"What it's like to suffer from IBS" - Mary Johnson

Mary Johnson is a 40 year-old housewife, who has suffered from constipation alternating with diarrhoea for a number of years without consulting a physician.

"The first time I had diarrhoea I thought I had been eating something wrong but this was not the case. The diarrhoea stayed a few days and after that I did not empty my bowel for about a week. I often had loose stools when the pain began and I often felt bloated.

"Diarrhoea is really terrible. It takes you by surprise and you really need to go to the bathroom immediately. This is quite annoying because you don’t want to leave home in periods you have diarrhoea.

 "Last year I suffered a lot from indigestion, stomach ache and heartburn. The doctor prescribed a special diet and told me to avoid tobacco and alcohol. My husband and I used to drink two glasses of wine every evening at dinner and now I only take one or two a week. I gave up smoking. The heartburn and gastric discomfort improved a lot but my bowel problems stayed the same.

"Ten years ago my mother died of colon cancer. I had not really thought about this until a few weeks ago when I read an article in a magazine about colon cancer. And then I was afraid I might have it! I certainly seemed to have a lot of the colon cancer symptoms described in the article.

"So I went to see my doctor who suspected IBS. After a thorough examination and questions about my medical history he was quite sure. However, because my mother had died of colon cancer, he ordered a colonoscopy – just to be on the safe side. The test results did indeed show that I suffer from IBS and I feel so relieved to know that I don’t have cancer.

"I have just begun a new diet. The first results are promising! I wish I had gone to see my doctor years ago!"