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The Shocking Truth about My Bowel Health!

I am a little embarrassed about writing this post. I initially thought it would be a poor reflection of my health but I also believe that all my experiences, both good and bad, are lessons for me to share with you, so you can improve your own health. Everything that can guide me to improve my health is also a lesson to improve your own, so here goes…

It is also not the most lady-like topic…

I went to visit the gynaecologist a few months back as a regular check-up on my hormone levels and endometriosis. I know they can’t determine endometriosis with an ultrasound alone but they can check for pain levels, endometrial lining thickness and of course whether my hormones are all in order. It is a combination of things that I assess when going for these appointments, as I also tend to ask for a range of blood checks, stool samples and this time I also checked for the Epstein Barr Virus (one I had heard was somehow linked to endometriosis.) As you know, I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to all this stuff and I find it all very cool to know what my body is doing.

Well, the interesting thing is that they did pick up that I had the Epstein Barr Virus in the past and that everything was perfectly normal and my hormones are doing what they should be. All my mineral and vitamin stores seemed fine too and it all was looking very good, until the gynaecologist ordered an X-ray.

I had expressed to the gynaecologist that I had a persistent dull pain on my left side that seemed to be alleviated when I walked more and after going to the toilet. I naturally thought it was adhesion pain and focused on massages and moving my body through yoga. Going for an operation to check for adhesions seemed silly to me, when we know that operations create further adhesions.

Well, he ordered this X-ray and a part of me wished it was something obvious like perhaps they had left something in there, when they operated. I know! Vivid imagination! But the truth is, it always felt like there was something in there that just needed to come out. I wasn’t wrong!

The horrid truth is that I have a completely blocked-up bowel!

Here is a picture of my X ray:

 

I know! This is totally shocking and yes, kinda icky!

I really believed that my digestive health was in really good order. I go regularly, sometimes more than once a day and I really believed that was good.

Upon further reflection I did notice a few things that were odd though:

  1. My stool shape and design varies. I really thought most people have this but no, it should be more consistent than non-consistent.
  2. I never feel completely “empty” after going to the toilet.
  3. I had experienced gas and bloating for most of my life.

The interesting thing was that until getting this X-ray result, I really believed that my digestive health was okay and that it was just taking a while to heal, after all the years of eating gluten and being on the contraceptive pill.

How wrong was I!

 

 

So, I am researching and testing out a bunch of tools to flush out my bowels but in the meantime, I would like to point out some other digestive symptoms which you may be experiencing which could indicate something similar going on for you:

  • Heartburn after eating sweeter foods
  • Gas and flatulence
  • Trouble digesting certain foods (particularly meat)
  • Feeling tired after eating
  • Headaches after eating certain foods
  • Dull pain in various parts of the digestive tract area
  • Piercing pain under the ribs (gas)

The dull pain I experience is on the left side, just near the pelvic bone. The doctor explained to me that this is where there is a loop in the bowel and hence the pain. Things are getting stuck there! As you can see from the image above, things are mostly blocked on that side!

I really wanted to share this with you as I believe it is quite common to experience digestive issues alongside endometriosis. I believe it may be linked to hormone treatments but may also have something to do with our constitution. I know I was always very sensitive to foods, even as a child!

There are a number of things that can cause blockages in the stool, so I am wanting to really test and make sure that what I recommend for you is safe and effective. I do feel that as humans we don’t do enough cleansing of the bowel and in particular when it comes to worms and parasites. We give our dogs heaps of deworming stuff but somehow we never deworm ourselves!

If you are experiencing digestive struggles right now, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or if you have any recommendations for me, that would be much appreciated too.

 

 

Hugs, Melissa x
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This Post Has 30 Comments

  1. Skye

    Thanks for sharing this, Melissa. It might be quasi-taboo, but it’s hard to receive help or learn when we “don’t go there,” so thanks!

    I have experienced an ever-present pain on my left side just above my hip bone and similar symptoms to the ones you listed for months now. I have even had doctors tell me I have a lot of stool in my colon (though they never told me where) after CT scans. I thought they were just like most other doctors I’ve seen who were just trying to get me out of there. Especially since I would eliminate 1-3 times a day and they simply told me to take laxatives.

    I’m really grateful that you are willing to share and research more about this. Thanks for filling the gap for so many of us who aren’t receiving answers from the healthcare world.

  2. Melissa

    Thank you Mel. I might need to explore things further just to be sure 🙂

  3. Melissa

    Thank you for sharing your insights Isa. So awesome!

