Thursday, February 23, 2012

Okay, Body. You Win.

I probably should go to the doctor.  But really, I self-diagnose so well, why bother?  Usually I go in, say "I'm pretty sure this is the issue, can you verify?"  And Doc says, "Yup, looks like it." and gives me whatever is needed.  In this case, everything needed can be handled by me.  So WHY BOTHER.  I suppose so I could get FMLA time.  But whatever.  I think I can fix it.

What am I talking about?  Oh, just a little thing called IBS.  Not Itchy Booty Syndrome.  Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  I am fairly certain it is stress-induced.  Based on history.  For the last few weeks, it seemed that dairy was triggering attacks, so I got rid of it.  Yes, I had boxed Mac N Cheese last night, but really?  That doesn't count.  But I also had meat.  And things as mild as things on the BRAT diet have been giving me issues.

Which is fun when you work in a call center.  And are glued to a computer and headset except for pre-scheduled, very regulated breaks.  Well, screw that.  I log out and go.  What are you gonna do, right?  My compliance to schedule is crap on those days, but OH FUCKING WELL. 

Ugh.  I am afraid to eat, y'all.  And seeing as there is no way Hubby is going to go vegan, I have to really be creative when shopping now.  On our crap budget.  But I have to give it a shot, because my system seems to be so damn sensitive.  And really?  Going to the doctor could result in a colonoscopy.  No thanks.  I don't have to have one until age 50, so I'm gonna wait.  If I can get this under control, awesome.

I have been vegan before.  But never when trying to cook for a family.  On a tight budget.  I see a large quantity of rice and beans in my future.  Good thing I like them. 

Please, chime in.  Have any of you tried diet changes when faced with this?  Things that helped?  Please share.  I miss food.  And I am tired of communing with the toilet. 

5 comments:

  1. IBS sucks!!!! I've had it for about 15 years, and it really can mess with your life when you are going through a bad stretch of flares. (I had a terrible stretch when we went on our NYC vacation a couple of years ago. It was so disappointing when I had been so excited about the trip)

    The difficulty with an IBS diagnosis, is that no one presents in exactly the same way, so it can take a while for a doc to actually get to that diagnosis.

    Really, the best thing to do, is figure out your triggers and try to avoid them as much as you can. Stress is a huge trigger (and with all you guys are dealing with now, I'm not surprised that you're dealing with flares), at least for me... greasy foods, and certain fruits and veg set me off. What I find frustrating is that it's inconsistent. I can eat tomatoes for days and then all of a sudden they'll do a number on me.

    I really hope that you can get it figured out, and find a way to live with it. ((hugs))

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  2. I was diagnosed with IBS. Turned out it was coeliacs. Keep a food diary and see if there are any patterns. I gave up gluten and was healthy again within a day. Magic! X

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  3. "Well screw that. I log out and go." :) Hoping you feel better soon. xo

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  4. I, too, know the joy of IBS. And, mine seems to present as yours does. But, most of the info anyone gives says "eat more roughage" which TOTALLY has the opposite effect of what I need! Stress was definitely a trigger for me. I hope you can find a good way to deal with it. Unfortunately, it really is so different for everyone that it's hard to recommend anything.

    Although, yeah, going to the doctor is probably not a bad idea...one that I'd keep putting off, too, though, because that's what I tend to do...

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  5. What helped me was Kefir. You can get live cultures for free from someone. I have it everyday and I really noticed a big difference. I hope you can find a bit of help in this.

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