“I have a relative who deals with exactly this!” she said, with a laugh. “It’s her specialty”

As told to Faigy Peritzman

Esther’s Story

AS the mother of a large family, I lived a hectic life and I loved it. I only wished I could feel better and have enough energy to take care of my family without feeling wiped.

As long as I can remember, I’ve lived with stomach issues. As a teenager, I often wondered why my friends never seemed to have these problems. Bloating, gassiness, and constipation were my constant companions.

I learned to live with it. Metamucil was my go-to fix-it-all and I always tried to stay hydrated and exercise. Still, I saw limited results. Things kept getting worse despite all my efforts.

After several pregnancies, I went to a physical therapist due to symptoms of uterine cervical prolapse. She wanted to work on strengthening my pelvic floor muscles, which had been weakened due to a combination of pregnancies, chronic constipation, and genetics. In the course of our treatment, my digestion issues came up, and she thought her exercises would also help contain the gassiness and promote control over intestinal movements. While she did help me somewhat, she wasn’t targeting the cause of all this stomach upset, but rather the symptoms.

Occasionally I’d try some other tactic — a new laxative, a different exercise. In the back of my brain, I wondered if revamping my diet would help, but I never really got to it. I couldn’t seem to find a dietitian that worked for me. Most of the ones I researched weren’t covered by my insurance, and when I did meet with someone, all they’d focus on was weight control. There was so much more going on in my body than what could be attributed to calorie counting, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t get to the bottom of it.

After my eighth child, I had elective surgery for uterine prolapse. This surgery was a blessing because it forced me to be more proactive about my health. I knew that if I didn’t get to the bottom of my gastrointestinal symptoms, the pressure of constipation would completely undo the surgery. Clearly my body needed an overhaul, but how?