  4. Melissa

    Thank you Isa. I would need to double check with the doc but to be honest I have always felt like there was something in there that needed to come out. I also don’t get why I would have so much flatulence 😉

  5. Melissa

    Thank you Danielle,
    I found Triphala too and have started taking it! Thanks for the ideas!

  6. Melissa

    I do sometimes wonder if the pain is adhesions. I am going to work on this for now and see what happens 🙂 Thanks for being such a loyal follower and so happy to help.

  7. Melissa

    Will do for sure 🙂

  8. Melissa

    Love your wacky sense of humour Suraya! Let me know how you go and lets get this crap out of our lives!

  9. Melissa

    So true! I watched my little pup Wilson and he goes after every meal 🙂

  10. Melissa

    Hi Holly,
    The doctor recommended Kiwi skins which is a supplement we have here to help things to move, Aloe Vera Juice and charcoal tablets at night. I am going to research more cos I don’t think this is enough 🙂

  11. Melissa

    Scary isn’t it? I am just so far away from any where I am right now but yes, perhaps when next there is one available 🙂

  12. Isa

    Hi Sarah,

    just like Anonymous above me said: it’s tricky with intestinal flora and there’s unfortunately not one solution that fits all. One person might have too much E. coli bacteria, one person might have candida overgrowth and one person simply lacks lactobacillus or bifido stems – and there are soo many of them so it could be that you have to try around to find the one that benefits you personally.

    A stool test/bacteria count is definitely a good place to start. It might be expensive, but less so than spending money on the “wrong” probiotics for months! I haven’t done it yet, but it’s next on my health improvement list. 😉 I think it makes a lot of sense because like you, Sarah, I’ve taken probiotics some time ago and they did nothing for me or gave me even more gas. So this time I want to do it right.

    You also have to be cautious with the probiotic products. Some brands do not offer gastro-resistant capsules and are therefore rather useless because the gastric acid kills the good bacteria before they can reach the colon.

    Good luck!

  13. Danielle

    Thanks for the info, CB! 🙂 I didn’t know Triphala was good for female issues as well! That’s great to know! 🙂 I’m so glad to be taking it since it’s helping me with the bowels 🙂

  14. CB

    Hi Danielle,
    I use Triphala and it’s great. Good for gynae issues too so a great one for us endo ladies.

  15. Mel

    Hi Mel, A very interesting post and thanks for sharing.
    I had a similar experience about 3 years ago, I put up with bloating and food babies for about a year, then after a very painful period the pain didnt go away, I ended up in emergency with a suspected burst appendicitis…But it ended up Endometriosis , a cocoon in my abdomen and endo blocking my bowel. They did a bowel resection, and Ive never been the same since. Hope this isnt what you have and if so its earlier and can be stopped. Colontherapy might be good and vege juice fast ?? Good luck.

  16. Kristin

    I live in a third world country where it is necessary to de-worm frequently. I’ve tried a regimen of 1-2 wks taking black walnut hull to kill parasites, then 1-2wks of diatomaceous earth to help scrape the intestines and expel the worms, followed by 1-2 weeks of bentonite clay and charcoal powder. I don’t take any probiotics during this time as they are not effective during a cleanse like this, but once the cleanse is over it’s really important to get back on probiotics. It’s a lot more effort than taking a de-worming tablet once every 6 months or so, but it’s worked well for me and I come out feeling great afterward!

  17. Anonymous

    Hi mel, just on this, it does sound like gas to me, rather than an obstruction, which will usually see you winding up in the ER.

    With probiotics it can be you’re not taking the right ones. Often it’s bifidobactera ( the good bacteria) that is the issue and taking a probiotic with it, will exacerbate. You can get a full bacteria/ anerobe count with an expensive stool test, which will give a very clear picture of what’s going on. Then you can treat accordingly, compound chemists will make up specific combinations with a prescription. I’ve had students have wonderful results taking ecoli. Go figure!

  18. Mattai

    Melissa,

    Have you tried a colon clean with oxygen, I use oxypowder and it works miracles! here is the link for more information: http://www.oxypowder.com/

  19. Sarah

    Hi Isla,
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I have been experimenting with probiotics for the past 3 months straight and on and off for the past year. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t make any difference with my pain after committing to taking it for a full 3 months. Maybe it will take longer to see an effect? I was thinking along the same line as you that was why my doctor and I decided to try the probiotics. Can I ask what meteorism is please? thanks in advance Sarah 🙂

  20. Isa

    Melissa (and everyone else experiencing this), I read that the bowel is always visible on x-rays if it’s filled with gas. Couldn’t it be that your discomfort and pain comes from flatulence and meteorism rather than really an obstructed bowel? I think you wouldn’t have regular bowel movements with definite obstruction and varying stools can also e due to an imbalance in the intestinal flora. Is your bacterial gut flora fine? No candida? Maybe probiotics are in this case more helpful than plum juice.

