Wherein my medical problem has the word 'irritable' in it

I had a really important doctor's appointment on Monday morning.

I waited a few weeks for it. I was anxious as to what was going to happen.

After going through my medical history, my doctor asked me about my gallbladder and appendix. Yes, I still have both.

After poking around, he sat me back up on the table.

The issue, he said, is that there's not an organ where my pain is on my left side. What is there are my intestines, and they're irritated.

The thing is, the doctor said, there's no one test that can determine if you have irritable bowel syndrome. You just have to rule everything else out, and if medicine works, then that's what you have.

He gave me two options on Monday. I could either keep doing different tests, or I could just start taking medicine on a trial basis to see if it works.

I'm very, very done with having tests done. I don't want anymore blood drawls or appointments where I get sonogram lube all over me.

The prescription cost me $8. I think I can handle that.

From what I understand, it's basically a muscle relaxer that kills the alien living in my body that messes my stomach up.

I didn't want to be put on another medicine, but if it works, it works.

And let me tell you guys something. It works!

I've had virtually no pain at all this week. Other than the obvious symptoms that I won't mention here, the thing I don't like most about this is the pain.

I don't know how many times in the past few months I've left social situations after I've eaten food because my body was so mad at me.

I actually stopped eating in public for a while because I was so afraid of the consequences. I would go home, crawl in my bed with a heating pad, and promise myself I would never eat food again.

Dramatic? Yes, but it really is painful.

But this week? This week has been fabulous.

I had no idea how good normal felt until now.

Of all the random things I Googled about my problem, including random organ removal and which organs you can live without, I did not even once consider IBS.

Figures.

(I know this isn't the sexiest of topics. But it's my blog, and I can discuss my bowels if I want to.)