I went to see Caroline in spring 2017. I’d been really ill for about 18 months and getting progressively worse. I had severe stomach cramps after every time that I ate, I had no energy, I could bloat up by 2 dress sizes in one day causing my clothes to be uncomfortable and I lost my concentration.
The doctors were at a loss. They had done many tests including: ultra sound scans, tests for helicobacter pylori, multiple blood tests and many different tablets to combat acid reflux (which was their assumption). None of these tests showed up anything wrong with me and the tablets they gave me did absolutely nothing to help. I had been to Holland and Barrett and, listening to the doctor as people usually do, found peppermint tablets as these were supposed to help with acid reflux and calming your stomach. These helped a small amount, meaning that I no longer curled up into a ball of pain after eating my lunch at work, but they by no means stopped any of the symptoms I had.
After hearing about Caroline through a family friend, I decided going to see her was worth a try. At this point I was desperate and wiling to try anything. Caroline told me that I had low stomach acid which meant I wasn’t digesting and absorbing my food properly. This meant that the acid-reducing tablets prescribed by the doctor were actually exacerbating the problem. I followed the food plan that Caroline gave me at my first session to the letter. I stopped taking the acid reducing tablets from the doctor and started taking probiotic tablets and digestive enzyme tablets that Caroline recommended. The food plan was very restrictive, partly because I’m also vegetarian, and my family and I had to think carefully to come up with meals I could eat! However, I felt it was worth sticking to and trying if it even had a possibility of working. It took about 6 weeks of this food plan before my symptoms went away. It felt like a miracle – I was a new person and I could enjoy food again. I had my energy and motivation back. I could eat! I could have a meal without getting pains part way through and giving up. I stopped being scared of food! After eating I no longer curled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle to ease the pain. My clothes fit me again as I stopped bloating so I felt more confident with my body. I felt like myself again.
After 6 weeks on a very restricted food plan, I was able to slowly add foods back in. It has now been about a year and a half since I first saw Caroline and I feel amazing. I have the energy to exercise again and my creativity is back to enjoy craft projects again. I still stick very strictly to a gluten free and lactose free diet, but I’ve adjusted and it now feels easy to do and such a small sacrifice to feel well and happy.
I cannot recommend Caroline more highly and I thank her so much for helping me to live my life to its full potential again.
Kim 2018