The Foods that Save Us

It never appealed to me to have to write about bodily functions before. However, since coming in China, it has become daily conversation and now I find it necessary to address said issue. One thing to note: I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). It is not a friendly condition to live with, but I’ve managed to regulate my diet to a point of satisfaction. In Wyoming it was easy to find foods that were digestible and easy on my stomach.

Here in China, it is a far different story. For two months now, I’ve picked through the food, set aside certain items, completely avoided many dishes altogether, but have still had to deal with minor upsets and sudden trips to the washroom. This past week has been no exception. In fact, I’ve had such problems that I’ve not had in well over three years. On Friday it hit its peak and I had made a record-setting number of bouts in one day.

For those of you who have never experienced the lovely excruciation of IBS, let me tell you that when it’s bad, it is nearly unbearable. The feeling is such that you believe your intestines are literally digesting liquid fire. It burns through your entire digestive tract and every inch is like razor blades. I imagine the feeling to be comparable to kidney stones. A cold sweat breaks out and the only thing that gets me through it is the relief of the porcelain bowl… when one is available.

My solution for the weekend? Yesterday I took a trip to a large supermarket in Hangzhou and raided the international section. I spent 300 yuan on foods like chick peas, three loaves of French bread, one baguette, Granny Smith apples, brie, olive oil, muesli and Nature Valley granola bars. Today I sat with my cousin in front of the computer while we watched Gone with the Wind and shared a picnic of western delights. The searing pain has ceased and I’m convinced a few days sans Chinese food will bring me back to regularity. The question is, what then? Ten more months of brie and baguette? I could live with that.