"Don't eat too much Mandy." "Ugh, You wet the bed again!" These were common phrases that my little 6 year old ears heard on a daily bases. Fed up with my habits of puking after meals and constantly wetting the bed at night, my parents decided it was time to go to the doctor. The doctor didn't have a name for it then, but I knew it was something more than just wetting the bed when I felt a grown man's finger go up my rear door.

I recall drinking a large glass of metamucil, eating grape nut cereal, marking every poopy on the calendar, and daily tauntings from my sisters. The doctor did a procedure using a catheter and all was assume well.

I was regular for a short time and heard, "Eww Mandy poop," constantly from my sisters. That is where something so natural became embedded in my head as nothing more than embarrassment.

Time went on and gas, cramping, bloating, and lack of bowel movements became the norm.

It wasn't until the age of 18 that my symptoms were given the grand title, "Irritable Bowel Syndrome." At first I was written off as growing pains until my constant complaining to my doctor prompted him to take an xray of my abdomen. Full of bowels. He prescribed Lactulose to be drank daily. Remember the embarrassment, I rather cramp then take my medicine and have a blow out in public.
Time went on and at age 22, I finally went to a gastrologists. He confirm "IBS" and sent me for a HIDA scan and instructions to take miralax. The HIDA scan wasn't for the IBS, but for the sharp pain in my upper right quandrant. I receive news that my gallbladder was non-functioning and quickly schedule for surgery. Hospital routine found that I was pregnant and surgery was put on hold, for a short while however.

The pain continue and my gallbladder was remove 15 weeks into pregnancy. My constipation went away. It was gone. I was regular. A miracle that only lasted a couple of months.

At 23, I return to my gastroenterologists. My symptoms return. He did an upper GI and found ulcers. He informed me that the relief of constipation was due to a complication from surgery and will return within 3 years.

I return for my 3 month follow-up Tuesday, October 20, 2009. Still having symptoms. I am now schedule for an upper GI and a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy. The first look inside my intestines. Is the answer there?

Right now we are trying probiotics and Levisin. Tears filled my eyes after taking the Levisin. For once in my life, I felt no cramping, no gas, and no pain. I had a bowel movement without strain. I didn't know how much pain I was in until I didn't feel any. But like all medicines I have tried over the years, this IBS free moment only lasted 3 hours and I'm only allow 3 pills a day.

I pray for the cure of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It may seem minor to most, but in my eyes, a sufferers eyes, it is a struggle that I face everyday. An embarrassment.

By: craighead86