# Oprah Show



## 18122 (Sep 15, 2005)

My wonderful brother read my blog and decided to send my story to the Oprah show. Apparently she is looking for stories from people who have "embarassing medical conditions" and I think this qualifies, don't you?







Anyways, PLEASE submit your story. The more people who do the better chance that we can get information about IBS out there.It's a *HUGE* opportunity for awareness, even if it's just a small portion of what Oprah is hoping to accomplish.Here is the link: Oprah ShowI also noticed a topic titled "Are You Afraid To Pass Gas Around Your Spouse?", another item I am sure even non-ibsers could write in for.







-Nicole


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Nicole, you might have some luck with this, but maybe not. We have had huge campaigns to email her and she didn't go for it. But maybe she has changed her mind and decided too. Good luck with this.


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## 19282 (Jul 19, 2005)

Nice find, Nicole! As Eric rightly points out, she definitely hasn't been too receptive to discussing IBS in the past. But I have a funny feeling that she might come around before too long. After all, when she had Dr. Oz on the show several months ago, quite a bit of the show involved asking and answering embarrassing questions about "poop." And a lot of those poop questions were coming from Oprah herself. I'd like to think that was a preview of things to come. And the fact that they're now actively looking for people with "embarrassing medical conditions" certainly seems encouraging, too. Anyway, thanks for the heads-up. I'm going submit my story today.Tim


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

They should look at their old e-mail then


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

This topic has been addressed to an extent by Oprah and Friends - so they are aware of the topic - I have submitted many times in the past over the last 5 or so years along with the other BB members - maybe this affiliated show is at least a start:Irritable Bowel Disease and Colon CancerOriginal Air Date: September 27, 2006It's a topic that is rarely talked about: bowel movement and bathroom habits. But according to gastroenterologist John LaPook, more than 10â€"20% of Americansâ€"children and adults alikeâ€"suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Dr. Oz and Dr. LaPook dispel the myth that IBS is a psychological problem and talk about the importance of seeking medical attention for the symptoms and the possible reasons behind IBS. Do you feel bloated, have abdominal discomfort and alternate between diarrhea and constipation? What you can do to relieve the problems associated with irregular bowel movements. Plus, when and why you should get a colonoscopy.http://www.oprah.com/xm/moz/200609/moz_20060927.jhtml


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## 18122 (Sep 15, 2005)

Just some additional thoughtsepending on the content of the submission over the years, they may have changed their minds.Perhaps they aren't looking to do a "serious" show, but rather a more light-hearted look at all kinds of embarassing medical conditions.If we are sending her sob stories about IBS and that's not the kind of show she is looking to do, then of course it's not going to get noticed. Maybe we need to spend some time coming up with our embarassing but humorous stories of what it's like to live day in and day out with IBS.I have developed secret ways of getting to the bathroom at work 5 times in a row with no one being the wiser....maybe this is the type of thing they're looking to expose!







-Nicole


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## 21857 (Aug 15, 2006)

I know in Australia, we are pretty far behind in oprah, but recently I did see a show that was about 'pooping'. Also yesterday they actually had a segment on 'embarassing' tests and medical conditions, they talked about the need for colonscopies, but didnt talk about IBS directly in either episodes!


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Who knows - maybe the Oprah folks are reading this - please do a show on IBS - Please!!!!







This is a conundrum of sorts, in my opinion - IBS is only portrayed humorously in the media - Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly in his bathroom scene with IBS, Sandra Bullock being carried by Hugh Grant after eating tacos, Dumb and Dumber - all those kinds of images are funny - so funny - ha ha - but you know, quite frankly, my IBS made me CRY - that's right - curl up in agony and cry with horrific pain - most IBS patients fall into the mild to moderate category of severity - but you dont die from it, etc. but I might say from my perspective and those of many on this BB that have severe refractory IBS, it is not always a sob story, but true agony where many of us were almost suicidal in having no life, and little respite from the pain we were in.So yeah, maybe they are looking for that kind of lighter show, but perhaps it just then dismisses the impact IBS can have on one's life. My friend has compassionately dealt with my IBS over 20 years or so, and then she recently had symptoms of her own - the DX came in as microscopic colitis, and she said even tho she was sympathetic to what I was going through, now she really understood it.Audiences who see only the light-hearted side of it may dismiss the condition as trivial - and it wasnt so in my life and in the lives of many IBS sufferers. So do they portray a portion of the mild ones, or the full picture of the whole impact?I too used to lie about needing the restroom, about why I was late, or couldnt make it to my kids events, sneak to the bathroom, all that - etc.But I do hear ya, it is better to get the word out in anyway we can than not at all - but since I speak with IBS patients all the time, and certainly, we can take the light hearted stuff along with the worst, the stories I hear sometimes break my heart of what IBS patients have to suffer with - and one of the biggest thing is other's opinions of their illness. But I guess humor and light-heartedness is one way to get the public to listen - I laugh at the antics I have done in my life too - but it is such a fine line between using the light-hearted approach to get awareness, yet knowing that for many, there isnt a lot of light in their day to day life - that's why we are here on this BB - because we are aware of that fact. When I do IBS workshops, no one is laughing at their lives - they want answers...so frustrating, isnt it! I also saw a Q & A for IBS on the Oprah site and the info was totally WRONG for IBS!!! and from a doctor, too!!! grrrrrrrrrr Makes me so hoppin' mad!!!!







oh well- maybe there is a chance ... let's hope so!!Nicole - I emailed ya. xx







.


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## 18122 (Sep 15, 2005)

I totally agree with you, I have had my share of days like that as well. I hope I didn't come across as sounding unsympathetic to any level of IBS.I cant speak for Oprah as far as what she is looking for in a show, I am only speculating. It seems that her show is informative but tries to stay on the positive side of things most of the time. Usually the people suffering the most from any problem are also people who are trying to make a difference for themselves or others and it shows in their actions. At least, that is what I have noticed about her show.Light-hearted doesn't necessarily mean the "Dumb and Dumber" kind of humor either. I think you can get across the message in all kinds of different ways. I'm only saying this is ONE possibility and ONE way to approach it. If the other ways aren't working, then perhaps it's time to try something new.You may even try to write the nighttime shows like Dateline or something like that if you want to take a more serious look at the tougher side of living with IBS. I don't think one or the other is bad or wrong, it's simply different approaches.As far as I am concerned, almost any kind of exposure is good exposure and I am willing to tell anyone who will listen. I suppose most people are going to decide what they want to listen to, though.It goes without saying that a forum like this does wonders for people with IBS and gives them more than probably any talk show could, but I hope that anyone who has anything to say about what it's like to live with IBS does so beyond this forum because I think thats what's really going to change things.Just my 2 cents. Please don't give up, regardless of what story you submit, it's still worth it to try.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

No worries, Nicole - Great comments and I too agree with them. I think it is just my day to day general frustration in dealing with trying to get info out to the media and public - I have written to so many TV shows, news shows, talk shows, news sites, etc. over the years - but still - if at first you don't succeed.... LOL


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## kitkat17 Lady of the Loo (Jul 21, 2005)

I emailed Oprah 2 times and Dr PHil about doing a show. Never heard anything from either one.Good luckKat


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