I'm a 39 yr old woman6 weeks ago i started feeling ill... you all know the symptoms (diarrhea for days, then constipation for days, bloating, nausea, cramping/abdominal pain...first visit to dr - he gave me Miralax and something for nausea (right before Christmas)second dr visit - he said whatever it was was "working it's way out" (because I had had a good day the day before my appt)luckily he did prescribe an ultrasound if my symptoms did not go away in another weekhad an ultrasound a week later and they found a slightly enlarged spleen - which did not explain my symptoms.but upon that U.S. result - he referred me to a GI specialistI had my first gastroscopy and colonscopy ever (YUCK) - they found I have a spastic colon (which online says is IBS - true?)I have a CT Scan scheduled for this weekI'm reading all I can to understand how to manage symptoms... I'm overwhelmed when i look at suggested EAT and DO NOT EAT lists...(can't imagine living "normally" only eating rice, oatmeal, potatoes, flour tortillas, carrots, pretty much starches and low fat white meat chicken, and the few insoluble items my body will tolerate)I have a family - husband and 2 children... how do I learn to cook stuff we can all eat? (or should I say stuff they will eat so I can continue to cook 1 meal instead of 2 or 3 per mealtime)Is it out of line for me to ask my Dr. for help - like a prescription for a nutritionist/dietitian's help? How do I ask?i understand stress is a huge trigger (and personally I wonder if it's what brought this out in my case - 2009 was the most stressful year of my whole life) Do any REAL mom's have suggestions how to control stress (work outside home, children, tasks in the home, relationships, etc., etc., etc.) on a budget...I'll keep reading... maybe i'll find answers to these questions... but I'd love help since I'm feeling overwhelmed and lack all the time I wish I had to study all I canPS: I'm on 2 medications... Dicyclomine (Bentyl) and Chlordiazepoxide/Clidinium (Librax)I've read the papers that came with them, but I'd love help understanding what they are really for in layman's termsand if these are temporary (until I can get my IBS under control) or if these are life long