[Baleigh Kate]

Hi,I am a 14 year old girl and I suffer from IBS-A. My parents don't seem to understand what I'm going through and I don't know what to do. My medications have recently stopped working and my doctor at the children's hospital close to where I live wants to do another colonoscopy and endoscopy procedure in the end of June 2010. I have already had one of these and I'm scared to have another one. The regular hospital that I had my first procedure done at had a good doctor but I had bad experiences. The nurses had trouble getting my IV in for the anesthesia. Plus, we had also heard that I would be under a mild sedative. Not anesthesia, just a sedative. Later we found out that I would be under anesthesia. For the IV, I had to be poked 5 times in the hand, once on my forearm, once on my wrist below the palm of my hand, once on the inside of my elbow, and then in my hand again. I had to be poked about nine times until they got the IV in. I had bandages all over me when I left that day. I'm so scared. I also feel kind of out of place in my school. Everyone else can do everything and when I'm absent (which I have been absent for over 2 months this year) I miss out on SO much! I just want to feel normal. I also feel like my parents don't understand what I'm going through. My dad is always at his job and he's never home. My mom...well...she just doesn't know how I feel. She's admitted it and so did my dad. Does anyone know what to do? PLEASE help me if you can! I want to get through this pain!

 

[Jeffrey Roberts]

Hi Baleigh,I'm sorry to read your story and learn what you have been through. I too was diagnosed with IBS just before my 15th birthday. I understand what you mean by your parents not understanding. Mine didn't either for a long while. One of the reasons for creating this website was for me to inform IBS sufferers, family and friends what it's like to suffer from IBS. Would your parents be interested in browsing the website to learn more about what you might be going through? Maybe you could ask them. I am very skinny and sometimes it takes a little effort to find a vein in me too. Since you are going to a children's hospital now, they probably have tons of experience at finding veins in kids. I know it's hard. Try and take every new experience as something new and try and put the stuff that happened to you in the past way back in your head. This time might be just fine and easy. Please keep us informed how your colonoscopy goes. Maybe we can help explain the treatment that your doctor recommends.Jeff

 

[AngelineK]

I will pray for you. Just think about how this is going to help you for the future.Best wishes, AngelineK

 

[Autosaver]

I am a 13 year old boy and am a sufferer of IBS.I've had similar experiences with being absent. It doesn't help when the teacher thinks you are skipping school either. My medication works a little, IMO. It reduces my pain. But it doesn't get rid of rumbling and D.

 

[f0rc3]

Whenever I had horrible pain that I cant take, I just tough it out. There is not much more you can do, at least when its all over you feel better. When you get home you can relax and take a nice shower and forget that it even happened

 

[Baleigh Kate]

I am a 13 year old boy and am a sufferer of IBS.I've had similar experiences with being absent. It doesn't help when the teacher thinks you are skipping school either. My medication works a little, IMO. It reduces my pain. But it doesn't get rid of rumbling and D.

Yeah I HATE that teachers, principals, etc. think that people with IBS are skipping school...that just makes us feel worse. Well, it does for me. Is it the same with you?

 

[Baleigh Kate]

Whenever I had horrible pain that I cant take, I just tough it out. There is not much more you can do, at least when its all over you feel better. When you get home you can relax and take a nice shower and forget that it even happened

That's some good advice! Thank you so much!

 

[jazzy_16]

Yeah I HATE that teachers, principals, etc. think that people with IBS are skipping school...that just makes us feel worse. Well, it does for me. Is it the same with you?

you guys have no idea how happy i have found other kids with this problem i too have missed 2 mths of school just for pain and i hate it when my stomach starts to make noises in the class

 

[Baleigh Kate]

you guys have no idea how happy i have found other kids with this problem i too have missed 2 mths of school just for pain and i hate it when my stomach starts to make noises in the class

Oh my gosh I hate that too! Other people look at me and they're like "Ew what was that?" and I'm like wow that makes me feel so much better...not. I'm happy that I have found other kids with this problem too. How old are you? I'm 14

 

[jazzy_16]

Oh my gosh I hate that too! Other people look at me and they're like "Ew what was that?" and I'm like wow that makes me feel so much better...not. I'm happy that I have found other kids with this problem too. How old are you? I'm 14

im 16 lol i knw wat u mean last yr i isolated myself in the back of the class and still the noise was like omg.... i guess i'll just have to explain that i have a disease that causes my stomach to do that lol really dont want to but u knw... wish teens could be more understanding

 

[Baleigh Kate]

im 16 lol i knw wat u mean last yr i isolated myself in the back of the class and still the noise was like omg.... i guess i'll just have to explain that i have a disease that causes my stomach to do that lol really dont want to but u knw... wish teens could be more understanding

I wish they were more understanding too. And I wish my parents were also more understanding. I guess they don't want to accept that I have more than one disease...

 

[HF2011]

Hey!Wow your story sounds SO much like mine!I was diagnosed with IBS recentlyI go to a pediatric doctor who performed the smae tests on me.We thought we had my IBS under control but just this week I ended up in the ER with so much pain I could barely stand..You are going to a childrens hospital now so hopefully the testing will be a lot simpler along with getting an IV into your arm..I hope everything goes well and that you find some relief knowing your not alone!

 

[HF2011]

I wish they were more understanding too. And I wish my parents were also more understanding. I guess they don't want to accept that I have more than one disease...

Yea I know Teens can be mean..even though we are both teens ourself.Its hard going through school, IDK about you but I always miss SO much school due to my IBS symptoms.I hear from my classmates that im 'broken' and Im lazy because I cant keep up as well as them!Stick through it though..thats what Im trying to do..It also helps that my pedi GI doctor recommended this site so I can relate to some teens my age!

 

[HF2011]

I am a 13 year old boy and am a sufferer of IBS.I've had similar experiences with being absent. It doesn't help when the teacher thinks you are skipping school either. My medication works a little, IMO. It reduces my pain. But it doesn't get rid of rumbling and D.

Yea this past year I missed like 20 days of school die to my IBS, my teachers were thinking I just didnt want to do my work and that school didnt come first for me.They didnt realize even AFTER I told them that I was really in a lot of pain and couldnt be in school.