Sophie's Story - IBS-Life.com Book Review

Article by Sian

Recently I read, Sophie's Story, by Sophie Lee, a true life story of a young woman's struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and decided to review it on IBS-Life, as I think it a book that needs to be read by any-one who suffers IBS and those who know or live with some-one who endures it.

Of course, we know what it is like to live on a daily basis with IBS, but to read some-one documenting their life from childhood, still, even though I know I am not alone, made me grateful to Sophie for putting it in print.

She is honest regarding her symptoms, and how they completely ruled her life, and yet she has an easy, very readable style of writing into which she injects some dry and spiky humour.
As she says, IBS is no matter for mockery, but sometimes we IBS sufferers use humour or irony just to make the memories seem less horrible.

Sophie suffered IBS-C primarily, but although I suffer mainly IBS-D, the pain that she suffered chimed an answering chord in my gut, even the types of pain were familiar. At one point she describes sitting at her desk at work clenching her hands simply to endure, for hours and hours.

Sophie went to university and then held down full time jobs and living alone, all the while being dragged along the tortured path of IBS, and I am almost incredulous at her courage. She tried many different remedies, took tests, saw doctors and a gastroenterologist, and nothing she tried made any appreciable difference. She explores the emotional effects of IBS as well as the debilitating physical ones, talks about revealing to friends and family her illness (because, let's not downgrade IBS; it is a chronic and long term illness) and quotes some interesting factoids from various societies, associations and other authors. This particular one I had not heard before, but will put here, as it may be of interest.

'The interactions between our brain, central nervous systems and GI tracts are just not functioning properly. We have colons that react to stimuli that do not affect normal colons, and our reactions are much more severe.'

Heather Van Vorous ~ Author of IBS – The First Year.

So, if you are wondering why some particular food (or many foods) can give you agonizing pain, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea or nausea, then this may be why.

Sophie is of the opinion that we should try various remedies and find what suits us. Every IBS sufferer is unique, and what helps one person may have no affect on another, but she also gives hope for, after many years, she found a combination that has helped her to live a normal life.

I read Sophie's Story cover to cover in one sitting, and I felt privileged to be invited into the life of a very brave woman, who just refused to give up. I would really recommend Sophie's Story to any-one with IBS and also their families. The word about IBS still needs to be spread, and this excellently written book can help to do that.

Sophie is the website owner of IBS Tales .

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