# Hi There..Another Suffering Newbie!



## Alexiabee (Jun 21, 2011)

Hi to you all.As the title says, 'I am so glad I have found this forum'. So let me tell you a bit about my story.I am relatively new to this horrible, dibhilitating condition. Well, I am presuming that it _is_ IBS that I am suffering from, as I have diagnosed it myself. I did mention it to my doctor, he checked me over and said I was o.k and didn't seem that concerned. So, to continue. I am Alex, a fit and young looking 60 year old woman, married with children and grandchildren. I have always had very good health, done plenty of exercise, and never had any digestive or stomach problems in my life before. Although I would like to mention that my mother suffered with Crohns disease all her life. Could there be a connection perhaps??I have had IBS I think for about five months, but could have been a while before that as this wretched condition has seemed to have crept up on me gradually.Also as a double whammy, last November I was diagnosed as having Polymyalgia Rheumatica, which is another horrible painfull condition which affects the large muscles throughout the body, making them inflamed and painful. There have been times with this when I have been hardly able move let alone to walk. However, this is o.k now as it is controlled by steroid treatment.So, back to the IBS..It all seemed to begin after I had one of those nasty 24hr diarhrea bugs. It seemed to clear up ok after a few days, but my bowels were never quite right after that. My once a day trip to the loo turned in to 2 or 3 times, and although my stools were formed at the time it was always quite urgent that I got there, and a relief to 'let go'.This slight 'urgency' continued on and off for a year or two. It did not cause that much of a problem, but I was not too keen on having to use the loo at work for a 'number 2'. Something I had never had to do before.Then in December last year(a month after my PMR was diagnosed), the urgency became a little more noticable, it seemed that I had to 'go' regularly when I was out anywhere and away from my home. My stools were also a bit softer and more unpleasent too. Once again, I was not happy about this, but it didn't cause me that much concern. It was more of a nuisance than anything else.Then in March this year the IBS really kicked in. One day while waiting to go to the bathroom (my husband was in there and he takes ages!) I had my first little accident. I was horrified! It was the real watery stuff and of course after had to shower and change my underwear before I could go out. Since then I have had two episodes like that where I just couln't wait and I have soiled my panties. This of cause has freaked me out terribly, and I now get very anxious and stressed before I go out anywhere in case it happens again. The awful part about it is, the feeling to go just comes on out of the blue within seconds..I could be anywhere. I can be fine one minute, and desperate to go the next. This is what makes me think that what I am going through is a classic case of IBS. I know that I can 'think' myself into a bout of diarhrea. I know I am doing this, and I know its really wrong, but it just seems out of my control. I know I am not ill as such..I feel very well in myself, I have not lost weight, and my appetite is good, but it is of course making me, a previously very active person, housebound.So thats basically my story. I am looking forward to reading and contributing to these forums, and hopefully I can with the help of other sufferers get to beat this dreadful condition and get my life back.Alex.


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