WHAT LEAP PATIENTS ARE SAYING

I have a patient (18) whose mom found me on the internet a few months ago, and she initially emailed me explaining her daughter's IBS symptoms and years of visits from doctor to doctor to doctor with no resolution of symptoms and with doctors finally telling her that she was going to have to live with it, or that she wasn't trying hard enough. She found me on the internet, and I remember the last thing she asked me was "Is there no hope?" to which I replied that of course there was, and proceeded to tell her about LEAP. Anyway, I got this email from her a few minutes ago and thought I'd share.....this is what makes all of this training worthwhile!

Susan Linke, RD, CLT

“Hi Susan,
Kristen has a really good handle on her digestive symptoms now. She knows what she can have and what she can't. She knows what she can tolerate in certain quantities. She has worked very hard to come to this point. The diet, your help, and guidance has helped her tremendously.
Kristen has been so sick for so many years. Now she has control over her IBS. That is a great feeling. It makes dealing with her other problem that much easier. She's not fighting two things now. She is controlling one of them. What a liberating feeling! I wish we could have found you three years ago!!
Kristen is now able to move on and regain control of her life. She is preparing to go to college. She is looking forward to moving on. That is something she hasn't been able to do for years.
Thank you a million! We can't thank you enough.”

Cheryl

“About two years ago my husband and I were searching for something that would
help our 10-year old son who was experiencing terrible stomach pain and diarrhea. He
had lost about 15 pounds and his symptoms were preventing him from living a normal
schedule.

We had taken him to several doctors who had all ruled out any serious
medical condition. While we were relieved that no serious medical diagnosis was made, we were
very concerned about his symptoms and had no idea what to do about it. We had
prayed for guidance and wisdom.

At that time I met a woman who told me that one of the jobs her husband did as a nutritionist was to assist people with the LEAP diet. After speaking with her husband, David Rowell, we were convinced this was the next step we needed to take.

As we learned more about the LEAP diet, I was interested in trying the diet
myself. Although I was not diagnosed with IBS until about 13 years ago, I have very
early memories of pain and bowel irregularities that were attributed to “nerves.”
In 1994 I was formally diagnosed with IBS and was given medication to control the pain
when a particularly bad spell hit me. I had a rough idea of some of the foods that
would bother me, especially if I ate them in conjunction with each other or when I was
emotionally upset about something.

As time went on, however, the symptom of diarrhea became more and more troublesome for me. Most days I would be pain free but would experience diarrhea. It had come to a point where did not do activities which prevented me from easy access to a restroom.

Both my son and I were tested for food sensitivities for a LEAP diet. The results were surprising. Some foods we were eating almost daily showed up as ‘highly reactive’ on our tests. Interestingly, our tests results showed we had very few common foods which made the initial diet a challenge for our family. But the results we got—the relief from our symptoms—was enough to keep us focused on sticking to the diet.

My son quickly had some symptom-free days. As time went on, the symptom-free days increased
and the number of bad days greatly diminished. I experienced almost immediate relief
from my own symptoms. We feel like we have the information we need to make choices
so that we are able to live free from IBS for the most part.

Because of the relief that we have experienced as a result of the LEAP diet, I highly recommend it to others who are experiencing chronic symptoms with IBS. I would estimate that 90% of our
symptoms are gone. Because there is an emotional element associated with IBS symptoms, we still struggle with some pain and diarrhea, especially at stressful times. Also, it is difficult at times to stay completely faithful to the diet. When we do, however, we enjoy a freedom from the most disabling symptoms of IBS.

I do want to encourage anyone who decides to follow a LEAP diet to use a LEAP Therapist for the first several months. It is confusing to sort through food groups and understand the relationship between symptoms and diet. Although you can choose to interpret the test results and work out the diet on your own, you will greatly benefit from the professional help of a LEAP Therapist. I found Dave Rowell’s guidance indispensable for our initial months. “

Christine Bushnell
Helena, Montana
January 14, 2009

"I am duly impressed.this is the second day in months that I did not
have to go a couple of times before breakfast..and no constant running
before work which had become the rule..This is a BIG deal to me. Cannot
believe it can work that quickly. I started cutting the red foods out
after are last meeting but was still having morning issues until I
started the plan on Monday"

Judy from Venice, FL

“Dear LEAP,

I used to suffer from reflux problem, for 35 years. For many years, it didn’t cause any trouble other than the embarrassment of the reflux itself. As I got older, I began to suffer from more frequent heartburn. It got to the point where I had to sleep on my back. If I rolled on to my side in the night, I’d
get heartburn and it would wake me up.

My father suffered from the same problem, and he died about 15 years ago
from esophageal cancer brought on by Barrett’s esophagus. This prompted me to go
to the doctor. Of course, he prescribed medication which did take care of
the heartburn but not the reflux. After about a year on Zantac, I began to be
concerned about the long-term effects of blocking stomach acid, so I stopped
taking medications on a regular basis.

I knew there were certain foods which seemed to trigger the heartburn and reflux, so I tried to avoid the worst offenders. I was resigned to the fact that doctors could not cure me, but only
treat the symptoms.

Just a few months ago, I found a doctor who recommended me to the LEAP program. I was skeptical, but consented to try it. Since beginning the LEAP Program I experienced complete cessation of the problem.

I highly recommend LEAP for anyone suffering from heartburn and/or reflux. It’s now been several
months since completing the program and I have not experienced any trouble with
reflux or heartburn. “

Carl E. Shoemaker

“Yes, the difference in my health is simply remarkable! I can't believe how
effective your diet plan is and I haven't even put the whole thing into
practice yet. I need to tell you that my digestion has NEVER in my whole life,
even from childhood, been so regular. I've suffered my entire life with
constipation and bloating, even not being able to go places because of it. Finally
I started using pancreatic enzymes in my 40's which made all the difference
but the real problem was, now I believe, the wheat, beef and other foods.
I
feel so sorry for all those people, little kids especially, who don't have
the ability to find this out. It's a lifetime of trial and error and suffering
with the American diet. Other countries with less "processed" food diets
don't have such a bad problem do they? I think your line of work would be
fascinating.

I've had a few headaches the past 2 months, only about 3 which is remarkable
considering the amount of physically demanding work I've done moving and
lifting stuff, etc. The second I forget and eat WHEAT (the big one) or
something with sorbic acid that's it, headache. I've been able to control a few
headaches with Advil but have had to take the triptan a few times. All in all,
the difference is already huge. The inflammation is, I would bet, 100% tied
to what I eat. Now if I could just find the food 100% of the time, it would
great. So hard to do unless I'm home all the time. Traveling blows
everything although I did pretty good on the last two trips, somehow. “
Patient Name Witheld

“Dear Jennifer,

Thanks for all you help in Madison's journey this last year. As she left for Dollywood this morning with her group of friends after we left your office, I burst into tears with such thankfulness. I have watched Madison suffer physically, emotionally and socially for 15 years and it always seemed like I was trying to convince the various physicians, etc. that I was recommended to that she was suffering.

It also was painful to see Madison spoken to about eating disorders, over anxiety, and to have her gall bladder taken out at age 11, with little success. I would recommend to anyone with a child suffering with vague, yet consistent symptoms that affect the quality of life to start with the food sensitivity testing. I couldn't be prouder of how we learned to cope and make the best of her suffering, but am elated to see she can enjoy life and grow in her independence without the daily nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches, and the anxiety it brought.”

Sincerely,

Vicky P.
LEAP Mom