  21. Danielle

    Hey Mel! I’m sorry to hear about your result but I think it’s good that you found out so you can correct it 🙂 I’ve had this problem many times since I was a kid. I think doing coffee enemas could really help you…I do them quite often. Maybe start with doing some coffee enemas on your own for a few weeks (once every other day), while massaging deeply clockwise around your belly to loosen things up. Castor oil packs all over your abdomen can loosen things up too. Jumping on a trampoline (aka rebounding) daily is great too! I’m currently in a program called “gut thrive in 5” and have learned about a great supplement called “Triphala”….it really nourishes the intestine while helping with elimination. The brand recommended is “Vadik Herbs” Triphala. You can try 1 before bed at night and then work your way up to 3 or 4 per night for a few weeks. It’s really helping me 🙂 I can’t take senna as it’s too harsh, so this is perfect for me. Another thing I do every few months is a saltwater flush, which flushes out the entire digestive tract unlike an enema or colonic which can only flush the bottom part. Here are instructions:
    http://www.rosecole.com/handouts/InternalSaltWaterBath.pdf
    After doing all this and loosening things up, then maybe go in for 2 or 3 colonics back to back. I think you’ll feel so much better. Please keep us updated on how you’re doing 🙂

  22. Sarah

    OMG Melissa! It’s like you are describing my pain on that side. After having an adhesion cut away there a few years ago, This side has been sore for as long as I can remember – at a guess at least 18 years.I had always put the pain down to scar tissue from the adhesion. But with most endo girls where I was in my cycle would depend on my bowel habits and it would always flare up more around period time. This also didn’t change depending on whether I had a ‘good clean out’ or was constipated, which could sometimes be all in the same bowel motion. I will be very keen to see how you get on as I’ve tried laxatives with no luck. Thanks for your site and the fantastic information and support you offer. Over the years it has been very helpful and before getting diagnosed proved to me that when i was told to suck it up that my pain was genuine. Sarah 🙂

  23. Jane

    Please let us know how you cleanse…I have had bowel problems for two years now and would like to hear about natural cleanses. Happy healing!

  24. Suraya

    Wow, there really are NO coincidences in life Melissa! I’m going through the very thing myself RIGHT now. Pain on the left hand side and have kind of figured out that it’s fecal impaction/constipation and bloody hell, it’s painful. Mind the french! Thanks for sharing your story with me. A message divinely channeled from the universe when I’ve been feeling low and unwell with lower left abdominal pain. You’ve given me a medical persepective that I appreciate and will go to the doc to confirm that….I’m full of cr@p, lol. Hope my wacky sense of humour does not offend! Take care Melissa. Lotsa love . Suraya.

  25. Andrea

    The bowel should always be the first thing in any cleansing routine for so many reasons! And always remember as many times as stuff goes in it should also come out in that number! Going once a day is okay if you only eat once a day.

  26. Holly

    Thank you for sharing, I have been experiencing the same symptoms. Pain while walking especially in that area on the left side, bloat and headaches after eating. You said you are researching how to cleanse, but I’m just curious what the doctor recommended? So interesting how this has been happening to me the last two months and you are sharing this now! Thank you!

  27. Julie Rose

    Hi Mel! I really appreciate you sharing all of your research and personal issues with us.

    I actually was always feeling blocked up too, until I found Thrive by Le-Vel. I started taking it 10 months ago, and my digestion and elimination has never been better! My bloating has gone way down, and eating certain foods doesn’t bother me anymore. Please check out the website I shared. It has information all about the Thrive experience. There are also free trial packs available! You can always email me Godswillnotmine@gmail.com or text 318-401-3906. I love helping others feel great, just like you do!

    God bless 🙂

  28. Aubree

    Interesting Mel! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Maybe time for a colonic? When I get them done I use a hand massage device and find that when I use it on my hips that A LOT of gunk comes out, Lol. This also happens when I use it over my uterus… not sure if there is a connection there? Best of luck in getting out the gunk. Crazy that you can see it on an Xray!

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I'm Melissa

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