Vindication!

A letter dropped through my door today with the results of my stool test - abnormal for Heliobacter Pylori! Identified in 1982 as a bacterium causing chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers and linked to the development of duodenal Ulcers and stomach cancer! 
Oh my! My reaction was mixed. First elation, vindication of the  belief I've had for the last year that I had something physically wrong with me that was not explainable as IBS. Second was doubt, I had to make a non-urgent phone appointment, until I got confirmation from the Dr  I daren't be overly optimistic! Third was rage - as far back as I could go in my online patient records, January was when  I had gone back to the Dr asking if my symptoms could be  solely IBS. She assured me it was IBS and wanted to give me antidepressants! Over a  year of living with this, perhaps 2, since it is nearly 2 years since I have not been myself. The emotional anguish of work, my parents death, my Friends illness and death certainly did a number on me, but for over a year I have felt more in control of my anxiety and had not needed to use my panic apps on my phone on a daily basis. I really have felt that if it were not for the bloating, gas, wind, stomach pain, feeling of fatigue and faintness, I would not be mentally stressed - my physical condition was now causing my anxiety and to be honest low mood verging on depression. I have not been living, I have been getting through each day, falling into bed thankful to have got through the day, waking up in trepidation and fear that here was another day to get through.
So vindication! But I mustn't get too excited just in case. Who knew a bacterial  diagnosis of something that if left untreated could cause ulcers and potentially stomach cancer could be something to celebrate! ( P.S. I have had lots of tests recently so know I don't have any signs of cancer!!!)