MEDICAL STUFF YOU REALLY WANT TO ASK ABOUT, BUT DON’T.

Two or more women chatting together have no problems discussing when the topic comes to menstrual cycles, labor, delivery, a new gynecologist. Men, who visit doctors less often anyway, gab on about wrenched back muscles from a golf swing and a ‘great’ personal trainer. They’ll lower their voices an octave or two if the topic is ‘urinary’.

At least three or four times a year, someone, regardless of gender, will begin a sentence with, “I’m kind of embarrassed to be talking about this….”

I give a look of encouragement. “Go on,” I say, helpfully, I hope.

“I’ve seen several other doctors about it, including gastroenterologists. No one has any answers. They shrug and tell me to live with it. I’ve had this for years.”

(pause)

“It seems to take forever to get myself clean after a bowel movement.”

”Yeah. Pretty common problem,” I answer.” There’s even a term for it. ‘Fecal smearing’ and a Diagnostic Code out of the massive ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10^th Edition). The code is R 15.1. The ICD-10 is so massively detailed there are codes for ‘burns due to water skis catching fire’ and ‘stabbed while crocheting.’ But back to your wiping issue.”

There are several steps you can take, starting immediately:

1. Start doing anal Kegel exercises, 10-20 contractions of the muscles around your anus. Contract>hold>release. Once or twice a day, every day.
2. Although it is highly unlikely you have a disease of any sort, you may have a low level of inflammation (parasite, candida, dysbiosis) or an issue with digesting certain foods, like fats. Call and schedule an appointment with any WholeHealth Chicago practitioner to review your eating habits and order a Comprehensive Stool Digestive Analysis (CDSA) test which check for Parasites and Candida.
3. After you’ve submitted your stool specimen to the lab, you’ll begin the fairly simple Gut Restoration Protocol, using three natural products for intestinal hyperpermeability (“leaky gut”), pre/pro/postbiotics for your microbiome. 

I am currently recommending Xymogen GlutAloeMine, one scoop daily; Xymogen ProBioMaxDF, one pack daily; SunFiber, one pack daily. Other WHC practitioners may have their own personal favorites

4. When you’re CDSA results are back from the lab, you may get some insights into the root cause of the “smearing”, e.g., maldigestion, parasites.
5. Seriously consider investing in a toilet bidet. Bypass the emotional agony of comparison shopping, the New York Times recommends the TOTO Model CJ-5, which you can get at Home Depot.

To my surprise, Amazon actually had a used one for sale. Someone must be desperate to be buying a used toilet seat. Even more desperate to sell one.

I was recently in Japan, and every hotel I stayed at had this TOTO-C5, so I was inaugurated to its use. Well, “somewhat inaugurated” as all the instructions were in Japanese, and the tiny drawings below each button were “somewhat helpful” differentiating “gentle spray” from what I assume could be called “firehose spray” and “gentle warm drying waft” from “anal scorcher”.

For those ICD-10 R15.1 victims out there who are also skeptical of anything new, especially when it’s electric, I did a paper check on myself.

Spotless!

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD