Be prepared - your journey to a diagnosis...

WARNING:  This is an IBS-specific post, and may contain TMI - Too Much Information. 

Here is a post specifically for those of you with IBS or for those of you with questions relating to IBS.  Keep in mind that what I write in relation to IBS is what I experienced and that some of my opinions are not that same as some of the medical practitioners that I have encountered.  Over time I will cover a series of topics such as: fibre, stress, food, exercise, relief through products, various resources etc. Please feel free to send along any requests regarding topics you would like me to cover. 

My journey…

My road to an IBS diagnosis was a long one that required many doctor visits and a heavy amount of convincing to get anyone to listen.  It all started to go downhill after having jaw surgery in October 2001.  I am convinced that the medication and stress associated with getting my jaw broken was what triggered my first “episode” of IBS.  It took about a year to get to a specialist and then to finally have my first colonoscopy – on my first day of university – and of course, in true IBS style, there is nothing physically wrong with me that can be found in stool samples or any type of scope; I have a collection of symptoms that medical practitioners group under the umbrella of IBS.  Or, as I like to call it: “we don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you have poop problems”.  Over the years I have become very frustrated with the medical system in Canada.  I quickly discovered that unless you are bleeding from your bum, and even then, medical practitioners are very reluctant to spend the time to assess your illness or to attempt to treat you.  I attribute several of my worst episodes to this casual attitude and fully attribute the surgery that I underwent to the gaps in our medical system.  Unfortunately, butt issues do not appear to be a priority in Canada, and I have been told as much by a doctor in one of our emergency rooms, some practitioners appear to believe that these problems are (and I quote) “just a nuisance”.  For this reason, I avoid going to the doctor when having an episode, I trust my own judgment and know enough to be able to tell when something requires medical attention.  Keep in mind there are some specialists out there who are wonderful and helpful, but the trouble seems to be making your way up the referral chain to see one of these doctors. 

When you are initially diagnosed with IBS many doctors immediately suggest reading some books so that you can arm yourself with a bit of knowledge.  This is often coupled with a suggestion to see a psychologist.  At first, I was extremely insulted by what I felt this insinuated, and contrary to what many doctors make you feel – IBS is not in your head.  There are very real symptoms that present themselves on a daily basis.  However, it is triggered by stress; some of my worst IBS episodes were triggered by a stressful life event.  Stress is the number one trigger of my more serious episodes. 

My advice to anyone with IBS would be to summon all of your patience to travel the long road to any sort of diagnosis or treatment, most especially in Canada.  If you think something is wrong, it probably is.  Believe your gut and keep on top of the doctors until you have exhausted your options and arrived at a specialist.  It is imperative that you be persistent because once you are armed with a diagnosis, you at least know what you are up against.  The important thing with bowel problems is to rule out anything more serious such as Crohn’s or Colitis.  

Be prepared…

1. Be prepared to describe your poop: green, brown, yellow, hard, rabbit-like, soft, liquid, bloody, mucousy, gassy, frequent, difficult, easy, etc;
2. Be prepared to poop in an ice cream container (ie. stool collection);
3. Be prepared for blood work;
4. Be prepared for laxatives, enemas, swallowing barium, barium enemas and colonoscopies; 
5. Be prepared and willing to see many types of medical practitioners: specialists, naturopaths, dietitians;
6. Be prepared for varied and strange diets in an effort to identify your trigger foods; 
7. Be prepared to journal; and
8. Be prepared for many fingers up your butt.

Finally, know that very soon you will have no problem dropping your pants for any doctor (male, female, hot intern, nurse, group of doctors), in any state of mind or position: conscious, unconscious, drugged, standing up, bent over, in the fetal position – or, my personal favourite – rotated forward and up in the air (ie. semi-handstand on what you initially thought was a kneeling station, but in fact is the medical community’s last laugh as they propel you into the air and look up your butt-hole). 

Know that you are not alone, know that many, many others suffer as you do and all you have to do is look around on the internet and you will find someone to talk to whether it be me or IBS Forums.  My final and most important piece of advice would be to have a sense of humour, because, if you can’t joke about butts and poop then this will be a very miserable experience indeed. 

