GI / Autoimmune Repair & Restore Program

“Through participating in the Age Management of West Michigan GI Repair program I experienced… immediate relief from symptoms that have plagued me since December of 2008. At that time I was given Synthroid as my health care provider felt my T3 T4 numbers warranted it. I was not feeling any issues and congratulated myself in October for becoming a grandmother who had retired from a long career, moved, changed her life, and yet my weight and health had remained stable. Within 2 days of taking that medication I felt a change of some kind in my gut and started to gain weight. My NP’s response was “it’s not supposed to do that.” By the end of six weeks I had gained 15 pounds! Her response was the same and she added that I needed to go on a diet. I’ve never ever had a weight gain or loss. I told her I could feel a change in my gut. I explained that what was happening in my body was outside of anything I had ever experienced! She ignored all this and simply repeated “it’s not supposed to do that, just go on a diet.” I cannot say I politely left as I was angry over being treated so disrespectfully and upset that she would not listen to me and simply dismissed my concerns. I spent the next 7 years trying to find someone who could help me and believe my claims that the Synthroid broke something in me and was the start of the weight problems. I tried numerous health care providers and hear “you’re over 50, go on a diet” from almost every one of them. Over those long 7 years I did try to diet but had no success. I am not a sedentary person yet I joined a gym and used the treadmill at home all winter. Sill I had times I’d add or lose 15 pounds in a month that was not attributable to diet or exercise changes. By the time I went to Age Management I had an extra 40 pounds from where I started before the Synthroid! I was completely miserable and I was desperate.
My first appointment was with Jena, one of the nutrition consultants. She respectfully listened to my story and acknowledged my grief and frustration with this uncontrollable weight. Most importantly, she believed me that the problems started with the Synthroid! She felt the medication initiated a negative reaction in my body that over those seven years wreaked havoc on my GI system. She recommended the 4 week Gastrointestinal Repair Program which I immediately started. On day five of the diet I woke up and felt something had changed. I can only describe it as “something had a grip on my gut for seven years and now it released.” Also, I could breathe better than I had in years. I was stunned and amazed. It was unbelievable how much better I felt after only five days on this program.
I met with Dr. Ali about ten days later. She too listened to me and believed that I could feel the atypical changes in my body from that medication that I was given seven long years ago. She felt the Synthroid initiated a cascade of symptoms that were responsible for the sporadic weight changes and breathing issues I had been experiencing. By then she had the results from the testing done on my immune system and identify foods that I had become intolerant of. These were not food allergies, but foods that inflamed my immune system and were adding to my problems.
I lost 6.5 pounds that first week of the GI Repair Program and went on to lost almost 20 by the end of the four week program. I felt 80{ce4930cc808e411090258657e25a50848ec36e71001e737770b10060de4ad9d8} healthier that I had I years. I didn’t feel fat and puffed up. I did not struggle to breath. My indigestion disappeared. My sleep improved. And, as strange as it may sound, I felt like I was back living in my own body again.
Thank you Jena and Dr. Ali. Thank you for treating me with respect. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for believing me when I said I could feel changes in my body. Thank you for acknowledging my grief and pain. Thank you for finding an answer to my health issues. Thank you for your kindness and continuing support.”

-Ellen M.