[katz16000]

Hi guys...going to try and make this story short. I'm a 2nd year college student and my 1st year of college was full of missed classes and bad grades (Totally due to my IBS, I was an excellent student in high school) I was allowed 1 extra semester, instead of getting kicked out of this big university for failing to get a 2.0 GPA. I had to petition the university and everything. As my extra semester came to a close (this month) my grades had improved to above a 2.0 but i still may get kicked out for my cummulative GPA not being above 2.0 (Understand?) I live on my own, in an apartment w/roommates, who are unaware of my IBS. To get to the point, my parents (who live close by and moved to my city to be closer to me after I moved away to college)seem to think I'm just being lazy and not trying. They are threatening to make me move back home, work part time and go to community college part time. My concerns are....I don't EVER want to move back home, more stress for meMy roommmates/friends will all wonder why I left and I don't want to tell them about my IBS.My parents think I'm full of #### w/this IBS, even after I've has a colonoscopy, endoscopy, etc...this situation has severely depressed me, I do not know what to do. Any help or advice you could give me would be tremendousl appreciated.thanks for understanding....------------------19 year old female, college student,*D* type Email me Katz16000###yahoo.com

 

[UnknownSoldier]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are doing so bad. I just graduated from college last year, and I know how tough it can be to even sit through a one-hour class. I paid a fortune to park in the parking garage right on campus merely because I couldn't ride the bus for 10 minutes because no bathrooms on it. I wish you felt like you could tell your roommates and your teachers. I know it is hard, and you think it can be embarassing, but I have found that the longer I have IBS the less I care about who knows. In fact I have found it helps to tell people about it. Many people on this board have told their family, friends, and employers/teachers, and they have found support. Especially your teachers. They may be able to work with you on allowing you to miss extra days and make it up in their office when you are feeling well, or email in your assignments. At the very least, they'll understand why you always run out (to the bathroom) in the middle of class ;->I'm sorry your family doesn't understand, but you should give them a book about IBS or even the brochure on this site--http://www.ibsgroup.org/main/brochure.htmland maybe that will help them understand. I wish you luck, and courage to tell others. Email me personally if you want.Jocelynjocelyn_t99###yahoo.com ------------------Jocelynjocelyn_t99###yahoo.comThe most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success. --Vauvenargues

 

[JenS]

IBS is nothing to be embarrassed of. I think you would feel more comfortable if you spoke with your roommates and friends. If you don't feel comfortable telling them the details, perhaps give them a book or brochure to read.As for the parents, mine do not understand either. They want me to move home (I leave four states away) or find a new doctor. I can't help you with this one

If your depression seems to be getting worse, please talk to a counselor. Hang in there.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Definitely get the literature for people to help them understand what's going on with you.Just so you know 20% of the population has IBS. Most of the time when I have talked to someone about it, either they or someone they know has symptoms of it. Professors, generally, do not like to have to fail a student. They want you to learn and succeed. Talk with them about your health problems, and see if there is something you can work out. Some of them may be jerks, but that is their problem, not yours.Everybody already knows something is up with you, so you might as well be honest about it. If your doctor just did tests, but has not been working with you on treatments, FIND A NEW DOCTOR. Not all doctors are up-to-date on all the various things you can try. It may take some effort to find a treatment that works, but if you don't go for it, you will never know [there are antispasmodics, antidepressants--they block the pain signals, assorted mind-body techniques, dietary modifications (how much alcohol and/or caffiene do you drink? both of those can cause diarrhea in normal people), fiber helps a lot of people with IBS-D. Many people on this board with IBS-D find that Calcium relieves the symptoms--although you may not hear that one at the doctors, there are some herbal things that help like chamomile and peppermint].IBS doesn't have to end your life, and getting my life back from it has been a huge learning experience for me. On the one hand I wish I never had it, but I probably wouldn't be who I am now if I hadn't.Along with this board I recommend checking out www.iffgd.org. K.

 

[marianne]

Have you tried Caltrate Plus? See the postings by LNape - particularly calcium success stories. Also, colestid and cholestyramine are very effective prescription drugs for preventing diarrhea although they were developed for cholesterol. (search the bulletin board).

 

[Guest]

You definitely need to educate those are around you. One of the best article that explains IBS is in the US NEWS magazine. You can access it on the US NEWS website and get into their archives. As I remember, the date of the magazine is 04/03/00. Then go to the science section and then find the article about the brain in the gut. This was the first article that really changed my husband's attitude about my condition. Also, www.aboutibshealth.com is a great article. Make copies of these articles and any others that you can find and highlight the important issues which will help your family and friends understand what you are going through. Also, you need to get on some medications. What have you tried? Levsin and xanax are both good. Some people are having good results with remeron. See the posts on the Bulletin Board. Judy g

 

[shadow]

Hello, Katz. IBS is a tough subject, but you have nothing to be embarrassed about - you didn't ask for this (who would??). Educate your parents and roommates. Give them literature. Have them visit this site. IBS is very real and for some people debilitating. Mine started at 22 (I'm now 44) and I can remember exactly what happened. It has impacted what should have been the best years of my life (I didn't go for tests until 5 months ago). Still, we all keep plugging along as best we can. By the way, I'm on the professional staff of a university, and I agree with the person who said profs do not want to fail you. You need to tell them about this (you can leave out the gory details). They should know you have a chronic condition. I don't mean to make this simplistic, but if you had dyslexia you'd tell them, right? ISB is affecting your studies - let them know what's going on or at least talk with your campus health center or advisor.------------------

 

[katz16000]

thanks for all the suggestions. Things with my parents are much better now that I got my grades, and am not being forced to move home (they were better than I though) I've already contacted Disabled Services for students and they are going to help me by letting me take tests in their office and having notetakers for me!------------------19 year old female, college student,*D* type Email me Katz16000###yahoo.com

 

[Guest]

Don't give up. College is a lot of stress by itself without IBS-D. Try Caltrate 600 plus with Vitamin D in the purple and white box. You can buy it over the counter. It worked for me and many others. See the information on this and other good sites. Good luck and hang in there!

 

[Kathleen M.]

Congrats on getting better than expected grades!!And good for you going to Disabled Student Services to get some help!! Hopefully that will help ease the pressure enough to make the IBS easier to cope with.K.

 

[Munchkin]

My daughter had the same problem that you did at her large Illinois university. Fortunately, we got her on Lotronex last March which helped her bring up grades last semester of her sophomore year. This last semester, her first that she was on Lotronex the entire time, she brought her GPA up to a 3.5!I had to take a rather aggressive approach with Illinois State University's office of disability.They usually require pretty heavy documentation for doctors. I told THEM that IBS was a disability. They wrote to all of her instuctors, not mentioning the reason for the request, and asked them to seat her next to the door, and to let her leave without penalty at anytime during class or even a test. They also gave her extra time to make up the work she had missed due to being home for doctor appointments.Now that she no longer has the Lotronex, it will be interested to see what happens. If she has any problems, I intend to intervene for her. She is 20, but when you are beaten down by IBS, the last thing you feel like doing is arguing your case with the office of disability. I think it is the one thing I can do to help her.Good for you for going to the disability office on your own! It takes a lot of courage.