Warning: possible TMI regarding my digestive track.

My intestines and I have never gotten on well.  I've had each and every unpleasant medical procedure to diagnosis the problem and the final answer is, IBS.  IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is a sort of clearing house for nasty digestive issues that have no real medical cause.  My gastro doctor says I am a gut reactor.  Nice.  Everyone has their weakness and mine happens to be my gut. Super nice.

I have drugs.  Drugs for going and not going.  Drugs to relax and drugs to rev up.  I hate them....would rather not take them at all.  The problem is, I hate suffering even more, so I take them when I must.  Over the years (and it has been almost 30 years I've been trying to play nice with my gut) I've learned a few tricks, but there were times when I got in such bad cycles that I rarely left home.  (Here comes the TMI) Cause when it goes bad it's not just a little inconvenient, it's curled in the fetal position on the bathroom floor sweating and cursing bad.  (OK, you can look now.)

A couple of months ago my doctor suggested that I up my calcium intake, which I know is a really good idea.  Problem is that, for me, calcium and my gut  are like the Hatfields and the McCoys.  No love there.  At all.  Choices, choices, brittle bones or unhappy gut?   Ah ha!, says my doctor, I have the answer.....gut bacteria of the good kind.  You take a pill (yet another pill) and it makes your intestines go to the happy place.  Really?   Hmmmmm.  So I go to the pharmacy, purchase the calcium AND a box of Align.  I bring them home and....look at it but don't take it, cause what if, instead of going to the happy place it goes to the bad place?  I mean, just because the doc says so doesn't mean it's always true.  Right?  (Back me up here.)

Two weeks ago I broke down and took the Align and guess what?  It worked!  It took a little over a week, but my intestines are indeed, in the happy place, or at least I think so since I haven't actually been to the happy place in a LONG time.  I feel good.  I haven't added the calcium yet.  I'll keep you posted on that one.  (I bet you just can't wait.)  

Moral of the story is; some times you have to have a little faith and just do it.  Now if I can only make myself open the bottle of fish oil capsules.  (I really hate fish.)

 

And, just in case you've forgotten that we have a new family member, a picture of Miss Cambria Joy in all her Halloween pumpkinness.  Not everyone can pull off orange, you know.  I've decided that I bore the daylights out of her cause she is sleeping every time I see her.

Comments

[Joy]

Best of luck with the new meds! You might consider the enteric coated fish oil caps - I don't find them 100% effective, but a LOT better than not (which may also be TMI) ;)

[PainterWoman]

I like the blended oils with flaxseed, omega and fish. No oder that I can tell, but then chemo sort of zapped my "smeller." Sorry about the IBS issues, glad something is working. I did some research on my pseudo eczema and believe that a post-chemo anti bone-ache pill is causing the skin issues. If it isn't one thing....

Glad you're happy.