Stewart is probably going to kill me for this over-share, but let's get real, okay? I think people appreciate honesty. And frankly, Stew and I have been very, very lucky, so there isn't a whole lot of real "difficulty" in our lives beyond a few first world problems.
However, one thing I do struggle with, that I don't have a whole lot of control over, is my IBS. I live with chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and let's just say very irregular bathroom habits. On any given day you will find Tums, Imodium, and Pepto-Bismol in my purse. I always have a stomachache. Blech.
My mom says I've been like this since I was a baby. I've been tested for lactose intolerance, food allergies, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis... Basically every digestive problem possible. I've seen doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, and specialists. But when you continue to be a medical mystery after extensive testing, you are ultimately diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, i.e. "we're not quite sure what's wrong with you." Yay.
So I just deal with it. If you're ever out and about with me you can be sure I've already located the nearest bathroom (in case of emergency). And if you suffer from heartburn or indigestion, just let let me know and I'm happy to share from my plethora of over-the-counter remedies. I'm so used to having an upset stomach that it doesn't even really phase me anymore. And frankly I think one of the only reasons I'm able to maintain my weight pretty consistently is because half of the things I eat don't get digested properly. So I guess there's always a silver lining.
Sorry for getting so up close and personal today. Let's return to our regular programming, shall we?
I love that you shared this! Realness is awesome in blogging. My poor baby has such an irritable stomach and I hope she grows out of it when she grows up. It would be so hard to never really know what's wrong with you.
ReplyDeleteehhh I have horrible heartburn as I am reading this! I feel ya w/ stomach issues! They are never ending!
ReplyDeleteLove that you shared this! Sometimes I wonder if I have IBS as well, but then again I'm an over analyzer and a hypochondriac. That's annoying that they can't find anything "wrong" so they just sum it up to IBS... Stay strong girl!
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have such a positive attitude to something that can be quite difficult, inspiring.
ReplyDeleteOh, you poor thing. I can't imagine how you cope with that. I have a slight loo phobia, in that I can't "go" if I'm not at home! Now that is too much info - sorry! Well done you for coping so well. Thanks for sharing (I think!)
ReplyDeleteIt's really not so bad... I'm just used to it at this point. But I feel like I know a few people with your public bathroom fear... if I had that problem I don't know how I would survive!
Deletewishing you good health!!!! and many good days!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
Thank you so much and thanks for stopping by!
DeleteIt's good and healthy to get a little real. Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to share today!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment! I feel like it's a struggle to find the right balance here... I want to be real, but don't want to get too heavy, you know? :-)
DeleteI hear ya Sarah! For me, they think it's an intolerance to gluten (not an allergy) ... but to be honest, I find eggs and other rich foods don't sit well with my stomach either. I also carry around a little pouch with immodium & tums equivalents. In OZ, immodium is quite expensive (about $1 per tablet) but when we were in the US last year I bought up large! So cheap, & the bigger the box, the cheaper it is. :) Our box size is limited to 20 here, so I'll have to stock up again when I'm back in July.
ReplyDeleteActually, gluten intolerance is something I haven't explored yet... probably because I don't think I could live without all the things that have gluten in them! I can't believe immodium is that expensive! You're smart to stock up when you're in the states.
Deletei'm so sorry you have to deal w/ this sarah. I will say that when i first moved to alabama i had this problem, it was awful! but i'm better now, don't know how?!! When I think back I think it was b/c I pretty much just ate fast food at lunch with the office gals I worked with at the time, and then I never had much time for dinner and would go to bed super early, so I always just figured it was all the Southern food... I hate that they can't really do anything except say, hey you have IBS!
ReplyDeleteOh man, no fun! You should definitely look into gluten allergies/intolerance/celiac disease. It's becoming quite common and luckily there are a lot of food products just to accommodate those with this problem. I have several friends who can't eat gluten, and they are able to find great substitutes for things they love. They've all said that living without gluten is worth it to actually feel good. btw, this is my first time ever seeing your blog and this is the first post I read - maybe it's a sign.... ;)
ReplyDeleteCamille, I agree, it's definitely my next step. It's crazy how common gluten intolerance has become, but you're right there are so many alternate products out there these days that it really doesn't have to be a big deal.
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
well, I have all the things you said. and it is NOT fun. I want a normal stomach and I don't want to try pills to find out which one works anymore. but.. life happens.
ReplyDeletehttp://imeowlife.blogspot.ro/
No, it's definitely not fun but I know a lot of people have worse problems than me so I try to keep my chin up. :-)
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