What The Sh*t: Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

By Tatiana Lim

Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Do you know someone with IBS?

What The Sh*t is everything you want to know about living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Tatiana first started experiencing symptoms linked to her IBS in late 2018 and was later diagnosed in 2019.&n

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tatiana Lim
• Release date: May 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9780645441710

Book preview

WHAT THE

SH*T

Living with Irritable Bowel

Syndrome (IBS)

TATIANA LIM

First published in Australia in 2022 by Tatiana Lim

Copyright © 2022 Tatiana Lim

ISBN 9780645441703

Ebook ISBN 9780645441710

Published by Ingram Spark

Designed by Georgia Larsen

Edited by Jessica Parige

Thank you

Mum - for cooking me low FODMAP food for the longest time

Dad - for telling me everything will be okay with time

Kayla, Sid and Taylor - for hearing me vent about my symptoms

& David - for teaching me how to be kind to myself

The journey with Irritable Bowel Syndrome has been made easier with you all

Contents

Chapter 1 The Apple - I Have IBS… Now What?

Chapter 2 Pea Brain - The Low FODMAP Diet, Talking to Friends and Family

Chapter 3 Tequila Anyone? - Dating, Dinners, and Being in Denial

Chapter 4 Aww Honey - Misdiagnosis, Naturopathy and Enzymes

Chapter 5 Almonds and Anorexia - Your Relationship With Food; Eating Disorders and Food Anxiety

Chapter 6 I Raisin Toast to You - Anxiety, Depression and IBS

Chapter 7 Onions Make you Cry - How Does IBS Start?

Chapter 8 Say Cheese - Travelling With IBS

Chapter 9 Garlic vs Man - Interconnected Health Issues

Chapter 10 It Doesn’t Have to be Pear Shaped - Where Science is Taking us

Disclosure

I am not a health practitioner nor am I qualified in any related manner. This book is not medical advice. It is recommended that you see a qualified medical practitioner for medical advice. Everything this book contains is the author’s personal opinion and personal experience.

Whilst medical concepts are discussed, it is not advised that you undertake any medical treatment in the same manner. The author negates all responsibility for persons that treats this book as actual medical advice. The author is not liable for injuries or damage occasioned to any person as a result of reading for following the information contained in this book.

The moral right of Tatiana Lim to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, published, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise whether in part or in full without prior permission in writing from the author.

All names, businesses and otherwise have been changed. No identifying features are included. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental. The author disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage or disruption caused by errors or omissions. Whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or other cause.

1. The Apple

I Have IBS...Now What?

No one ever looks at page two of Google unless they’re desperate. But that’s exactly what I was.

Search results: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is defined as ‘chronic abdominal pain, discomfort and bloating coupled with chronic constipation, diarrhoea or both. Pain and discomfort tend to diminish following defecation.’

Common phrases: unknown cause, no cure, lifelong.

I was incredibly frustrated, yet I kept searching. Maybe if I identified the cause, I would be able to find the solution.

Potential causes: stress, genetics, bad bacteria, shape of long intestine...

Once again, the results only yielded vague information. Frustration soon turned to sadness.

I was yet to accept that I had a lifelong disease with no clear cause, and no known cure.

Me, my IBS & I

My symptom was simple: chronic diarrhoea. Morning, afternoon, night — it did not discriminate. I was determined to find out what was causing it. Could it be prolonged food poisoning? A bug I picked up during my overseas travels? Coeliac disease?

After seeing multiple doctors and undergoing multiple tests, I was mentally and physically exhausted. All of the tests came back inconclusive, all of the ‘results’ led to dead ends, and no one could tell me what was wrong with me. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and learn where to find the closest toilets around me. I took gastro-stop every morning without fail, and felt anxiety creep up on me every day.

But maybe, just maybe, there were other tests I could do. For the fifth time, I booked an appointment with a new doctor.

º º º

The waiting room was empty, but the atmosphere was lively and energetic. Doctor five was a lovely little lady by the name of Dr Lisa. As she called me into her office, I felt my heart rate rise.

Dr Lisa struggled to pronounce my name but then again, that’s probably on my Asian mother for giving me a Russian name despite the fact that our entire family lives in Australia. Even she and Dad refer to me as ‘Tiana’.

At the time, I felt relatively confident that I would be able to tell Dr Lisa the problem and she could prescribe me something to fix it.

Hi, so I have this problem where I... umm... get sick all the time.

I’m twenty years old. Why can’t I be an adult and say the big D word?

What type of sick? Like vomiting or nauseousness? she replied.

Oh god, she probably thinks I’m pregnant.

No... every day, at least twice or three times, I have uncontrollable diarrhoea.

She looked up from her computer screen.

Oh. Have you tried going gluten free?

Yes, I have... my mum suggested it, but it seems like it’s not working, I replied.

Okay. Well, there is a diet called Low FODMAP that could help. Research it and give it a try, Dr Lisa said gently.

º º º

To me, Low FODMAP sounded like some hippie diet where I would only be able to eat green-coloured food or something. But my doctor framed it as if it were a permanent solution.

Naturally, I went back to Google for answers: Low FODMAP is a diet where you avoid foods with certain types of sugars that may affect your stomach.

Okay, right. I can do this. Easy!

FODMAP is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Mono-saccharides And Polyls. I tried to decipher what each word meant, feeling more confused with every passing minute. The acronym sounded chemistry orientated and I did not do well in chemistry during school. But I kept reading:

Oligosaccharides: anything with wheat, rye, fruits and vegetables and legumes. The main vegetables include garlic and onion.

Wait. Aren’t those ingredients in everything?!

Disaccharides: lactose, including milk, yogurt and soft cheese.

Ah, I’m already lactose intolerant. Bless my body for doing that to me at the age of 18.

Monosaccharides: mainly fructose, including various fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, honey and agave nectar.

Okay, hold up. Everyone knows those are the best fruits!

Polyols: includes sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. This generally refers to fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, mushroom, and cauliflower. Xylitol is a sugar found in chewing gum, lollies, and most mints.

Well, there goes half of the food pyramid.

When I read the online resources on FODMAP’s, I experienced a range of feelings: confusion, shock, sadness. But above all else, I was in denial.

Poo should not be Taboo

I often joke with my friends that having Irritable Bowel Syndrome is basically almost shitting yourself on a daily basis or being so constipated you can barely stand up.

Adding a level of humour makes it easier to talk about. At the start of