Owning Up To My I.B.S.
I’ve hidden behind words of explanation that are tinged with shame for too long
Welcome to Denyse Whelan Writes Here.
Yesterday I wrote this on notes, now here & via social media
Today I'm owning up to my Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS- diarrhoea) which was first diagnosed in mid 1980s.
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For me, today, pic sec left top, it meant I arrived at my podiatrist appt to have to go back home asap. Yep! Gut pains & ... the inevitable outcome .. a lot of bathroom time.
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I am sharing my IBS story for those who may not be aware.
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It's been something I've been tested via colonoscopy (all ok)
I've done the program from Monash Uni & fodmap.
I paid for a hypnosis app program
I have had MANY times where a day or a trip somewhere has been "spoiled" by an IBS session.
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It's been sparked by my inner mental & emotional status at times.
And it's had no external reasons (food etc) to appear but it can.
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Apparently about 1 in 8 of us have a version of it (it can be IBS ( constipation) or a mix of both diarrhoea & constipation. More women than men have it.
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It's a functional condition.
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Some pics here are from the last 15 years where I've known I was having some IBS signs & on occasion an attack.
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Eating for me is relatively simple & small in amount (my oral cancer surgery is part of the reason
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I know for me there is a large emotional element for my IBS & given the big life shifts & changes for me since 2014 I prove the rule!
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Here's what is interesting & another part of the IBS puzzle that is me, is for almost all of the time from my late fathers 100th, through to his illness & death along with being a co-executor for 10 months "I had no real IBS at all".
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That changed early December 2024 & it's hanging around longer than I'd like.
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Why share now?
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I'm sick of feeling alone with IBS & ashamed of this condition which can see me staying at home for periods of time when I long to be "out & about"
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Tomorrow I see my GP who knows me & this issue well & I hope to have a better plan for me to understand my condition & ACCEPT its presence in my life ...
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And I share for my sake of wanting to stay connected!
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I try to be honest but I think I've now GOT to share to feel less lonely & no longer ashamed of something that is an aspect of my digestive system.
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Self care is also sharing to feel less isolated.
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And I forgot to be:
Mindful of my Capacity.
Not anymore!
I know I have quite a bit of work to do on myself now, because I’ve hidden behind a facade of my own choice.
No longer a people pleaser but caring for my health inside & out first.
Taking care of me for me.
Do you find genuine self care & compassion hard as I have?
Share away!
Denyse x
Hi Denyse , Good for you, talking about it. I've got it and I've never spoken to anyone about it. I've learned to deal with it in a pretty simple manner. Based on my weekly diary, twice a week I take 2 Senna Soft tablets. Obviously the plan is to have what some may call " a good clean out" on a day when I don't have any other plans. I've been able to time it so that life is very little affected . It has worked pretty well over time. Roy and I travelled extensively in the 15 years after we got together, and by using that plan, I was able to work around this annoying condition with no issues. Even in countries which have few-and-far-between public toilets, like China and Egypt ( which had none) .
I do hope you are able to find some help - I know it's a horrible condition ! Best wishes in your search for enlightenment xx
Hi Denyse. Thanks for a very courageous post. Being a caring and compassionate person can take a toll on our lives, much of the cost being revealed to us later when the situation has changed. Understand how you can feel isolated too.... seems its a real buggar of an illness to manage and can be very limiting. Learning to be compassionate towards ourselves after a lifetime of serving others is an ongoing shift for me. Being a child of 50s and 60s of the
'seen and not heard' generation, overcoming that conditioning is tricky. I'm sure you've researched this but are there IBS support groups online? cheers liz