My story - Rick

My name is Rick, and I'm one of the administrators of the IBS-Life.com website. This is my story.

I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, although I didn't actually know it was called IBS until about 12 years ago when I was diagnosed.

Working from home
I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I work from home, although this decision and arrangement was heavily influenced as a result of having IBS.

Thanks to IBS I was becoming more and more unreliable at work, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be looking for a new job.

Rather than waiting for the inevitable, I decided to be pro-active, and after nearly 16 years in engineering, in 2003 I started up my own art business, which eventually evolved into an art printing business, all of which I can run from home.

Today, Irritable Bowel Syndrome has a significant hold on my life. It has rendered me virtually house-bound. My only saving grace is my van, which has a restroom on board, and enables me to get around. (Click here for a page all about my van).

Avoidance
I am virtually unable to travel as a passenger in any vehicle without having panic attacks brought on by the fear of needing a restroom at a moment's notice (which can become a self-fulfilling prophecy).

I find family events such as weddings etc, are a source of constant worry and dread as they approach. I've missed 2 christenings so far, and have had to sit out of one wedding ceremony (see my article: The Psychological Effects of living with IBS for a full description)

Ordinary every day events like visiting the dentist or getting my hair cut have become almost impossible to achieve without some kind of compromise or panic involved.

At the moment, although not generally advised, avoidance tactics do seem to be the order of the day.

Embarrassing
I know how embarrassing it can be for sufferers to discuss IBS with others, especially when they find themselves in a situation where they have to explain themselves. Being a man does not make things any easier.

I suppose through the simple process of desensitisation-over-time, I find I can now talk about IBS much more openly than I used to be able to, and with my new-found voice I want to reach out to those who are still suffering in silence, or in secret, and make it clear that you are not alone.

I am a part of this website team because I realise how much comfort and reassurance this website could potentially bring to others, maybe yourself included.

The simple message of “you are not alone" can be a very consoling thing to hear, because IBS really can leave you feeling like a social outcast; the person who watches everyone else having fun, from the sidelines.

If through my efforts on this website, I can offer you some hope, some reassurances, and help to arm you with practical and useful knowledge that will genuinely assist you in every day living with IBS, then I'll be happy that my efforts won't have been in vain.

You see, I now believe IBS does not have to reach these extremes. Had I known some of the things I now know, I probably wouldn't be this severely affected by IBS, and wouldn't have this unwanted "programming".

I am discovering that as my knowledge about IBS increases, so does my ability to cope with it. It is a gradual process, but every day I feel I am taking one more (albeit small) step towards my eventual freedom.

I believe knowledge really is the key to keeping IBS under control, and I'm not just talking about the scientific facts, although they certainly help.

I'm talking more about arming ourselves with knowledge based on the practical experiences of other IBS sufferers.

Millions of real, ordinary people live with IBS every day. Many of us have discovered answers and work-around-it solutions to specific issues that may not appear in the latest medical or scientific journals.

By pooling our "hands-on" knowledge and experiences, and openly sharing them with others, the benefits will be terrific for all of us!

Through this website, as we get to hear of the excellent and practical every-day ways that people are coping and dealing with IBS, I hope we will be able to share that knowledge with everyone, quickly and efficiently, making all of our lives better.

I'm hoping IBS-Life.com will become the friendliest, most up-to-date resource of practical IBS information in the world, filled with content BY people with IBS, FOR people with IBS.

Join us
I do hope you can join us on what is turning out to be an excellent and 'healing' journey.

You can hear my voice in the IBS-related podcasts that we make for the website, and I will be adding useful and practical articles to our free IBS-Life.com monthly e-zine (our e-mail newsletter), so make sure you use the form in the left margin to sign up. (or subscribe to our RSS feed)