How many people in your life know about your issues? What are some polite ways of referring to them?
I have IBS, hemorrhoids and possibly the occasional fissure and I'm in my early 20s. People my age don't understand the struggle a lot of the time. If I hint around at what my issues are they laugh nervously or say it's all in my head (I've been known to be a hypochondriac ) I'm especially awkward about talking to my boyfriend about it even though we pride ourselves in having no secrets. It just seems unladylike to talk about that stuff with him ... even more so than talking to him about my period symptoms. He's not in nursing school like I am so any kind of body stuff makes him uncomfortable. I'll be over his house and he'll ask why I keep wincing while sitting or why I keep running to the bathroom or why I'm so religious about my diet. It's surprisingly hard to keep this stuff secret from people who spend a lot of time with you.