Vivian’s Healing Journey: From a Lifetime of Digestive Struggles to Renewed Hope

I’m 21 years old, and my health journey began when I was just two weeks old.

I was born extremely premature and diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious condition that damaged my intestines. Doctors had to perform emergency surgery, removing approximately 80% of my large intestine and 20% of my small intestine.

I weighed only about a pound at the time.

Because I was so tiny, the surgery left me with an enormous scar stretching across almost my entire abdomen, along with extensive internal scar tissue.

From the very beginning, digestion was difficult for me.

As a baby and young child, I struggled with severe bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and repeated hospital visits. Sometimes I had blood in my stool or vomited blood. My mother was constantly taking me to doctors, trying to find answers.

At 22 months old, I weighed only about 12 pounds. It took me much longer than other children to grow and develop.

Even my diet was restricted. We were told to avoid certain foods, including dairy, gluten, dark leafy greens, and many fruits, because they seemed to aggravate my digestive symptoms.

Growing up, I thought this was simply how my life would always be.

As I got older, my digestive problems continued. I was repeatedly told I had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Around age 12, I began noticing a different kind of discomfort in my abdomen. Over time, the constipation, bloating, and pain became increasingly difficult to manage.

Then, when I was around 18, everything became much more frightening.

During a hospital visit, doctors performed a CT scan and discovered an alarming amount of fluid in my abdomen, along with large cysts. Some were near my ovaries, and others were described as being around my intestines and colon.

I remember the doctor looking so concerned that I wondered if he was about to tell me I was dying.

The medical team arranged a procedure called paracentesis to drain the fluid from my abdomen. They removed approximately two liters of brown fluid.

I was terrified.

They tested the fluid for signs of cancer, but I was told the results did not reveal a clear cause.

The pain from the procedure was terrible. The first time, it took nearly a week before I could even urinate without crying.

And the fluid kept coming back.

Over the next couple of years, I needed repeated hospital visits and drainage procedures. Sometimes the abdominal pressure and pain were so intense that I felt as though my stomach might explode.

Doctors discussed surgically removing the cysts, but because of my childhood intestinal surgery and extensive scar tissue, the operation could be extremely complicated.

They explained that laparoscopic surgery might not be possible. I could potentially need another major abdominal operation involving my intestines and surrounding organs.

What frightened me most was that even after surgery, the problem might return because no one had identified its underlying cause.

I kept asking myself:

“Why aren’t we trying to figure out what’s causing this?”

I was only in my early twenties, and I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life dealing with these painful procedures and the possibility of more surgeries.

When I met Rachel, I shared everything I had been going through.

I knew she had helped people with their health, and I was eager to learn what else I could do to support my body.

Rachel invited me to join one of her group wellness calls, where she was teaching people about nutrition, cleansing, and the Medical Medium approach to eating.

I learned about the foods she recommended emphasizing, as well as dietary changes she encouraged people to explore.

Something clicked for me.

Within a couple of days of that first call, I decided I was ready to make a major change.

In March, I began eating a completely plant-based, vegan diet.

It wasn’t always easy.

During the first couple of weeks, I experienced digestive discomfort and diarrhea, and I reached out to Rachel because I was worried about what was happening.

She continued guiding me through the dietary changes, and I gradually began noticing improvements.

Within approximately two months, something remarkable happened.

I began having regular bowel movements.

The bloating that had been part of my everyday life started disappearing.

I could eat without constantly worrying about how uncomfortable I would feel afterward.

After a lifetime of digestive difficulties, these changes meant everything to me.

Along with changing my diet, I incorporated some of the supplements and wellness products Rachel suggested, including aloe drops and water drops.

I felt hopeful about my health in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

I continued going to the hospital for follow-up imaging.

During an earlier scan, doctors had identified another concerning finding involving my lung. I was already frightened by everything happening in my abdomen, so this was another source of anxiety.

Then I went in for my latest CT scan.

What the doctor told me was almost impossible to believe.

The large cyst they had been monitoring was no longer visible.

I was stunned.

I asked, “Are you serious? Are you sure?”

And they confirmed that the findings they had previously been concerned about were no longer showing up on the scan.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

After years of pain, fear, and repeated procedures, I was finally receiving encouraging news.

And WOW! All of this is changing, and the biggest changes I’ve made have been improving my diet and adding a few of the supplements Rachel suggested!

It’s insane!

I’m just in complete awe and disbelief right now.

For so long, I was afraid that I would have to live with this forever. I worried about more surgeries, more painful drainage procedures, and what might happen to my body.

Now, with these latest results, I feel an incredible sense of relief and hope.

I know how much my life has changed since I began this journey.

I’m so grateful for everything Rachel has taught me, for her support, and for helping me discover a new way of nourishing myself.

After everything I’ve been through, having hope for my future means more than I can possibly explain.