# Haven't asked this in a long time



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

But how is everyone doing?


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## Lauralee (Jan 4, 2002)

I guess I'll go first!We moved a week and a half ago and so far I am surviving! I was doing really well until a couple of days ago when I kind of fell apart. I think it is because I had been pushing myself and working from the time I got up until I went to bed at night without taking any kind of break at all. I'd stop long enough to eat, then right back to work. The house is now 85% unpacked, but I haven't been feeling so hot. I think I just pushed myself too hard. I am still trying to feel at home here. I sometimes miss my old house. That's kind of funny since I was so dang anxious to leave it! Anyway, we are all adjusting and I am hoping to regain my equilibrium soon and start my new life here!BTW, eric, ready for your big day? It's next week isn't it?


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## kac123 (Aug 2, 2002)

Hi! I was just wondering the same thing Lauralee -- Eric when is your wedding date? Mine is 88 days from now (not that i'm counting or anything







) and I'm starting to get nervous. Hopefully it will all go ok.I'm doing alright - just trying to take things one day at a time. I hope everyone else is doing well!kac


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Hi Eric- Congrats on getting married







I am doing ok but wish I were better. I have a fantastic gastro in Boston who has helped me so much since i had some abdominal surgery for benign things(long story) 2 years ago. I am taking elavil for IBS pain, it seems to help but then i hit a wall and need to increase the dose. I seem to lean more to C (which is better for me actually and nothing with this is forever usually) Am seeing the dr this month. I am going to do the tapes again, they do help me relax which I think puts my body into a more receptive mood for other IBS coping tools (meds etc), I can still hear Mikes voice telling me that I'm in control and its been a while since I've done them. Anyway I'm thrilled for you regarding your upcoming marriage. Take care


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Hi Eric,im ok, been stressed out with my college work and stuff. ive given up week and seem to be doing much better with that.I graduate in July. My last exam is tomorrow afternoon, so wish me luck- 9.30am ESTWill give you an update soon. Im too tired to think.


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## Joan Gregg (Jun 6, 2000)

I'm om pain levels 2 - 10 24/7. Dragg myself throuhg day and need sleeping pills, librax, gasex. tums. tylenol (useless) charcoal tabs to get through the night to another misrable day. I am pain predominant. The three days with no bm after my colonoscopy (3 benign tumors) was agony with the urge for a bowel movement that was not there to begin with.Took the occasional percodet--helps the ruptured c-6 disk but not the bowel pain. Hydrodone is a joke. By Rome criteria, I'm not even c anymore--it's a bunch of mush d that won't come out; spasms down my ascending colon, behind my stomanch; down the descdending colon to ax exploding sigmoid colon--even when I used to irrigate the incomplete evac. the pain was there. So, I stopped. Help me, pls. Next stop, PA Hospital- Craig Aroncheck


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## BackFire44 (Nov 19, 2003)

Hi Eric -- thanks for asking. Doing great. Congrats on your upcoming wedding. I'm on day 60 or so of the program. The problems of urgency and running to the bathroom are almost totally gone, and my reflexes to panic everytime I hear rumbling in my stomach have disappated. I feel like I am continuing to work toward being 100% normal -- and am very close. Looking forward to finishing the tapes and continuing to get better. I even have a softball game tonight where there will be no bathroom in sight -- before I wouldn't have thought about it -- tonight I'm going happily.BackFire


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Thanks for the good will on getting married, I am getting married June 23 and am very happy about it. ThanksKac, I just decided to tell myself I am not going to stress out over it and I even watch good stress and excitement also because I know that can be a trigger as well. SoI take it a day at a time. Lauralee, its great your in the new house and almost completey unpacked. I am sure all the moving and added stressors was part of your situation and as that gets better your equilibrium should start to balance out again. Its probably going to take a bit until it all feels like home again, but you'll get there. Congradulations on getting there though, I know it was no easy task.Hang in there. Remember home is where the heart is.







Kac, 88 days and how many hours and inutes. LOL Not counting heh? I look at it this way, why get nervous when worrying does not change the outcome and can cause upset. I am looking forward to marrying my sweetie and when the day comes I know it will be a happy day. Of course your wedding I think will be bigger then mine, but you do all you can do and hope for the best.







Congradulations and may it be a very happy day.







Nancy thanks. I am glad you found a good doc, that can help a lot. Sorry to hear you had some issues, but that they are better. Do you have abdominal scare tissues from surgery?Glad your seeing the doc again and hope he can help you.Also glad you'll be listening to the tapes again, stick to those and because of your comment, I know they have gotten through to your subconcious and it stuck.







Keep at it.







I kid you not. Keep us posted Nancy and hang in there and hope you feel better soon. Nikki, good luck on the tests or by now you may have done them, I hope it went well. Its great you graduate in July congradulations. Did you ever get into a doc or a therapist?I hope when school is out for you, you will be able to get those stress lveles down, I think they greatly effeect your IBS and hope in the future you will be able to work on that more. I think that would make you feel better when school is out. keep us updated and hope the tests went well.Joan, it concerns me you have pain 24/7, that is a red flag for IBS. I am glad your getting into see another specialist, I hope they can get a grip on your problems and the pain especially. Careful with the narcotics, they can make it all worse long term. Have you ever tried valium? Or antidepressants in low doses? Are you still seeing the HT person?I wish I could help more for you, but I really think professional help and management is the way to go, even if its a tough journey to get there. Also remember very importantly pain is connected to emotions, just the way it all works. Where di you hear about Craig Aroncheck?I of course wish you the best and hope you can find real help with all this.Backfire, I am glad to hear its really working out for you. Cool yes?I am glad to hear also you can make the game and that the panic responces are getting better, that is very important. Sounds like your doing really well and that is great to hear.







