Every day I’m asked the same question – ‘Linda can you help me?’ Sometimes it’s several times a day.
The question is either from someone who has a digestive or gut problem like irritable bowel syndrome, painful bloating, constipation, diverticula disease, coeliac disease, crohn’s disease or colitis to mention a few, another health issue that’s bothering them, or the question is about someone they know.
They may be needing help for themselves, or they may be worried for their child, their partner, their mum, dad, sister, work colleague, neighbour etc. We are such a caring society don’t you think and it’s our human kindness that makes us want to help other people improve their health. I’m not casting any aspersions at gender, but women are pretty good at spotting when someone needs a helping hand or some TLC. We seem to have a built-in antenna for it. As we say up North, ‘It’s a poor show, if we can’t help each other out’. I can just hear my Gran saying that to her neighbour over the fence. It was something I often heard her say, shaking her head as she did.
Our NHS is the envy of the World. It’s the 5th biggest employer in the UK and some people would say that it’s very ‘top heavy’ in terms of the colossal number of people it employs. I take a slightly different view, and I’m not saying that the NHS doesn’t need radical reform, it does, but I feel it’s because we are such a caring society, that we have large numbers of staff working within the NHS, to take care of us all. You may have a different viewpoint.
Sometimes, the message I get is ‘I’m sorry to bother you Linda, but can you help me’? or ‘I don’t like to disturb you Linda, knowing how busy you are, but can you help me?
Let’s get one thing straight. I absolutely do not mind you contacting me. I am busy, you might be disturbing me, but you are not bothering me. I want to help you. I may not be able to get back to you immediately, because I’m either working in my clinic or I’m in bed, but I will eventually get back to you.
It keeps me awake at night sometimes, wondering if I’ve forgotten to get back to someone who has left me a message and needs help. If this is you – let me know! Message me again.
I don’t know about you, but my mind becomes absolutely boggled by the different ways in which we can now communicate with each other – email, text, messages via all the different social media platforms, phone messages. I remember the days when it was either the telephone (with no answerphone), a letter through the post, or a telegram perhaps, for special occasions.
I am desperately trying to keep up with technology. One thing is for sure, I don’t think my grey cells will be dying off any time soon, through lack of inactivity or lack of stimulation!
You are one of the many thousands of people in my community that I want to reach out to and help, and your needs may be very different to the next person’s needs. Although I try to send out interesting and informative newsletters, you may not be getting the help and support you need. It’s always best therefore, to contact me by replying to my emails if you need specific help.
Alternatively, you can join my rapidly growing Facebook community – Tummy Talk. There’s a wealth of support and information in the group, from natural health practitioners just like me, with decades of clinical experience, to folk who have an interest in natural health, particularly digestive, gut health and female health.
