Hi All!

Sorry for the delay in follow up! This week has proven to be challenging to say the least. However, I do have a bit of really interesting information to share with everyone! SIBO/Candida/Leaky Gut sufferers – read up!

If you read my last post, you know that I was going for my very first colonic hydrotherapy session last weekend! I am so confident that this is the missing link to my recovery! I already went for my second session yesterday, and will be going for my third next Saturday. They say that you shouldn’t “judge a colonic” until you have had 3 and at this point in my experience I would definitely agree.

I was very nervous and embarrassed walking into my appointment last week. Internal Hygiene is located in a quiet, residential building in Stamford, CT. Relatively easy to access. The office is small, but bright and peaceful. Jillian Reville was my therapist, who instantly made me feel very comfortable about the process…and for those of you who don’t know, Jill Reville is an IFBB Physique Pro! I mean, how blessed am I that the place I choose to do this, let alone the individual, is someone that I can relate to on a competitor’s level? Life and its surprises…anyway.

The Procedure
Overall, the environment itself and was comfortable, but strange. From my research, there are different methods and systems that different facilities can use. Internal Hygiene specializes in “Wood Gravity Colon Hygiene”, which I have read to be the best method because there is not “forced” or “pressurized” water flow. It all operates through gravity to control the gentle flow of water in and out of your body. There is a water tank that sits high up above the cushioned table that you lay on during the procedure. There are 2 hoses that are connected to the “speculum” which is the piece that is inserted into your body. One hose controls the flow of water in, the other carries the waste out. The therapist is working with you the entire time, controlling the water flow and massaging your large intestine, tracing up the ascending, transverse, and descending colon, to help facilitate natural peristalsis and thus producing a “release”.

The sensation of water flushing through your system is not uncomfortable and feels gentle and cleansing. However, once things kind of warm up and get going, I personally feel a good amount of cramping as everything starts moving. Kind of like that feeling you get when you have a sick tummy and get diarrhea.

I felt that my second session was a bit more productive than my first, which I expected. During my first treatment, Jill recommended a supplement that might be helpful for me called Oxy-Powder. It’s main ingredient is “Ozonated Magnesium Oxides“, but I will get into that a little later in this post. It’s purpose would be to help me not rely on laxatives like Cascara Sagrada & Senna to go to the bathroom. The last thing on earth that I want is for my body to create a dependence on those drugs. Lord only knows I was starting to since it took multiple Cascara capsules to work over a period of a few days. It is also supposed to “oxygenate” the digestive tract, helping relax and heal the intestinal walls. This is a picture of what I think my large intestine looks like and what a healthy one is supposed to look like:

Alongside the colonics, probiotics, l-glutamine, and other anti-inflammatory measures that I take, I am really hoping that the occasional supplementation of Oxy-Powder can also help facilitate my recovery to a healthy gut.

Post- Colonic
So after my first session was over, I immediately I feel AMAZING. I feel light and rejuvenated. I looked at my gut in the mirror and I could see my lower abs for the first time since like, ever. This amazing feeling lasted until the next day. I didn’t go to the bathroom Sunday, which was expected. By Monday, I felt so horrible that I took the day off. I felt like I hadn’t slept in days! Someone could have done some serious retail damage with the size of the bags under my eyes. I did go to the bathroom, and I did see some die-off candida, but not a ton. It was a good thing I had gone to the gym on my rest day (Sunday) because there was no possible way that I was going to be able to lift. I basically spent the day on the couch or in bed relaxing. The feeling of fatigue lasted up until Saturday – almost a whole week. All week I have looked and felt like hell. Extreme fatigue, headaches, and nausea. After some research, I found that this is not to be unexpected for someone with SIBO/Candida/Parasites. After stirring up the toxins trapped in my colon, some of it is recirculating into my body. What did not help was, I was still constipated all week up until I received the Oxy-Powder in the mail Wednesday…

Global Healing Center – Oxy-Powder
Jill recommended Oxy-Powder by Global Healing. She said that between the colonics and the Oxy-Powder, her own competitive career was saved. I can only be so hopeful for myself. I ordered OP off of their website at www.globalhealingcenter.com and received my bottle in a few days. Wednesday night was the first time that I took it – 4 capsules right before bed. I woke up the following morning like, this crap isn’t going to work. Then all of a sudden that afternoon! Nothing fantastic but definitely note worthy, especially since I had just take 1 dose so far! Friday was even better, but I can tell that my insides were pissed off, and the stools that it produced were not solid. That little spot right on my tailbone has been hurting me since Friday, which for me is a clear indicator that I was inflamed. The pain has definitely calmed down now that I am sitting here early Sunday morning and it has been a few days and as long as I don’t re-aggravate it, it will go away again soon. Needless to say, I did not take the OP Friday night, however, I did still go to the bathroom Saturday AM and I also attribute its usage to a more productive, second colonic yesterday. I am going to see how long I can go without having to take it. My next goal is to have a normal looking bowel movement daily without the need for the supplement. I was there only a few months ago – it has to still be attainable.

Floating
Getting back to my terrible post-colonic symptoms. Friday night I decided to pay a visit to PuREST Float Center in Trumbull, CT. Epsom salts detoxify your body, and when you float, you are marinating in 10 inches of water packed with 1000 lbs of Epsom salts. I woke up Saturday morning feeling rested, packed full of energy to kill my last work out of the week, and no bags under my eyes. Basically, I didn’t look or feel like I was dying. In this process, floating will also be a vital part of my healing as I think colonics and the detoxifying benefits of floating will go hand in hand for me.

I will definitely follow up again next week with the continued use of the OP, and also my 3rd treatment. I am praying that I don’t have as hellish post-prodedure experience, especially since I am travelling to Florida with my company Monday – Wednesday! It has been tough enough moving into my new place, keeping up with my prep, and being HUNGRY this week. Now add in a trip to Florida on top of all of that…yup. 🙂

Talk to everyone soon!