Aussie Woman Sums Up How Crippling IBS Can Be In One Photo

Those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome know how painful, uncomfortable and downright debilitating the physical aspects of the condition can be. But for Aussie model Alyce Crawford, it’s her mental health that’s been affected most.

“For the last 3 years, I have suffered with IBS,” she revealed in an Instagram post. 

“The symptom I suffer with specifically is severe bloating. It began literally overnight while I was living in America. I woke up one morning, my stomach was extremely bloated & I was experiencing sharp stabbing pains. From that day on, my life was never the same.”

To show the extent of her distended belly, Alyce shared two side-by-side pics – one of her sculpted abs, and one in the midst of a flare-up.

BELOW? A very honest & very personal post that I am sharing in the hope that it can help someone else. *NOTE* This story has a positive ending so if you read it, read it all! For the last 3 years, I have suffered with IBS. The symptom I suffer with specifically is severe bloating. It began literally overnight while I was living in America. I woke up one morning, my stomach was extremely bloated & I was experiencing sharp stabbing pains. From that day on, my life was never the same. This illness is often very misunderstood & overlooked a lot by medical professionals & the general public alike. No, it is not life threating, but it is a condition that has caused & had a severe negative impact on my mental & physical health. To me, that alone is enough to be considered an illness. There was never 1 day in 3 years, that I ever felt completely well or healthy. The repercussions of feeling this way not only effected my mental & physical health, but effected relationships & my work as a model. For those of you reading who suffer from IBS or a similar condition (or know someone suffering) will understand & know exactly what I am talking about, & others may scroll past this post. But this is real, it hurts & I am sharing my experience & how I came to get better so it can possibly help someone else. The above photo on the right where I am bloated was the stomach I put up with 90% of the time for 3 years. The photo on the left is my stomach NOW 90% of the time (+ 4kgs of body fat down compared to the photo on the right). No woman or man is ever going feel good about themselves, while physically looking like the photo on the right. Looking this way was just one of the battles, the other was how I felt. Sick, nauseous, sore, unmotivated & very lethargic. Feeling like this often made the smallest thing in my day a struggle (getting dressed for example). All I wanted to wear, was my pyjamas & not move from a laying down position, as sitting upright hurt too much. *CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

A post shared by Alyce Crawford (@alycecrawford) on Jun 28, 2017 at 3:11am PDT

“The above photo on the right where I am bloated was the stomach I put up with 90% of the time for 3 years,” she explained. 

“No woman or man is ever going to feel good about themselves, while physically looking like the photo on the right,” she continued.

“Looking this way was just one of the battles, the other was how I felt. Sick, nauseous, sore, unmotivated and very lethargic.”

These symptoms left Alyce feeling like regular daily habits (like simply getting dressed in the morning) were the toughest of feats to accomplish.   

“All I wanted to wear was my pyjamas & not move from a laying down position, as sitting upright hurt too much,” she said.

It wasn’t until she sought advice from a dietician who recommended FODMAPS – a strict eating plan that eliminates most carbohydrates and high-fructose foods – that she finally found relief. 

“Yes, missing out at times was hard BUT healing my stomach was so important to me,” she added. “I knew the longer I did the right thing for my health, the faster my stomach would heal and I would therefore be able to enjoy in the long run.” 

And while she admitted that the condition isn’t life-threatening, it continues to impact her mindset and social life.

Just last week, she penned another post explaining that she forced to cancel dinner plans because of her IBS.

IBS REALITY A long but (hopefully) helpful post below?? Please read until the end?? . These 2 photos are examples of me living a balanced lifestyle while also suffering from IBS. Last night I wanted to enjoy some delicious guacamole (which I haven't eaten in months), however avocado, garlic and onion all effect my IBS (high FODMAP foods), and my stomach bloated immediately. . Last Saturday night I was planning on going out to dinner with my friends and boyfriend. We must have called 6 restaurants prior to ensure there was something I could eat. Although every restaurant we contacted tried to accommodate me, none of them could. Situations like this takes the joy out of doing something as simple and enjoyable as dining out with your friends and/or partner, not to mention I hated that I was being difficult (luckily for me, my friends and boyfriend are the best and they completely understand my situation…and love me anyway haha). In the end, we had to compromise so we could still enjoy our night. My friends instead came over to our house where they brought wine, and everyone ordered take away?? . Situations like this make me realise the importance of positivity and resilience. A part of me was sad and frustrated, but I was determined to make sure it wouldn't ruin our night. The way I often view unfortunate situations are?you have 2 options: 1. Either feel upset, feel sorry for yourself and let that negativity ruin your day/night/month Or 2. pick yourself up, find a way to turn the situation around as best you can and keep going!!!!!!?????? What would have been the use if I chose to be negative and let the situation upset me? We would have probably all ended up doing nothing. *CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

A post shared by Alyce Crawford (@alycecrawford) on Jan 17, 2018 at 2:20am PST

“Last Saturday night I was planning on going out to dinner with my friends and boyfriend,” she wrote. “We must have called six restaurants prior to ensure there was something I could eat.” 

“Although every restaurant we contacted tried to accommodate me, none of them could,” she added. “Situations like this takes the joy out of doing something as simple and enjoyable as dining out with your friends and/or partner, not to mention I hated that I was being difficult. In the end, we had to compromise so we could still enjoy our night. My friends instead came over to our house where they brought wine, and everyone ordered takeaway.” 

As there is currently no cure for IBS, Alyce is learning to find the positives in her situation and take each day as it comes.

“Being patient really is a big part of the feeling better process,” she said in a recent post.

“There are days that are more frustrating than others when I’m not feeling well. Sometimes I completely feel like giving up and have “why me” moments, BUT this is when my strength kicks in!”

“When you are at your lowest remember how worthy you are, how tough you are, how capable you are and how these times are mini tests that will make you stronger in the future.”

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