An almost pleasant experience

As a quick information bulletin to my readers, and potential readers, there are several reasons why I have begun this blog, some of which I examined in my first post.  However, there are other reasons that I have yet to touch on.  This blog is an opportunity to share my experiences with people who have IBS or other digestive issues in an effort to give an honest account of what these experiences might look like.  Having had a few occasions to connect with other sufferers, I can say that it is always a welcome change to open up to someone who is going through the same issues, we seem to be forever silenced by that social taboo called poo.  To this end, I will endeavour to speak honestly about day-to-day life with IBS and also GERD, but, be warned, some of you may find these accounts to be too honest.  I will share as much as I feel comfortable with, but for those readers who may have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  My hope is that by sharing my experiences some of you will recognize that there are others out there who have struggles very similar to your own, and, maybe we will be fortunate enough to learn something from eachother.  For those of you who do not suffer from IBS or other related issues, think of this as a window into that world.  There are far more IBS sufferers than you think, likely many people that you know, but nobody talks about it.  There is one very important thing to note, I have very mild digestive issues compared to those who suffer from other bowel-related problems such as Crohn’s and Colitis.  I do consider myself lucky to be in a place where my IBS is manageable; having experienced what I consider to be some very painful episodes, I cannot begin to imagine what those with severe digestive problems must endure on a daily basis.  It is always important to be thankful for the blessings that you do have… 

Last night was my first run with my running partner in quite awhile.  I was so relieved to be heading out with him again; I find it so much easier to run with a partner than to run alone.  No matter how fabulous my playlist might be, running solo feels like a chore.  

I was very apprehensive about last night’s run as my IBS has been acting up quite a lot.  I have spent the majority of the last week in the washroom, in the last two days alone I have used the washroom 13 times.   I have no idea why I have been having so much trouble; I have not eaten anything that would normally set me off, if anything, I have been extremely prudent with my food selection.  Furthermore, I can think of no possible stressor that could have triggered this flare-up.  However, as I write this post I have only used the washroom twice, by this time yesterday I think I was at four or five.  So, for some reason there has been a drastic improvement today.  What a treat to finally have a break.  One of the worst things about having IBS is trying to handle it in a public environment.  It is always difficult to determine at what point I should call it a day and head home from work.  A friend once asked me this question, and I guess my rule of thumb is that if I hit double digits while at work, it is time to leave.  But, often the pain-tolerance threshold can be a more accurate judge of when enough is enough.  If I find it too painful to sit on my office chair, it is a sure sign to call it quits.  

Given my washroom track record this week, I shuddered to think what a run might cause.  I seriously considered cancelling the run, but, as I had made the commitment to go, and I have signed up for the 10K, I decided to honour those commitments and hit the pavement.  Of course, true to form, I was late for the run because I was stuck on the toilet.  After I finally managed to peel myself off my porcelain throne, I experienced what was probably the best run I have completed in recent weeks.  We managed to complete six sets of six-minute intervals and covered roughly 6k or so.  What a shock!  With that being said, we did take two-minute walking breaks in between our running sets, I had mixed feelings about this, as it was not the six to one ratio I had been aiming for.  On the other hand, I certainly attribute the two-minute breaks to my ability to complete the full six sets without going to the washroom!  Woohoo!  In addition, it was actually an almost pleasant experience, the weather felt spring-like, the sidewalks were clear of both snow and black ice, it was not raining, and we went early enough that it was still light out.  We are scheduled for a run on Sunday and with yesterday’s success I am hoping that we can build on it and finally move on to seven minutes.  I certainly feel more positive given both our collective improvements and my personal improvements.  I might just be looking forward to tomorrow’s run! 

Glamour Guts

As a quick recommendation for any of you out there who suffer from IBS, Crohn's or other bowel problems, please check out this video.  It is a fabulous depiction of what life can be like while living with these issues and I am sure we can all see a little bit of ourselves in this video.  Jasmine Oore manages to make an embarrassing topic hilarious and relevant.  This just goes to show that we are not suffering alone.