Constipation

Hi Annette,
I have a client who has been smoking 20 cigarettes per day for 20 years and in Feb 2008 stopped altogether. Then found that she became constipated and very bloated, and was only going once every 7 to 11 days. She went into hospital as the abdominal pains were unbearable. They did a laparoscopy and found that she was compacted, sent her off with laxatives, which have only slightly eased the problem. She went to a womens physio because she was now suffering from a bowel prolapse. The physio sent her on to me to clean out her bowel as she could not work on the client as she was. Consquently, now September, I have given this client 4 colonics 1 week apart. After the 2nd one she was going 2 times per day, then same after the 3rd. Then came in for a 4th. (I also gave her psyllium to increase her fibre) 10 days later I saw her again and she is now back to constipation again, although not as bad. My feeling is that she has relyed on the cigarettes, a nerve stimulant, for 20 years to stimulate the bowel to defecate and now the body needs stimulating to work naturally. Could it be that this process of colonics will have to carry on weekly, for quite some time to adjust her body to work on it's own? Or is there something else I can do for her? She is not in a very financial position. She is up for another colonoscopy in a couple of weeks. Any thoughts thank you. Susanna