# Confusion, annoyance and all



## IrisMR (Oct 17, 2007)

Hi! Newbie here. I felt like I needed to talk to some folks that could understand me. I can't believe how confused this IBS thing is making me. First of all, getting a diagnostic was a mess. They didn't even check my whole colon, they just did a sigmoid.. um thing. I'm 23 years old so it's unlikely anyway that I have anything besides IBS. But you can't help but feel insecure, don't you think? And I think they did about 10 radios of my stomach to go "Oh boy, you're sure constipated!". You know, I could've told you that myself... The health system here in Quebec is horrible.And not to mention, since a couple weeks my tummy has been killing me. I get these pinching pains. I don't know if that's what some of you folks feel as pain... But BOY is it annoying!And my stools are always flat. Always always always flattened. Sorta stressful to see that! I don't think it is because of something making an obstruction higher up in my colon because sometimes in a lucky day I get stools that look rather regular... Not totally cylindrical but pretty close! And I actually feel HAPPY when that happens now. How creepy is that? Someone feeling happy because they had a good BM.Worst thing is that I believe I had absolutely no good info from my doctors. They all went "Oh you probably have IBS" but they never told me how to help it... Heck one said I should take magnesia milk... But what, am I supposed to take that daily forever? I don't think so! I try to take fiber supplements (Benefibre it's called) but whoops... half of the time I forget. D'oh.It's not quite a reassuring year I'm having here. Delays at the hospital, waiting for hours to even see the doc, then getting out of there with no new developments... Wow. What do you guys think?


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## brunky86 (Oct 15, 2007)

Hey, I am right there with ya. I went through 4 count them 4 gastroenterologists before they diagnosed me with severe IBS. It only took them nearly 2 yrs....blah. But anyway, I know what you mean that it's almost "amazing" when you have a semi-normal BM lolol I get all excited too haha. It's sad, but with IBS you have to look at the littlest things to find happiness.


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## awesomeness (Nov 1, 2007)

> I actually feel HAPPY when that happens now. How creepy is that? Someone feeling happy because they had a good BM.


Dude - tell me about it. Everytime I get a good BM I am like, "omg what did I eat in the last 24 hours - I must get a lifetime supply..."The thing is though, my stomach is so picky it isn't even funny. I can have the same diet for a week and have alternating BM consistencies. Thanks IBS - lets make this a little bit harder.My dr. told me to write down everything I eat and at what time in a journal. Then every time you have a BM write down in the journal the consistency and your mood (for gauging stress levels). While that is all well and fine and sounds like an amazing idea I got too depressed doing it. The last thing I needed was a constant reminder that I had IBS on top of all my symptoms. If you can stick with it though it should give you a real good idea as to what you can and cannot eat.


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## 15226 (Apr 30, 2007)

Holllaaa.And haha, I can totally relate to you fer sure. My IBS symptoms started when I ended up in the ER, literally full of #### and had a giant air bubble in my intestines. Well, the ER doctors were all entertained, seeing as they've never seen anyone with a giant air bubble in their stomach. What can I say, I'm just special like that. Anyway, after that visit, I was given a referral to see a gastro doc an hour and a half away from where I live. I thought it would help, but, uh, not so much. I got the same thing, pretty much."Yeah, you're constipated."No. Way. I wouldn't have guessed. Really, my cat could've told me that. The rest of the visit consisted of the gastro pushing on my stomach ("Does it hurt?"-No, it tickles, duh.) and a blood test to rule out Celiac disease, which came back negative. So I was even more confused about the whole situation more than I was before. My symptoms started getting worse, and I was finally diagnosed with severe IBS-C. I can totally understand your frustration. I've been to a lot of doctors since I've got this. Each doctor has a different answer, and they ask why am I taking something that another doctor prescribed me, or why am I not doing something that another one told me not to do. But they can agree on one thing, I deff. have IBS. I've also have tried tons of medicines, diets, and other things such as pain management. And it gets frustrating because sometimes these things don't work or end up making me feel worse and it just sucks. But I've been learning to manage it, and sticking to what has helped me before. And yeah, me having a bm is a monumental milestone. Seriously. Anywaaay, I'm sorry you have to go through this, but there are a lot of things you can do to manage your symptoms. Hopefully you can find a better doctor, and you can work something out. And I have the same problem with remembering taking medicine. Try and start taking it at a consistent time. I do this, and set my alarm on my cell phone to the time I take it. This reminds me, and it does help. Just a fyi, I guess. :]


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## IrisMR (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks a lot for the support folks!Well I have yet to find the way to manage my symptoms here! S'not easy. I mean, it seems that lately all I get is the flat stools. Been having them for weeks now. HERE AND THEN there's a stool that looks relatively normal, but after that bit passes it's back to the flat with sometimes icky mucus in it. And of course, this morning I had the "hard as rock" packed up nibblet type. But it seems that my stools are always flat.And since a couple weeks I've been having these PINCHES! Oh my GOD my tummy is getting pinched. Where's that invisible hand and why can't I destroy it. It stings a lot on the lower left side and around my bellybutton....You know, I wonder, is that something that can happen? Flat and flat for weeks to go? Or should I think there might be something else farther up in my colon? (they did just check a third of it afterall.) I gotta say, that bit stresses me out. I got an appointment with my doctor to explore avenues about management issues... Next month! Agh! I hate wait times here. I'm so stressed out


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