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Health

23rd Jan 2018

Woman’s side-by-side photo shows the distressing impact of IBS

'This illness is often very misunderstood'.

Cathy Donohue

If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or know someone who does, you’ll know what a severe effect it can have on one’s day to day life.

IBS is a disorder that affects the large intestine and can manifest in a number of ways including bloating, stomach cramps, gas and diarrhoea/ constipation.

It is often mistaken for other conditions and so, it can be difficult to get an official diagnosis which of course proves problematic for anyone suffering from the above symptoms.

Alyce Crawford is an Australian model who recently opened up about her struggles with IBS and how it impacts on her daily life.

Alyce said IBS came on quite suddenly for her and she woke up one morning with severe bloating and sharp, stabbing pains.

In an Instagram post, which shows the extreme bloating she suffers, Alyce wrote:

“I woke up one morning, my stomach was extremely bloated & I was experiencing sharp stabbing pains. From that day on, my life was never the same. This illness is often very misunderstood & overlooked a lot by medical professionals & the general public alike. No, it is not life threating, but it is a condition that has caused & had a severe negative impact on my mental & physical health”.

BELOW? A very honest & very personal post that I am sharing in the hope that it can help someone else. *NOTE* This story has a positive ending so if you read it, read it all! For the last 3 years, I have suffered with IBS. The symptom I suffer with specifically is severe bloating. It began literally overnight while I was living in America. I woke up one morning, my stomach was extremely bloated & I was experiencing sharp stabbing pains. From that day on, my life was never the same. This illness is often very misunderstood & overlooked a lot by medical professionals & the general public alike. No, it is not life threating, but it is a condition that has caused & had a severe negative impact on my mental & physical health. To me, that alone is enough to be considered an illness. There was never 1 day in 3 years, that I ever felt completely well or healthy. The repercussions of feeling this way not only effected my mental & physical health, but effected relationships & my work as a model. For those of you reading who suffer from IBS or a similar condition (or know someone suffering) will understand & know exactly what I am talking about, & others may scroll past this post. But this is real, it hurts & I am sharing my experience & how I came to get better so it can possibly help someone else. The above photo on the right where I am bloated was the stomach I put up with 90% of the time for 3 years. The photo on the left is my stomach NOW 90% of the time (+ 4kgs of body fat down compared to the photo on the right). No woman or man is ever going feel good about themselves, while physically looking like the photo on the right. Looking this way was just one of the battles, the other was how I felt. Sick, nauseous, sore, unmotivated & very lethargic. Feeling like this often made the smallest thing in my day a struggle (getting dressed for example). All I wanted to wear, was my pyjamas & not move from a laying down position, as sitting upright hurt too much. *CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

A post shared by Alyce Crawford (@alycecrawford) on

Alyce said that it has been a long road struggling to find out what works for her and after an eating plan recommended by a dietitian, she found relief and the bloating reduced.

In another post, she details how certain foods (avocado, garlic and onion to name but a few) trigger her IBS but she’s learned to try and overcome this by changing her lifestyle which hasn’t always been easy.

Although it has been an uphill battle with IBS affecting both her physical and mental health, Alice says that she’s learned to tackle it head-on.

“The way I often view unfortunate situations are you have 2 options: 1. Either feel upset, feel sorry for yourself and let that negativity ruin your day/night/month Or 2. pick yourself up, find a way to turn the situation around as best you can and keep going!!!!!!”

You can read her post in full below.

IBS REALITY A long but (hopefully) helpful post below?? Please read until the end?? . These 2 photos are examples of me living a balanced lifestyle while also suffering from IBS. Last night I wanted to enjoy some delicious guacamole (which I haven’t eaten in months), however avocado, garlic and onion all effect my IBS (high FODMAP foods), and my stomach bloated immediately. . Last Saturday night I was planning on going out to dinner with my friends and boyfriend. We must have called 6 restaurants prior to ensure there was something I could eat. Although every restaurant we contacted tried to accommodate me, none of them could. Situations like this takes the joy out of doing something as simple and enjoyable as dining out with your friends and/or partner, not to mention I hated that I was being difficult (luckily for me, my friends and boyfriend are the best and they completely understand my situation…and love me anyway haha). In the end, we had to compromise so we could still enjoy our night. My friends instead came over to our house where they brought wine, and everyone ordered take away?? . Situations like this make me realise the importance of positivity and resilience. A part of me was sad and frustrated, but I was determined to make sure it wouldn’t ruin our night. The way I often view unfortunate situations are?you have 2 options: 1. Either feel upset, feel sorry for yourself and let that negativity ruin your day/night/month Or 2. pick yourself up, find a way to turn the situation around as best you can and keep going!!!!!!?????? What would have been the use if I chose to be negative and let the situation upset me? We would have probably all ended up doing nothing. *CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

A post shared by Alyce Crawford (@alycecrawford) on

If you notice a change in your digestion habits or experience any of the above symptoms for an ongoing period, it’s always worth chatting with your GP.