The TERROR in my TUMMY

Sara Ingram, 43, Auckland, NZ

Lying on the sofa, I pressed my hand against my swollen tummy.

Why am I always so bloated, I thought.

I’d been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in my early 20s and in the decade that followed, I tried everything to ease my symptoms.

Putting it down to my diet, I experimented with cutting out gluten, dairy and then carbs, but I struggled to give up chocolate.

I’d always been slim but recently, I’d put on weight around my waist.