Who let the cows out? The challenges of disappointment.
At first, it didn’t seem to matter that much that the cows had escaped. Pip, assisted by her live-in lover, Toby and Ed, the cow man for Bridge Farm, had … Continue reading
Psychotherapy for the troubled and irritable bowel.
The Nature and the Meaning of Gut Symptoms If we have an injury or infection, nerve impulses from the affected part alert the brain to the damage and instigate appropriate … Continue reading
Low FODMAP diet; symptom relief at the expense of the microbiome?
While scanning the journals recently, I came across a review by Peter Gibson making the case for the low FODMAP diet as a first line treatment for IBS. He … Continue reading
IBS: disability, disregard and discrimination.
While researching attitudes of employers to IBS, I came across the following letter from Ken. ‘I have tended to suffer with bouts of abdominal pain and diarrhoea ever since I was … Continue reading
The Nature and Meaning of Pain
A long time ago, when I was more adventurous, I joined a medical expedition to Ethiopia. One evening, I was taken to a cemetery on a hill in Addis Ababa. … Continue reading
Loose Joints and Irritable Bowels; What’s the Connection?
You might think that having floppy joints would be a bonus. Yoga would certainly be a lot easier. You would be able to touch your toes better than the rest … Continue reading
IBS: Working with Complexity
I was taught medicine from the bottom up, First understand the components, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and then put these together to understand the whole patient, but human life doesn’t … Continue reading
Down on the Farm: A metaphor for the gut.
The classic BBC radio comedy series “Beyond Our Ken” used to feature a gardener called Arthur Fallowfield, played by Kenneth Williams. His response to anyone who asked him anything was, … Continue reading
Finding the person you can be; a recipe for recovery and success.
It has been a while since I last wrote a post for this blog. I have been away on the farther flung British Islands in search of the space to … Continue reading
Between the Mind and the Gut.
‘All prejudices can be traced back to the intestine’. Friedrich Nietzsche Man has long acknowledged the close connection that exists between the mind and the gut. Our ‘gut feelings’ and … Continue reading
The Sensitive Gut 