Diagnosis by exclusion tends to occur where scientific knowledge is scarce, specifically where the means to verify a diagnosis by an objective method is absent.
An example of such a diagnosis is... Irritable Bowel Syndrome."
--Wikipedia
On January 19th I finally had my first visit with a general practitioner regarding my abnormal digestive behavior. I figured it was as good a time as any, as my symptoms were at their worst and I was getting really frustrated with how things were going. I told him about all of my symptoms, letting him know that the constipation has greatly decreased and nausea and abdominal distention have been my worst symptoms since I changed my diet. I told him that I have tried blaming certain foods but can never seem to pinpoint them. He decided to do some blood work, testing me for Celiac Disease (per my request), Crohns Disease and Colitis. He also checked my thyroid. He then sent me on my way, and for the longest two weeks of my life I waited for my next appointment (set for Feb. 2). I did my best to be positive, hopeful, faithful and patient. But I could only think about one thing - Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The doctor had mentioned that he thought it might end up being IBS; little did he know how much I dreaded those awful words.
You see, I've researched digestive diseases and disorders for a long time, and although I am by no means a professional, I do understand the hidden reality of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Over time, I came to the conclusion that it is a broad term used when the doctor can't find definitive evidence of a disease by their selected means. And it concerns me that so many people, some of which I know personally, who have been diagnosed with Crohns, Celiac, Colitis etc. have said that they were first misdiagnosed with IBS... more than once.
My hopes all along in my search for answers was to find a name for this illness, for it to be taken seriously... and to find a way around it. It seems to me that IBS is supposed to cover many different symptoms in many different combinations without sufficient categories or severity levels. Also, it's a term that commonly begs inaccurate preconceptions of outsiders, and the only relief currently available is through constant medication that merely pacifies the symptoms. All in all, I can't help feeling that Irritable Bowel Syndrome isn't a true-blue diagnosis; It's too indirect and generalized. It just doesn't satisfy my thirst for an answer... And I really believe that there are many people who feel the same way.
Suffice it to say that in the end, all tests came back negative and during my second doctor's appointment I was loosely diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, leaving me in a confused daze in the days that followed. Still, I took it better than I expected. I did have the two weeks between testing and failing to reach a calm state of mind which helped, I'm sure. The doctor prescribed a medication known as 'Dicyclomine' that I must take 3-4 times a day, timing it to at least 30 minutes to an hour before meals. It's a lot harder than it sounds, especially given my sporadic eating schedule. My meals are always based on my symptoms, because if I'm nauseated I won't have an appetite, and that usually occurs at least once a day. But alas, I'm giving it the old college try, because I make it a point in my life to give everything a chance - to try anything twice :)
I'll be studying up on IBS and I'll be sure to update as soon as I get used to the meds and can give an accurate account of the outcome.
As a side note, I should probably explain that while I might seem like a diva to the unfamiliar, I'm actually quite the opposite in reality. I really only express these concerns in this way on my blog because it's the one place where I can rant freely, letting my mind wander. I can be vulnerable without a care. Sometimes I feel that writing is my only escape from the confines of society. In society I know that to protect all that I am, I must hide behind the wall I build between myself and the world... welcoming only those few precious souls that can knock it down... and rebuilding it again. Here, I'm free to whine and complain and show my weakness because it doesn't negatively affect me. In order to rid my life of negativity, I have to take it somewhere else. And maybe others will recycle it into positivity and make use of it :)
Resources:
Wikipedia - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Pub Med Health - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Pub Med Health - Dicyclomine
NDDIC - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
