BELIEVING

[floliketheriver]

I know some peep have wrote in the forums and said they are not belived with these type illness.

BUT i would like to know how many of us are not believed by FRIENDS..or should I say SO CALLED who sort of help you then stab you in the back and say you make it all up?

Hmmm i wonder how many??? Just because we havent an aid 2 walk or a limb missing or a pace maker does this mean we are not ill??? NO i don't think so..

SO ANYONE READING THIS WHO DON'T SUFFER.. THINK AGAIN... IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU ANYTIME... AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE PAIN WE GO THROUGH.

Hope everyone is great and enjoying the weather... lets hope we get good response from this..it makes my blood boil that peep say we make it up!

Irmgard

[Lan]

Hi Irmgard,

I agree with you totally. I was lucky enough to have the best mother in the world, and later on a great boyfriend who was totally supportive. I found though that others (including close family members) were very unhelpful. My auntie for example used to ask me to but things for her, things she knew I couldn't eat, and at the beginning (I was 19 years old) I would cry about it, because I just wanted to eat it so much. After 7 years though I have got over that, and seriously don't care anymore.

I find it makes you a stronger person as you have to stick up for your rights. I no longer let anyone push me around, if I am uncertain I refuse to eat the food. It's just not worth eating unsafe food to please others.

Also I find that sometimes when you eat out and order people behind in the cue can be quite rude, tutting and snide comments because they are kept waiting a little bit longer while you check ingredients.

Enough of the rant.

Lan.

:P

[jill]

I'm lucky because most of my friends and work colleagues have seen me when I've been ill through this so they are pleased for me that I have got the problem sorted out. I did have a boss who just thought it was stress and said that a bit of stress is good for everyone.

My mum also suffers a bit but not as bad as me, she says that some of the stomach pains are as bad as labour pains? Not having any children I wouldn't know, but I now the pain that I have suffered has been quite excrutiating (spelling? - it b****y hurts anyway!).

My partner Paul has also been a rock. The only thing is he won't cook anything fancy now, as once he made cannaloni that had loads of cheese in it (before I knew it was dairy that was the problem). I didn't even get it finished before I was sick and had the runs. He also used to say that he would be a millionaire if he could bottle the gas that I produced - happily to say that problem has reduced dramatically.

I suppose the worst people to not believe you are doctors - well the ones that I've dealt with anyway. Its abit bad that you have to sort the problem out yourself through there lack of sympathy and possibly knowledge. I wonder how many GP's actually recognise that you can actully have a dairy intolerance? Why don't they try and help you rather than saying it is IBS and you'll have to live with it! I lived with it for about 15 years - I wouldn't say it was much of a life. But i got myself through it, it would have been so easy to accept that that was the way that things had to be but deep down I always knew there was a cause - i'm just grateful that I've sorted it now. Just being able to discuss things like this is so useful - I'm so pleased I found this forum.

I think the next lot of people who need to be educated are restaurant owners, particularly large chain ones, they ought to do a survey of customers needs, why do they have to have so much creamy/cheesy stuff on the menu.

Well thats my little bit of a winge for today.

Jill

[Lan]

Hi Jill,

I agree with you totally about large restaurants etcetera, they really need to wisen up about allergies and intolerances.

Beefeater are very good though as the restaurant down by us (S. Wales), has a list of all ingredients of all foods they prepare and cook. Great isn't it.

If anyone else knows of any others, please let us know.

Kind Regards,

Lan.