Strugling to cope

[Templar101]

I have been ill for nearly 5 years (5 years this coming January) with several gut problems.
I know the emotional and physical cycles we all go through, but right now that does not help me.

My life is split 4 ways. I am either in the toilet, in pain, in bed or just managing.
I get lots done when I am able and managing my day. But I miss so much much of life because of pain, fatigue and being stuck in the loo.
Iv lost touch with friends, I never go out. People hardly ever come to see me. I can't even manage to get to church most of the time.

I know this is a self pitty moment and it will come to pass. But right now, sat in the loo, in pain, listening to my wife and kids getting ready for the day is painful

 

[Templar101]

My day starts with me becoming aware that I need the loo. The I notice the pain. Then I wake up and run to the toilet (that's not literal) as quick as I can.

I can be 10 mins or 1 hour. And after iv been I will go at least 2 or 3 more times before I am able to get on with my day. At that point (my day starting) I may already be in to much pain, to tired and confused and just worse out, to be bothered to shower and get dressed. I may just go back to bed?

I could do with some support. The good days are coming again, but they will leave and then the bad days will come back. The bad days stay longer than the good.

 

[rowantree]

I have this too. Have you been diagnosed with anything?

 

[Templar101]

I have bike acid malabsorption.

I massively over produce stomach acid. Then I don't absorb it back into my self fully. So the acid is digesting me. It then passes through me and exits with the other waste product. But it is damaging my back passage and prostate. Now I can't even tell when I'm finished and should start to clean my self. I only ever get a moments notice and its extremely urgent. There have been occasions when I have not made it to the loo in time
I still absorb food normally. But I'm always hungry as I am always emptying out my guts. So I put on loads of weight.
I also loss blood when I have a number 2. It is digestive blood from my stomach.

I now and understand the illness. It is being managed. I am surviving. I enjoy my good days. But the good days are so few and far between. The rest of the time I'm in loo, in pain or sleeping. I have even fallen asleep in the loo.

I miss my life. I am normally ok with it, but this last bad attack has lasted 2 weeks so far. Constant toilet, pain and sleep. I'm just running out of patience and strength.

 

[rowantree]

I understand. It sounds absolutely horrible. I don't have anything like that - mine is pure irritable bowel syndrome which is very bad and I too don't always make it to the loo. I also have back passage problems which have been looked into and nothing horrible like cancer, showed up. I get so much pain there though, and the more I go to the loo the more excruciating pain I get. But I don't have anything as awful as you have got. You have my sympathy for what it's worth. I too get some good days, but so often I will have one or two good days in a week and the rest are just pure hell.

Does your family support and understand you? I do hope so. My husband understands my problem but he too has his own problems health wise.

So sorry to hear about your own problems. I don't know what else to say except to come and vent in here when you need to. I guess it helps a bit to be able to do that.

 

[Templar101]

Sorry mis type, I have bile acid malabsorption, not "bike' scud lol


My wife is great. Off course some times she gets exasperated with it. It leaves her with our 4 kids (6 year old girl, nearly 5 year old girl with mild autistic spectrum disorder, and the twins who are nearly 3 and boy girl).
But I am blessed by them all. I also get on very well with my wife's mothers and she is also a great help for me and her daughter and grandchildren.


You have my sympathies and understanding with your IBS. There is actually very little difference between us other than the case of the problems. But the symptoms we both have are very close to each other.

I don't normally run out of hope like this. But it's been a long attack this time round. I know it's cheesy, but the calm always comes after the storm, but the storm does not normally rage for so long.

 

[rowantree]

I understand Templar. I, too, get the way you are feeling now. I sometimes just lose hope completely, and sometimes get scared that I will never ever be able to live again. I too get long attacks and shorter attacks. I tend to get a bit scared too, and often wonder if it is anything more sinister, but I know it is not. It is just so scary because of the pain.

I am so pleased that your family is so understanding and helpful. It msut be hard when you have kids. There are only the two of us and we are in our sixties. My husband is disabled and in a wheelchair and I am his Carer so it really sucks having this complaint. He is good though and understanding.

I pray that things improve for you very soon Templar - and that this attack goes away.

Please post in here whenever you want to - I will try to remember to check this part of the forum. God be with you.

 

[Templar101]

God bless you Rowantree.

You have deffinatly been the light of The Lord in the middle of my tea cup storm.
Thank you.

 

[rowantree]

Thankyou Templar. God bless you and come in and post any time. I will keep a watch.

 

[Pilgrim1951]

Templar, I have struggled with IBS since I was 13 years old. Then when in my late 40's, I had to have my gallbladder out, so the intestinal problems got much worse. I can definitely identify with your struggle, even though it sounds much more severe than mine. I found a couple of IBS forums online which are at least helpful with sharing, support and ideas that can help with the symptoms. Since you don't have IBS, I checked to see if there are general gastrointestinal forums which might benefit you. I found several listed when I googled "gastrointestinal forums". You are in my prayers and I hope you start having more good days than bad.

 

[Jan Lyn]

Hmm...God bless you all. Sounds so hard. It is a blessing to have those children to distract and keep you going, yet it sounds also like it is hard to keep up being in such bad pain. GI issues are so difficult, from going to the GI doctors, to diagnostics and actually dealing with it day to day. I hope that you will hold onto hope with this, though it sounds difficult. Some times it takes years to find the right treatments. Holding onto hope for all of you. May you feel God's comforting arms wrap around you like a warm blanket and calm your system.

 

[RuthD]

I am praying you find the answers though prayer, doctors and maybe psychotherapy. Some severe intesinal problems come from stress and trauma. A psychiatrist can prescribe meds that will help with the severe stress that is probably causing your problems. I'm praying for you.

 

[Gottservant]

I would drink water non-stop (7-8 times a day) for at least 2 years, possibly longer. If you are not regular you need to drink more water than normal, not less. I think what you will find is that once it is almost impossible to stress your mind, with its most basic need out of the way (water, hydration), (self) control will begin to return.

This is advice by the power of God, if you want it to be, I am not pretending that self-control alone will cure the problem though (at best it will simply mean you know specifically what to ask Him for)

Pain is never righteous.

For the sufferers there is only the prayer of the Holy Spirit.