(Illustration by Anna Haifisch for Narratively)
Have you ever waited in line for the bathroom behind six drag queens, two unicorns, a seahorse princess and an evil monkey on stilts after downing a bowl of spicy hot gumbo? Have you ever tried to remove a fake fur coat, leotard and tights in a tiny dirty bar stall even when you’re not on mushrooms? Have you ever fantasized about installing a flatscreen TV in your bathroom?
Gwendolyn Knapp has done all of those things. As the editor of Eater New Orleans and a longtime sufferer of IBS, Gwendolyn finds herself in the unique position of living in the fattiest, saltiest, most deep-fried and delicious city in the world…while dealing with a chronic condition that has her constantly battling the outcome of said deliciousness.
Her hilarious essay about living and dating with IBS in NOLA is up on Narratively today: