Susanne - Success Story - Heal Endometriosis Naturally With Wendy K Laidlaw
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Listen to Wendy talk with Susanne from Sweden about her successful journey on Heal Endometriosis Naturally, 12 Week Online Foundation Membership Program with Wendy K Laidlaw.
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Read full transcript below:
Wendy: Good afternoon. My name is Wendy K Laidlaw from Heal Endometriosis Naturally.com. I'd like to thank Susanne for being with me today. She's agreed to be interviewed about her experience with Heal Endometriosis Naturally book (Heal Endometriosis Naturally Without Painkillers, Drugs or Surgery, and the online 12 Week Foundation Program.
Welcome, Susanne.
Susanne: Thank you very much.
Wendy: Great to have you here. You look lovely and healthy today all the way in Sweden there. And so yes, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed. It's always such a joy to have a chat with women who have obviously experienced the book and experiences of the program. And I just wonder -- this is where I can ask you some questions about your experience. So maybe you could just tell people a little bit about your background, just how you first heard about me, about the book and then a bit more about the 12-week foundation program.
Susanne: Okay. It's so much so -- it's difficult to know where to start, but my background is that 14 years ago I had the first flare of endometriosis and actually I was lucky enough to get diagnosed quite soon. I only had it for a couple of months before I got my diagnosis and that was through [stutters]
Wendy: Laparoscopy?
Susanne: That's right.
Susanne: Then they took away three cysts. That's what they could see and after that they wanted to put me on a medicine to get me into the menopause. And I did some reading about it and I was working with health, actually, some alternative therapies, and the side effects of the drug they wanted to give me -- I can't remember its name -- but it was horrible, I thought, and back then there was not so much information on the internet but there were a few, what do you call it -- not blogs but...losing the name. It was a group of people having endometriosis. They were connected and you could only see the bad things, how horrific everything was. When they got this medication they got better from the endometriosis but they got a horrific side effects so they couldn't go to work anyway. And I thought that's not my way. I'm not gonna do it that way and so I went to a couple of different alternative therapists and they led me into thinking about if it had something to do with my stomach. And I usually had a bloated stomach.
I was sensitive for different kind of foods. I knew that, and when I asked the doctors to see if there was a connection between my intestines, the flora in my intestines with bacterias and the endometriosis. They said, "That costs too much money. We can't do that. You need to get me scientific studies that there is a connection before we can do that kind of research on you." And then I thought, well, I need to do this my own way, and through hair analysis I got to know that I had too much manganese in my body. It was actually 80 times as much as you're supposed to have and we found that I was from our water. There's a filter but it needed to be adjusted to get the manganese, so a nutritionist helped me with detoxing my body. I was practicing yoga to be able to stand the pain. And that actually helped me get well, so now after having got more and more knowledge about estrogen dominance and everything around, I think that it was not just the water that was the problem but the way I treated my body helped me out of the condition.
So I've had 13 very good years after that. I've had two kids. I did have three miscarriages in between the kids, but two healthy kids and I thought that endometriosis, although the doctor says that it's a chronic disease, I thought that that's not in my life anymore. I was so worried that my daughter might get it so I started to do some reading last autumn so that I could have more lot knowledge about it. And the scary part is that my endometriosis actually flared up again after not having felt those specific feelings of pain that endometriosis gives me. And so I thought well, I've been well once. I just need to do the same things again and I will get better again. But it didn't come back quickly and I was a bit stressed I thought what what is wrong and I didn't know what triggered the endometriosis this time. And so I was searching the internet and I found your page and your really nice offer to get the book for free so I sent for it. I started reading it and this time I was worrying that I might not get rid of the endometriosis if I don't go in and do a surgery to take away the cysts. But when I read about serrapeptase and your experience with that, I thought great, that gives me hope again.
And last time I went on a very strict diet. I didn't have any flour, not wheat, not any grains at all and this time when I read more about your experiences with wheat and gluten it was actually easier than last time. So I went back to a quite strict diet. And what else did I do? Well yes, I started to do some journaling just from reading your book. Not at all the three pages as you encouraged us to do now, but I started to write pain scores and what my activities were and what the outcome was and then I thought now it would be really nice to get a support, to get help to work it through, so that's why I entered the 12-week foundation program.
Wendy: Yes, that was fantastic that you reached out. So when you applied for the Foundation Program I think you said that you were just trying to pick up from where you'd left off the last time. You had tried to manage it through diet and serrapeptase. So what in particular, when you're saying you wanted support, what did you feel that you needed support in? Because obviously you've been very successful before. You felt something had changed this time and you weren't able to identify the trigger, what had caused it to flare up, but what in particular made you sort of reach out for support through the foundation program?
Susanne: Well, I knew that there was something that I missed, so I needed to have a detective to help me go through everything. I had -- when my new flare up-- it was in September 2017. And it was at worst in December, January, February. I was bedridden for eight days after my period and with pain scores from two to six so it wasn't as bad as 14 years ago. I was bedridden for two years - no, two weeks every month and the pain scores up to ten sometimes and that was such a depressing time. I had a really difficult time before I made it all turn. And I knew I don't want to go there this time. And when I started the program I was down at pain score from zero to two so I was quite good but I wasn't satisfied. I knew that life can be better. I do want to be able to plan what to do because that is so sad, not being able to plan anything, not being able to promise the kids to go there, to take them there, to be with them because you might need to stay on the sofa all day.
So I thought, well, I need I need the support, a detective to know what is causing it this time. And I am really happy that I did join because during this time, during the 12 weeks, I was still making progress. In the beginning of the program it was more repetition what I had done before, and of course you have written it all in the book but you always get new things. You see things from a different perspective and it was very good and I felt better and stronger. But I think it was four weeks into the program and that my mother got very ill and we needed to go in and out to the emergency with her and it was very stressful and not being able to help her. She wasn't in a state that she she could take in what we are we were telling her. And that situation would probably have caused me to go backwards into the more difficult stage of the endometriosis because of all the stress and because you don't -- well, I shouldn't say you don't but I knew I know myself and if somebody needs my help I go there and help them and I skip the things that are important for me. For this stage I needed to to do certain things for myself and you helped me stay there to do the basic things and to actually coach me through this difficult time with my mother, and that's something that I never would have expected. I'm sorry. I get a bit emotional now.
It was so good having you, to talk to you, and to support me in the Program well, I needed to take some some more digestive enzymes in that period and that's something that I wouldn't have been thinking about myself so it was great and actually now my mother is much better and her situation has stabilised and I think that the most things about her illness and your Program and support has helped me. It was actually very good timing. It has helped me to get more in contact with my emotions and to get much deeper into the relationship with my old family.
Wendy: And I know that was very important to you because it was such a shame that you just started the (Foundation) Program and then this had happened. But equally, it was great that you were open to do the support, I keep I referring to it as the ‘oxygen mask’ scenario, where if you don't put on your own oxygen mask and don't look after yourself then you can't help other people. You then become very very ill. But a lot of women with Endometriosis are fantastic caregivers, very sensitive and perceptive, and aware of other people, and whilst that is a lovely quality, sometimes -- I know I was guilty of it too -- of doing it too excesses, where I had nothing left to give but I kept giving out to other people.
And I think that certainly one aspect of the (Foundation) Program is remembering you have to look after yourself so you can help other people. And with your mother being so ill, and you're right, normally in these situations then you forget to eat and you forget to look after yourself and it's just remember to keep the basics. And full credit to you. You kept turning up on our calls and you kept turning to the group
calls and you you kept going. Because I do believe that life throws you obstacles in the way.
Sometimes on this new journey when you're trying to heal yourself and it can be very, very frustrating. So what about the emotional element you talked about; developing your relationship with your emotions? And I know and I'll share this for people who are listening -- you found it quite difficult to cry before, didn't you? You were saying that to show your emotions in that way felt, felt challenging for you and now you feel a bit more comfortable with yourself, to show your emotions. So thank you for being so vulnerable on this interview with us. But maybe you want to share a bit more about your relationship with your emotions now?
