# Dealing at University



## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

I am a Canadian university student and I was just diagnosed with ibs this year, though i think i've had symptoms for a while. Anyways, I've totally changed my diet and had to stop eating some of my favourite foods. But, I've also stopped drinking. I was just wondering if there was anyone else out there that had to deal with this while away at university. I mean, my friends love to go out and drink on the weekends, that's all people really do to vent at university. I mean I can stand them for a while but after about an hour and a few drinks in their systems i just have to get out of there. Everyone thinks I'm just a party pooper, especially since most of the time i don't even want to go out with them because it's no fun for me, especially if it's a bad day. I am also a varsity athlete, so varsity keggers are out. I try to coerce people into going elsewhere, but it's tough when university students just really want to party.Anyways, I was just wondering if there was anyone else out there that understood this. I mean, I have to deal with this on top of the fact that everyone thinks i'm just crazy for feeling sick all the time and no one understands what's going on.


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## LJones (May 30, 2002)

I can totally relate to what you are going through although I don't live on campus at my school. Everytime my co-workers or friends want to do something it involves alcohol. And I know what you're saying when you say that you can go along with your friends when they drink but you have to leave after awhile. It's so terrible being the only sober one and everyone else is drunk! I used to smoke and I quit that after five years and I started to drink a lot of caffeine to make up for it and I started to drink alcohol more but now that I have IBS I can't have any of those things! I know I'm better off not having any of those things but it's so hard. It's really difficult to try to explain IBS to other people too, a lot of people thought I was anorexic or I was just being a baby.







I hope things start getting better for you, I know where you are coming from. I think things will get easier when you get used to it more.


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## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

Thanks for the note! So nice to know there are others that have gone through it. I must say going off coffee was probably the hardest thing for me to give up!


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## star (Dec 7, 2000)

I know what you mean... I have given up pretty much everything that I love and I still am not completely better... which is really frusterating ### times... (most times) I don't go out to bars and clubs very often (b/c of the whole non-drinking things) and they just aren't the same sober... that is one of the things that makes it so hard to be young and have this... most casual activities either involve having a few drinks or going out for dinner... both of which I can't really do and miss. Sydney are you on the east coast or the west coast? I am also a Canadian university student... probably a different area though... - Star


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## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

I'm actually not on a coast, I go to school in Ontario. What about you?


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## carls1 (Jun 30, 2002)

Hi, I am 18 and I am going to college in the fall. Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do to deal with IBS while there? Are most people understanding or are they callous? Is it tough living in a door without a bathroom in your room? What do you eat in the cafeteria? How do you deal with the peer pressure to eat irritating stuff? Please help because I am really nervous.


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## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

Hey carls,don't worry too much, you'll have tons of fun.My friends at school don't understand as much as my friends at home, but they've gotten used to the fact that i really don't eat what they do. When i lived in rez, all there was was pizza, everywhere and pizza is the absolute worst for me. So if a bunch of people are ordering pizza, I would usually suggest that they order pita pit instead, which everyone loves anyways. Though i'm not sure if there is pita pit in the u.s., but choose something like it. As for caf food, everyone gets bored of it after like a week. So you learn to get creative. Even if you can't eat the entrees, you won't feel left out because most people will be sick of them anyways. By creative i mean stuff like taking a bagel and some spaghetti sauce and making your own mini pizzas or taking harvest crunch cereal and yogurt (if you can eat yogurt) stuff like that, it's kinda fun after a while. As for bathrooms. It depends on the residence. Mine had private bathrooms, enough for 1 for every 2-3 people, but you realize after a while, everyone has to go sometime, you just have to go more often i guess. Besides, on weekends there'll be lots of other people spending lots of time in there! (well, maybe not if your drinking age is 21 there) but then again it is university....Don't worry too much, you'll have tons of fun, your first year away will teach you so much about yourself and what you need to do for yourself to get by and not get sick.


