Kolja’s Personal Story: Developing IBS-D After Food Poisoning
My story: Yes. I have either functional diarrhoea or indeed IBS-D. Several gastroenterologists that I had wound up going to seem to be ‘fence-sitting‘ on this one. Something; IBS, others unexplained diarrhoea, and one gastroenterologist thought Munchausen Syndrome, as to play ‘hookie’ (skipping school).
Point is, that I do have frequent to chronic bouts of diarrhoea. (To my understanding, the only real difference between FD and IBS-D is the latter entails abdominal pain and cramping. In my case, sometimes I get painful cramps and sometimes it is just well… diarrhoea. (There has also been question whether I might have sucrose intolerance as well, but that thus far has not been confirmed). Yes, I have already gone through a battery of tests, endoscopy and colonoscopy inclusive.
Now, I sometimes do react to sweet foods – especially if regular ‘table sugar’ would be the sweetening agent. So Once again whatever the cause, I have got frequent bouts of the runs and have to make quite a few mad dashes to the closest cottage or loo, mostly successfully, but sometimes, well… not so successful! (Yes, I shall be the first to admit that I have had more than my fair share of rather embarrassing and nasty public diarrhoea accidents).
Now to how I suspect all this started. It is of my high opinion that this began in 9th grade (freshman year) of high school. I was living in West Los Angeles at the time as I was only 15 years old. There had been a criminal incident at my school that caused the place to close for disinfection and massive cleaning, after either sustaining a bad student prank going bad, or indeed some disgruntled school cafeteria worker who had decided to take revenge.
I had subsequently found out that he (yes gender identified) was either a schoolmate who had pranked that went wrong, or some school employee that had taken revenge, as he had apparently, according to what I have heard from a classmate from my 3rd period science class, that he had surrendered to the police, and was due to be arraigned and put on trial. (I am of course only assuming that he most likely subsequently spent (or still spending) some time behind barbed wire!
It is called mass chemical food poisoning, and endangering the health and possibly the lives of the student body. There were so far as I know, approximately 900 schoolmates (90% of the school) affected, fortunately no fatalities. It was quite messy! I of course also had gotten sick, I mean almost to the point of needing to go to some emergency ward in the greater Los Angeles area (I opted out only because I lived only one block from my school). A great number of my schoolmates were sent to the ambulance queue, as a triage from the LAFD was set up at the admin building.
In the aftermath of an event of that magnitude, the focus inevitably shifted beyond the immediate medical crisis to questions of accountability and justice. Once the poisoned food was identified and the source traced, investigators had to determine intent, access, and the chain of events that allowed such a breach to occur. Interviews, evidence collection, and forensic analysis would have followed, alongside formal charges reflecting the seriousness of endangering hundreds of lives.
For students and families, the legal process may have unfolded at a distance, yet it formed a critical backdrop to the trauma, reinforcing that what happened was not merely an unfortunate accident but a criminal act with consequences. While the physical symptoms for many lingered in unpredictable ways, the justice system moved methodically, separating rumor from fact and establishing responsibility through arraignment, hearings, and the slow machinery of the courts.
Once an arrest is made in such cases, the procedural reality of detention, bail, and court supervision comes into play, often overlooked in public memory but essential to due process. Accused individuals may be held while charges are reviewed or allowed temporary release under strict conditions, ensuring they appear for trial and comply with legal requirements.
Within this framework, considerations like posting bail for military personnel and veterans can factor into how bail bonds are structured, reflecting policies that acknowledge service while still upholding the law. Bail does not negate the gravity of the alleged crime, but it allows the legal process to continue without unnecessary pretrial confinement, balancing public safety, individual rights, and judicial fairness as the case moves toward resolution.
I had never seen so many ambulances out by the school in my life! So I had been released from school to go home. (Yes. en route, I did have my first public embarrassment). I was sick the rest of that day, all the following night, and most of the next day before I began my recovery phase, thus just over more or less a 24 hour period. (The diarrhoea and stomach cramps were in my estimation moderate to severe).
I sincerely believe that this had been very instrumental just three years later in my senior year (12th grade) that it was that same school where I had experienced my first diarrhoea attack of IBS (or indeed functional diarrhoea). I honestly think that this major incident at my high school had put enough stress on my intestinal tract that had as a result triggered the chronic diarrhoea situation (BTW that has been still continuing to the present, never fully resolved).
This is an account of what I believe had been my initial trigger for FD or IBS. It was a horror hard to be believed. It had taken its toll on me.