[lana]

I am starting to think that my friends think I have some terrible disease. Don't they ever get sick to their stomachs??I feel like a real case when I say oh oh, I have to find a toilet.Anybody else???

 

[Homebound]

Well the only thing you can do for that is try to educate them about IBS, so that way they can come to understand what it is. And then have more compassion to what your going through. Fortunatly my friends have been really supportive so far with this. One friend always asks me a few times while I'm at her house if I need to use the bathroom and not to worry if I do, I can spend hours in there if I want! LOL I think education of what it is (well what we know even!) will help with that. I hope!

~Jen

 

[Guest]

Hi Lana, why don't you try printing out that 'what isn't IBS' message that someone sent last week and give it to your friends?

 

[Spirit]

Print out that post that molly wrote "What ISN'T IBS?". It's really great for explaining to people who don't know what it's like to live with this. PS. I know EXACTLY how you feel! I sometimes feel completely alien to this place...Spirit.

 

[Guest]

I agree w/printing out the "What isn't IBS" - its great.I have to say that I have wonderful understanding friends and family. I will admit to not being that sympathetic to others - i.e. an old boyfriend once had D on my birthday and I made him go out to a bar with some friends anyway and he didn't feel well, went to bathroom and then wanted to go home b/c he had D. I told him to suck it up because I have D every single day and he expected me to still go out to dinner etc! But, maybe that was just b/c he was so unsympathetic to me (and that's why he is now an EX).I think that having to deal with you (us) running to the bathroom all the time can be a drag for people who don't have it happen to them b/c they don't understand the feeling, they just see it as a nuisance. Perhaps these aren't the friends we really need in our lives.

 

[Guest]

I agree, friends just don't get it. I remember way back when I first got sick, I lost so much weight and the doctors couldn't find anything, I had one friend who urgently suggested I get an AIDS test, and one who was sure I was dying of cancer! Can you imagine??? I suppose I could understand the HIV test if I were a slut or something but I was quite inexperienced at the time, if ya know what I mean! The cancer screening obviously came up negative and the HIV test? I had it done anyway, even though I'd ever been with one person, one time in my life...just to put this friend's mind at ease. I have one friend still convinced it is some sort of missed diagnosis that I will be able to sue for later!

They just don't get that something as innocent-sounding as IBS could be soooo bad sometimes. Hang in there! I know exactly what you mean!

 

[Guest]

I don't even try to explain it to my friends anymore. Whenever they ask me how I am I blurt out the typical "I'm fine How are you? Know one really wants to know what ibs stands for. Lately I've even heard jokes made on TV about "irritable bowel"

 

[Judy]

Yes, I'm about to that point myself...how are you Oh, fine! Even though I've jsut had four hours of cramping and misery or a lseepless night or another bout of D. They really don't want to hear all about how it's ongoing ..some days are bad some good, tried all the meds, still have it..feel like ####.

 

[Guest]

I know what you mean! Even the people you have already explained it to act like maybe it went away overnight or something. I have one good friend who completely understands and my husband is also very understanding. However, there are others who just don't seem to get it!

 

[susanw]

I know exactly what you are talking about..some people don't understand, or they think you are some sort of alien from another planet. what is really strange is when my Dr. can not tell me what to stay way from, what to eat..they have no clue!

 

[Guest]

I have 1 word 4 this-impossible!

 

[Sisyphus]

Molly's brochure, WHAT ISN'T IBS, which is great to hand out to your friends to let them know how you feel and what you are dealing with, can be found at [URL=][url="http://www.ibsgroup.org/main/brochure.html"]http://www.ibsgroup.org/main/brochure.html</A>