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## carls1 (Jun 30, 2002)

Sydney11 thanks for the message. It's the first positive thing I have heard in a while. I have a couple of more questions. What do you do about the drinking aspect? Do people think you that you have an eating disorder? I am really skinny and I am trying to gain some weight, but I kind of concerned about everyone thinking I have an eating disorder because I eat only low-fat, healthy things. What are some of the snacks you eat? Did you meet anyone else with IBS?


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## fustratedandtired (Jul 2, 2002)

I got through college and only drank every so often. I avoided it for the most part. If you can go out and have fun with people without drinking you will be fine. Once they all get plastered you can do one of two things, leave and most likely they won't really notice or you can be the Designated Driver and make sure they all get home safely. Food isn't a problem dining halls usually have a lot of choices. Being skinny is a bonus in college so don't worry. Most girls develop eating disorders. Just be honest with people without making a big deal about it and you will be fine.


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## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

I don't drink anymore and being on a varsity team makes it kinda tough. But if i go out I'll just get a cranberry juice or ice tea... they're usually free (pretend you're the dd if they ask). If i got to a party i bring a bottle of cranberry and orange juice mixed (my "sex on the beach" mocktail). A lot of people bring their own mixed drinks so no one knows i'm not drinking. The only problem is later in the night people can get really annoyingly drunk, so I just head home then and usually some other people are ready to go too. Even if I don't intend on staying the whole night, I'll at least stop in and say hi. I've always been a really healthy eater because I'm a competitive swimmer, but when I started to get really sick, I lost 10 lbs and started eating even more differently. So now, yeah, some of my friends and my parents think I have gone anorexic, they think I don't eat at all. I just tell people I changed my training regimen.As for meeting other IBSers, I don't know any. It really sucks that way, it would be nice to have someone around to talk to, but since i found the chat here, i've felt much better.If you want to gain some weight, try some protein shakes, they'll help with the muscle mass and when ur not feeling very well, they don't weigh you down. I use whey, but it's your own choice.But don't worry about your eating habits making impressions on people at school, most people eat low fat/fat free because they're afraid of the frosh 15!Just make sure you have snacks on you at all times like granola bars or fruit to go (dried fruit bars), then the pizza or anything else won't bug ya!


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## carls1 (Jun 30, 2002)

Thanks Sydney for answering my questions. Now I am not so anxious/nervous. To be a competitive swimmer with IBS must be so hard because you work out so much and burn so many calories. Wow! I am impressed (I play water polo and I understand your commitment). Currently my only new question for you is, How long have you had IBS? Thanks for all your help and if I have anymore questions I'll be sure to post them.


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## Sydney11 (Jun 14, 2002)

I actually only found out that I had IBS in January, though I've probably had it longer. In december I didn't watch my stress levels and didn't deal with it very well so i got very very sick. I thought I had a stomach ulcer or something and i'd already had most of the IBS suggested tests done for other reasons. So we finished off any tests I hadn't done and found that I had IBS in january. So, I had to learn about IBS and deal with it all on my own while away from home. I liked it better that way I think though, it really gave me a chance to know what I need to do for myself and gave me a chance to know what it is I can and can't eat. Needless to say, I'm very careful about how much stress I put myself through!That's awesome about being a waterpolo player, are those ear covers (i don't know what they're called the water polo team practices before us) any bit comfortable, i'd think it would be so hard to hear!


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## carls1 (Jun 30, 2002)

Sydney, I am sorry to hear you had to deal with this away from home, but then again maybe it was better that way (who knows?). I have a lot of respect and admiration for you because I don't think I could handle all that IBS stuff, swimming, school, and peers. In regards to waterpolo, those "caps" we wear are not uncomfortable and you can hear just fine because the ear pieces have holes. They look retarded, but without them how else would you determine what team and number players are. I think they are important too, because it helps refrees distinguish who scored or commited a foul.You are such a cool person and I am glad to have met you on this site, because I was starting to get nervous about what to do about college and be able to find someone dealing with the same issues is really reassuring. Thanks!!


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