Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Using photos from actual experiences, Cole shows what some patients have 'passed out' after the procedures were done. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Debby Cole, 42, colon therapy consultant, has been treating people through colon cleansing for the past 13 years. If you have a dysfunctional colon, it can lead to perforated colon, inflammation of the bowels and, over time, colon cancer. Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease. Statistics from the University Hospital of the West Indies' medical records state that 255 people have been diagnosed with the disease between 2003 and 2007.

Colon cleansing helped to eliminate many illnesses that have plagued Cole's life for years. For years, she battled with many illnesses. She was in and out of the doctor's office almost every month. "My immune system was down. One day, I became ill and was tired of being sick and tired so I decided to take better care of myself," she said. She began searching for an answer. With some investigation she found her solution, colon cleansing. After being healed through colon therapy, she was sold on the idea. She quit her job and went to study colon therapy at the School of Colon Therapy in Florida, the United States of America, in 1995.

Within two years, she completed her studies and returned to Jamaica to set up a practice, giving others a chance to benefit from colon therapy. In those days, the treatment was not as popular and as a result, it was very challenging for her to market the whole idea. "At one point, I became so frustrated I thought of advertising to pets if I was not able to reach people. But no one brought animals."

Adverse reaction

Her practice was not doing as well as she thought it would. But after appearing on the programme 'Running Africa' aired on Irie FM in 1998, her business took off. However, there were new challenges. She found that though the therapy had been around since 1500 BC, it was still relatively new. Thus, people did not gravitate towards it and were sceptical. "The fact is, people don't like changes and anything that is new, they tend to have an adverse reaction to it."

She points out that in this business, word of mouth and the results sell the product. "But people do not read. They prefer secondary information. So if someone says that they did the treatment and it did not work, then that is bad for your practice."

She also said that some medical practitioners believe in the benefits of the treatment but others do not. "People tend to have a certain loyalty towards their doctors, so if the doctors discourage the patients from doing the procedure, then they (the patients) won't."

Many individuals tend to be very uneasy and squeamish about having a colon cleansing but Cole makes it as comfortable as possible. "Before I do a treatment, I get people comfortable because if they are, they will trust you. I compliment them. I may give them a foot or belly massage. I play soothing music and strike up conversation that has nothing to do with the treatment to take their minds off it."

Benefits of colon cleansing

Left: Debby Cole, colon therapist/consultant, has been helping others from the inside, out. Right: Debby Cole explains the process of colon cleansing. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Also, she educates her patients on the benefits of a colon cleansing. She said that people must know what the colon is. It is the large intestine that is the last six feet of the digestive tract. It is a storage tube for solid waste and the main function of the colon appears to be the extraction of water and salts from faeces.

She notes that what affects thecolon affects the stomach. "Usually, some people might have a colon problem but they think it's a stomach problem. Many times, the colon suffers in silence. Often, individuals do not recognise that there is a problem until it becomes severe." She further stated that sometimes, people may have digestive problems, which can result in gas, abdominal pain and constipation and a colon cleansing will help with alleviating such conditions.

"Sometimes, there is an overload in the stomach. People eat food that is not properly digested. It goes to the colon, stays there, then starts to ferment, depending on what you eat. Carbohydrates will ferment and if it's protein, it will putrefy (decay)."

She points out that food should not be stored in our bodies for more than 48 hours. However, you find that there are people who do not have a 'bowel movement' for days. This backs up in your stomach, causing it to become distended (swell out or expand). When this happens, you can end up with a megacolon, an abnormal dilatation of the colon. The dilatation is often accompanied by a paralysis of the peristaltic movements of the bowel, resulting in chronic constipation. In more extreme cases, the faeces consolidate into hard masses inside the colon called fecalomas.

Other problems

She told Flair that once she had to do a procedure on someone who had a megacolon. She extracted about 30 pounds of stones from the patient who had been constipated for two weeks. "The procedure was very painful for her but when it was over, she cried because she felt much better."

She said also that a clogged colon also causes other health problems. She said that the colon takes care of the nervous condition. There are neurotransmitters that transmit directly into the colon and sometimes, when people have mood swings, it is that those transmitters are blocked.

These days, colon cleansing is fast becoming the next new diet. Cole agrees that it does assist with weight loss. In fact, she said one of her patients was so overweight, he could not even walk up a hill, and after he did his first cleansing, he lost over 10 pounds. By the second treatment, he was able to master the hill.

Despite the fact that her job is like cleaning a cesspool, she finds it rewarding.

Blowouts

"We cannot charge enough for this type of service because sometimes, we have blowouts on the table. Thus, we have to wear proper gear, especially when we have a lot to clean up. However, at the end of it all, when people start getting back their health, that is what is rewarding."

Most Jamaican men tend to be reluctant to seek treatment once it has to do with their colon, rectum or prostate. On the contrary, the majority of Cole's clients are men. "I have many male clients, maybe because of how I interact with them. Also, once a man knows he will benefit from the procedure, then he just comes in and does it; they are more committed." She said that women tend to find excuses and say they will come back but sometimes they do not. She added that she has clients both locally and internationally. She said many seem to think that to do the procedure is much more cost effective.

For the future, she hopes that she can take on more responsibility, like developing a mobile clinic to go into homes and do the procedure. She also hopes that people take better care of their health. "The more I talk to people, the more I realise I can positively help them to change lives."