Susanne: It's not easy to say words on it, but the journaling has helped me a lot to sort out my feelings and to structure my feelings and to to prioritize what to do next because in that situation where we were it's such a chaos. And nothing really works as usually. All the routines disappear> And the journaling and doing it in the morning, it was so good. And I know that you say in the beginning of the program that most people think that that's the most difficult thing to do. I thought it was difficult as well even though I started before, but then it was just some tiny notes. And after a while I did it in the evening you told me the importance of doing it in the morning.
I started doing it in the morning after my yoga session, which is something that I wouldn't let go now. It helps me so much. But now I actually do it before my yoga. I do it right after waking up and I have -- I'm surprised that I do remember so many dreams. I think that it's almost impossible that I have dreamt as much as I do now earlier. But probably and I know now that if I do something else before my journaling, if I go around do things for 10 minutes, the dreams disappear. I don't remember them anymore. But right after you wake up they're still in your head and it's very interesting to -- most of them are strange. They don't make sense at all, but now I've been going back look through my journaling and I see that it's almost scary because I saw things in my dreams have actually developed to be true.
To be honest, it doesn't make sense when you write this but after a while and you see that, wow, I could see that coming. And many science I I've been thinking about "Am I doing this right?" the journaling, but you said that there is no right and wrong. Just try not to be judgmental and I've had that in my mind. And, well, many of my emotions, they have as soon as I get the courage to write them down, they are not scary anymore. As soon as I write them I can work through them, see if there is something I need to do, somebody I need to contact, next step with somebody in a relationship, or if it's somebody something I just can let go. And quite often it is it is something that I don't need to carry around. I can just let it go and it gives me a sense of being much stronger, wiser, calmer, and by that it's been easier to talk to friends and relatives about emotions. When we talk it's not just about daily things. We tend to talk about more emotional things and and sometimes I cry. Sometimes my friend cries. Sometimes we both cry, but it's just nice. It's not any hysterical crying, just transforming feelings that are released and it feels so good.
Wendy: Weah that's fantastic. And I should share that obviously, as you mentioned, the journaling is one part of the three daily basics or the foundation program and there are other layers of changes that we we make throughout the program, but the journaling was a challenge for you at the beginning and it is a challenge for everybody because normally when you've got endometriosis and your chronic pain and you're literally just getting through your life, just taking the time to journaling feels counterintuitive. But what the purpose is, and I'm glad to hear it's the same for you, is that you're getting in touch with your emotions. They're not big and they're not scary and you're learning to make the connection between what is happening in your emotions and how that manifests or how that resides in your body. And how would you say the program, the 12 week foundation program has helped you with regards to the relationship with your body?
Susanne: I don't know. That was a difficult question.
Wendy: Do you think through the journaling and through the education and the webinars that you maybe feel a bit more confident about your body? If there are any signs and symptoms in any aspect, you know have a better relationship with your body? Would you feel as well as your emotions?
Susanne: Well, as I -- bodies are very much in my interest. I trust bodies to heal themselves. I've always had that in mind but it's always more difficult when it happens to yourself and you don't see the whole picture. It's easier to just stay in one corner and it's very easy to become a victim. And it's also difficult when it's a close friend or relative that is sick or ill or hurt in any way. It's so much easier to see what other people could do to get better. But, well, as I said, I've always had that with me since I was a kid, that the body is amazing at healing itself and now it was so good to have you as a as a coach to help me with this wider perspective to have a look at my body.
Wendy: I think it was the multimodal approach to the program that was very important to me because I was unaware of how your emotions would affect your hormones and how symptoms and signs in your body could be different -- types of signs and symptoms that we're giving out different messages. Different emotions we're giving different messages in relation to the body, and I think that's what I hear from you and I hear a lot of the women in the program, is they develop this confidence, not only within their own instincts, their own emotions. They're more comfortable with their emotions, recognizing their emotions are messengers, they're telling them things, and then also been able to tune in to their body in a slightly different way than they've done before because the body before was invariably screaming out to them in pain when something was wrong but any pain and any symptoms are signs and messengers that there's something there that needs attention, and that's as you said earlier in the beginning, that's where you and I work together as detectives to try and fine-tune different things. But I think what's been lovely in your particular experience of the foundation program is, as you said, you really understood the body is an amazing thing, which is probably going to be hard for some women to hear if they're writhing around in pain and bad with endometriosis. They may not feel that loving towards their body right now, but when they learn what's causing the pain, because there's always a cause -- it's cause and effect -- if they identify what the causes are and remove that, then as you said the body is an amazing thing and will heal itself. But what I've heard from you is that you really appreciate the emotional component, which is not something that tends to get talked about, and dealing with that and then becoming more comfortable with your emotions and things
So if anyone was listening and considering joining the foundation program, what what would you be saying to them? What are the key aspects, apart from the journaling and the power shakes thing? What, for you, has been most significant or important aspect that you would take away from the foundation program?
