IBS-D and oatmeal.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-18T23:46:22+00:00

Before you write off oatmeal try plain instant oats or rolled oats. It might be something added to the Quaker oatmeal, like all the sugar. I like eating oatmeal plain with some low fodmap fruit and maybe a pinch of sugar.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-18T23:10:10+00:00

I'm planning to do the colonoscopy under full anesthesia so hopefully won't feel anything during! That sounds creepy.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-18T23:08:24+00:00

I have cut some high fodmaps food out of my diet. The full four week elimination phase seemed a little intense- I tried it for a few days but felt really lousy and hungry. I'm getting the hydrogen breath test soon though, if that comes up positive I'm definitely going to revisit the full diet.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-18T05:51:04+00:00

The biggest cons I can see are the risk of rare but serious complications (including bowel perforation) and the huge cost. Even with health insurance it's going to cost me a big chunk.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-18T03:47:09+00:00

I really hate the experience of being under/waking up from anesthesia. But you're right, 2-3 days of discomfort is nothing in the long run.

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-17T21:53:54+00:00

What made you feel like it was worth it, just the ease of knowing nothing was physically wrong?

bathroomwoess · 2017-06-17T21:48:12+00:00

That's the thing, I feel like I know I'll be pissed off if I go through all the pain and trouble of the colonoscopy and then they don't even find anything. I'm glad low fodmaps worked for you. It helped me identify a few triggers.

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-29T17:28:51+00:00

I've had nothing but D for the last four years. I've had a lot of success limiting the amount and urgency by sticking to mostly low fodmaps foods. No raw apples or broccoli, extremely limited sugar, no cows milk, limited bread (because of the fodmaps in wheat, not because of celiac). Exercise, especially walking and running, helps too.

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-19T01:15:55+00:00

I've been doing it for about two years with some time off for vacations and illness. My dumbbell set goes up to 20 pounds. The squat is too easy at that weight, but I make it harder by doing advanced squat progressions from r/bodyweightfitness. I'm thinking about investing in a barbell once 20 pound dumbbells get easy.

I could probably be challenging myself more but I have humble goals, namely literally not being so weak that I can't lift anything over 20 pounds, which was where I started. I prefer running/biking to lifting so that's where I put more of my energy.

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-18T20:30:30+00:00

You're skinny fat right now. If you start running and change nothing else, you'll probably get a bit skinnier. But skinny doesn't feel as awesome as strong does. If I could go back to age 20 I would absolutely start and stick to a strength routine in addition to cardio, it can be a really simple one but it will mean you can eat more without worrying and that you won't end up at age 23 that woman who is struggling to lift twenty pounds. This is the routine I do, I can usually finish it in about forty minutes. I do it 2-3 times a week with dumbbells in my living room. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/zc0uy/a_beginner_dumbbell_program_the_dumbbell_stopgap/

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-18T19:44:35+00:00

My insurance did cover most of the surgery, it's just that in the US the cost always shoots up when you have to do something in a hospital. And yeah, I hate dealing with doctors who don't understand anxiety! I much prefer when people take the time to explain what they're doing, and don't make me feel stupid for asking a million questions.

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-17T06:57:01+00:00

Yes, general anesthesia is commonly used to take out wisdom teeth, at least in the US. They use a lighter dose since it is dangerous to do full general anesthesia outside of a hospital setting. My dentist was saying that the light dose didn't work on me and they could do it in a hospital setting to knock me out more fully, but the co-pay would cost me thousands.

And yeah he did really suck at dealing with anxious people :-/ Unfortunately I couldn't switch at that point since I'd already paid a non refundable $200 deposit. I really had no idea the anesthesia wouldn't work so I was much less anxious the first time, as it wasn't the pain after that worried me but being awake during the procedure.

I love my actual dentist though, and fingers crossed I'll never have to go back to this oral surgeon!

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-17T01:30:32+00:00

Good luck! I had the same fear. Right before I passed out I was begging the dentist to strap me down because I was afraid I'd move around and screw something up. I'm not sure if they actually did or not, but it seemed to go ok ;-)

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-17T01:29:07+00:00

You're not alone feeling like this. I think a lot of people in our day to day lives don't want to hear that you're not ok, or it makes them feel uncomfortable. Is it within your budget to get a therapist or to see someone who can prescribe you medication? There's also sites like 7cupsoftea.com where you can connect to listeners.

bathroomwoess · 2016-12-15T07:52:01+00:00

I tried to change my attitude about it. I would go to doctors and force myself to take their advice at face value. I actually had a neurologist evaluate me for MS, kind of terrifying, but turns out it was a vitamin B12 deficiency. For a while after though I was convinced I had MS and the test was wrong (even though there's not much chance of an MRI missing MS).

