My Personal Story: Hospital Injuries Do Happen

This week, I share a bit about my health and why I am so invested in healing the gut, and I talk about how you can tell whether your gut is healthy.

My Health Story: Appendicitis and Adhesions

When I was about 18, I was working at Stop & Shop and started feeling pain in my right side. I decided it wasn't too big of a deal and that I'd finish working and go to the walk-in clinic down the road once my shift was over.

I went to the clinic and the doctor said I needed my appendix out and to go to the ER right away. I genuinely couldn't believe it. So, I went to the ER, they ran tests and did X-rays and everything but said they didn't know what it was and that they wanted to keep me overnight. The tests came back but all they found was a high white blood cell count (which I now know is a sign of infection), and they said they couldn't find anything wrong.

They sent me home and told me to take some Maalox and that I'd be fine. I went home and fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was in the worst pain of my life. I went back to the hospital a surgeon told me I needed emergency surgery. They did an exploratory laparoscopy, which is major abdominal surgery. They found my appendix was gangrenous, which means there was a serious infection going on that could've spread to my blood if I'd waited much longer.

I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, and about a month after I got home I started having GI issues again. I was unintentionally losing weight and felt bad every time I ate. I went back to the hospital and they said I had adhesions (scar tissue) from the surgery.

Scar tissue is normal and happens whenever we have surgery or even injure ourselves, but this was something different. Where my scar would've been small if they'd taken out my appendix right away, I wound up with a large scar, which means more scar tissue. That scar tissue grew and wrapped around my intestines, kind of like a twisted balloon.

I wound up having abdominal surgery 4 times between 2000 and 2013. Whenever the scar tissues would start growing again, I would lose a ton of weight, not be able to keep food down, and have constant problems with my GI tract.

I've worked to heal my gut through food, nutraceuticals, and testing, and I'm so glad to say it has been 10 years since my last surgery. So, I absolutely know what you all are going through when you come to me for help, and I love when you come back to me and tell me how much the work we are doing has helped you.

Ready to dig deeper? Work with me!

Are you dealing with your own GI issues like constipation, diarrhea, bloating, acid reflux, and more? Let's work together to get you feeling better! Here are 3 ways you can work with me:

The Bio Unique Boutique - if you feel like you've already tried a lot to improve your health but you aren't seeing results, this is a great way to dive deeper and get testing done for your gut, micronutrient status, and food intolerances.
Your Diet Do Over - My 8-week self-paced program is open now and you can get a $100 discount with the code RADIOMEG. If you're tired of fad diets and want to find a plan that really works for you, this is a great place to start.
Harmony Within - My monthly membership program provides a wealth of information and support from me and other guest experts. We cover nutrition but also go beyond to help you tackle things like mindset, sleep, exercise, meditation, and more.