I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in May 2023 when I suffered a bad flare up meaning my entire colon was inflamed. The unexpected and severe symptoms were terrifying and I ended up spending some time in hospital where I was treated with NSAIDS and other medication. The medication had a really bad affect on me and I was mentally in an unhealthy place because of them. I was on oral tablets 3 times a day, steroid tablets 6 times a day, and a self-administered enema every evening. Physically, I was exhausted from the abdominal pain and going to the loo constantly - I felt like I had nothing left in me. I had lost around 10kg and my period stopped, which was completely heartbreaking as my husband and I were hoping to try for a baby before this all happened and it suddenly seemed so far away.

I went to Cassie on a friend’s recommendation in the hopes that acupuncture and some nutritional guidance would help me but I was not convinced. I had always taken the Western route when it came to medication and loaded myself with antibiotics instead of following other methods such as Chinese medicine. I was extremely vulnerable at my first appointment with Cassie. I explained to her what had been happening over the last couple of months and she instantly knew every drug I was on and what side effects I was experiencing. I really felt heard by her and it gave me a lot of hope that the way I was feeling was totally normal with the drugs I was on. She then gave me a treatment and a list of dietary guidelines to follow and promised me in two weeks I would be feeling miles better. Sure enough two weeks later I was feeling like a different person, my energy levels were up and the side effects were going down. The next treatment was to get my period back and to my shock it did that evening! I felt like I was becoming myself again and although I felt a lot better, the IBD symptoms were far from gone. It took another month to get back to my normal self and that was along with tapering off medication and militantly following Cassie’s nutritional advice as well as regular acupuncture appointments. I cannot thank her enough for genuinely saving my life. I know it seems extreme but I would not have been able to get past this time without her knowledge in IBD, fertility that goes along with it and treating her like my therapist in our sessions. I have just given birth to a healthy baby girl and I am healthier than I’ve ever been. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information on francescaemost@gmail.com

— Francesca Most