# A young woman's struggle



## Guest (May 1, 2010)

I've had stomach problems for my entire life but after I did volunteer work in remote areas in Latin American in high school, they started to get worse. I was treated for parasites and for a while the problems subsided. Halfway into my 2nd year of college at UCSB, they came back worse than ever. Since then I've seen countless doctors, had my blood drawn for allergies, and have had colonoscopies and endoscopies. All have come back negative except that I have elevated eosinophils and slight anemia. When they couldn't find anything else, I was diagnosed with IBS. I am in so much pain nowadays that I can hardly function. The colonoscopy prep wasn't even that bad in my eyes because I was used to much worse on a daily basis. IBS has interfered with my life and my studies because I have urgency problems nearly every time I leave the house. This has made it difficult to go out with friends and socialize. As a 19-year-old girl, this can be really upsetting. This week I was asked out by 2 different really cute guys in class but I couldn't agree to either date because I was too afraid I'd get diarrhea.Its really nice to find this group where there are also other young women who have this problems. I feel so unladylike with this problem







its really getting to me. But I'm sure that we will all succeed in our struggle against IBS. Love to you all.By: live4sunshine


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## Want a fix! (Jan 17, 2011)

I just read your story and felt the need to reply! I am 24 years old and was diagnosed last year with IBS-D. It has just like you stopped me from having my social life, its effected my work and i feel like im trapped and cannot live my life. As a young woman i feel embarrassed constantly and unladylike, i have a very supportive boyfriend luckily, but we rarely are intimate as i feel so disgusting and unsexy on a constant basis. Its incredibly destructive and i feel like the doctors dont get this and just label anything they cant immediately cure as 'IBS' as they think its not that bad.When you are in your early 20's i feel personally like i should be able to go out with friends partying, or even round to friends houses, i feel like i should be able to push myself at work and be confident to grow as a person. Due to my IBS i feel that none of this is possible any more and my life is on a standstill.I just hope and pray that something happens so we can all get better and start living our lives again.


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## ziggy7 (Oct 24, 2009)

Hi and welcome to these forums Theres lots of people here who have found ways to fix there IBS. I fixed mine with diet and posted my diet in the diet section of the forums.Heres a link for easier access.http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/140891-frustrated-with-diets-for-ibs/Anyways i can relate to your story! I used to have diarrhea basically everyday and was 330 pounds and had no social life at all. But now i 100% control my IBS-D with my diet. And i lost about 150 pounds of fat and gained 50 pounds of muscle with my diet & exercise. But even so it took me a few years to regain my social skills.


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## terribletummy (Dec 30, 2010)

I totally get you! Honestly IBS is the main reason I didn't go off to a big school:/ so sad.


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