Life and Work with Molly Dunham-Friel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Dunham-Friel.

Molly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.

I moved to Atlanta in 2011 after finishing my bachelor’s degree. Not long after my big move, I started experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms. My symptoms progressed to the point where I needed to see a doctor, which resulted in getting a colonoscopy to determine what exactly was going on. The biopsy results of my colonoscopy changed my life forever. At age 22, months after finishing college, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC).

I had never even heard of UC much less understood what this diagnosis meant for my future. If you are not familiar with UC it is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inflammatory bowel disease manifests as either Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease. Both diseases are inflammatory conditions of the GI tract. Ulcerative Colitis impacts the colon and rectum while Crohn’s can impact the entire GI system. Both conditions are chronic diseases with no cure.

I struggled with this news and my new reality. The words, “why me” filtered through my mind over and over again. I was physically and mentally feeling lost and defeated. Despite my new diagnosis and not feeling well, I continued to put one foot in front of the other. I went from doctor to doctor to find one that would listen to me. One that wouldn’t dismiss my symptoms as they continued. I finally found a Physician Assistant that agreed I wasn’t supposed to feel sick every day of my life. We tried different medications to see what might help me feel better. I continuously asked about diet which didn’t get me very far in the conventional medical arena but I still asked every time I saw my providers. I did my best to take care of myself the only way I knew how. I was told I most likely had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in addition to my IBD.

Years passed and I would have good days and bad days but felt relatively normal for quite a while. I changed jobs, moved around Atlanta, received my master’s degree and so much more.

Fast forward to 2016 when everything seemed to come crashing down. It felt like no matter what I ate or did I was feeling sick more often than not. I underwent another colonoscopy to assess the inflammation in my colon to find not too much had changed. My inflammation was still active but looked relatively good according to my medical team. They really weren’t sure why I was feeling so terrible. I was referred to a dietitian because I wouldn’t stop asking about food and began the low-FODMAP diet to help with my IBS, which completely failed. I was still having very undesirable symptoms while on the elimination phase of the diet. The dietitian didn’t know what to tell me so she recommended I see another doctor that she felt was an out of the box thinker. This doctor cost $300 an office visit and didn’t take insurance. I found a way to pay for these visits because that is how desperate I was to feel better. This new provider gave me hope that quickly diminished. She had me undergo expensive testing and put me on expensive probiotics and other supplements. The one test that was really worth my time was getting tested for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). My test showed hydrogen dominant SIBO which correlated perfectly with my symptoms. I am thankful for doing that test because not only do I know I have SIBO, but I also know what it is and how common it can be.

Amidst all my doctors’ appointments, I didn’t feel like myself or like the person I wanted to be. I was weak, lethargic and having unpredictable GI distress. I tried so many different things with the hope that something would magically work. I changed my diet several times and even was put on a liquid diet that was supposed to last weeks but after three days I couldn’t deal any longer. I tried a SIBO diet which combined SCD & Low-FODMAP, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, juicing and the list goes on.

I had to stay home from work because I was too weak or needed to be close to the bathroom. In an effort to heal myself and to do things naturally I went to see a naturopath. That was expensive and resulted in taking so many supplements I could barely keep them all straight. About a month or so into following the protocols and getting the treatments the naturopath suggested I had the worse Ulcerative Colitis flare-up I had ever had. I was down for the count. I couldn’t leave the house. I was losing blood over 20 times a day. I was exhausted and in pain. I could barely eat. Nothing was helping. I went to Urgent Care to make sure I didn’t have an obstruction. Urgent Care was a waste of my time as they just gave me a prescription for extra-strength Imodium. I had to wait until Monday to get in with a Gastroenterologist. Of course, my provider was out so I had a new person I had never seen who had very old school ways of treating IBD. As scared as I was I left with steroids and they were my saving grace to getting me out of that flare.

