Constipation, cancer, and the power of calming down: Hannah’s story

A growing concern

“I’m in my 70s now, but I knew something was wrong in my late 30s. My first symptoms were abdominal pain and bloating. It’s hard to describe. I just generally felt unwell. Constipation became my main problem.

“I went to see my first gastroenterologist, who immediately insisted I go to a dietitian for an elimination diet. But I’d already figured out that anything with wheat, especially bread, would really set me off. Dairy milk is also no friend of mine. However, through testing I learned it wasn’t gluten and I don’t have celiac disease.

“Even now, 40 years later, I still don’t eat a lot of wheat or dairy, which is fine with me. My mother was drinking soy milk long before this was available in every cafe, and it was seen as some kind of weird health food. But I’m the same. I’ve always replaced bread with rice cakes, and now it’s funny to me that these have become so mainstream. I guess my mother and I were ahead of the curve!”

Once Hannah reduced her wheat and dairy intake, she was able to find a level of relief she could live with. She still experienced pain, bloating, and constipation, but the severity had been greatly reduced. Until an unexpected cancer diagnosis in her early 50s, Hannah felt like her IBS was as good as it was going to get.

Overcoming a life-changing setback

Hannah was shocked to learn she had cancer that had been growing for three years before her GP caught it. Suddenly, the progress she’d made with her gut health not only unraveled but was no longer a priority.

“My cancer treatment undid everything. I went through two rounds of chemotherapy and then radiation, and my gut health suffered greatly. I had constipation and a lot of abdominal pain.

"Dealing with the chemotherapy drugs is difficult enough on anyone’s body, but it was so frustrating that my gut health deteriorated along with everything else I was trying to manage.”

As a born optimist, thinking positively had always come easy to Hannah, but the anxiety of radiation proved too much in the end.

“After the chemotherapy and my radiation treatment started, my stress was through the roof. I had so much anxiety, constantly worrying, ‘Is this going to work?’

“I’ve always been able to see that my stress and anxiety were closely related to my IBS symptoms in the past – it was obvious. But getting through cancer and surviving was all I could focus on, not worrying about my gut as well.

“However, this is when I started a meditation practice. It brought me so much relief. I began doing yoga and tai chi too. Taking control of my mindset in this way saved me. While I was meditating to find relief from the anxiety of my cancer treatment, I know my gut was calmed by it as well – a good, positive side effect.

“Discovering the benefit of meditation was probably why I was open to trying Nerva.”

Back to normal-ish

After Hannah went into remission for her cancer, her gut slowly healed. “I know there’s no cure for IBS, but to have my gut health become more tolerable was a huge relief and I started to feel like myself again. I was able to eat like I normally do. I was still mostly avoiding wheat and dairy milk, but that’s never bothered me.

“I’m also one of the lucky ones with IBS where I’ve never really experienced toilet anxiety, and I’ve been a lifelong traveler. I spent years backpacking around South America, and I traveled overland from London to India – my gut never got in the way of this. But still, feeling normal (or my version of normal at least) after cancer was like a huge weight was lifted from me.”

Hannah continued to manage her constipation and bloating as best she could with her diet and regular checkups with her gastroenterologist until she hit another bump in the road.

A prolonged flare-up

When Hannah was in her mid-60s, she was diagnosed with a hernia and her bloating increased substantially. “Some days, I honestly looked nine months pregnant. It was so bad.

“The tests showed that I still had a sluggish bowel, but there was no inflammation. I’ve been on a stool softener for a while now, which has really helped with my constipation.

“However, when a close friend mentioned something called gut-directed hypnotherapy for IBS, I was interested – deeply skeptical, but interested.”

Opening her mind to Nerva

Hannah says her meditation and yoga practices were the only reason she was open to giving Nerva a go.

“I saw for myself how much calmer my gut and mind were with these activities – it was obvious I was on the right track using these for my IBS. But I was suspicious when my friend said it was hypnotherapy on a phone app.

“Part of my reluctance was I’m not that tech-savvy. However, once I downloaded the app, I instantly saw how simple it was to use; way easier than I expected.

“I also had to overcome the hurdle of ‘hypnotherapy’ – to me, this just means mind control. But I had nothing to lose and I liked that Nerva came with a free trial. Once I opened my mind and listened to the Day 1, Week 1 session, that was it. I loved it right away.

“I really like the woman’s voice delivering the hypnotherapy! I responded to her calming tone instantly. And I simply enjoyed having the different sessions play out in my mind and following along like it was some kind of story.

“I began to look forward to listening every day. It was this little 15-minute pocket of time just for me.”

Relaxed and revitalized

Hannah said it took a little while for her physical symptoms to calm and respond to the hypnotherapy. “But I knew this was to be expected. The best part was I felt relaxed and energized from Week 1, so my mindset shifted right away.

“I flew through the six weeks, no problem. Sometimes I even listened twice a day. Not because I had a flare-up, I simply loved how revitalized it made me feel, which is similar to how I feel after meditating.

“I happened to have a checkup with my gastroenterologist booked mid-way through the program, and I told him all about it. When I asked his opinion on using hypnotherapy for my IBS-C, all he said was, ‘Go for it!’ I appreciated how open-minded he was and he could see I was really benefitting from the program.”

Hannah continues to listen to Nerva here and there on days when she feels her stress rising and has plans to start over soon and recommit to another six weeks.

“Trying something new, especially hypnotherapy which used to conjure the most ridiculous images in my mind, isn’t always easy. Plus, you’re telling me I can only listen on a phone app? I first thought, ‘Nope, that’s not for me.’ But here I am.

“Nerva has been incredible. And I will continue to badger friends who also have gut health issues and tell them they need to open their minds a little more. You just never know.”

*Name has been changed. As we share real stories from real people, stock images have been used to ensure we protect the privacy of our patients.