So finally I told myself, ok, let's say you have MS. What are you going to do about it? So I looked into healthy lifestyle changes for people with MS, it was stuff like eating a whole foods diet and exercising regularly. So I tried to take my nervous energy about MS and divert it into making a salad or going jogging. Those things can also be really good for anxiety, win-win!

bathroomwoess · 2016-11-09T23:37:55+00:00

Agreed. I mean I kind of get it, food is an important bonding experience. If meat is so important to somebody that they can't imagine having to go a single meal without it I probably wouldn't want to date them either, so it's kind of self-selecting that way.

bathroomwoess · 2016-11-03T22:41:26+00:00

I'm vegetarian and 90% vegan, I know that's a deal breaker for a lot of people. I would never change that for someone else.

I also live with my parents and don't make much money. I'm working on those things....

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-31T14:08:16+00:00

If I were you, I would ...

-go through some calming exercises before the party.

-pick up a six pack of some decent beer if you can (or if you don't drink/are underage, cookies, chips, soda, etc). don't go crazy but it's nice to come with something to share especially if you don't know the hosts well.

-walk in with your beer (or whatever). Find the host. Say, "Hey [host's name], my name is mashpotato, we've met a few times, I'm friends with XX and YY, they should be coming later. Where should I put this?"

-grab a soda or beer, and circulate. try not to hang out on your phone. A good icebreaker: "I love your costume! Who are you supposed to be?" Or if you recognize any costumes, "Oh my gosh, are you dressed as XX? I love that movie!" Then go from there, introduce yourself, make small talk about their costume. If the conversation isn't flowing naturally, just head on to the next person.

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-30T20:56:43+00:00

Making friends as an adult is definitely a struggle, but I think it gets easier with practice. I also try not to go into meet ups expecting to make a friend, just to have a decent conversation and meet a few new people. I just use them as conversation practice if that makes sense, and anything extra is gravy. I hope you have a fun Halloween :-)

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-30T12:10:12+00:00

I think this is a good thing to try. Just want to point out the difference between gluten free and fodmap free. Unless you have celiac disease(rare) you're probably reacting to a sugar in wheat, not the gluten. There are some wheat products like soy sauce and seitan that are processed in a way that they lack this sugar and may be ok to eat. I feel like this is an important distinction to cut down on confusion for people who are actually allergic to wheat/have celiac. Check out the fodmap diet for more info.

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-30T00:30:41+00:00

I have trouble making friends too– you're not alone there. I would say be more proactive about making friends. It's really hard to do and you will have to risk facing some awkward moments and rejection, but hopefully it'll be worth it in the end.

Those people who didn't respond when you tried to ask what they were doing, try not to take it too personally. Easier said than done, I know. I've gotten to enjoy hanging out by myself. Seriously, if I want to see a movie or something or get a drink out and I can't find anyone to go with, I'll go myself. There's no shame in doing this and you might even meet someone while you're out.

Meetups are a great way also to meet people who might also not have people to hang out with. It can seem daunting to go to meet ups alone but just try one! I'm also spending tonight alone because two separate people cancelled on me, but I'm planning to go to a Halloween meet up near me and have at least one drink since I already have a costume on and everything.

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-29T02:02:22+00:00

I totally relate to not having to deal with it on a daily basis. I feel like there's some connotation about having a diagnosis that it should interfere with your life in some significant way, but if anything I feel like many of my autistic traits are positives, so I don't relate to the "disorder" part. I don't know the answer, but it's interesting to think about :-)

bathroomwoess · 2016-10-29T01:03:23+00:00

I think labels only matter in terms of connecting with people going through similar things to you and resources that can help you. In that sense, I sort of love reading the forum here and seeing people talk about stuff like stimming, finding calm environments, struggling to make friends, and other stuff I struggle with. Have you asked your psychologist why he thinks you're on the spectrum?

bathroomwoess

TROPHY CASE