So there I was, the proud father of a perfectly healthy, if not sometimes grumpy, rebellious, thirteen year old boy. He was doing well at school, playing football and rugby, studying hard, going out with his friends, just awarded his karate black belt, feeling fine, enjoying life, active, could eat any food, handle pretty much any drink, having a cool time – perfectly fine.
Then, the very next day out of a clear blue sky, something was different. He awoke with severe stomach pains, needing to run to the toilet. He eventually went into school, only to call me to come home after a couple of hours. He found it hard to get out of bed or off the couch. For days. He found it impossible to leave the house. His life was in pain and had changed dramatically.
The Doctor was visited and a variety of tablets were prescribed. Tests were ordered, but with massive waiting lists. Whilst we managed to jump queues, still this terrible condition continued for weeks. No school, no sport, everything had changed. Blood tests, hospital, many painful, invasive and expensive tests and procedures endured. Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, Barium X-Rays, Biopsies, Dietary changes, all of which, thankfully indicate nothing life threatening. But, sadly, still this totally debilitating condition had no diagnosis.
Eventually, the Doctors and Consultants conferred and agreed. You sit there and hear the words… ‘It sounds like IBS’!
The official diagnosis is Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the prognosis is that there is no known medication or effective cure!! You’re simply handed a bunch of stomach pills and painkillers; and… you’re on your own….
It’s been heart wrenching to watch him having to embarrassingly explain why he was late or absent from school or missing important events in his life – why he can’t go on a trip, or sleepover, or eat his aunt’s famous recipe when invited over for dinner.
To compound matters, I’ve felt ashamed at the insensitivity of some so-called friends, even family members, who find ‘bowel problems funny and amusing.’
“Just stop eating that, and you’ll feel better”
“You already went to the bathroom 5 times, and we’re late…”
“You bring it on yourself, just don’t think about it…”
“You already took your medications, so why aren’t you better?”
“It’s just just stress related, stop being soft and get on with it”
“You are doing it to get attention or to make people feel sorry for you…”
“My child had that and still went to school…”
In spite of the abject pain and suffering, mental as well as physical, we still have to fight. He still has the positive resolve and spirit to beat this condition. So, we try things like: homeopathy, allergy tests, reflexology, acupuncture, herbalists, dieticians, bio-drinks, power foods, private trainers, a long and expensive list of… failures… the pain is still there, the spirit is struggling.
Long hours burning the midnight oil, scouring the internet. The remedies researched, the potions, the lotions, the people, the experts, the cures, the management, the tips and tricks. I’ve read everything, tried everything, been in touch with everyone…
The thing about IBS is that it’s not selective, it’s not caught, doesn’t come from a particular source or drink, or food type. It has no respect for age, gender or ethnicity, it’s completely random and hugely prolific. JFK and Kurt Cobain had it, Kirsten Dunst, Cybil Shepherd and Tyra Banks have it.
It’s nice to know that you’re not on your own. There are hundreds of millions of people in every country around the world in exactly the same situation. All of them have tried similar ‘cures’, all of them have had similar outcomes.
During my long periods of research, there was one technique that seemed to have been incredibly successful. And, there was one man in particular who seemed to have been more successful with this technique than anyone else. Over the past decade he had successfully treated tens of thousands of sufferers, in over 48 countries.
A friend, who knew of my situation, said they could arrange an introduction.
We met and got along famously. And, as a result, he and my son have worked on the condition for some time together. Over that time, my son has managed to regain control of his life. Now, I’m not suggesting a miracle cure, far from it, it’s been and is a long haul. But, one day at a time, he’s beating the condition. He has his life back.
Because of the success I’d witnessed first hand, I decided I wanted to help make this service more widely available. For the past year or so, we’ve been working together to produce an affordable App that will work on any device, anywhere in the world.
I’m determined to help other people that are going through whatever we went through. Especially those who are currently less fortunate and don’t have access to the necessary resources to explore every ‘false’ claim or avenue. After trying everything, this worked for us, as it has for tens of thousands of others.
I am still the proud father of a sometimes grumpy, rebellious, teenager. Who is doing well at school and back playing football and rugby. He’s studying hard and going out with his friends. He’s feeling much better and in control, enjoying life, active and like most teenagers eating and drinking all sorts of rubbish and generally having a cool time.
And, that makes any parent feel – perfectly fine.