Susanne: Well, I was thinking about joining for a long time. As new and had this belief about the body, and I knew that I had been healing myself before I thought I can do this on my own again. But after a while I thought, no, I don't have time to do this and when you're in pain you're tired and I thought I got some kind of dizziness, so it was difficult to do a lot of reading and studying on my own. And in the beginning it felt a little bit like I was giving up by joining, but as soon as I had joined the program I thought, "Oh shit, why didn't I do this earlier?" because it's such a relief to have somebody to talk to you with the experience of healing endometriosis yourself. And, well, you were talking about the emotions. I had done everything I thought possible with the products and physical stuff, but I didn't have a clue about the emotions. I did I did a lot of relaxation training and mental training because I know that mental training has helped me very much before, both in sports situations and in in daily life. But this is another way of looking at the emotions and, well, one of the first things, actually -- I think it happened the first week -- was that you advised me to include my family. And I thought that I don't want to drag them down into this boring and -- well, I can't really find the words for it, but this black hole that endometriosis is for me. I did everything to provide for them, to have a good time. I just put myself in a sofa and said, "Did you go out and do this?" and my husband and my kids they went out to see friends and do fun things while I was in the sofa. And I didn't really inform the kids about what was going on and the first week I realized that I'm so stupid. Of course, of course they want to know what's wrong with me and as I'm as soon as I did that that was the first relief, actually. And I get emotional again. But I've got a six year old and a 11 year old and this six year old, he was listening but he thought, "Oh, can we do something else now?" when I was trying to tell them about the disease what I was doing and that I was getting help through this foundation program.
But anyway, after that little family session it was so much easier and that was the first stage of my emotional trip, actually, to let them in and to --
well, the idea I'm not carrying the burden all by yourself. It's not a sign of being strong, trying to fix everything yourself. I have learned that it's more courageous and you're stronger if you can ask for help and if you're willing to take help.
Wendy: Yeah, and I think he done so brilliantly in that regard because I know that that was very difficult for you at the beginning. And again, that's very common with women with endometriosis. I knew I was the same. It felt like a sign of weakness to ask for help. I felt like a burden. I felt like a drain. I didn't feel very good about myself either when I was in a chronic stages of pain and lying on in bed. But I think when you have the support to be able to say and explain it does take more courage to share with your family -- this is the situation, this is what I need from you, and would you help support me through this program -- because I want to get myself -- well, I want to live my life again and sometimes, you know, it's even just getting support and the language and how to approach it, ow to do with them because sometimes you're just getting through the day dealing with the pain without trying to think about how you might communicate that. But I agree, it is definitely takes more courage to share you know what's going on. And that's why in the first week of the program I encourage you all to sit down with your families and let them watch the video of the laparoscopy. Suddenly they've got a whole new perspective on the laparoscopy operation and what's going on in your inside. And that's, again, just part of building your confidence, building up your voice and helping you share your emotions. So if anyone was considering joining the program, what would you say to them? What would be your your parting words to people if they're maybe struggling on their own at the moment? They're maybe following my book and maybe taking them longer than they'd like. What would you say about the foundation program?
