Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:27:49 -0500 ibsbb@ibsgroup.org (IBS Self Help and Support Group Forums) IP.Blog 60 Well things have been pretty nasty of late, i havent really felt like writing itall down tbh. Last week i had a very bad D episode and there was a fair amount of bleeding involved. I went to see a GP the next day and he immediatly booked me in for blood tests and made em another appointment. He also said that depending on the results i may need to be booked in for a consultation with a surgeon i dunno, it worried the hell outta me to be honest and my stomach has not been right since although thankfully there has been no further bleeding. Part of me still remains optimistic though maybe this willo increase the momentum with my doctor in finding a soloution to my problem.... ]]> Wed, 30 May 2007 15:35:34 -0400 RUBBISH! lol IBS has ruled the day once more (friday)... started at 7am and didnt die down until about five in the afternoon. Did the usual daily routine apart from the cycling though, its a shame that it was so horrible but i guess i woulda been dumb to think it wasnt ever going to happen again lol overall though this week it has been getting much better i just hope its ok for tomorrow (sunday) im due to go out for a hack on my bike. ]]> Sat, 19 May 2007 02:42:28 -0400 Not much to report today, cereal breakfast + meditation - cycling - fruit salad etc for lunch - cycle home then mashed tatties baked beans and fresh sausages from our friends farm. had a few too many snacks today lol bakewell tart and crisps. Tum has been fine today nothing interesting to report *hoorah!*






]]> Thu, 17 May 2007 15:09:52 -0400 IBS Hello again! this morning didnt get off to a great start, i woke up feeling like i needed to make a trip to the little boys room (and take a newspaper if you know what i mean) lol *i apologise for that* but anyhow i wont go ito detail it will suffice to say it didnt give me an optimistic view of the day ahead!

So... i took the car into work (i did the usual 30 minute meditation and cereal breakfast by the way) for lunch i had fruit salad seed/berry bar and a packet of crisps *oops* stomach seemed to have settled down, so on my break i drove home and got my bike and cycled back to work!!

I finished work two and a half hours later and decided to go for a ride again, did a ten mile+ ride again, half on the road and half down the canal and feel great for it! I'm not sure if its the meds im on thats makin my IBS settle down or the exercise or even a combination of the two but im not complaining and will continue to do both!

At this point i would like to take a minute to thank Cherri for her very sweet comment! There's no definitive cure for IBS but i strongly believe a positive attitude goes a long way to help.




]]> Thu, 17 May 2007 14:52:37 -0400 hey! welcome to another episode of connors IBS blog!!! oh dear this seems a little surreal now i think of it... Here i am publishing details of a condition i find extremely embarrassing and try to conceal from people i know on a website open to be viewed by all and sundry?! along with my diet and exercise habits which in all honesty have been less than admirable in the previous twenty-odd years lol

but i guess none of that has been working up to this point and i needed a new perspective. Trying to conceal and ignore this condition only serves to make it worse, lies told to cover it up or even lies of omition only serve to build up anxiety.

Anyhow it seems to be working so far (two whole days now!! lol) cereal for breakfast, meditation 40mins, cycle to work, fruit salad/seed+berry bar lunch, I took a bigger de-tour this time around on my cycle home made it to just over 10 miles. baked potato, baked beans cheese roll dinner,not the healthiest but there wasnt much in (mental note... need to go food shopping!!)

not bad i guess but theres one area i'm still not happy with. Im still not giving myself time to meditate in the evening so from tonight tv goes off at nine PM at the LATEST (at least for me) and im off to meditate and get ready for bed.

I still have a little doubt about my ability to maintain this over a long period of time, i have a track record of being able to sustain these kinda things all the time its new and showing quick results but im not so good at the long game. Still like i said something has to change and only time will tell if this is going to work but for now, i'm pleasently optimistic

]]> Tue, 15 May 2007 15:28:36 -0400 IBS Got the week off to a good start today, after a terrible weekend of upset stomach, cramping etc. This morning i started off with a meditation session, a small bowl of museli and a cycle to work in the rain! for lunch i had a fruit bag thing (grapes and apple) and a nutrigrain bar. then i cycled home after work (going the long way around because the journey's only 3.5 miles so i bumped it up to 6 miles) then for dinner i had grilled chicken breast with salad and roast potatoes. Well thats the business part out of the way lol my stomach has been feeling a lot better today feeling better in general really, keeping my fingers crossed it'll stay this way!]]> Tue, 15 May 2007 15:01:52 -0400 Ut-oh, not a good day at all....
I went to work today and about an hour after lunch my stomach turned bad . I had real bad gripes and rumbling tum followed by four toilet visits in quick succession with explosive D ive been in a lot of pain for most of the afternoon although it has seemed to quiet down some this evening. As of monday i'm going to include my diet and exercise info in my blog in the hope that it will help me stick to my new life changes. (My partner goes on maternity leave as of monday so i will be cycling to work and leaving the car at home too!)]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 15:29:46 -0400 As the title says, i'm thinking of today as a new beginning. I have had IBS on and off for over ten years, i have made many visits to the doctor (rarely seeing the same one) and been given many types of treatment ranging from fibogel and anti spasmodics, to imodium and a colonoscopy, i have a mostly bland diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg and avoid red meat and most of the common triggers especially the ones known to me personally. I quit smoking, drink very little on occasion (and make sure that i have nothing planned the following day!) anyhow the long and the tall of it is, to start with i ignored the fact i had IBS, then as it got worse i tried the doctor, when that didnt work i tried self managment and now i find THATS not working i'm going to try and combine the two!

My life has become a lot more stressful as of late, what with one thing or another and i havent really done anything about the extra stress allowing it to pile up on me and this has sent my IBS into a tailspin, the last couple of weeks the slightest thing seems to set it off. Today was the last straw i have been up since 3am (its now12:35pm) with a bloated aching stomache and diarrhea so i decided to call in sick and get myself to the doctor.

The Doctor i saw today was Dr. Kendry and i have to say i was very happy with the appointment, she listened to me and was very sympathetic. We agreed that from today she will be the only person to treat me for any IBS related problems. She prescribed me with some Anti Spasmodics to try for one month and made another appointment for when that month is up. I dont feel this appointment really dealt with the stress and anxiety side or the sleeping problems i am having but i do feel it is a positive start and i am more than happy to let the doctor guide my treatment. Also i am going to look into de stressing myself through meditation and other relaxation methods and see if i can get a hold on this myself whilst i follow the doctors advice, also im going to increase the level of exercise to help with the sleep problem and do other things like turning the tv well before i got to sleep and not eating too much, too late. Let's see if we can't get a grip on this thing! ]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 15:09:43 -0400
My stomach has been a little bloated today and pretty painful, it felt as though i had been punched in the lower abdomen. I've felt like i've needed to go to the toilet for most of the day too but when i try nothing happens i'm not sure if this is the meds or just symptoms left over from my recent episode? Anyhow, i've eaten sparingly and so far have had not D episodes *touch wood* Didnt manage to fit in any exercise today, but i am going to bed soon and meditate for 30 minutes before. (drank about a litre of water today) i'm still feeling more positive but it does seem pretty daunting at times.
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