.png)
Around 14 years of poo problems, chronic abdominal pain, bloating and more!
Daily medication for more than a decade!
2 diagnoses (IBS-C and chronic anal fissures)
Most holidays, birthdays and events ruined
7 years of the low FODMAP diet
Daily pro kinetic drinks (hot water & lemon, hot water & ginger)
1 colonic
4 weeks of probiotics
1 visit to a gynaecologist
1 NHS “Stress less” workshop
2 hospital procedures
1 camera up my bum (flexi-sigmoidoscopy)
1 operation with general anesthetic (Botulinum toxin injection in my bum hole!)
Countless:
Flare-ups
IBS friendly-clothes bought
Rectal examinations
Laxatives
Peppermint capsules and bottles of peppermint oil
Anti-spasmodic tablets
Abdominal massages
Days & nights of fun missed out on
Self-help explorations (yoga, meditation, mindfulness, journaling…)
Ointments and suppositories
Hours in waiting rooms, GP and specialist offices
Times of feeling so hopeless, helpless
Lots of money spent
If you've been on a journey with IBS or any gut-related issue, I bet that this list is pretty familiar to you - give or take a few medications, doctors and procedures. This list doesn't take into account relationships affected, moments of intimacy missed, opportunities declined, sick days off work, awkward conversations with HR, my boss and/or colleagues, feelings of loneliness and withdrawal, hours curled up in bed or on the sofa, the times I did my best to stay positive, the embarrassing other symptoms like constipation, my bleeding bum hole and the toxic farts. The anxiety, the depression, the hopelessness and even thoughts of suicide.
My name is Natalie, and this was my story. The list above is the route I took to understand what was happening to my body and manage the IBS symptoms. The laxatives and peppermint capsules would give me some relief but by no means was I in a healthy body and feeling amazing! Far from it. I was told I would have to manage the IBS symptoms for the rest of my life, which included following the very RESTRICTIVE low FODMAP diet.
I think we all have a moment in our life when we say, "enough is enough," and this sparks something deep within us that helps us transform our lives. For me, it wasn’t just because of what I was experiencing physically, but also because of what I was going through emotionally and mentally.
Below is an image of me in Peru (Lake Titicaca) at altitude with a very unhappy, bloated tummy (2016).
It was a wonderful week in September 2018 in Warwickshire that sparked something in me to change and potentially transform the IBS. I was on a meditation retreat with the Monroe Institute, and found myself sharing a room with a lady who had experienced IBS too, she understood what I was going through, and she took what was happening with me seriously. She recommended RTT for IBS to me.
She spotted how bland my diet was on that retreat and asked me why. We got talking, I shared all with her in our room, including how entirely hopeless it felt to live a life of restriction. I explained how my days revolved around low FODMAPS, taking daily medication, practicing yoga and meditating daily to keep my stress levels down.
I realised that this way of life I had got so used to...living in fear that someone might ask me to go out for dinner/drinks/cinema and whether I will feel up to it, fearing that I might eat something that triggers a flare up, or I have a flare up for no apparent reason, that I may be in the bathroom for AGES and wondering if my bum hole will tear in the process...I pushed through each and every day like this, just so I could continue managing the IBS the next day. To keep…existing. It was a bleak realisation.
Along the way it led me to some dark places, having thoughts of being better off not here, and it was really scary because I was told this was me for life, no solution, no cure, just get on with it. The prospect filled me with utter dread. But the lady at the retreat shone a light in my very dark metaphorical tunnel. I chose to say yes to this possibility of getting some relief from the IBS, an opportunity that may transform my life for the better.
What did I have to lose except some time and money?
I am happy to report that I have been IBS-free since Sept 2018 (when I had RTT) - 3 years ago (at time of writting this it's Nov 2021). No more flare-ups, no more bloating, I'm pain-free and symptom-free. AND I can eat what I want with NO consequence - which is possibly the most liberating bit for me :)
Interested in learning more about how Rapid Transformational Therapy helped me get welcome relief (and freedom) from IBS, and how it can help you? Book your free consultation call.
With love,
Natalie (Previous IBS sufferer)
P.S. You can call me on +44 (0) 7503 817 397 or send me an email connect@nataliemears.co.uk