. And my final answer? "Your symptoms don't really match up... But the only answer I can give you is IBS." Of course the medication didn't help.. Does it ever? lol. Eventually.. By the time I was beginning my final semester of high school.. I was in such a state of depression that I planned on declining my University offers of admission. I knew I couldn't handle the classes... And had already had to squeeze myself into an online course in high school just to be able to take and actually do well in my classes. Doctors had told me they had run out of answers and I had just about run out of will to find any. My symptoms at this point included the same bloating/stomach aches.. Horrible stomach pain, which was mistaken for appendicitis more than once, D, brain fog, headaches and many more debilitating symptoms. But.. out of sheer frustration, I continued my research. One day, while researching, I discovered Fructose Malabsorption. I found it bizarre that a symptom of this disorder was "low iron" which had always had inexplicably. At the same time... I'd been surfing this site and found the FODMAPS diet. To shorten the story... FODMAPS gave me relief that was so surreal to me that I really thought I was dreaming. The difference was like night and day. I realized there were some differences, however, between what I could and couldn't eat and the dietary guidelines set by the FODMAPS diet.. designed for patients suffering from IBS. Anyways... To finally get to my point... I discovered that I have Fructose Malabsorption. Unfortunately, in Canada, we don't offer the hydrogen breath test to diagnose this disorder... But my relief and symptoms which match EVERY descriptor of FructMal are enough to allow me to rest assured. My goal here is NOT to tell you that Fructose Malabsorption is going to be the answer to all your problems.. The only thing I want to do is let you know it's out there... I want you to know that there STILL ARE OPTIONS and that it's NEVER over until YOU decide it's over... Doctors can't tell you when there are no answers left. Never be afraid to take matters into your own hands at an extreme level. It's YOUR body and it's YOUR life. I had to see a pediatrician at one point who told me to keep a food diary. When I was very desperate... I went on a diet of ONLY lean meats.. rice.. fruits and veggies. The diet, (of course) caused my symptoms to be the worst they'd ever been. When the Doctor looked through the journal.. He simply said, blantantly : "I don't see any pattern here." ... The fact is... Any Doctor who knows about Fructose Malabsorption should have understood RIGHT AWAY that that diet is a Fructose Malabsorbant's worst nightmare... But he just didn't know. DOCTORS DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING. Of course, you all have enough experience to know that.. But I hope that by repeating it, it could cause you to rekindle that tiny spark of hope for a cure. If you've read my entire story... THANK YOU! haha.. You're a wonderfully patient individual... All I want to say is that I know as well as any other person on here.. That severe digestive disorders like ours are FAR MORE a mental struggle than a physical one. Never.. ever.. lose hope in finding an answer... I'm going off to University in a few weeks and am actually excited to go to my classes. I know every person reading this is one day going to have the chance to do the same thing in their own way and life. http://www.healthhype.com/fructose-malabsorption-cause-symptoms-and-diagnosis.htmlFor anyone interested.. Here is a FructMal info link. And if anyone has ANY questions or comments.. or just needs an ear for listening... Let me know ASAP. God Bless, my friends..Sincerely,Hannah


----------



## d88c (Aug 9, 2011)

faithxlove said:


> Hello all My name is Hannah. I thought I might like to share my story with all of you and spread a little light into the blackhole that is IBS
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey Hannah,i'm sort of in the same boat in terms of when my symptoms started, and the adverse effects that they have had on my life. i'm really glad you were able to resolve your symptoms, and i wish you the best of luck at Uni i'm actually currently struggling to figure out what my problem really is. i don't really know how to figure out if i have fructose malabsorption, as my family doc doesn't know how to have a hydrogen breath test done for me. i'm confused, and i want to get it done so that i can figure out how to treat my condition.any advice?


----------



## faithxlove (Feb 2, 2011)

d88c said:


> Hey Hannah,i'm sort of in the same boat in terms of when my symptoms started, and the adverse effects that they have had on my life. i'm really glad you were able to resolve your symptoms, and i wish you the best of luck at Uni i'm actually currently struggling to figure out what my problem really is. i don't really know how to figure out if i have fructose malabsorption, as my family doc doesn't know how to have a hydrogen breath test done for me. i'm confused, and i want to get it done so that i can figure out how to treat my condition.any advice?


Hi







First off, thanks so much for the good wishes.







And secondly... I would be honored to offer you some advice! So, I see we're in the same boat as far as the breath test. I'm not sure where you're from... But the fact is.. here in North America.. There is an enormous lack of understanding when it comes to fructose,etc.. Unfortunately, Doctors here are behind the work that's being done (mostly) in Austrailia. In Canada we actually don't even OFFER the hydrogen test for fructose.. Fortunately, through research and tools such as this forum, should you discover Fructose is your problem... You can learn to manage your symptoms quite well through your diet alone. Of course you might seek the help of a dietician or many published books.. But I've learned to deal with my illness without a dietician







So, that means we're onto how to figure this out. First off, what is your history as far as things you've tried to alleviate your symptoms? Have you ruled out any possible ilness or true allergens? I'll just assume so, for the sake of giving you some advice







The number one thing I would reccomend you trying is the FODMAPS diet... Which is very popular on this forum and can be introduced to you via the highly knowledgeable "Common Response" .. Who is a member of the forum who helped ME figure my illness out. The reason I would suggest this, even if you haven't tried ANY other elimination diets is because it is.. sort of.. "the ultimate" .. It elimnates almost any food INTOLERANCE you may have... Then, after you've assured yourself you have a "foundation diet" as I like to call it.. (A diet you can revert back to, knowing it will alleviate symptoms) You can try re-introducing certain food groups.. maybe starting with lactose? The FODMAPS diet is basically what I, personally adhere to ... But it's extremely important to remember that everyone's tolerances are different.. For intance.. I have a hard time eating some of the vegetables on the "safe" list on FODMAPS such as lettuce. BE PATIENT







haha.. There may be a lot of trial an error in the introduction phases.. Don't let it frustrate you.. If necessary, just revert back to the old classic.. A Food Diary







It'll reveal all the patterns you thought you might have missed.If you have questions about actual Fructose Malabsorption and FODMAPS, or anything else... Inbox me. I'm obviously no professional, but I was a research addict determined to diagnose myself while I was sick, so I can help you to the best of my knowledge and certainly explain my opinions/give advice from personal experience. Hope you find this useful! God Bless, Hannah


----------



## faithxlove (Feb 2, 2011)

sorry,Isaw your other thread and I'd like to correct one thing.. I believe if you dug deep enough there may be places here, in Ontario which offer the breath test, however, if I can remember correctly, my Doctor explained that they were EXTREMELY difficult to get... Sorry I couldn't be of more help on that subject. :/


----------

