# I'm new here. This is me.



## bleepy (Mar 23, 2004)

(Appologies if this is the wrong forum, or if it doesn't fit here. If so, just shove it along somewhere else, and I'll come find it!)My real name is Craig, I'm male, from Sussex, England, (UK, Europe, Earth (I think), Milkyway) or as other's call me, bleepy (don't ask me why.. I've never quite worked out the reason yet). Anyway, moving on. My condition is apparently a mix of IBS, severe constipation, and a couple of others, with medical names I couldn't pronounce to save my life. I was born with this, and so far through my 16 year life, have been on:27 different medications. To mention some; Lactulose, FiberGel, Senekot, Movicol (truly the best there is, really clears you out and works. Ask your doctor about it!).6 "evacuations" (basically go under anastethic and then some big guy comes along and pushes all the "stuff" out of my bowels by hand. Usually leaves me with a bruised stomach, but it does the job.)5 tracker courses (where I have to swallow little plastic things and then I get 2 X-Rays, each a week apart, to see how far they've moved.)Spent 49 weeks of my life in hospital thanks to the stuff above.Attended proper school for 5 years of my life, the rest I've spent with a tutor. I used to bunk of school because I was afraid my condition would backfire on me.Had 7 different doctors, 4 different professors, and been registered at 4 different hospitals.Apparently my bowel is "stretched" or something, and it's going to take a few years to get back to normal size (well, i'm 16 now.. how long is a "few years" to a doctor?). My condition didn't really affect me mentally for the first 11 years of my life, probably because I wasn't concerned about what people thought of me or how I looked. But, now it's starting to. Even though I eat good healthy meals regularly (I actualy enjoy them, no one FORCES me to eat them), and I guess I do a bit of exercise here and there whenever my stomach isn't playing up, I still feel as though I'm not quite right, as though people are looking at me. That gets to me mentally. I'm not bloated MUCH, maybe a 35" waist including the slight bloat, but I still think I look "big". Not many people know about my problem, and very few people have actually asked about it.. maybe they don't see anything physically wrong that would cause them to ask? I don't MIND telling people, but it's just the question of how do you tell them? I've never really had a lot of friends, well, none that I would go out and do stuff with, anyway. I've never made friends easily, but I put that down to my condition, being that I'm usually worried something will happen, or a bathroom won't be close enough, and stuff like that. The hobbies I've always enjoyed, are Computers and swimming. I spend most of my days working on, and designing stuff, on my computer. I've participated in 3 Swimathon's and raised over ï¿½900, and swam about 3 miles in total, for charity. I feel proud of doing that, because I managed to do it even with my condition and I didn't let it stop me. I try to have a sense of humour (be it all a bad one, but there's definitely something there!) to stop myself from getting down too much. Doesn't always work though.. hmm..Anyway, I'll stop blabbering on and let you all get back to whatever you were doing.Yeah, yeah.. I know my speech (or whatever it is) is all messed up. I know I could've done better.All I meant to say was "hi".







Anyway, I'm going!


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

heya bleepy, no need to apologize for anything







actually, i'm not one to talk, cuz i do that all the time! hehe.


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

welcome bleepy! you've had a time of it, but seem to be in great spirits! feel free to post about anything and you'll get a response! I'm 20 (21 in exactly one month, yay!), diagnosed with IBS-C that is now leaning toward a combination of IBS-C/D. I'm in college and managing my IBS pretty decently. Some bad days this year, and it's been a bad month, but good other than that. My boyfriend is also into computers, is majoring in computer information systems and also likes to design things on the computer. Do you design things for like personal webpages? You can turn that into a great career!!! It would be an ideal stay-at-home job for when you're older. Last summer a health group paid him a little over $2,000 to design their website. So hopefully you can maybe profit off your computer knowledge someday!Do you find swimming to be therapeutic for your IBS? I love being in warm water as it relaxes my stomach...ahh.Happy posting!


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## Sarah Akerman (Dec 21, 2003)

Hey bleepy, I live down in Dorset which isnt too far from you i guess..........anyways i'll post something later, first i have to go enjoy this sunshine!!Sarah


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