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Stephen S.
At the age of 53, I became significantly ill with ulcerative colitis. After 18 months of illness, I was taking lots of medication, feeling worse and suspecting that traditional medicine was not the answer for me. My doctor assured me that diet really didn’t play any significant role in my illness but my intuition told me better.
My health improved dramatically after my first consultation with Debbie. I feel like I know what to eat and have progressed to the point where I feel like I’m in control of my life again.
Out of all the health professionals I’ve seen for this problem (GI doctors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Physical Therapists, Holistic Physicians, Homeopathic Physicians and more), I have received by far the most help and best information from Debbie. Besides helping with diet, Debbie has helped me find appropriate supplements and has been an excellent referral source for my specific questions. Really, she has been a life-saver!
Tara R.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 10 years ago at the age of 17. Since then I have undergone 3 intestinal surgeries; several trips to the ER and several hospital stays; have had too many X-rays, CAT scans, and colonoscopies to count; and have tried every medication out there for Crohn’s, most with severe side-effects. After a time, I decided this is my fate and I needed to just accept the fact that I’d always be tired, hurting, depressed and on some sort of terrible medication. I trusted my doctors, who told me this was a chronic illness, that I would always need to be on maintenance drugs, and that I should eat whatever I want because food does not affect this auto-immune disease. So, I continued to eat chips and chocolate every day, drank my coffee, and rarely cooked.
At that point, over a year ago, I was recovering from my latest surgery, was taking steroids and having monthly Remicade infusions, and my hair was falling out from malnutrition. My husband heard about Debbie from a co-worker and looked up her website. He emailed me with her website and said I should really look into what she has to offer. I have saved that email for over a year because it was truly the moment my life changed!
Since our initial meeting with Debbie, I feel like a completely new person! Within weeks of seeing Debbie the constant pain in my right side was hardly detectable, the ever-present diarrhea was gone, my hair stopped falling out and I actually had energy! Within two months I was off all medication and the pain had disappeared! Since our initial consultation with Debbie last June I have not been in to see my gastroenterologist once, I have not taken any prescription medication, and have not needed any X-rays or diagnostic tests.
Debbie has changed my entire perspective on food and nutrition and on how important it is to consider everything that goes into my body and everything that affects my overall health. The mental changes I’ve undergone are also amazing. For 10 years I felt like I had no control over my body, I wondered why I was suffering so much and everyone else seemed so healthy (classic “why me?” syndrome), and I felt completely defeated. Now I know that I do have control over my body and I do have the ability, really the responsibility, to take charge of and to change my own health.
I didn’t realize how sick I was until I began to feel better and to heal. Looking back, I am upset that I lived the way I did for so long. Being so sick affected every aspect of my life and everyone in my life. My husband and family, my friends, and my career suffered right along with me. When I tell other people about Debbie, I get tears in my eyes and I want everyone I love to begin really thinking about what they eat and how it affects their bodies. I want to tell everyone I know that is ill to go and see Debbie. I feel it should be mandatory that everyone newly diagnosed with Crohn’s goes to see Debbie! I want all Crohn’s patients to know there IS hope and you CAN heal!
David
My preliminary colonoscopy report was great. My doctor actually said “for as long as I have been seeing you (15 years) I have never seen your colon so healthy”. Debbie: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
In addition to my general well being and incredible health improvement through the diet recommendations you have given me, my preliminary report today tells me that you have definitely taught me how to take control of my Ulcerative Colitis through eating a healthy diet and healthy supplements and I cannot thank you enough. You have definitely changed my life for the better.
Elizabeth
In May 2006 I began seeing Debbie to get help managing what I thought was a severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I was constantly bloated and constipated and the multiple medications I was on did not seem to be helping.
I ate fairly healthy and exercised and could not understand why I always felt so sick. Debbie and I started working on my diet to see if I noticed any changes. However, after a few sessions, Debbie started explaining the symptoms of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance to me. I knew I had already had a blood test for Celiac Disease, and it was negative, so I didn't think I could have it. However, Debbie informed me of a new test that I could take that would be more sensitive than a blood test. Although my parents were skeptical, we all agreed it was a good idea to go ahead and do the test.
The symptoms that Debbie described as being related to Celiac & gluten intolerance all seemed to make sense with what I was experiencing. I was tired, constipated, bloated, and in a lot of pain usually all related to what I ate. When the tests came back, the results were shocking, but a relief as well.
After four painful years of eliminating various foods and taking different medicines, I finally had an answer. I was gluten intolerant! Debbie and I began discussing my new gluten free way of living and within weeks I began to see results. My stomach felt better and I had more energy.
Living gluten free is surprisingly very easy, but I would have been lost without Debbie's assistance. Her cooking classes and gluten-free recipes are so helpful, and I don't feel like I am missing anything wheat-related in my diet.
I am 21 years old and it is so comforting to know that I don't have to live the next 80 years in pain. I can't thank her enough for helping me feel better and live a better life!
Keith D.
I’m very lucky to have found Debbie, she has saved my life.
Roughly eleven years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease while attending college. At the time the doctors assured me that it wasn’t that serious of a thing. I felt a sense of relief since I felt that this is easily controlled with medicine and isn’t something I should worry about.
