As I mentioned earlier I have IBS[D]. Which means I have no trouble with constipation. It all flows through me pretty easy, and fast. One of the characteristics of my IBS is that I literally cannot keep food in me. I call it “60 minutes or less.” Here is a common scenario in my life. I sit down for a meal and eat it. I enjoy the family banter for awhile, or if I am on my lunch break I enjoy my book. Once the food settles I begin to cramp. Not just a muscle cramp, but my entire lower body starts to tense up and contract. You can hear noises coming from my intestines, it feels like they are pushing the food through as if it is the fast lane at Walmart. When that happens the only thing to do is find.a.bathroom. Most of the time it is not extremely hard to find one, it is however embarrassing no matter where the bathroom is. At work it means you take a few more minutes in there and everyone knows what is going on. At home it has proven to be beneficial in some ways. I get my own bathroom, and when it’s time to do the dishes I can’t go another second without exploding. Once those cramps hit, I find refuge. Once in the bathroom you just sit there, and then “Old Faithful” erupts. It is not too bad time wise, it only last about 5 to 7 minutes and everything comes out in liquid form. I know this is all gross, I think it is too. If you are living with IBS, here are some scenarios to make sure you are prepared.

-Road trip- make sure you have pepto and extra underwear….

-Date- Don’t eat… Ever

-If only the oppisite sex bathroom is open, go for it… When you got to go, you got to go

-Party- Pretend to eat small snacks and slip them in your purse so you can eat them when you get home.

-Family Gathering- if your family knows about your IBS… Eat, and then disappear for awhile, they will never know the difference.

Many people have noticed my regular trips to the bathroom after a meal, I have been asked on several occasions if I have an eating disorder. To avoid that label, I usually tell them my intestines don’t work right. It is an awful horrible, no good, very bad syndrome. I guess I will just live with it. There have been countless times where I have found myself in a “sticky” situation. All I can say is if the people around you at the time are not your friends, they sure will be when you are done in their bathroom.