Inflammatory bowel disease is an umbrella
diagnosis that refers to chronic inflammatory conditions that affect the lining
of the intestine, with Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) being
the two main branches. This disease process disrupts the body's ability
to digest food, absorb nutrients and eliminate waste.
IBD is prevalent now more than ever, especially in Canada. One in every 150 Canadians is living with CD or UC - a rate that ranks highest world-wide. Most alarming to me is the number of new cases of CD in Canadian children has almost doubled since 1995.
This disease can be very disruptive, isolating,
exhausting and debilitating. With symptoms like bloody diarrhea,
abdominal pain, bowel urgency, nausea, vomiting, weight fluctuations, anemia and the
worst fatigue you can imagine, it can very well feel like life won't ever be
the same.
The conventional medical system looks at IBD as being
idiopathic, which means that there is no reason for onset other than possibly
genetics. Hearing that there is "simply no reason" can make people
feel helpless as to what can be done to put them into remission and keep them
there. Naturopathic Medicine does not subscribe to this thought process.
As a ND I believe that IBD has a root cause that needs to be addressed
and that there can be multiple blockages that are internal and external, which
can prevent someone from healing. Over the next 12 months I have decided
to write about the main factors that are contributing to the increase in
incidence of IBD, as well as what can be done from a naturopathic perspective
to promote healing and hope.
I am using my first post in this 12 part series
to explain how the word hope started me on my journey to becoming a
Naturopathic Doctor who has a passion and special interest in IBD.
I was 18 years old when I started my first year
of my undergraduate degree in biology. I had moved to Alberta from
Toronto and, like many young adults, this was my first time away from
home. I was excited and motivated to do my best in school so that I could
pursue a career in the medical field.
Slowly through my first year I noticed I wasn't
feeling the same. My energy was lower, I lost my appetite, would have
constant stomach pain, and "The Freshman 15" weight gain everyone talks about, was
more like " The Freshman minus 15" for me. I started noticing
changes in my stools, especially mucus, but had no idea what that meant and
I sure wasn't going to start talking about it with my friends because I
thought it would just go away.
I remember the night that I couldn't ignore it
anymore. I had ended up passing out after a very painful bloody bowel
movement. It was the first time the pain was that intense and the first
time I noticed blood. I was taken to the hospital in Calgary where they
did a colonoscopy. The reports came back clear and that everything was
normal. Needless to say, everything was not normal. Later, when I
returned to Toronto for the summer, I was put on a course of antibiotics that
made all my symptoms worse and this was the beginning of my first
"Flare".
I was diagnosed with Moderate UC and told that I
would have this disease for the rest of my life. The options put to me by
my 1st Gastro-Intestinal specialist were "medication, then if that doesn't work more
medication, then if that doesn't work, more serious medication, and if that
doesn't work we would have to cut your colon out, maybe just a piece, or the
whole thing, which in that case you would have to have a bag attached to your
abdomen for the rest of your life." I remember feeling devastated, like I
would never have the life I wanted. I was 19 years old at this point and
never had been seriously sick before. So now to be told I would have this for
the rest of my life felt hopeless.
I decided to do what I was told and take the
medications that were prescribed for the next 3 months. My main symptoms got better for a month but
didn't hold. I packed my bags and decided to go back to school for as
long as I could. When I returned to school, I was lucky enough to have
the Women's Dean looking out for me. She told me that she had a friend in
the community that was a Naturopathic Doctor and he would be willing to see
me. Within our first meeting he changed my diet, talked to me about my
emotional state, which I had never explored before and prescribed a solid
supplement regime. Over the next couple of weeks I literally saw and felt
my body change. By the time I was home for Christmas that year my
symptoms had cleared and I was better than my old self.
My UC story definitely does not end there as I
had many more lessons to learn about how true health is obtained and maintained
on the physical and the emotional level. This was, however, the
beginning of my journey to becoming a Naturopathic Doctor. When my
patients ask me why I became a ND, my answer is always "Hope."
I decided when I went into remission that if I could give one person the
hope that life could be more than a disease and that we have the ability to
change and heal, then that's what I wanted my life's work to be about.
If you are interested
in learning more about the Naturopathic approach to IBD please contact me at
905-940-2727 to book an appointment or schedule a 15 minute meet and greet
that can be done in person or over the phone.
