My digestive history - 2019

In February 2019, after 2.5 years of digestive problems, I decided it was time to get serious again about solving my gut issues, as the changes in diet and food preparation had not hit the mark. I commenced the FODMAP diet, going through the elimination phase and then reintroducing foods to see which ones triggered me, documenting everything in the Monash University FODMAP app. If you are going to try this diet, I recommend the app for ease and efficiency in knowing what to and not to eat, how much and having an easy was to document the introduction of foods from each group. I was uninspired and therefore impatient with the diet, so rather than introducing foods on a sliding-scale so as not to aggravate the GI tract too much and have to suffer the resulting symptoms, I went all in and ate the largest amount of the introductory food recommended to see if I could tolerate it or not. I guess I rather tolerate the consequences than have to tolerate the diet for a longer period of time. I don't know if this messed with my results, but it was the only way I could mentally accept the fate of the diet and get through it. The reintroduction of foods and resulting symptoms indicated my body had an issue with foods containing sorbitol, mannitol and potentially fructose. I reduced foods high in mannitol and sorbitol from my diet, which wasn't all that easy as a plant eater, a lot of the foods I regularly consumed and consumed a lot of, contained these sugar alcohols (hmmm... could there be a correlation there?)

Still having symptoms come September 2019, I decided to try something alternative and complete a hair allergy test. This returned with a list of highly and moderately reactive foods that it was suggested I avoid. I followed these suggestions for 7 weeks which again included going gluten free. And again, no lasting major improvements were seen. So November 2019 I went on a strict, no mannitol or sorbitol diet, wanting to give my body a real break from these potentially aggravating nutrients. But you guessed it... no improvement!

In December 2019 I decided that perhaps my diets was too healthy, too full of fiber rich vegetables, fruits and legumes and that my digestive tract needed a break from having so much to break down. The next diet up for trial included reducing my vegetable intake, adding eggs and being strict on not consuming fructose. I was at my whit's end, no other way would I have gone against my strong beliefs that a plant-based diet was the ideal way to eat and add eggs back to my food intake. My bowel movements had shifted to loose regular stools that came of their own accord when I wasn't in a stressed state. It seemed like I couldn't find the answers and my mental health was deteriorating faster than my gut health. I went to the GP to request a sorbitol and mannitol malabsorption test referral, only to be denied as it wasn't standard testing and she wouldn't know what to do with the results if they came back positive. It was time to find a new doctor who was willing to work with me to get to the bottom of my issues. Upon recommendation from a friend, I saw another GP who was willing to refer me to the tests, after all they weren't covered by Medicare and I was paying for them anyway. I booked in for sorbitol malabsorption testing at the start of January 2020.

With the test referral in my back pocket but no time to get tested, I went off to attend the Woodford Folk Festival 2019/20 where I spotted a talk on the program about microbiome which of course sparked my interest. I went along and listened with interest to every word that was said as it resonated with me, my symptoms, and my journey. Dr Nirala Jacobi spoke on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and the tears streamed down my face as she spoke the language I had been reading on the computer screen all these years as I researched the gut and what my symptoms could mean. She was knowledgeable, she was interested in the gut in a holistic way and her clinic was only 40 mins drive from my house. I left the talk and broke down and cried, after so much lost hope, I felt like there were glimmers of new light shining in on me. I emailed the clinic on the spot and called them as soon as they opened in the new year to get an appointment. My windy journey continued as 2020 began.