Abbey's J237 News blog

Although there are many struggles students face while attending college, more students than you may think are struggling with IBS. IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome and affects 5 to 10 percent of the world population. John, a sophomore at UW-Whitewater struggles with IBS and is willing to share his story. 

There is not one single cause for IBS. In John’s case he wrestled from age 7 to 18 which essentially gave him an eating disorder due to constantly gaining and cutting weight. 

“I would have to lose 15 pounds each week in order to make weight for my weight class.”

On the weekends John would eat an immense amount of food to gain the nutrients he needed for the week and then eat low sodium meals during the week while he was cutting weight. 

“My main focus was low sodium meals like grilled chicken and low calorie meals with fruits and vegetables.” 

With John now being enrolled in college, there have been more struggles he has had to navigate. One of the biggest challenges are his classes. If an issue begins to arise before a class John may end up being late or completely missing the course. 

“I also struggle during class. It can be embarrassing leaving to use the restroom for a longer period of time.” 

When it comes to being late or missing class, John’s professors are extremely understanding. In addition, John was able to live in a dorm room located closer to the restrooms to better accommodate his IBS. 

Although IBS is not a condition that has a cure, there are certain habits an individual can pick up which will lessen the symptoms. With John, a consistent routine was beneficial for him. Eating nutrient rich foods and eating at the same time every day immensely helped John with his IBS. 

“IBS is definitely an obstacle that can be difficult to navigate, but it is not impossible to navigate. In my experience, everyone has been understanding and there are a lot of resources available.”