Overcoming Inflammatory Bowel Disease in High School

The onset of my symptoms was sudden and mysterious, but what frightened me the most was the severity of their nature. What was happening to my body? I wondered. Is this the beginning of a terminal illness, or worse, a slow death?

I was sixteen years of age, still in high school, and the constant painful diarrhea and debilitating aches made it virtually impossible for me to attend classes. How was I supposed to sit through an hour-long session, in a classroom full of students, who would continually complain of a strange smell (I couldn't help but pass gas, as the pains were so intense)? The smell also disturbed me: whatever was coming out of my body smelled as if it had been putrefied, as if the contents of my stomach were no longer being properly assimilated and digested. Of course, at the time, I was primarily worried about the social ramifications of my condition. I was already struggling socially in high school, and the stress of having something that no one else seemed to struggle with made me feel very alone, very abnormal. I was constantly darting from social events, avoiding friends, and acting aloof around people, as my mind was filled with ways to get to the nearest bathroom facility.

My parents had placed a lot of pressure on me to do well in school, and I suspect that it could be a contributing factor. I try to think back to the time when the problems began, and I can vaguely remember feeling nervous before school, and sometimes having cramps due to my anxiety. Once I would get to school, I would have to run to the bathroom, and relieve myself a bit, feeling better after doing so.

Yet suddenly, I was having explosive diarrhea, and would have to even stop at bathrooms along the route to school in order to keep an embarrassing accident from occurring. Not only was this an inconvenience, but it also got me into trouble at school, as I would constantly be late due to my morning detours.

I kept my problems to myself, and in retrospect, I feel terribly sorry for the lonely, scared girl that I was, trapped in a terrible world that was beginning to shrink around her as her symptoms became worse and worse.