# 8 to 48: Lifelong IBS In Remission-There is Hope



## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Started at 8 years old with no specific trauma...intermittent pain and cyclic d&c. Three years of invasive testing and non-invasive testing found nothing so they actually did an exploratory laparotomy. Afterwards surgeon said there was "some malrotation" [misplacement]of the small bowel, so that should take care of that they thought. Post surgically after recovery there was no change. About 8 months later I developed multiple bowel obstructions [adhesions: scar tissue from surgery obstructed bowl in seven difference places]. Also had comorbid onset of salmonella food infection. This was a party I could have done without. While they postponed surgery trying to eliminate the infection I slowly got worse and worse and ended up in and out of consciousness for 3 days then coma for 3 or 4 days.. I forget, I was only 11 and when you are in a coma it is hard to mark-off the time. But you do have this weird external perception of what is going on to which you are unable to respond. As least that is how it was for me. During this time at some point the bowel perforated, I became septic, went into shock and died temporarily. They resuscitated me and took me to surgery for an emergency laparotomy at this point, and I had a long recovery period. The sux-part was after all that not only were my original symptoms back again in full force...they got worse and worse and worse in spite of all possible therapies tried. By my 20's I was almost totally d-predominant and this continued to worsen with the only effective therapy mass-doses of all the various drugs associated with diarrheaic and pain management. I had a successful healthcare career for many years working within the hospital as a therapist then administrator in some prominent hospitals, so I never lacked for access to the very best doctors in GI disease and the very best Ideas and treatments which did nothing but increase drug sales to me. By my late 30's had also developed diverticulosis (20 years of constant spasm-attacks did not let the bowel wall hold up well) and by my early 40's life was one endless d-episode managed at that point solely by rotating Lomotil and Immodium, sometimes up to 12-15 a day. (During the phase I was on Bentyl and Phenobarbitol before Immodium came on the market as an Rx drug for about $100 for a 100 pills) I reached a point were I was taking about the same dose range..sometimes more...of B&Pheno and walking around completely cogent loaded with phenobarb...at least I thought I was cogent. Facing what all the GI docs told me was certain bowel resection as my only solution, I decided to go in a different direction in the late 1980's. This led me to the group of immunologists and GI docs working on food and chemical intolerance. Their work brought me the first relief of my life by identifying the actual problem (undiagnosed immunologic reactions to certain foods and food additives and colorings). By removing the cause through avoidance they brought me to my first ever remission. As long as I remain on my personal dietary plan that eliminates all the food and chemicals I am reactive to immunologically, I remain so. This is where I remain for about 8 years now,[did not actually mark the day on the calendar] and why and how I came to work with these doctors. My personal goal is to help further their work so as many people as possible who are unknowingly suffering from this inscrutable problem can be relieved of it, eliminating the underlying cause/stimulus for their suffering and who at this time have only interventional and attenuative therapies to help reduce their symptoms "after the fact". Eat Well. Think Well. Be Well.MNL______________www.leapallergy.com [This message has been edited by Mike NoLomotil (edited 07-21-2001).]


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