When You Have Tried Everything to Heal and are Losing Hope

In this episode of Follow Your Gut, Sarah tells the story of Meg, a mama in the throws of survival mode, dealing with a severe gut imbalance. Like so many who have gone through the ringer of the medical system, she was defeated. Listen now to this story about intuition, trust, and hope and how becoming the leader of your family's wellness provides you am opportunity for true healing.

Transcript

Welcome to Follow Your Gut, 

The podcast where women like you are empowered to take charge of your family's health and happiness. I'm your host, Sarah Bennett, founder and CEO of ōNLē ORGANICS. As a mama of four, I have personally gone through the ups and downs of navigating the sea of misinformation and the runaround from our medical system, while caring for my family's health and wellbeing. This podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering you on the significance of gut health and how it affects everything from your family’s sleep to their mood and everything in between. By understanding the foundation of your wellness and the causes of common, yet preventable symptoms, you can achieve a deeper level of health and happiness for your family. Join me as we explore the world of gut health and enhance our lives from the core of our well-being, all while honoring our powerful intuitions. I am so happy you are here! Let's dive into today's episode.

Welcome to episode 44; When You Have Tried Everything to Heal and are Losing Hope

I had a one-on-one consultation with a mama this morning that was so rich that I wanted to bring it here to share with you. I think it will be really validating and supportive to you. Especially if you are struggling in your own or your child’s wellness journey. 

For confidentiality reasons I am going to change this mama's name to Meg. Meg is in a place that I was once in and that I know many of you are in right now. Her child has been chronically unwell since birth and she has tried everything to heal his body. He is plagued with eczema, reflux, diarrhea, restless sleep, behavioral issues and catches every sickness and with every sickness he inevitably ends up with an ear infection. 

This is called survival mode. Meg and her son and family have been living in pure survival mode for years and she is completely lost. For the same exact reason that causes all of us mamas to feel lost at different times in our motherhood. Her powerful intuition is telling her something different than society and the system. Every healthcare professional sends her away with nothing more than a new prescription for another medication that will mask his symptoms. She knows there is something more she can do that will actually heal his body.

She has done and tried every blood test, colonoscopy, elimination diet, prescription medication and followed the advice of so many professionals yet her son is progressively becoming more and more unwell. 

I feel that it is helpful for you to know Meg's history of working with me because it really reflects my own experience when my child was unwell and so many other mamas that I support. 

Meg reached out to me on instagram several months ago, she purchased my Happy and Healthy From the Inside Out course and Children’s Gut Rebalance Kit. But today her child is still unwell. He still has reflux and diarrhea and continues to catch every cold and flu. 

This is quite uncommon but there are other mamas like Meg who have reached out for further support when the Children’s Gut Rebalance Kit didn’t heal their child the way they were hoping it would. I have received feedback from hundreds of women and the ones whose children don’t heal have something in common with Meg. They are understandably floundering.

Just like I was many years ago - Meg is rightfully full of doubt and fear. She has tried so many things and nothing has helped so she doesn’t have evidence to believe that her son can actually heal. So she is in a chronic state of dabbling.

In our consultation she told me straight out that she hadn’t even opened my course that she purchased because her overwhelm is too high. Nor had she followed the healing method that I teach because she had fears about giving her son the dosage of Cleanse that I suggest with the Rebalance Kit and so she had been giving him a quarter dose. She was also intimidated about giving it daily because years ago a nutritionist recommended a silver supplement but told her to give it for 3 days and then take a 3 day break. 3 days on and 3 days off. She showed up to our consultation with a long list of questions; does she need to incorporate charcoal or digestive enzymes. What about a different probiotic in addition to Nourish? Maybe an elimination diet that contains coconut and oats? 

I totally understand this as I was there myself. When my second child was unwell and after I fought tirelessly for his health for 2.5 years I was skeptical and fearful. I had taken him to every kind of healthcare professional and not until the 17th one did any seem to have a clue about anything. They told me my child’s blood looked good and that he was fine even though he screamed in discomfort several hours a day, scratched his skin off until he was dripping in blood and literally couldn’t sleep. He sometimes pooped straight mucus and other times sour smelling diarrhea with whole blueberries and undigested sunflower seeds. 

I didn't know who to trust and was so desperate but equally hopeless. When we finally found ourselves at the naturopath who taught us that all of our children's symptoms were connected to a gut imbalance and he so confidently gave us clear instructions on how to heal his gut I was scared. I was scared to have hope. I was scared to be let down. I was intimidated because the supplements were new to me and google told me every bad story ever associated them. 

