Hi jane:I don't know what it is with people. Unless it's because shattered wrists are easier to talk about. They get embarrassed with IBS.When we were talking about the "April is IBS Awareness Month", we had a health fair at work. They were giving out information and talks on many diseases. I gave a flyer to our Human Resources Office and asked if I could put it out for people to pick up. I never go an answer, and the woman I sent it to refuses to speak to me now. People are strange.How is your wrist doing? Did you ever find the French phrase you were looking for?

JeanG

 

Good question:Because from the time we're little kids we're socialized to not address those parts of our bodies or our needs related to those parts of our bodies? We're given goofy names and terms to use relating to our bowels, etc. and told not to speak of what we do in the bathroom. Moreover, everyone knows that even little kids can control their bowels so we must be "bowel babies". On top of that you have all the baggage (sexual impulses and such) associated with body zones that Freud made such a part of our common understanding. Anal retentive, etc... These are the negative associations people have with most bowel problems and why they don't come up in "polite conversation" in which we could even begin to explain to people what we go through. I've had IBS for years and I swear my family and many of my friends don't know that's what's wrong with me. Sad, but true. For years I went along with them thinking I had "socialization" problems. Sigh. I'm starting to be more open about it now, but there's resistance from them in wanting to even hear about it.

 

I think it also has something to do with what you can actually see. Your coworkers can see your wrist, but they can't see your intestines. They know your wrist is broken, but they don't know your intestines are a mess because they can't see them. My mom has all sorts of "invisible" problems (fibromyalgia, IBS, etc.) and people always have a suspicious look when she talks about her pain. But my aunt, who has arthritis in her hands, has people bending over backwards to help her. Guess people don't understand what they can't see.

 

Mannie's right. There's a book out there about coping with "invisible illness." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/039...1815130-4996920

 

Jane, I know where you're coming from. I get at least 4-5 really bad flus or colds in a year. I get so much sympathy from my coworkers when I have the flu but if I mention that I'm having 'a bad stomach day' they really don't care. I agree with what Mannie said; if a person can't see it, they can't understand it.

 

Hi Jane, I feel the same way that you do. I am a baker at an elementary school. When my IBS-C flared up I was so glad that my co-workers understood about my pain. Boy was I played for a fool. I found out that two of the women were making fun of me behind my back. That hurt my feelings really bad. I guess the only people who do understand are the ones who have IBS. Luckily I don't have to work with these two women the next school year. I will be working with women with whom I worked with the year before last and they don't make fun of me, they feel bad for me that I have IBS. Thank goodness my family understands (I think!) Bonnie ------------------Bonnie from Texas

 

I find people are very unsympathetic to something they don't know about or understand.If a person says they have Cancer, everyone is supportive, everyone understands... person says they have IBS, everyone rolls their eyes.