Sandra always knew there was something wrong with her daughter Lauren’s health. “From the age of 2, we knew that something was not right in her gut. She had severe allergies, and nothing seemed to help,” she recalls. “Looking back now, Lauren realizes it wasn’t normal to have a tummy ache all the time.”
That’s the unfortunate thing with children and chronic illnesses. It may be all they ever know; some kids suffer for years in silence before they ever open up about painful conditions. However, given proper care and the right treatments, kids will often bounce back from even the most critical conditions and go on to live healthy, fruitful lives. Such was the case with Lauren – but only after enduring the scariest ordeal of her life.
A Difficult Diagnosis—Childhood Ulcerative Colitis
After many tests and years of wondering, Lauren was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis by her MD. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel diseased marked by inflammation and sores in the digestive tract.
Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis:
- Diarrhea with blood
- Pain and cramping in the abdomen
- Rectal pain and bleeding
- Weight loss
- Extreme fatigue
- Fever
- A failure to grow as children
The origin of ulcerative colitis is still unknown, but doctors believe it may be related to an immune system malfunction. This occurs when an abnormal immune response causes the body to attack the cells in the digestive tract. Risks associated with ulcerative colitis include severe bleeding, a perforated colon, osteoporosis, dehydration, inflammation of eyes, joints, and skin, an increased risk of colon cancer, and more.
Conventional Medicine—A Long and Bumpy Road
With no known cure for ulcerative colitis, this condition can be debilitating and even life-threatening in some cases, so it was clear to Sandra that finding the right treatment for her daughter was her top priority. Unfortunately, the conventional approach to treating this condition didn’t sit right with her.
“(The doctors) were just always like, ‘oh, well, you know, we could give her this medicine or that medicine.’ Well, the medicines didn’t work, and we eventually found out that she’s allergic to at least 11 different medicines. She became very irritated and even experienced anaphylaxis.”
Lauren experienced some scary side effects from some of the medications she tried. One medication she was prescribed, prednisone, caused Lauren to develop large striped sores on her back. Her skin started to break down, and to this day, she still has scars from this painful side effect.
A Life-Changing Health Scare
When Lauren was 15, she experienced a life-threatening health emergency. Having been through countless surgeries over the years, suddenly Lauren was hemorrhaging uncontrollably, and doctors had little hope for her recovery.
Lauren eventually pulled through and was fitted with an ostomy bag for a year. It was a real possibility that she would need to live the rest of her life with an ostomy bag, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Sandra thanks the surgeons at the Seattle Children’s Hospital for being able to reconnect her intestinal tract—allowing her a semblance of a normal life.
One Thing Leads to Another
While the surgeries undoubtably saved Lauren’s life, they created complications of their own. Seven years after her colitis ordeal, the built-up scar tissue formed an adhesion in her abdomen – and another health emergency.
“(The scar adhesion) made a blockage…and that’s what caused the sepsis in her system,” Sandra explains. Lauren was living in California at the time, but when she told her parents what she was experiencing they became so alarmed that they flew out to see her. Shortly afterwards, they could clearly see that she needed medical attention once again – and fast.
By the time they got her into surgery, Lauren’s hands and feet were purple, her core was burning up and the anesthesiologist and the doctor showed Sandra three containers of liquid they had to extract from her abdomen before even proceeding with the surgery because she was so full of poison. “It’s just amazing how she survived all this,” Sandra says, remembering that day.
But Lauren did survive – and thanks to the family’s naturopathic physician and microcurrent therapy, she is even learning to thrive.
An Innovative Approach to Treating Ulcerative Colitis
Holistic and naturopathic medicine can work beautifully in tandem with conventional medicine, and we believe Lauren’s story is an excellent example of this synergy.
Sandra’s dedication and commitment to addressing her child’s health had led her to seek out a non-conventional approach when Lauren was very little and so allergic to nuts and strawberries that even just walking through the grocery store could cause her throat to start to close. When Lauren was five years old, she enlisted the help of an excellent naturopathic doctor in their state of Alaska.
