A Journey Through the Wastelands: My story of digestive changes..

Digestion used to be my superpower.

I’d wake up in the morning ready full of energy and ready to “go”, then get on with starting the
rest of day with a solid sense of accomplishment and freedom already checked off of my list.

In my teens and twenties I worked in health food stores and helped customers with their
digestive complaints to the best of my un-trained ability. I recommended fibre, probiotics,
hydration: the basics of stool formation, and they were often enough to make the necessary
difference…but not always.

I obtained a degree in Human Nutrition and wrote a thesis called “Fecal Matters” as I dug deeper into my education on poop.

In my thirties I graduated as a naturopathic physician and had more tools in my toolkit to help
patients to achieve the comfort and glory of a happy digestive tract. That’s when I really
noticed the links between digestion and everything else too: skin, mental health, pain, and
energy to name a few, and grew even more determined to help the world with their bowel
movements. I wanted everyone to start the day feeling as good as I did!

I had my first baby in my late thirties and my second in my early forties. Both were Caesarean
births (one emergency at 26 weeks, and one by necessity after the previous emergency) but despite the microbiome deficits that often accompany babies who are not born vaginally I felt equipped with education to give my babies a great start in gut health. No problem!

When Covid hit my digestion got a little wonky but figured it was stress, would be short-lived,
and I didn’t worry.

As the pandemic dragged on we all adjusted in various ways but my digestion failed to improve
and I developed insane empathy for the patients and customers I had worked with over the
previous decades. Bloating, gurgling, and tummy aches suuuuuck.

I hadn’t considered that the scarring from two Caesarean’s would have lasting negative impact
on my inner flow. I had just focused on my kids (as mothers tend to do). Turns out, I had developed SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). The condition that I have been treating in others for more than a decade and understood from a purely academic and clinical standpoint with a desire that all humans start their day with a beautiful poop.

There I was walking the walk and determined to find my own digestive peace. Like most things, it was an uncomfortable blessing that has expanded my offerings to my patients!

I’ve done the antibiotics, I’ve done the herbs, I’ve done the gut healing, I’ve done the diets, I’ve done the emotional work, I’ve done the castor oil packs.

If you have SIBO and are frustrated by the pills, the diet, the lifestyle changes, any of it please reach out! Chances are I have a hack or a new approach that may get you out of the discomfort rut. Digestion, IBS, and SIBO are where I spend the bulk of my continuing education credit hours. It’s where I like to help patients the most!