Which route is right for you?

When you have been diagnosed with anything, you are immediately faced with a bit of a conundrum when it comes to treatment options: which is the 'right' one? Sadly, there is no answer to this question, as it very much depends on your individual circumstances, and, of course, on the options that have been presented to you.

This is especially true of treatment options for chronic conditions, as indeed most autoimmune conditions are, IBD foremost among them. This is because, the longer you are on any kind of strong medication, the higher the risk of having to deal with unwanted side-effects from said medication. For instance, the longer a person is on high doses of prednisone, the greater the risk of cortisone-induced osteoporosis. And who wants that?

On the other hand, however, there is a great deal of fear and insecurity when it comes to flouting standard medical advice, and going it alone down the natural, 'healthy living' route (about which the last few years have seen a surge of information and propaganda), not to mention the derision and mistrust that alternative therapies are frequently met with. So what do you do?

There is a great deal of fear and insecurity when it comes to flouting standard medical advice, and going it alone down the natural, 'healthy living' route.

Well, sometimes you don't really have a choice. In my case, for instance, after one year with IBD, I was diagnosed as steroid-dependent, and was given the option of surgery to remove the entire large intestine, all at the age of 17. So I said no. I wanted to try everything else first, and if it failed and I found myself back in the same position, then so be it, I would have the surgery. But first I wanted to try. 

My doctors pitched a fit, they pulled my parents aside and told them they were being reckless and irresponsible to allow this. But we big fat did it anyway ('it' being a holistic approach involving a diet overhaul, alternative therapies and an intensive supplement programme, courtesy of a biological clinic in Switzerland). Within 6 months I was off the prednisone, and within a year I was so much better, I was able to go and live abroad on my own and go to university. I had lots of support, make no mistake, and I displayed the self-control, self-discipline and dedication of a Buddhist monk. This degree of regimented living was, of course, not sustainable. Two years in I would suffer the occasional lapse, and eventually I had what can only be likened to some kind of delayed teenage rebellion, whereby I flouted every rule I knew needed to be followed for my health, pushing my boundaries and testing my limits, just entirely fed up of the whole palaver, and I got away with it for quite some time.

When my health inevitably deteriorated again, it was suggested I embark on a course of treatment involving a series of drips (anti-TNFalpha protocol aka ‘biologics’). Reading up on the side-effects of this treatment was the wake-up call I needed. I said no, again, and worked on reverting back to my monastic lifestyle. But I couldn't do it this time. Not the same way. I knew what I needed to do, I knew exactly what was involved, but it was just too hard this time round. So I changed tactic, and decided to aim for an 80-20 lifestyle, by which I mean I am saintly 80% of the time, and flexible the other 20%. And this is where I am today, trying to find this balance, working daily to keep myself as well as I can be. It doesn't always go smoothly, there are lapses because, surprise surprise, I am human, but I'm working on it.

I'm not suggesting this is what everyone should do, or that this is the right thing for other people - I have absolutely no authority to say something like that. But it is what has been right for me, so far at least, and what it has taught me is that everyone has their own balance, and their own 'best' approach for their particular situation, and THAT is what I would encourage anyone to look for and try to establish for themselves.

There is no 'one size fits all' approach for every person, every organism, every body on this planet - there cannot be. 

I am the first to admit that, had the conventional treatments worked for me, I would most likely not have gone in search of alternative routes. Why would I? Conventional medicine is easier: you place your well-being in the hands of those who know better, and you follow their advice. Any alternative to this route poses a plethora of challenges. You are no longer passive, the responsibility for your health is now on you, so you have that to deal with as well as any symptoms you may have, and any time something goes wrong, you are met with those infuriating knowing looks from all the nay-sayers, who are only too happy to slap you with an "I told you so".

Modern medicine is a miraculous thing. It eases pain, it cures and it saves lives. The doctors who practice it bear a heavy burden, for when we go to them, we give them our problem to solve, and if they take us on they are then responsible for us, both from a legal and ethical standpoint. They can be miracle-workers, they are intelligent, and the really good ones are ultimately motivated by a desire to help others, and how can you ever fault that? But they are human, they can make mistakes, they can be wrong, and they can be unwilling to face the possibility that there is another way of doing things which flies in the face of all they have spent their life learning and practicing, all with the best of intentions. This, in my opinion, is a crying shame, for I believe the best option for anyone with health issues will always be one of balance, where conventional medicine and complementary alternatives work together. Go to the experts, listen to them, learn from them, but where something doesn't make sense to you, or doesn't work for you, don't remain passive, take your health into your own hands and try other things for yourself. This is especially important with chronic illnesses, which so often require a lifestyle shift that we are not willing to see or implement simply because it's difficult. Sure, taking pills is easier. At first. But in so many cases, and definitely in the case of IBD, these pills are just treating the symptom, not the cause, and the longer you take them, the greater the risk of unwanted side-effects.

Be involved in creating your very own made-to-measure approach to your health.

You don't have to turn your back on conventional wisdom, it doesn't need to be either/or. If, for example, you have been prescribed statins for your high cholesterol, don't leave it there, just taking the pill and carrying on as normal, eating everything that gave you the high cholesterol in the first place. Take the pill, but also take responsibility for your situation - adjust your diet, do some exercise, make healthier choices. I'm oversimplifying of course, but I don't want my point to get lost in too many details. If you have IBD and you're taking medication, don't ignore the question of diet and lifestyle just because your symptoms have been put on hold by the meds - the more you look after yourself while you have the support of the medication, the better your chances of coming off that medication smoothly, and of holding off a relapse. I am not advocating we turn our backs on conventional medicine. I am saying we should SHARE the responsibility for our health with our medical professionals. Some people will never have to look beyond orthodox methods, others will refuse to go to any doctor until they have no choice. There is no 'one size fits all' approach for every person, every organism, every body on this planet - there cannot be. So don't passively wait to be handed something that doesn't quite fit, take at least some of the responsibility yourself, and be involved in creating your very own made-to-measure approach to your health.

There is great power and strength in taking control over your own health, in actively participating in improving how you feel.

This is what I have been trying to do: to find my balance. Sometimes I’m successful, and sometimes I’m really not. But I keep searching, and I am very much still learning. I hope I never stop learning. Finding one’s balance is a tricky thing. There’s so much information, so many theories and options out there, and even once you’ve found the right fit for you, there's always the chance that what works for you in one phase of your life may not necessarily be as effective during a different phase. So we need to keep learning.

There is great power and strength in taking control over your own health, in actively participating in improving how you feel. Chronic illness can so often rob you of such feelings of strength and control, leaving you feeling at the mercy of your disease, so finding something that you can do to help yourself, be it big or small, can feel pretty darn good!