TheQuartering on Nostr: There's something about diarrhea that's genuinely unsettling. It's not just the mess ...

There's something about diarrhea that's genuinely unsettling. It's not just the mess — it's what it represents. Your body betraying you in the most primal way possible. And yet, we've normalized it. "I had a stomach bug," "food poisoning," the classic cop-outs.

But here's the thing: chronic diarrhea isn't normal. When your bowels start acting like a leaky faucet, when you're sitting on the toilet thinking about leaving because that feeling won't go away — that's not just indigestion. That could be IBS, celiac disease, something more serious.

And society? We've made fun of it instead of helping people deal with it. "Hold it in" becomes a command rather than advice. People roll their eyes at someone who stumbles over their words trying to explain their digestive disaster. Nobody says, "Hey, I had that last week too. Let me guess what it was.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies rake in millions selling anti-diarrheal meds that barely work. And the internet is filled with horror stories about people losing control in public — on planes, at concerts, in meeting rooms. The mortification is real.

Last week I sat through a three-hour dinner with a friend while dealing with an active case of traveler's diarrhea. Every time my stomach cramped I had to choose between dying and asking the waiter for a bathroom. At some point I just made eye contact and walked out without finishing my meal.