Welcome to Oshi Patient Stories, an interview series where we hear from the real people who have found lasting relief from digestive symptoms with Oshi’s virtual gastrointestinal (GI) care. In today’s interview, Erika shares how Oshi helped her manage gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by incorporating expert guidance from a registered dietitian and gut-brain specialist into her care plan.
Erika shares her experience with Oshi Health.
How did you feel about your GI symptoms before starting care with Oshi, and how do you feel about them now?
Before I started with Oshi, I was constantly scared about my GI symptoms. I didn’t know if I was having a heart issue or what foods were triggering me, or what was happening to me. And then I found Oshi through my husband’s employer, and being with Oshi has given me all the support I needed. After meeting with the gut-brain specialist, I’ve learned how to manage my stress, how to properly digest, and how to mentally handle having GI issues- what that means, how to recognize it, and how to know, OK, I’m having a GI symptom right now. I can just breathe, I’ll be fine, and not freak out over all these situations cause that just makes everything worse.
I’ve been seeing Jan, who’s my regular nurse practitioner, and she’s amazing. She really helps me feel calm about my situation. They also have dietitians who help you make a plan to figure out what is setting you off; I learned that one thing that actually helps me is chewing gum. However, chewing gum gives you gas cause you’re chewing and you’re swallowing. And so it’s also something that is a hindrance, so I’ve learned to balance that use, but all these resources and having the contact at my fingertips from the comfort of my home is just incredible.
Everybody who I’ve met with has been phenomenal, and I have dramatically improved over the last year or so that I’ve been with Oshi. And I have my symptoms under control. Oshi Health has been so supportive and helpful, and I highly recommend it.
Personalized care, real results: Working with an Oshi registered dietitian
Read MoreWhat tips or strategies have you learned while working with Oshi that are helping you live a better life today?
So, tips and strategies I have learned: I have learned a breathing technique to help my body go into the rest-and-digest state, which is crucial cause a lot of times your body gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode, especially when you have anxiety. Breathing and allowing your body to go into a restful state so you can properly digest is really helpful. I’ve also learned that if I chew gum all day long, I will end up with a lot of gas. Chewing gum is a helpful tool to reduce heartburn cause it makes saliva go down your esophagus. And it’s very, it’s very helpful with some GERD symptoms, but it shouldn’t be done for too long cause then you can develop a lot of gas. I’ve learned not to panic when I feel a GERD symptom that feels new or different or strong, and to remind myself to stay calm, to know that it’s GERD, to not freak out about it being in my heart, cause, you know, it’s in the same vicinity and it causes a lot of anxiety. So, I have learned to quiet the loud voices that are like, “You’re dying, you’re dying” every time I have a GERD problem, and to recognize this is GERD: breathe, rest, and digest.
How would you describe your Oshi experience to a friend who’s struggling with similar symptoms?
How would I describe Oshi to a friend struggling with similar symptoms? When I went to Oshi. I got the help I needed. They were willing to look at all my charts, all my test results, and really paint a picture of what’s going on. They described it to me in detail, helped me come to a treatment plan, and helped me understand what is happening to me. They have dietitians to help me build on that plan. Besides just medication, there’s a dietitian to help me understand what I should and should not eat, and then a gut-brain specialist to help me mentally understand how to cope with what’s happening to me and really kind of get me to a state where I can be a bit more independent and I don’t have to rely on medical care all the time. Now, they’re all just here as a support system for me if I need it. I would tell a friend that, you know, this triple threat would really help recalibrate your life to make it something that’s manageable.
