[katherine3]

Hi everyone,

I have struggled with IBS my whole life but it really kicked off about two years ago now. Since then I have severly modified my diet to control the issue but I still often have bouts of pain and diorrea I also suffer from fatigue and gas.
I get so frustrated because I just want to have energy and feel good & happy. My condition is also severly affected by stress and worry.
I am in freshman year at univercity and up until now I have been living in a house with three other girls. They're lovely girls but the living situation really isn't working for me and long story short I'm hoping to be able to move into halls.
I'm worried about sharing a bathroom in halls, and what people might think/say about the diorea etc. I'm also worried about my stamina, parying etc, I feel like if I didn't have IBS I'd be able to be far more social, as by nature I am an extroverted sociable person. I just don't want them to think I'm lame and boring.
Any advice from people living in halls/at uni/college with IBS would be really helpful!
I'm just looking for some tips and reasurance really.

Thanks
love K

[joy_badtummy]

Hi Katherine, Im sorry to hear that youre worried about ibs interfering with your social life. Ive been there. Ive had ibs for the past 18 years. I didnt let ibs stop me from joining a sorority and partying when i was in college (couple of years ago).

I was able to some how "manage" my symptoms. I have both ibs type d and c. You have to find a way to "control" your symptoms as well. In the dorms, i would go to the bathroom early early morning, when no one was awake. Sometimes i would go to the gym every other morning , use the bathroom there and work out. I did that the first semester and afterwards, i just stopped worrying and did my business and told everyone that i have ibs. and if they smell it, SORRY

In my sorority, the girls knew , too. Even people that i've gone on dates with. The more people know about your condition, the more comfortable you will feel and at ease, and your tummy will be, too. if they look at you weird, dont even worry about it. No one's perfect.

Believe me, hon, I was depressed and down about it all the time. If people wanted to go to a party, Id find an excuse to drive myself there. ( i still do that now). If i was going to drink alcohol, id only do it if there were alot of bathrooms available.

good luck

[katherine3]

Thanks so much! That really does make me feel a hell of a lot better! Thank you x

- I've just moved in to halls of residence and my flat mates were talking about how viruses spread really quickly in halls. I'm now really worried about that, as with my stomach, a virus that would usually only be 24hr can have lasting effects for three weeks or more for me + I've had to modify my diet permanently in the past due to a virus. Did you live in halls? & Did you have any problems with viruses?

Thanks, K x

[hannahclaire92]

 katherine3, on 29 January 2012 - 11:59 AM, said:

Thanks so much! That really does make me feel a hell of a lot better! Thank you x

- I've just moved in to halls of residence and my flat mates were talking about how viruses spread really quickly in halls. I'm now really worried about that, as with my stomach, a virus that would usually only be 24hr can have lasting effects for three weeks or more for me + I've had to modify my diet permanently in the past due to a virus. Did you live in halls? & Did you have any problems with viruses?

Thanks, K x

Iv been at uni living in halls for 5 months now, we each have our own bathrooms so i dont have so much of a problem with privacy etc. Viruses can spread very easily and everyone is known to get 'freshers flu' at some point, apart from that me and my flatmates have been perfectly fine. Just make sure you keep your halls tidy and clean and anything you share has been washed and you should be fine
H x

[alwayshopeful]

I got IBS-D about a year ago during my senior year in high school and without fail I will have diahrrea every morning. I started college in the Fall and I used to have so much anxiety over the thought of sharing a bathroom. I mean, I didn't even tell my family about what was going on about 6 months into it (I told my Mom but I made her keep it from everyone) Much to my relief the sharing a bathroom is not bad at all. 95% of the time there's nobody in the bathroom when I have to go and the girls here are very comfortable with pooping in public lol they don't think anything of it if they have a fit of occasional diahrrea.

About the social aspect I have to admit that I really don't do much. I have a few close friends who I hang out with in my dorm room or we'll go places like the movies or walk around town where there are plenty of restrooms just in case i need it. I don't really drink because of the fact that it brings out the worst symptoms of IBS.

Oh, and the virus part. I haven't experienced anything like that on my floor. Just make sure you wash your hands often but that's what people should do every day