I had no other choice than to surrender. This naturopath was the first person to have clear answers and a clear healing path. He was the first person who heard me and validated what my gut had always known; that all of my child’s symptoms were indeed connected to one root problem. Because of this, I allowed myself to trust him and I leaned on him for support. I sent emails every other day with my concerns as I needed reassurance. I probably asked him 100 times if he was sure it was really okay for my child to take silver everyday? That it wouldn't build up in his body? It really didn’t have any negative risks? That it wouldn't cause long term damage? Was he sure that the silver and probiotic, combined with eliminating the foods that feed bad bacteria and yeast were enough? I didn't need to also incorporate vitamins and minerals, charcoal, other strains of probiotics or digestive enzymes? I had all the same questions that Meg came to me with this morning. 

I shared with her a similar answer as the one my naturopath gave me many years ago. 

We have all been conditioned to believe that more is better. That simplicity isn't enough. Meg's experience has her in a place of fear. The reason she is wondering if she needs to incorporate all of these additional things is because she is fearful that this healing method won’t work. And rightfully so - she has tried so many things and her child hasn't healed. She doesn't yet have evidence that healing is even possible. But in order for her child to heal she has to believe that it is possible. Instead of chronically seeking different healing methods, she needs to find one that resonates with her intuition and go all in. This is true for me, for you and for every single mama.  If you are dipping your toes in several different bathtubs you will never get your whole body clean. You need to fully emerge yourself into one tub and trust in yourself. Trust in the healing process and that healing is possible. You certainly can try anything you want and I am not here to tell you that any option is wrong. I am here to encourage you to do less though so that you can experience more. More healing, more clarity and more self-trust. 

Really quick, have you ever heard of gut health maintenance? Healing the gut is one thing, but maintaining a balanced gut is essential for your overall health and happiness, and I want to share with you how my family and I do it. We take a maintenance dose of our gut balancing supplements Cleanse and Nourish every single day to ensure we are keeping our gut bacteria in balance. I know first hand how important it is to have a healthy gut for good digestion, strong immunity, and overall well-being. That's why I am excited to make your gut health maintenance as convenient for you as possible. My supplements are now available on subscription,When you subscribe you will save 15% and you can choose your own order frequency. You can subscribe to the same supplements that my family and I trust and take every day. Quality wellness has never been more convenient. You can visit my website at www.onleorganics.com or follow the link in the show notes to subscribe now and start feeling the benefits of a balanced gut.

Meg shared with me how her child has been on antibiotics 4 different times in the last 8 months. Everytime he gets sick he gets an ear infection and doctors put him on more antibiotics. Last week she took him to the doctor yet again and sure enough - a terrible ear infection. When she got home instead of giving him the antibiotic she tried my ear infection suggestion for Cleanse. She dropped a few drops in each ear, letting the Cleanse sit in each side for two minutes. She did this twice a day. When she took him back to the doctor two days later his infection was gone. She was able to heal his body without the use of antibiotics. This is why she booked the consultation. Because her intuition knows what to do. But she needs support in breaking free.

We talked about how this is what Cleanse does to the inside of the body when taken as suggested. It kills the bad bacteria, pathogens and yeast without harming the good. Which lets talk about her fears with the silver before we move on. I shared these same fears at the beginning of our gut healing journey and it took me trusting in my naturopath, leaning on my midwife who is also very passionate about silver, doing hundreds of hours of my own research and later partnering with a doctor and manufacture to create my own brand of silver for me to get to the point of confidence that I have today. 

Google and well intended but uneducated people talk about how harmful silver is. When the truth is that not all silver is the same and when silver is manufactured in the right way, such as the way Cleanse is, there are zero possible negative side effects. I could go deeply into this here but I have another episode where I teach about everything you need to know about silver so I will link that in the show notes for you. For now, I will tell you what I shared with Meg. I believe in Cleanse with my whole heart. I am not here to convince anyone that they should take it but instead share what I have learned in my experience and research and that I have built my business to share the quality supplements that have changed my family’s life. 

When you learn about Cleanse and you trust in it and you give it a chance to work - it works. Just like it worked to heal her son’s ear infection. As far as the safety of taking it daily or if you need to take breaks; the reason a nutritionist recommended she do this is because most silvers on the market are colloidal silver. These silvers are acidic based so they are hard on the gut. This is why I created Cleanse to be an alkaline structured silver because it is gentle on the gut and is intended for daily use. The dosage that I recommend in the Children’s Gut Rebalance Kit is the exact same dosage as our naturopath recommended for my second child when he was 2.5 years old and a few years later when my fourth child was four months old. My midwife fully approved and both our naturopath and midwife emphasized the importance of rebalancing the gut as an imbalance is breeding ground for life long disease. Meaning that healing the gut with the Rebalance Kit has zero negative side effects no matter how many times you need to do it where an imbalance left untreated not only leaves you struggling with symptoms but creates inflammation in the body and that inflammation will inevitably lead to disease. 

