Molly’s Story: Crohn’s Part IV

These past three weeks, we have followed Molly’s incredible journey from her tremendous grief and debilitating Crohn’s symptoms after the passing of her mother to experiencing and overcoming secondary symptoms and to the eventual discovery of a healing path. As Molly’s practitioner I could not be more pleased with her willingness to allow her body this opportunity to heal and everything she did to support the process with diet and lifestyle changes. I may have been able to offer Molly Gemmotherapy protocols, encouragement, and dietary suggestions, but she had the determination to make this work on her own. Molly’s dedication has been remarkable and you can feel her joy in her words below.

“I have learned so much in just under a year about my body, it’s healing abilities, and my internal strength and drive. I could have been crushed to literal death by the devastation of my mom’s passing and this debilitating disease. But, I AM WINNING!

This summer has been full of opportunities to develop my new lifestyle and to enjoy having my health back. When I think of food choices, I always remember that simpler is better. A simple smoothie or green salad is now my go to meal. I make a great quinoa salad and I can wrap ANYTHING in a gluten free wrap. I love a little bit of salmon on the grill and my favorite dessert is cashew ice cream.

Like I said in that first post, the key to diet changes is to find alternatives. I have successfully found alternatives for everything that my family loved, from butter and milk to eating out at our favorite restaurants. Food is not the only change I have embraced though. I know that good sleep and less stress is vital. I have used Gemmotherapy, acupuncture, and massage to relieve anxiety and stress. A well rested body can heal itself so I make it a priority to get plenty of sleep.

When I asked my children what they notice about me that is different their list makes my heart smile:

“You have more energy.”
“You smile a lot more.”
“We go on long hikes now.”
“You always look for gluten and dairy that could be hiding in our food.”
“You use the bathroom a lot less.”

And they are all right! I now enjoy a life that I am in control of. I do everything with my children now. I hiked with my family in Yellowstone National Park this summer. We were miles from any bathroom and I wasn’t even thinking about it until my six year sweetly asked if we should be looking for a bathroom for mommy. I never would have attempted a long hike in the past. What a change!

These good times with my family doing what we love is motivation enough to keep fighting for my body to heal. I am not perfect and there have been times when I haven’t been as diligent as I should have been in making healthy choices, but I take the setback in stride and get back to work. This journey has been an amazing accomplishment. I recognize that it is a journey and the end result is a completely healed body. As I near the end of my first year, I can hardly believe how far I’ve come!”

So what’s next for Molly? A lot more of the same to be honest. A plant based diet rich in whole nutrient dense foods, moderate exercise, restorative sleep each night, and continuation of her protocols. Recently we changed her Homeopathic remedy to one that will offer more emotional support and I look forward to the advantage this gives Molly as she considers some changes for her future. We also continue increasing the strength of her Gemmotherapy protocol to further resolve old inflammation and promote healing of her digestive organ tissues. We both look to the day when she will not need even the one prescription medication. I do believe this is possible but the timing must be right. Next month Molly will return for further testing of her inflammatory levels and we will know more about the progress she has made. I’ll be sure to post an update!

Gemmotherapy played a huge role in the healing of Molly’s symptoms. You can learn more about this emerging botanical therapy from Europe here on my website. Interested practitioners can find information on training in Gemmotherapy protocols here.

Next week begins a new series as I depart for my annual summer trip to Europe. Don’s miss this one as I post from our hiking in the Vosges Mountains, my time with my Homeopathic mentor Dr. Heiner Frei in Laupen Switzerland, and much more!