Presenting symptoms:
L.M. is a 38-year old woman with a history of endometriosis, ovarian cyst, metabolic syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Although she was overweight before starting the SHAPE Program, her main concern was her abdominal pain. She has had chronic abdominal pain for at least the past 10-15 years. She remembers having abdominal pain since being a child, but noticed significant worsening after having her gallbladder removed in 2002, approximately 4 weeks after the birth of her first child. The pain would often awaken her at night. She was not able to notice a change in symptoms regardless of what she ate. She would immediately be sick and in pain. She spent a lot of time in the bathroom, often with diarrhea and intense stomach cramping.
L.M. has seen multiple physicians in the past for her chronic abdominal pain. She has tried approximately 15 different medications, which did not relieve symptoms. She has had a normal colonoscopy and endoscopy. The final diagnosis was IBS.
Clinical Assessment:
Starting weight: 244.8 (BMI: 40.7)
Method of treatment:
Started SHAPE ReClaimed September 2016. Initial protein intake was 10-12 ounces. Urinalysis within normal limits, with the exception of low ph. With the addition of pH Concentrated Minerals, patient returned to a more neutral state. No significant adjustments needed during initial program.
Results:
Current weight: 167.8 lbs (BMI 27.9)
After starting the SHAPE Program, L.M. noticed immediate improvement in her stomach pain. Each day it continued to improve. She now feels “normal” again, no pain at all. After being on program for about three months, she decided to start adding new foods. Although she had lost almost 40 lbs at that point, weight loss was not her concern. She wanted to increase variety in her diet.
One night, after trying sushi, she started feeling sick within 20 minutes, only after eating three pieces. She had never recalled having issues with sushi in the past. She asked the server if there were any additional ingredients, and she found out that the sushi had been cooked in butter. L.M. noticed similar symptoms when eating ice cream or drinking too much milk, as well, but not as severe as when she consumes butter. She is able to tolerate cheese without issue. Currently she avoids butter completely and limits her milk and ice cream as much as possible. If eating out, she always asks how the food is prepared.
Also, L.M. has continued to avoid carbohydrates and sugars and continues to take the SHAPE Drops three times daily. She is continuing to lose weight, although not following the program strictly, but states she feels better than she ever has.
Submitted by Ginny Peter, NP
Dr. Todd’s Teaching Assessment
I find it interesting that giving something a name in the medical world is more important than correcting the condition. This is exactly the case with IBS. Here’s a typical conversation between doctor and patient:
Doctor: All tests show you are suffering from IBS.
Patient: What does that mean doc?
Doctor: It means your bowels are… um… uh… irritable.
Patient: Thank you. That helps. [*sarcasm]
This case of IBS is an odd one. Dairy sensitive but can eat cheese? Endocrine problems? Inflammation for sure!
Here’s my point. It is better to fix the problem and not exactly know how you did it vs. giving it a name and not fixing it. Make sense?
I’ve witnessed so many “miracle cures” using SHAPE ReClaimed without an inkling of how it happened other than knowing beyond a doubt that inflammation was the culprit.
SHAPE ReClaimed is an amazing anti-inflammatory, immuno-enhancing, detox program and can balance hormones along the way. This patient probably had all of this going on in her system: inflammation, suppressed immune system, toxicity and imbalanced hormones.
Do you think she cared about the name given to her health challenges? I think not! She cared about results. SHAPE ReClaimed offered her that hope. Though she started the SHAPE Program to heal IBS symptoms, the wonderful side-effect was shedding the toxic weight she was tugging around as well.
