A marathon and a missing microbiome

“My results are bad, but my quality of life is good.”

The gut microbiome is primarily located in the large intestine and is one of our most important partners in our health and well-being. The small microorganisms in the gut help us with digestion, the immune system and our mental well-being, among other things. So what do you do if you suddenly have to have your entire large intestine removed due to illness?

Finnish Taru Vainikainen, 35, knows something about this.

20 toilet visits

At the age of 20, she had her entire colon removed, and has since lived with a so-called J-pouch, which means that the rectum is shaped from the small intestine so that it forms a small J.

At the age of 18, Taru Vainikainen was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the large intestine. Taru found herself extremely tired, bloated and having to go to the bathroom sometimes up to 20 times a day. “It was a huge challenge for me, because when the disease was at its worst, I couldn’t even leave my house because when I needed to go to the bathroom, I had to find one right away.” 

Drug-dependent or missing microbiome

No medication worked, the only medication that had an effect was cortisol, but every time she tried to come off it, her symptoms got worse. Taru Vainikainen realized that she had to take the last resort, which was surgery, if she didn't want to live on cortisol for the rest of her life. "I asked for the surgery myself. I think I was so depressed that I asked: Can't you do something? I can't live like this."

After the operation, the first year was particularly physically challenging, as Taru Vainikainen's body was completely out of balance and she had to reacquaint herself with her body and digestion. But the psychological challenges took longer: "The whole course of the illness felt like a fight for survival. It was only after the operation that I really had time to think about what had happened. I was never diagnosed with depression, but looking back, I was probably depressed."

Important with fluids

It has now been 15 years and today Taru Vainikainen does not notice much of either the psychological challenges or her lack of a colon in everyday life, but she does have to pay special attention to fluid balance as she becomes dehydrated very quickly.

Taru Vainikainen's digestion also works faster than others. She can eat most things, but coarse fibers and very green vegetables are absorbed less well, especially if she is stressed. And stress IS a crucial element in her quality of life: "The most important thing I have learned is stress management. If I live in good balance, everything works much better."

A microbiome test without a microbiome to test

Taru Vainikainen had heard about microbiome testing a few years before she met Unseen Bio and was curious about getting the test, but could not get the test sent from the USA. Meeting Unseen Bio's microbiome test was an eye-opener: “The results were really bad. I didn’t think it could be that bad.” However, she was reassured by a conversation with Unseen Bio’s Johan Hartmann: “He said that I shouldn’t compare myself to healthy Europeans, but look at my quality of life. My results are bad, but my quality of life is good.”

And Taru Vaikaininen's quality of life IS good despite her lack of a colon. She has managed to defy doctors' warnings and complete both a marathon and a half Ironman, even though doctors thought it would be impossible for her. "I wanted to challenge myself, but it's not something you just do. You have to train yourself for it and when I trained, I could see that I could push myself more."

It is perhaps precisely this willpower and determination that helps Taru Vainikainen maintain her good lifestyle habits to live well and symptom-free: “The very basic things like sleep, nutrition, exercise and following the body's natural rhythm have a big influence on how you feel.” The importance of these lifestyle habits became even clearer to Taru Vainikainen after she gained insight into her gut through the test, how important they are to follow and maintain when, like her, you live permanently without a microbiome.