okay this is a perfect post to get you gals to read up the following books:
the macrobiotic way: the definitive guide to macrobiotic living by michio kushi and stephen blauer
the rice diet solution: the world famous low-sodium, good-carb, detox diet (this book won't help you lose weight) by
kitty rosati and robert rosati
both of these books will give you an alternative way of thinking about how to put great things together and why for you - grains being a very very important staple of the diet...
macrobiotics is heavily grains while the rice diet book concentrates on rice as the main staple.

Guys (although I think only gals responded?),
Thanks for all of the feedback. I just don't know about wheat. I have eaten wheat all of my life except more sparingly the last few months. I picked up some barley this am and am going to make an asparagus/barley dish soon. I want to check out millet also. In my one sheet of info it indicates that rice is a stool thickening agent, but I do eat it sometimes.
I just get so discouraged. If I cannot get my digestive system right, how can I ever heal my fissure??? (although I think it might be healed).
Like many of you I tend to fret a lot, and that most likely contributes greatly to my prob as is the case with most of you also. To those of you on Metamucil--how many times a day do you take it? I just feel like I have the worst colon in the universe after what my family doc said to me last week. Thank you for allowing me to vent!!!!!
To health,
Cheryl

I dont always get it right Cheryl, thats why i am here, it is such hard work
How long have you had IBS for?
Thanks Happyass :D
Flax seed oil NOTED !

Jo - Your right on the money about the flax seed! I think the benefits of it outweigh the calories by a long shot! :)

Tabby et. al.,
Thanks for asking. I started with my constipation prob in 2001 and blamed it on the hormones (estrogen) that my gyne prescribed for me at that time which made my fibroid tumors grow. And I thought the uterus started pressing on my colon. The tumors finally shrunk and my digestive process improved. But I have always had a constipation prob--even as a child. Things were better for a few decades but I seemed to have IBS in my 30's due to stress, and I would vacillate between the two extremes with diarrhea predominant. Hard to believe now, but that is the way it was. Things went along OK from time to time, but I didn't drink enough water and also ate too many processed foods (cookies, desserts, and other low fiber foods). I think as we age some of these probs get exacerbated. My problems got really bad about two years ago when I had so much stress about traveling to Australia and NZ for a month, and I was having very bad stomach pain which, thankfully, has greatly improved. I think stress was a large part of that in addition to not having a lot of confidence in my local gastro doc at that time who put me through so many tests, but yet I still had my problems. My situation improved after I went to Mayos and my Mayo GI doc put me on Miralax. Initially, it was like a miracle drug for me. I am not in the best mood today even though I went to church this morning!!
Cheryl

NOTE FLAX SEED AND GRINDER !
Be good to yourself Cheryl :truebud:
I have suffered since the age of 23 (9 years) after my bad eating habits and the demands of a new baby !
Stress does it for me everytime ! it goes right for my belly and it turns to rock !

Tab,
I have had my upper stomach x-rayed three times (with the barium drink) over a period of decades. I doubt they do that test anymore. With my colon I don't think it is 100% stress as I have a redundant sigmoid colon and a large calibre colon also, but stress probably makes everything a lot worse.
Cheryl

Tab,
I should add that part of my prob also is my frustration of not being able to travel like I wish at this time in my life as my husband and I are both retired and could do it if it weren't for my digestive troubles.
Cheryl

I am sorry to hear that Cheryl,
I do hope you can get your IBS under control and i hope with time that you and your husband can travel and enjoy retirement without having these restrictions !!
I am very much the same regards travel, saying that I travelled to my mums with my fissure full blown and things went ok.. Nothing like I imagined !
Travelling further would concern me though so i do know how you feel…
Maybe you could try going local not to far from home, just for the change of scenery ?
I hope you are feeling better today

Tab,
I had a much better day today and am feeling more hopeful right now than I have in a long while. I am going to concentrate on this mind/body work and try to motivate myself to finish reading the book about overcoming anxiety. I also now have a new approach that I am going to try for golf!
Cheryl