One year ago, my now-17-year-old daughter was so depleted that she could not get out of bed. While her friends were studying chemistry, taking Zumba classes and going on field trips to Florida, she was living in her bedroom and bathroom.
My daughter was living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with the usual symptoms of unpredictable bouts of nausea, diarrhea and constipation, acid reflux and bloating, as well as some significant emotional distress due to her condition. She had a history of bowel disease, which had previously been controlled through prescribed medication, but after a recent move, things began to unravel for her, and for us.
We had had success with gastroenterologists in the past, but this time success eluded us. By the end of her tenure with local gastroenterologists, she was on a dozen different medications—Nexium for acid reflux, Levsin for pain, laxatives and Miralax for IBS constipation predominant, Reglan for intestinal movement, Asacol to prevent flare-ups, Zoloft for depression, and so on and so forth. For several years after the appearance of ulcerative inflammation in her intestines, she was on an immune suppressant used for kidney transplants.
Lisa (I’ve changed her name to protect her identity) had lost all color in her skin and had begun to rely on two or three foods to keep her going. By spring of 2011, she was unable to function in most environments, was emotionally flat and we were in despair; I knew I had to try a holistic or homeopathic approach but did not know where to turn.
