After many, many years of trying to think of an analogy for my IBD symptoms, i finally thought of one some people might get. I equate a flare with the symptoms of a bad (bad!) cold, or the flu. You know how your nose, sinuses and head can be runny or stuffy, or sometimes even both? Because of inflammation, right? One minute you can’t stop your nose from running, the next you can’t even blow your nose, it’s so stopped up! And it hurts either way. And sometimes your nose is runny and stuffy at the same time, and there’s not a thing you can do about it.
It’s the same with going to the bathroom. One minute everything is completely runny, the next you strain and strain, with no result. And either way is painful and messy.
I know… i have too much time on my hands! But this analogy was a real revelation for me.