Learning How to Better Manage Lifelong Digestive Symptoms

Speaker: Kristi

Kristi : I've had a very positive experience with the side by care program. I was referred after being diagnosed with SIBO and really after lifelong digestive issues related to IBS and just feeling like my norm was to have digestive distress and to be in pain. And after going through treatment for SIBO and just being very frustrated because I just never seemed to clear it. And really not having a great understanding of how some of the choices that I make contribute to my distress. I started with the side by care program, seeing both the dietitian and the therapist and working with both of them really helped to clarify some things. They were very patient and understanding, making good suggestions, showing that they were really listening to my unique situation. And not just sort of rotely recommending supplements for everything. And it was very positive, something that I look forward to. We met roughly every week and a half to 2 weeks. And just over the course of this time, I can't say that everything is perfect right now, but I think that I have a better understanding of how to improve, My, how I feel from day to day and I'm working on it and I've felt very supported. And I really would recommend this program to anyone. And I, I hope that things like this will become more widespread because it is just very helpful and it doesn't just rely on Taking lots of medicines or taking lots of supplements. It's really helping me help myself get better. And I'm, I'm really glad I did it.

Kristi : The program's impacted my daily life by giving me some tools to use. I really like the breath work, practices that were introduced, and I, I do them every day. Some of the suggestions, were a little bit harder to implement just because it required me to. Put some effort into the routines, but all in all, I'd say it's been worth it. Just the breath work becoming a part of my daily routine has really helped me learn how to recognize when I'm feeling distress and need to take a step back and do some, some of the breathing exercises, the box breathing. And I think it was the 4-7-8 breathing. Both of those have been so incredibly helpful, and I use them. I even recommend them to other people and I'm gonna continue doing it.