Yesterday I sat down with a friend of my mom’s and talked about living with a gut disease. She has Crohn’s, her daughter has Ulcerative Colitis, and like many people she’s stuck in the middle of “regular” doctors and all of the weirdo alternative stuff. And like many of us, she knew what her next decision was, but needed some time to talk herself into it. Some encouragement.
We ended up talking for two and a half hours, way longer than either of us expected.
One thing that’s always held me back from writing on this blog is the fact that I don’t know everything. I’m not omniscient, I’m not medically trained as a doctor or a naturopath, and there’s no professional credential after my name. Who am I to tell anyone what to do with their health? What could I possibly provide that could make their lives better?
But then again, I talked with this lady for a long time. We had a good conversation. She even took notes, and there was a clear “next step” for her to take.
Because we spent time talking about what I’ve learned taking care of my own gut monster, and because I shared my story, she was able to get some clarity about how to treat her own disease–and some confidence to step out and take action.
She knew what she needed to do, but needed a little nudge to go after it. Some external validation. A person to talk to who didn’t try to push some weird herbal supplement on her, or make her feel like she was crazy for wanting to try a dietary approach. That’s me – I can be that person!
If I can’t provide expertise on WHAT to do, I can talk about my perspective on HOW and WHY to do it, and serve as a walking talking living example that it is absolutely possible to break out of the death spiral that is modern long-haul medical care.
I got off Remicade after 13 years.
She is going to go grain-free for the first time.
What are YOU thinking about doing?
You can do it, too.