Like the typical American, I never took too much time to educate myself about foods I was eating. As the years went on I experienced digestive issues but mostly chose to ignore them. Slowly but surely more and more things were becoming harder and harder for me to eat. Also during this time my frustration with doctors grew more and more. I couldn’t find a doctor that I thought had decent knowledge on Crohn’s and how diet affects it. I kept getting the same answer over and over, it doesn’t matter what foods you eat - nothing is going to hurt or help it. Little did I know that during this time my gut was a ticking time bomb.
Roughly two years ago my life took a drastic change when I had to have emergency surgery to have roughly two feet of my small intestine removed with a little of my large. During this hospital stay I lost almost 40 pounds of muscle in about two weeks. Several additional hospital stays were required in the following months mainly due to infections from the major surgery. After the surgeries life became more and more challenging and my digestion was an absolute mess, needless to say I lost more weight.
Finally I found myself interested and motivated to take this on. I engulfed myself in educating myself with knowledge along with desperately trying to find someone that could help me.
So this is the good part of the story…
Well I found Debbie, YEAH. From the first phone call I had with her to our first meeting and every interaction in the last six months with her since, she has been amazing. Each interaction is very personalized and always filled with new ideas to improve my health. Her education on the gut, foods, drink, cooking and supplements is one of a kind. I have made dramatic improvements with my health thanks to her. I am now able to eat a wider range of foods and it is growing all the time. I am putting weight back on and feeling the best I have in almost two years. I finally feel normal.
I can’t express how much I appreciate her kindness, positive attitude, dedication, knowledge, openness and hard work. Thank you Debbie!
Randi K
I was first diagnosed with “symptoms of Crohn’s Disease” over 30 years ago while I was in college. I was given a muscle relaxant and that was about it. It took another 12 years before I had a major flare-up, was in and out of the hospital and could not eat anything without getting sick. The doctor prescribed high doses of Prednisone, which “controlled” the symptoms but caused major side effects. I still ended up having a portion of my small intestine removed. I finally felt healthy. My doctor suggested that I take fish oil and probiotics because there was some evidence that these may help Crohn’s patients. He also said that I would stay healthier if I didn’t see him anymore. While he meant this as a joke, I took it as my mantra. I was determined not to require medication again.
I had been told that food would not cause flare-ups. That it was only during a flare-up that I needed to watch what I ate. So, right after my surgery, I started eating everything. I had been deprived too long and deep inside was afraid I would have to limit myself again someday. Of course, this resulted in weight gain. I didn’t care because I was feeling so good and not having any real symptoms. I did follow my doctor’s advice and took fish oil and probiotics everyday – not understanding the different quality products that were out there. I also found that it was important to keep to a regular eating and sleeping schedule and keep my aggravation level down.
This worked for a number of years. About 2 years ago, I started to experience symptoms. Nothing serious but I knew my digestion wasn’t great and the Crohn’s related arthritis was acting up. I also wasn’t sleeping well and didn’t have the same energy I once had. This was about the time I turned 50 and decided that I needed to pay more attention to my health. There was no one locally that I could consult with who understood Crohn’s Disease other than gastroenterologists. So, I started reading about alternative approaches to medical treatment. I started buying organic foods and going for acupuncture for my arthritis and digestion problems (which helped). One day while waiting for my appointment, I saw an article about Debbie in the Alternative Medicine magazine. I decided I needed to talk to this woman because she sounded like someone who would understand my situation.
I was right. Debbie really does understand – not only how to deal with the Crohn’s but how difficult it can be to eat right when you have a busy schedule. She helped me tweak my diet, plan my meals and snacks and select the right supplements as well as giving me tips on how to stock my fridge. She is easy to talk to and understands that changes don’t happen overnight. I didn’t realize how much better my digestion could be nor did I remember what normal digestion was. I know it now thanks to Debbie. Participating in Debbie’s Long Distance Program was the best gift I could give myself this past holiday season.
Lars C.
I had been having issues for quite some time, before I thought I should go to the doctor. I put it off for the same reason anyone would; I feared the results. I ended up going to a specialist that diagnosed me with Ulcerative Colitis.
I went through two different medications that did nothing for me. I felt that I wasn’t being helped, but that I was just a pay check. I would go in for a few minutes and be charged hundreds of dollars for nothing. I had enough.
I talked to my parents and they knew a guy whose son had worked with Debbie. There’s nothing better then going to someone for help and getting the sense that they actually care about what you’re going through, and knowing you’re not just a pay check to them.
Debbie educated me on what “eating right” really meant. I always thought that eating right was not eating all the junk food, fast food, the occasional Subway, and just buying whatever looked to be good for you. In reality there’s a lot more to it then that!
I was dumbfounded by what she had taught me! I learned so much and feel that I have gained so much more then just feeling better! I’m not yet a hundred percent, but I have a lot more energy, I feel better physically, and my blood pressure has gone down. That alone should add 50 years to my life! I feel that what I’ve learned is life changing and there’s no way that I’ll ever go back to the old habits.
Megan F.
I haven't felt this good as long as I can remember! Your approach to well being is so great, involving all of the systems of the body. It's amazing the changes I've seen, even in the first week. I have so much more energy and no pain! My symptoms of Crohn's have really gone away and I feel great. I'm so grateful that now I know for sure something that works for me. No need to bother with the meds that never worked anyway, just be good to the body and it will be good to you. It's been a great life change.
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