As a follow-up from this flare a few months later, I had a sigmoidoscopy. This is just like a colonoscopy except it doesn’t survey the entire colon just the bottom part (sigmoid). This procedure found my inflammation was still present and possibly in my transverse colon which is higher up than previously reported. I was crushed. I had tried so many things, supplements, doctors, diets, acupuncture, frequency-specific microcurrent treatment, detox foot baths, I was working so hard to get well and none of it was helping me feel any better. I cried in my gastroenterologist’s office as she talked to me about escalating my therapy to a biological medication. As soon as I got home, I collapsed on the floor with my cat and cried and cried and cried. What did I do next you might be wondering. Well, after a day full of tears and frustration, I ate pizza for the first time in over a year. I even ate a cookie too. A real one with gluten and dairy and pizza with cheese and gluten and god knows what else. Yup, that is what happened. I allowed myself to have that day to be sad because I knew that the next day was time to pick up the pieces and keep fighting like hell for my health.

From there, I worked closely with my GI team going back to my original provider who was out on maternity leave for the large majority of my experimentation with other doctors. I worked hard to rebuild a trusted relationship with her. I showed her all of the tests that I had undergone and informed her of my SIBO diagnosis. We did yet another round of treatment for my SIBO which helped tremendously. I continued to experiment with different probiotics to see how my body would react with my provider’s permission. I began focusing on stress reduction and eating well but not within any specific guidelines. I learned to accept that I may need to take a biological medication one day and that if that does happen I am not a failure. I started sharing my journey by creating an Instagram account and a blog called Better Bellies by Molly. The community of people I have met on Instagram have helped me along the way. While they can’t take away the pain or anxiety, they sure do help you feel less alone in your fight. That is why my advice is to find people who understand what you are going through. Connect with them. Share your journey and your vulnerability will be someone else’s inspiration.

I continue to share the up’s and down’s with my chronic illnesses on my Instagram and blog. I will continue to advocate for others so that everyone can learn to stand up for what they need. You might feel alone but you are not. You might be frustrated and you have a right to be. You might feel hopeless but there is always hope to be had. Let’s connect to make the world a brighter place.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life is full of roadblocks and obstacles. How we tackle the roadblocks makes us who we are and defines who we will become. Mind you, the obstacles we face do not define us or put us in a box. What we do to manage and overcome the bumps in the road help us grow.

Living with chronic health conditions is far from easy. Challenges arise unexpectedly and learning how to maneuver the ups and downs is hard but possible. My best advice for others facing what seems like an impossible roadblock is that you are stronger and more powerful than what you are facing. You are not alone. Find others who can relate and use the power of the community to succeed. Don’t give up on yourself. Advocate for yourself, your needs and your loved ones. Even if you can only manage to find a sliver of hope…hold on tight. You got this.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Better Bellies by Molly – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in supporting, advocating, educating and spreading awareness for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD: Crohn’s & Colitis), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). I share my journey with these health conditions to help others feel supported and less alone in their gut health journey. I advocate for positive change in the healthcare system so that all people and especially those living with incurable GI diseases can get the care they need and deserve. I educate others about these illnesses so that the general population will approach people with greater compassion and understanding. I connect people to services and other chronic illness warriors to build a strong community. I volunteer my time running support groups, answering messages on Instagram and I work with a company out of California creating an app for Crohn’s and Colitis patients. I want to make the world a better place for everyone and especially for those of us living with gut conditions.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
I have the most supportive parents. My parents led by example. They both do what they love and made careers out of helping others in need. I am no different in that way. Their strong morals, values, and ethics are all things that I find myself very passionate about in my adult life. I am the person I am today because they empowered me to be myself. Their support throughout my life and chronic illness journey has been invaluable. Knowing they are routing for me, supporting me and proud of me helps me help others. I truly believe I am the way I am because of their kindness and compassion for others. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.betterbelliesbymolly.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterbelliesbymolly/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterbelliesbymolly/

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