Meg shared with me that they recently did a stool test and the results showed different pathogens present in his gut. Doctors prescribed a potent antibiotic to be taken for an extended period of time. This really gets me fired up. Antibiotics are amazing in their ability to kill bacteria. They work. But they kill all the bacteria and when the good bacteria dies it leaves space for bad bacteria to take over. Antibiotics are a miracle when prescribed and used appropriately. In this case - they would do more harm than good whereas simply following a gut healing protocol will both balance the gut and kill all of those pathogens. All without causing any harm. 

We talked about using alternatives like CBD instead of over the counter medications like tylenol and ibuprofen that are really harmful to the gut and how CBD helps balance all of your bodily systems such as your immune and digestive systems. Making it a wonderful alternative as it actually supports the body while offering relief from symptoms where over the counter medications leave the body more harmed than before. We talked about breaking free from traditional norms and looking inward. 

Meg knows best. SHE always has. She knows she does but we have all been so culturally conditioned to lean on professionals before ourselves. Meg led our consultation and I was just there to validate what she already knew. When I asked her how she wants to move forward and what she wants SHE knew. She needed guidance but she knew inside of her and so do you. She asked me what I would do for my child if he were in the exact same situation as hers. Mama to mama, I shared with her. Of course I made it clear that my personal answer is not intended to be medical advice but simply what I would do. If my child struggled with symptoms of imbalance for years, had been on four rounds of antibiotics in the last 8 months, was currently experiencing reflux and diarrhea and had pathogens in his stool samples I would absolutely not give him antibiotics. I would confidently give him 1 TBSP of Cleanse, 1 Nourish capsule and one dose of Balance CBD morning and night for a month. I would strictly avoid wheat, refined sugar and dairy products along with nightshades. After a month I would reevaluate. If his symptoms were significantly improved I would keep everything the same but go down to 1 tsp of Cleanse twice a day. 

When I say she led the conversation this is what I mean. She would say “In my gut I know this idea or this option is right but . . .” She said “I really don't feel good about the antibiotics but . . .” This is her intuition. This is YOUR intuition. When you feel hell yesses or hell no’s in your gut that is your maternal wisdom inviting you to listen. To find support. To learn all that you can so you can make decisions with confidence. That but word that follows? That is your conditioned mind attaching fear onto the end of your intuitive voice. 

We laid Megs ideas and options out while setting fear aside. She knew exactly what to do and she leaped. 

Just like Meg, YOU are the most powerful leader of your family. Surround yourself with a community that aligns with your core beliefs. Empower yourself with education. Nurture gut balance and trust in yourself. You have got this. Meg and her son WILL heal and so can you. When you take the leap to choose hope over fear and you commit to a proven healing method while letting your past go and surround yourself with people who believe in the potential and power of healing, there is no other option. And this? This is the space I am here to provide for you. A diagnosis is not you or your child. It is a message from your body asking for help. Have the courage to be you. To own your life and lean on yourself before anyone else. We all need support sometimes but support looks like someone believing in YOU and empowering you with education and validation. It is not someone giving you a short non-answer with a prescription for a medication that “might” help. Healing takes commitment, trust and time. I promise you - if you give those three things 100% you and your child WILL heal. 

I am linking a few other episodes in the show notes for you along with my Women’s and Children’s Gut Rebalance Kits and Balance CBD. All of these are very effective in restoring and maintaining gut balance. 

Lastly, because I mentioned my Happy and Healthy From the Inside Out course I want to differentiate it from The Essentials of Gut Health Course that comes free with both the Women’s and Children’s Gut Rebalance Kits. 

Thanks for joining me today. I will be back next week. 

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Follow Your Gut. As a reminder, the information shared on this show is not just for your children, but also for you as a woman. At ōNLē ORGANICS, I have created a line of the best quality gut-balancing supplements and products that have transformed my family's health and happiness. Head to www.onleorganics.com to start your journey to optimal gut health today. Lastly, I always want to be very transparent that I am not a medical professional, and the information shared on this podcast is based on my personal experience and research. Please always listen to your own inner voice of wisdom and your healthcare professional. Join me again next week for more insights and inspiration on taking charge of your family's health and happiness. I will see you then!