Kokova Magazine

After four decades of living with a grumbling tummy, anti-social bowel movements and acid indigestion, I have finally stumbled into the office of a doctor who was more willing to do something, other than pay my constant ailments lip-service whilst handing over another anti-acid prescription.

My latest, in a long line of numerous visits to the surgery, resulted in seeing a new doctor and not one of my regulars, and had me leaving the building more upbeat than ever and without a prescription in my bag.

Another bout of stomach strains, pains, fissures and acid have seen a few trips into the surgery and even the local A&E. My body hates me, my joints ache and my skin and hair are a mess - without question! I am also still overweight yet constantly seem to be in the loo. Yes I know - too much information! Or in fact, is it really not enough?

It is hard to believe that in this day and age bowel behaviour still seems to be a taboo subject. OK, so it isn't something to bring up across the dinner table or over the paper at breakfast but it is something that really does need to be discussed a lot more - especially with your GP if you are having problems.

What became the norm for me was enough for this new doctor to pick up on as abnormal and so enquire further. And after 'making all the right noises' with my list of symptoms I found myself issued with a FODMAP diet sheet and told to follow it closely - and I could be a new woman in six weeks. Failing that it is a trip to the gastroenterologist! And since I already felt better without gluten and dairy I am to continue that too.

Having been diagnosed with IBS at nineteen, in the past I was simply told to eat more fibre in my diet and sent on my way. Twenty eight years later I have had a wide range of seemingly unconnected ailments and my local surgery is like a second home. A stint of self-help by taking the dairy and gluten out of my diet worked wonders but I still got a reaction to my food on weeks when I was sure I had eaten 'clean'. My passion for Nak'd bars that were meant to be safe resulted in awful heartburn and indigestion - and fruit cocktails were becoming a no-no too.

Yet for the last 48 hours life has been sweet - because my stomach loves me again. A simple diet list of 'can' and 'can't' haves (with some very surprising can'ts) has been adhered to and I think this new doctor may be onto something.

By following the FODMAP diet for the next six week I hope to return to a more normal lifestyle, without abdominal discomfort, bloating and pain. And all because I spoke to the doctor about something many of us find too embarrassing to mention - and because she listened.

I actually have a wide range of things I can eat so hopefully this will be a lot easier than I first thought but not being able to eat apples is odd.

An apple a day really doesn't keep the doctor away if you need to follow a FODMAP diet.