June 4th was my one month mark since being diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I haven't posted much about it because I was really confused and was still having a hard time dealing with it. But I figured it's a big part of my life now, so I might as well explain.
IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder of an unknown cause. Basically, my intestines are regular, but the ways that they function is irregular. Think of an intestine, and imagine it expanding and contracting to move food through.
Now imagine that two sections contract at the same time, and the middle part expands. This causes lots of pain for people with IBS. The foods that we eat contribute to irregular contractions. Basically, it HURTS.
Another smaller part of IBS is that it affects your mind as well as your body. Anxiety and depression can be caused by IBS. But the good news is that changing your diet can improve those symptoms!
To help, I eat according to the FODMAP diet. Basically I can't have gluten, dairy, high fructose corn syrup, and a few other specifics things. This part isn't that challenging if you know what your limits are.
The real challenging thing is being surrounded by food that you can't eat. This has been my struggle for the last month. A month doesn't seem like much, until you think about how many times you eat each day.
The point of this post is to tell you what one month has taught me: the trials in our lives do not define us. I am not the girl with IBS. I am not the girl with divorced parents. I am not the girl who has low energy, or low blood sugar, or back pain, or stomach pain, or anxiety. I am a child of God. And nothing will ever change that.
I know that the Lord has a perfect plan for us, including trials. We agreed to have trials in the Premortal Life. He gives us our challenges because He knows that WE ARE STRONG. His timing is the only timing that matters. He is leading us down the path that will give us more strength. Instead of asking, "why me?" ask, "what can I learn from this?"
I love the gospel, and I know that God is mindful of you. I know that we are headed right where God wants us. I know that through trials we will be made strong. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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