You're Fine; Try Harder

'No gluten, no caffeine, no lactose, no stress,

All your own fault is this illness.

Try yoga, meditation and peppermint tea,

And all sorts of potions that are far from free'.

Tests return negative, 'you're fine, nothing's wrong',

But your symptoms won't cease to drag on and on.

At first you had hoped this would all go away,

But here we go again. At home you will stay.

'Care less about dance, exams and your friends,

You're too busy and invested to be on the mend.

Sit at home, read a book, see how you feel',

And wonder why our stomach still feels far from ideal.

'Why did you cancel? Don't give up and postpone,

No wonder you claim to feel low and alone.

It's like you're not even trying to be happy or well,

You've not even tried the probiotics I sell'.

Am I a hypochondriac? It must be in my head,

If I'm really this poorly, I'd be in hospital instead.

'You're fine, just try harder, buy one more thing',

Or they'll tell me I'm careless when I give them a ring.

I wrote this to reflect on the issues I have had with IBS for the last 8 years and how draining it can be to try to find the things that soothe my symptoms.