Hi Everyone,
I would appreciate it if some of you could write to this Gentleman and tell
him how to join in the IAS support forum. His name is Ted Ringgold he is
from America his E-Mail address is
childrenwithknives@hotmail.com
Hi- I was very happy to find this site. hard to imagine so many ladies
suffering so much. I'm a 40 year old american male who has had pretty bad
bowel problems going on 10 years now, though I must admit from the sound of
some of terrible suffering you poor ladies are going through I almost feel
ashamed of myself for complaining about mine. I can't imagine what some of
you must be going through, Having gone through what I have, there were
points I almost committed suicide. but being that allot of you have been
through what sounds even worse than mine, though I would hope you get the
help you need, maybe you might know of something that might help me for I
have been in allot of pain off and on-though mostly "on" for nearly 7 years
now. I have had no life. I spend most of my day trying to go to the toilet,
and don't go out of the house much though. I haven't even been on a single
date in almost 7 years, and I had to go on SSI 'state aid' to survive.
Back in 1997 I began having allot of pain in my bowels that got worse over a
period of a few weeks. I would get cramping, allot of trouble going to the
bathroom, ect. the usual IBS symptoms. After a few months the problem got
chronic and I began using enemas that eventually led to using them every day
and eventually even up to 4 enemas a day. within 2 years of this something
caused a severe h-pylori enfection that I nearly died from. I had the
infection for over a year and never knew it. The pain from this was
agonizing. I went to the emergency room seemingly 2 times a week at least. I
became addicted to 'golitely' (a very powerful liquid that cleans you out
from top to bottom within 1 hour after taking it.) I began to lose allot of
even screwed up bowel function and found myself getting impactions often.
once I found out I had the infection, having taken so long to find out about
because doctors would do nothing to help me. They refused colonoscopy over
and over again, and gave me barium enemas instead. That never showed
anything and when your already in allot of pain a barium xray is beyond
terrible in pain level. By this point I couldn't even walk around standing
up straight. I would spend up to three hours a day laying down and massaging
my belly, and when I wasn't doing that I would spend most of the day trying
to walk around and possibly get my tummy moving. At that time there seemed
to be a place near my lower left side where the feces would sort of get
stuck and you could feel like a ball there. and the only way to get it going
was to bend forward and crouch at the same time. this was my day, every day
for three years. at least 1 enema, walking around, lying down and massaging
= 9 hours. I finally got on some meds for the infection and the infection
cleared up. the problem was that I had dammaged my bowels so severely from
all of the enemas, heavy deep rubbing, laxatives, ect. that I spent the next
2 years going through a snails crawl recovery. Still going through the same
level of pain that over that two year period got slowly better. Finally back
about a year and a half ago I saw a deffinate inprovement over what the
symptoms were that finaly got me to where I have been lately. In the past
year I have gained ability to have normal movements just about every day.
The problem is that when I wake up I have 1 movement that is normal in the
morning, but as the next few hours progresses pain starts to bother my bowel
I may have another two or three movements but the pain gets worse, so most
days if I get virtually everything out I feel ok. But over the past 2 weeks
have new symptoms that have made me worry allot. along with the current
symptoms I just mentioned I am also going through severe sharp pain in my
left side that comes and goes and can be so bad that it makes me sick to my
stomach, It seems to matter not how much I go to the toilet, the pain is
still bad. So I feel that I have regressed of late. If anyone can suggest a
possible remedy that might help besides accupuncture, chinese tea, cascara,
and fiber- all of which I have tried,
I would gratefully recieve any suggestions anyone might have. If anyone has any idea what has kept my bowels from completely recovering I would be greatful to hear anything or any suggestions anyone might have. I can't go on with this illness. I have spent the last 7 years of my life trying to get better and yet I'm still apparently gettig worse. I excercise and do aroebics when I am not in too much pain, take 'colon cleanse' fiber every night before bed, cascara sagrada, and eat a diet that seems to work well for me. But I still suffer. If I can't find anything, something that could help me I can't see myself going on living this life in torture. I hope that some of you also find answers to your misery, I truly sympathize to what you are going through, all of you. please feel free to write, I need contact- thanks childrenwithknives@hotmail.com