The naturopath had been able to help Lauren finally find some relief with a well-balanced organic diet and high-quality probiotics. While diet alone wasn’t enough to stop the eventual onslaught of ulcerative colitis, the naturopathic doctor’s guidance did allow her a much more normal childhood.
After Lauren’s health scares, she experienced a lot of pain and often had panic attacks and anxiety because of her surgeries. So naturally, the family turned once again to the practitioner who had helped her so much in the past. Amongst other things, the naturopath suggested that Lauren try microcurrent therapy to address her lingering scar tissue, adhesions, panic attacks, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Sandra lost no time in looking into this curious-sounding treatment. After tons of research, she determined that microcurrent therapy was a completely safe and body-friendly treatment option that stood to make a big difference in Lauren’s life. From there, she and Lauren decided together that microcurrent therapy was their next best move in getting a handle on her ulcerative colitis once and for all.
“I Just Feel So Good”
Lauren was amazed by her first five microcurrent therapy sessions in her naturopath’s office. When we asked about diving into microcurrent therapy for the first time in 2019, her mom Sandra recalls, “within just a few treatments, not only did her abdomen shrink, but the scar tissue changed to a whitish color instead of red. And that’s fabulous. I wish I had taken pictures because the difference is just astounding.”
Lauren started seeing results from microcurrent therapy almost right away. Sandra remembers her exclaiming after the very first treatment, “I just feel so good, I feel happier, I can finally sleep.”
Because the family was planning to move out of state, they wanted to purchase a device so they could continue with Lauren’s treatment at home. Sandra spent many hours researching microcurrent devices suitable for the home user and found Pain Free for Life. After seeing how approachable, affordable, and accessible Pain Free For Life made microcurrent, they were on board.
Sandra invested in the Avazzia Life Evolution, the top-of-the-line home model, to ensure they could continue Lauren’s treatments uninterrupted.
Unexpected Positive Side Effects
As Lauren’s pain, anxiety, and scars began to fade, she noticed some positive unexpected side effects of incorporating microcurrent therapy into her healing plan. The first is healthier thyroid function. Lauren was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease but is now considered only to have hypothyroidism. She and her mom Sandra attribute microcurrent therapy to this improvement.
The next positive unexpected side-effect Lauren has experienced is improved immune function. Though Lauren tried to self-isolate, she still came down with COVID-19 in October 2020. As soon as she tested positive for COVID, she ramped up the immunity protocol and started taking Zinc, B Vitamins, and Vitamin C. Lauren ended up experiencing a very mild case even though she is considered “high risk” because of her pre-existing health conditions.
Healing For the Whole Family
Now the entire family is getting in on microcurrent healing. Sandra tried microcurrent for her ten-year-old knee injury that often acts up. After her first session, she was blown away, stating, “the pain was gone in 15 minutes. It was just completely gone.”
One of Sandra’s grandchildren, who has autism, also benefits from microcurrent therapy. His parents find that it helps him relax when he’s having a tough time.
Where is Lauren Today?
These days, Lauren performs her own microcurrent protocols, typically for an hour or so at a time. She likes to relax and read a book when she uses the conductive pads because it’s a hands-free treatment option.
Lauren’s favorite mode on the Avazzia Life Evolution is Blue Stimulation Mode, which runs between 22-163 Hz. She likes this mode because she finds it to be effortless and effective for her personal health concerns. When first trying microcurrent therapy, it’s essential to find the programs and modes that work best for you, as we are all different.
Now that Lauren is feeling much better, she is working on her dream of becoming a writer while she continues to heal her body from years of ulcerative colitis. She has such an inspirational story to share with the world!
Join Our Worldwide Healing Community
Do you have an inspirational story like Lauren’s to share, or do you hope to have one some day? We ask you to join our FREE Pain Free for Life Support Group on Facebook. In it, you will meet people from all over the world who have overcome some of the most challenging health struggles out there and learn how they did it. This group is all about support, motivation, encouragement, and hope.
We can’t wait to see you in the group!