I know I wrote about how dysautonomia just wrecked me not long ago, but I have to be honest...
I've actually been pretty sick. I have been wiped out by a nasty gastro bug while on holidays in Bali.
This is how you know that I'm all about authenticity- I don't pretend to be the clinician who never gets sick.
I tell it JUST HOW IT IS!
NO SUGAR COATING
NOTHING PRETENTIOUS
I say it all the time, and I continue to say it....
I love supporting you because I GET THE PATIENT'S JOURNEY!
Anyway, enough ramble.
I got slammed by terrible tummy symptoms which started earlier this week.
I woke up needing to vomit.
I was queasy all day.
Crampy gut.
And then severe non stop diarrhea started, which lasted all night and totally wiped me out.
Keep in mind I'm solo parenting two toddlers at the moment and they are BOTH breastfeeding - it's been so hard.
My gosh, the things we do as mothers for our children is just mind blowing.
If you have dysautonomia, or POTS, hydration is EXTREMELY important. A drop in hydration levels can significantly affect your symptoms.
I noticed that my symptoms were worsening so I organised an IV treatment of fluids (including electrolytes) a few nights ago. This really helped me feel slightly more human!
We also took a stool sample to find out what the culprit was.
I was up breastfeeding through the night, and the kids woke up early so I was still pretty wrecked the following day.
I got through the day with them but was still unable to eat anything apart from bits of toast and crackers here and there.
Symptoms were still pretty intense.
I got my test results back and found out that 2 strains of pathogenic E Coli were detected:
I got through the day with the kids and after they were in bed I organised for another round of IV hydration. Thank goodness they were able to fit me in late at night!
I was up breastfeeding through the night AGAIN.
I think this is the hardest part about being sick as a mother. Hardly being able to rest.
I woke up starving at 3 AM - this was a good sign!
And I felt better in the morning . The pain had lessened.
I was offered a 5 day course of antibiotics but I decided against taking them.
I've been treating myself naturopathically with:
Antimicrobial herbs
Specific strains of probiotics
Homeopathics
Toxin binders
Herbal teas
It's definitely working.
I haven't felt the need to go get the antibiotics.
BUT I'VE DECIDED I'M GOING TO DO A THING.
A the beginning of February I am going to do a
TOTAL
GUT
OVERHAUL
(Plus a cheeky gentle liver detox to top it off.... because, WHY NOT!?)
Think of it as a naturopathic gut reboot, and reset where I will be giving my gut a whole lot of TLC, followed by gentle liver detoxification support.
THESE ARE MY GOALS:
Eliminate pathogenic microbes (bugs that are causing symptoms)
Correct microbial imbalances
Optimise the breakdown of food
Optimise the absorption of nutrients
Dampen gut inflammation
Correct immune activation/immune dysfunction in the gut
Regulate bowel movements
Re-establish a healthy appetite
Gently induce liver detoxification pathways
It's been a LONG time since I've done something structured like this.
Since I'll be doing this anyway, here is an open invitation for anyone else who wants to do this too.
I want to invite YOU to come do this with ME.
You may have OBVIOUS signs that your gut needs some love:
Bloating
Cramping
Pain
Irregular bowel movements
Excess wind
Nausea
Reflux
But what if you DON'T have anything obvious?
How do you KNOW that your gut could benefit from some love?
You may have skin conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis, rosacea
You might have recurrent yeast infections (like thrush)
You might have recurrent infections of the reproductive tract (like bacterial vaginosis)
You might have bad breath (although definitely get a dental check too!)
You might have PMS, or period pain
You might have INTENSE sugar cravings
You might get regular headaches or migraines
You might have food intolerances
You might have a history of taking antibiotics regularly
You might have a poor diet
You might have an autoimmune condition
You might get recurrent infections.
There are more, but I think you get the gist.
HERE'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO:
GUT LOVE- The Good Gut Protocol is going to be a 12 WEEK Group Program.
The protocol is broken down into 3 different phases, each phase of treatment is 4 weeks long.
Although it is a GROUP program, you will get an initial consultation with me.
After your consultation, I will prescribe you your herbal and nutritional remedies.
If you need any testing (eg: microbiome testing, complete digestive stool analysis), I will refer you for this.
We are going to have a PRIVATE SPACE to talk and connect - A Facebook Group
This will be a space to share our wins, challenges, recipes, concerns, and all things GUT LOVE related.
I will be doing a LIVE in the group, every FORTNIGHT- covering different topics.
If you can't attend the LIVE, the recordings will stay IN the group so you can watch on replay.
You can pay upfront, or there's 4 month payment plan option to keep this program really accessible to whoever wants to join.
If you really want to join and these payment options are still a stretch, LET ME KNOW and I will sort something out for you!
More info can be found HERE.
I'd love for you to join.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Love of love,
Kimberly
PS. IF you have endometriosis and you have wanted to work with me but you are still standing on the sidelines- this is a PERFECT opportunity because gut health is central to what we work on for endo, and we would be targeting your digestive health anyway.