Jillian came to Dr. Alex Heyne after years of struggling with complex health issues and severe digestive symptoms that were interfering with her everyday life. She had been working with a functional medicine doctor for dysautonomia and POTS, but the symptoms that were bothering her most were gastrointestinal.
At the time, Jillian was experiencing severe gastroparesis, chronic constipation, significant bloating and abdominal distension after meals, stomach pain, nausea, and discomfort that could make it difficult to stand up straight or even go for a walk. Her food choices had also become extremely limited. She was avoiding gluten, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, citrus, and many other foods because of how they seemed to affect her digestion.
Jillian had already tried numerous diets, conventional medical care, and other holistic approaches. She had undergone an endoscopy and colonoscopy, which showed some inflammation but did not fully explain the severity of her symptoms. She had also tried other Chinese medicine practitioners in the past, but some formulas had actually caused more discomfort without resolving her digestive issues.
When she began working with Dr. Heyne, Jillian received individualized Chinese herbal formulas as part of her Traditional Chinese Medicine care. She says that within just two or three days of her first formula, she began having regular bowel movements and noticed significant improvements in some of the symptoms that had felt debilitating.
Over time, Jillian describes having less stomach pain and nausea, improved digestion and bowel regularity, less bloating, and much more variety in her diet. She says she was eventually able to tolerate foods such as dairy and occasionally enjoy pizza, something she had previously struggled with. She also noticed improvements in her sleep and says she felt like her body could handle more than it had before.
Beyond her digestive symptoms, Jillian describes feeling more in tune with her body and appreciates that her care addressed more than just individual physical symptoms. She shares how nutrition, stress, life circumstances, and emotional wellbeing were all considered as part of her experience with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
