Hi everyone.
I feel amazing.
I wanted to tell you a little story about my digestive problems which have been going
on for about six years.
I have recently discovered that I don't have IBS anymore.
I have no symptoms.
I feel incredible.
I've got more energy and I am eating everything in sight which is awesome.
So to tell you a little bit about my background; about six years ago I went overseas, got really
sick in Bali and then a few months later in Thailand.
When I came back my digestion didn't seem quite right for the next six to twelve months
and I started taking things out of my diet.
So, discovering... "oh, chilli causes that problem?
Right.
No more chilli.
Bread?
Makes me feel really bloated - no more bread.
Pasta - constipation.
This - diarrhoea, that - pain, this - headaches, such and such - lethargy.
So I managed to cut my diet down to this very fine list of foods that I could eat which
basically came down to - over the last year, I've pretty much been living on potatoes and
rice, carrots and zucchini, salad and eggs and I eat fish sometimes but mainly I am vegetarian.
So my journey has been one of frustration, pain and also a real affect on my mental health.
Your gut is really connected to the way that your body produces neurotransmitters.
If you've been on a lot of antibiotics or you've had various cortisones or different
medications over your lifetime the chances are that your gut flora is not very well balanced.
I worked as a Registered Nurse for ten years and I saw a lot of digestive problems - inflammatory
disorders.
I've seen a lot and I am a naturally curious person, so when I get to this point where
I am going "OK, I have had to cut out pretty much everything in my life now.
Why would it take to the age of 32 to SURPRISE YOU'VE GOT IBS".
So what did I do?
Well, about four years ago I discovered the FODMAP diet which really helped me to learn
which foods are likely to cause problems with my tummy.
If you have IBS, onion and garlic are the absolute worst.
The biggest problem with the FODMAP diet is that there is really no fibre.
I won't go on about fibre now but please please eat fibre.
I tried dairy free, gluten free, alcohol free, sugar free, food free (joke).
I felt like I was... there was nothing else that I could really eat.
So, I kept researching.
I went to see a gastroenterologist a couple of years ago who was really lovely, helpful
and looked at my structurally to see if there were any problems with my physiology.
That was all fine which was both good and bad.
Then I went on tour with work and it just became too hard to try to work out everything
else so I just stuck to the things that I knew didn't cause me too much trouble.
Constipation was probably the main trouble for me and if I had one more doctor say to
me "have you tried laxatives?" or like "do you drink water?".
You know, I'm a Yoga Instructor, I'm very healthy, I don't drink much alcohol at all,
like a couple glass here and there (of wine.
Not a couple glass of Gin).
Yeah, so it was only recently that I went to see this Gastroenterologist in Darlinghurst
and he also worked at the Centre for Digestive Diseases.
He was recommended to me by a friend of a friend and he listened to all my symptoms
and he said to me "Well, a lot of people have the symptoms of IBS but they don't actually
have IBS, they have a microscopic, unicellular parasite."
I did a faecal test.
Sure enough!
Bingo!
He prescribed my triple antibiotics.
Ten days worth.
8 capsules a day.
Sure.
Let's give it a whirl.
I'll try anything at this stage and I was really sick for that week.
The parasite that I had is called Blastocystis Hominis.
It is only one cell then it divides and conquers.
I just so wanted to get the word out there because I have been eating croissants and
bread and pears and apples and bananas and so much delicious healthy food that I hadn't
been able to eat before.
I have, in a couple of weeks, ah four weeks now I think, I will have a test to see if
the parasite is gone.
If it's still there I'll be very surprised because honestly, I can eat anything.
I know that people don't like talking about poo and let me tell you, after ten years of
nursing I've had enough conversations about poo to last a lifetime but its really really
important to feel like your body is functioning and you can call me Captain Regular now because
I am just a-ok in that department.
My body feels lighter.
I have so much energy to the point where I get to bed at night and I'm still lying there
wide awake, so that's my story and its extremely exciting for me and for anyone else because
if you have IBS and you've never been tested for a parasite, there is a chance that you
could be cured in like a matter of weeks.
It's awesome.
I would really encourage you to follow this up and take action on your life.
I think that's all from me.
I wish you all the best.
I hope that you can feel as good as I do.
Anna Cheney.
Signing out.