Susanne: Well, I would say don't hesitate. I really recommend. It's the best support to really get going because there are always things in your life that turns up. And then it's so easy to get your actions for endometriosis on hold and that's dangerous to do that. But the program is the best way to really keep fighting and the twelve weeks, they passed quite fast, and it's difficult to really see the difference all the time. And although I just did the basic things in the
program for five weeks and then I had a lot to catch up, it was so interesting now in the end to look back in the journaling, see what I've done, how I felt and to reflect on how I have changed. And it's not only the pain score in the endometriosis that has decreased. There are so many more things that has happened and the things that I wrote at the beginning of the program, what I would do when I felt pain free, I've already started to do. I achieved them. Yeah, and by then I felt like a dream, a dream that might be impossible even though I did have this feeling about natural healing, that it would work. But it was still a dream that I didn't know if it would come true ever and now they have come true, many parts of it. And it's it feels like I'm the boss of my life now. And I think that one reason that my endometriosis flared up again was that I had lost contact with myself, both by caring more for the kids than for myself, and I had a job that was quite demanding, a lot of traveling, and I had a bad conscious of leaving the kids so much. So when I was home I just spent time with them and there was never time for me, for myself, and in this program you really need to look after yourself. What do I need? And get in touch with yourself.
Now it feels so -- I can't find the word for it, but it's so natural. It's not strange at all. It's just as it's supposed to be and instead of just running around in circles doing what other people want me to do, now I'm the boss in my life. And I didn't think that would be an outcome or this program. I was just looking forward to a pain-free life. Now it feels like it that is a small thing. That is the greatest thing when you are in pain but now I even get more so that's something to look forward to if you're planning to join the program.
Wendy: Fantastic. And I think that's it. I remember feeling had this great desire to get well when I was bedridden but didn't know how to do it so that's what I put everything that I learned into my book., by putting into the program. And people just have to plug in to the various steps that I've taken and learn from what I learned and not have to just struggle to find out these things themselves. And as you said, there's normally a number of different elements that we need to look at any one given time and it's hard to do that when you're on your own. And then obviously we do have the group Q&As every two weeks, as well. How do you find that coming together with other women that are going through the program?
Susanne: That it's very good. You get a perspective and they take up things that I haven't thought about that turns out to be important for me as well. And it's very important not to feel alone and even though I've just listened to them during these group calls it feels like we're a team. We're fighting together and it's so great to hear that they're getting better as well.
Wendy: I feel that that's really important. Women with endometriosis -- and I knew I felt exactly the same. I felt so alone, terribly alone, and I made a vow, I made it my mission that once I got well that I would write what worked for me and make sure that there was enough support in place for women so that they felt part of a group and a community that was not just talking about the pain or the symptoms or surgery but actually talking about getting well and healthy and and getting their life and their body back. Because they can be so designing when you got a flare-up or when you know you're bedridden again and you don't know why. But as you say, when you're going to the program yourself -- that's why it's 12 weeks because it does take time to start to see the changes with planting seeds along the way whilst removing and swapping out any offending products or people or foods or anything, depending on what's what's the issue for you -- but having a support and hearing other people, again, it just makes you feel you're part of something and not alone enough. That's a big thing> But thank you so much for taking the time out to chat me today. I would say if anyone is interested in getting more information on the foundation program, it is over a 12-week. It's an online membership program with 12 one-on-one appointments with me, group calls, handouts, downloads, Facebook group.
You get all the support that you need.
Please go to HealEndometriosisNaturallyCourse.com or go on to HealEndometriosisNaturally.com and you can click on details there on how to join up.
Equally, if anybody would like to get a free paperback copy of my book which lays out my story and a step-by-step guide of what worked for me then go on to Https://HealEndometriosisNaturallyBook.com and you can order your FREE copy there (I just ask you to pay the shipping and handling).
Wendy: Susanne, thank you so much for taking the time out. I know there will be so many women to get so much encouragement and hope and from hearing your story. And full credit to you. You've had a lot of challenges thrown your way throughout the program, but you stuck with it, you kept going, you didn't give up and I'm so pleased that you've seen the benefits on the program that you have.
Susanne: Thanks, and I want to encourage those with the Endometriosis that I'd never give up because it is true the body is going to heal itself if you give it the opportunity and it's so great to get the life back again. So go for it!
Wendy: Well, thank you so very much, Susanne for sharing. Take care. We'll speak soon.
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