This week I got a new Instagram follower. Yes, my social status grew and another lamb joined my flock – Irritable Bowel Syndrome started following me.
As I had recently been diagnosed as a sufferer of the almost sophisticated-sounding IBS-C (yes that stands for constipation), I had admittedly (and desperately) surfed the net for information on diets to combat the syndrome. This research led me to follow (a maximum of) two accounts on the popular photo-sharing app Instagram, where fellow sufferers were sharing helpful recipes which proclaimed to be Low FODMAP (see below for an explanation of this short term, fun-free diet)*. However, that did not soften the blow when I received the notification that ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome started following you’ and realised that even on social media my condition / syndrome / complaint had begun its cyber pursuit.
To anyone who is unaware, IBS is shit. Literally. Whether you can’t go, go all the time, or have occasional but unexpected ‘attacks’, IBS can easily dominate your life. Even when you have it under control there will always be those foods that ‘don’t agree with you’. It’s boring, and actually very ageing.
At the sprightly age of 23 I finally had to admit that I have always had IBS, that gluten actually isn’t a friend of mine, that I was very likely to be in the midst of a powow with my (amazing and very youthfully-minded) Grandmother about our attacks, and the cherry (on the now banned) cake that I had to give up pints. Pints of lovely beer. I gave up beer for IBS. IBS was ruining my social life, on Instagram and in the pub.
After a year of a varying restrictive diet, attempts to follow Low FODMAP and to be told that it is not a long term option by medical professionals, I’ve finally found some kind of balance, aided by an expensive one-off consultation with a dietician and some equally expensive pro- and pre-biotics.
You can follow me IBS, but I refuse to follow you.
*The ‘FODMAP’ in Low FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols
FODMAPs are osmotic (means they pull water into the intestinal tract), may not be digested or absorbed well and could be fermented upon by bacteria in the intestinal tract when eaten in excess.
The diet eliminates certain carbohydrates.
one way to eat an orange 