Excellent!


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Eric-Yes i do have adhesions from the abdominal surgery i had, or they think I probably do. In order to get to my adrenal (left one)gland and remove it and the tumor(benign)they had to handle my bowel and move it around to get to other structures. great for an IBS person huh? I thought that adhesions(scar tissue)came under the incision but my husband(operating room nurse) said they can be anywhere in the field or my entire colon. You cant really get them removed though some people do (its called lysis (sp) of adhesions) but its just more surgery and he said the adhesions only come back. My Gi who is absolutely wonderful and does "get it" about IBS, he said some of the odd sensations i have, that things "feel different: since my surgery are probably due to adhesions. What concerns me occasionally, especially when I am C, is that I have a bowel obstruction, which you can get anytime after abdominal surgery, even years down the road. But there is really nothing I can do about that even though the thought of it makes me anxious. Oh well. Congrats again on your upcoming marriage


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## sickofsick (Nov 4, 1999)

First of all congrats on the upcomming wedding!I've had a few set backs recently but I'm sure its because I lost my Dad in April and as you know that takes its toll on you.The one thing I want to point out is even though I've been going through some rough stuff I still am not anywhere near as bad as I was before doing hypnotherapy. So to those of you doing the program keep at it, it really does work!I now have a little more time to look after myself so hopefully things will improve and I will get back to where I was before all this.


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## BackFire44 (Nov 19, 2003)

Sorry to hear about your dad sickofsick. Good to see you have such a positive outlook despite the rough times -- I'm sure you'll be back on track in no time.BackFire


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## sickofsick (Nov 4, 1999)

Thanks for the kind words backfire, I appreciate that.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Nancycat, your situation that you described is very similar to my own. After abdominal surgery, I too have adhesions, and the docs say that you more or less have to live with the pain/discomfort they bring, and yes, they come back... know a bit about what you are enduring.. ((HUGS)) to you.sickofsick, may I add my condolences to that of BackFire.. I lost my dad a few years ago, and we just settled the legal stuff, so just now I am starting to do the grieving and "remembering"... I hope you are comforted and feeling better soon.. and (((HUGS)))to you as well.Nikki, good thoughts and hugs coming your way from Amerimum, and Eric.... all the best for you and your sweetie... Blessings to you both!!


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Hi, I finished everything now, and have started working about 4 shifts a week in pub where ive not been for the last 3 years (24 hours a week ish).I never saw a therapist or a specialist. I haven't had time. And i dont want to. It scares me. I quit eating wheat/gluten and have been on the whole a lot better. But because ive been doing that ive been craving wheat/carbs and i mean it. Im so tired and have no energy. Im sure when my body gets used to it i'll be fine. Its prob not helping that i have a virus that ive had for about a month now. Its a weird skin one, ive just got itchy patches all over me. Im going to Trinity college of music in september and that will be very scary and new. I will be moving to a new part of London (East London) and have never even BEEN to that part of London before. Im looking forward to it as a new start though.Congrats on your wedding Eric! Dont forget to post photos!Hi Marilyn! Ive missed you. We should speak again really soon.Nikki x


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## 2btrue (Jul 22, 2003)

Firstly, Eric, Congratulation on your wedding. Its so encouraging to know that ther's life with IBS - thats something that totally eludes me and I'm still trying to understand. I wish you and your fiance all the very best!! I too have had abdominal surgery and it can be really painful and as everyone is saying, there is no point in having more surgery to remove scar tissue. I had my colon removed which I thought would help with constipation and pain (I had colonic inertia) and am now worse off than I was before, thats when I decided to try the tapes again.I am on Day 58 and find its getting more difficult and as I'm going along I'm finding the program more stressful and harder to concentrate. My symptoms overall are no different and most importantly neither is my outlook or attitude. I also have a problem remembering anything at all on the tapes yet I dont think I have ever fallen asleep or drifted off while listening. I'm totally blank except when Mike mentions about noticing the difference - that kind of scared me a little.


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## 2btrue (Jul 22, 2003)

Nancycat, Cookies4marilyn, do either of you take any narcotics for the pain. I have been on opiods and that really messed me up, but without it, its been impossible to function even though it just takes the edge off just enough to help me to walk and stand a few minutes a day. Wanted to know if you have found that the opiods have made things worse because you have both had surgery?


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

2btrue,For the abdominal adhesions, if the pain gets really bad, I take a very tiny dose of diazapam, (Valium), but only at bedtime, and only when really feeling badly. (I have an RX of 10 tabs which I break, and last me months, because I am so sparing of it.) During the day, I am a single mom, and work, so I take OTC pain killer because I have to function, and just tough it out, or do Mike's Chronic Pain CDs which really help a lot, especially one particular session, it really takes the pain down and usually totally away.I try to stay away from drugs as much as possible, but I have other health issues, so that is why. Drugs and surgery can really do a number on the old bod, that's for sure.


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