5 days worth is certainly better than nothing, and will eliminate some of the pressure from the transverse colon to the liver.  (See the picture below - which is MUCH more realistic than most).  Most people don't realize that one of the most common complications of gallbladder removal surgery is when the gallbladder has become somehow 'attached' to the transverse colon.  The transverse colon (even when it's a normal size) constantly puts pressure on the liver, but in most people it's full of several meals worth of food instead of just 'one meals worth' (not to mention the build-up of gas & debris) and the resulting engorgement can be pressing and squishing the biliary network for decades, ultimately causing all kinds of liver, colon and overall health issues.  Just IMAGINE how compromised the liver could be if the transverse colon was engorged enough to press constantly on the gallbladder!  (And the gallbladder can be different locations for many people - so the the colon can squish/constrict the gallbladder even when it's not overly engorged).

Oh yes, there IS a good reason that the 'order of cleansing' is COLON FIRST!!! (and why we need to cleanse it thoroughly).

One of THE most (truly) horrific things about CZ in the last few years is how the vast majority of posters advising others have totally lost sight of the fundamental basics of health (very important fundamentals that used to be common knowledge, back in the days when we saw all kinds of 'healing testimonies' on CureZone).  There is a very specific 'order of cleansing' and it is ALWAYS "colon first"...and there's a multitude of very important reasons that is true!

As Dr. Schulze says, "the gallbladder is the rectum of the liver".  Everything that comes out of the liver comes out through the gallbladder, and if the gallbladder is squished, then less (or barely anything) comes out!  How in the world anyone thinks that somehow taking a couple of tablespoons of Epsom Salts is going to make a full liver flush as effective & safe as it should be without first doing an adequate colon cleanse is off their rocker (which sad-lol, most of CZ is these days).  Even the most remedial diagrams & knowledge show very clearly how the transverse colon presses against the liver.  If we want to cleanse & restore the liver, we MUST make sure the exit door is open; and we must make sure that all the biliary tubing is open, flowing and free of crimps & blockages.  So how does all of this play into your current issues with IF#2?

Back in 1996 your liver & gallbladder were so compromised you became symptomatic enough that they cut out your gallbladder, so we know you've had  liver compromise (at some level or another) for at least 15 years.  I see throughout your posting history "I've never been constipated" along with things like "erratic bowels, fluctuating between diarrhea & constipation).  So let's clear up "what is constipation?" -- constipation is the absence of normal, healthy bowel movements 15-30 minutes after each meal eaten ('normal healthy bowel movement' = what's in the diaper of a breast-fed baby...voluminous soft curds, without odor, that are peanut-butter-ish in color).  So if you're like most human adults, you've been constipated most of your life...and this does have something (sometimes a very high percentage) to do with liver & gallbladder compromise.  Btw, when I started my healing pathways, I'd always been a 'once a day pooper' (and if someone would have told me I was "constipated", I would have laughed out loud).  Then I progressed to having several bms daily (around the same time I developed my "genetic" acid reflux - just like my dad).  It didn't have anything to do with genetics; it was because I'd become so impacted that a decent size movement couldn't come out/through all at once, and that caused all kinds of issues with putrefecation & gas...gas that was going upward, causing reflux.  After my first thorough cleanse, the reflux disappeared (as did all my period/female/hormonal issues that I'd had all my life).  So yes (in answer to your unanswered post), the colon does wrap directly around the uterus & ovaries and when they are squished, they don't function correctly...and this leads to all manner of 'female & hormonal' issues.

Let's make sure you're taking the IF#2 correctly.  5x daily (approximately 2 3/4 hours apart) you put a heaping teaspoon of IF#2 powder in a glass/jar and add 4-8 oz of water or juice, mix/shake it thoroughly, drink it, and follow it with 8-16 oz of pure water.  The water after every dose has absolutely nothing to do with the gallon of fluid you need for healthy hydration daily.  Each 8-16 oz serving of water after each dose of IF#2 is "part of the dose of the IF#2" (it's in addition to the water/fluid you ingest daily for hydration).  So, if you're doing that correctly and you're still becoming constipated, that means you definitely need to add the IF#1.

When you take the IF#2 and become constipated, you've got a situation where there's additional clogs in the intestinal tubing, gas (from putrefying food and the gas of the fiber), and even more "lack of downward flow" (which causes the gas to go wherever it can go, instead of going down).  That usually means the gas goes "up" (and this is the fundamental cause of many gastic disturbances like reflux and hiatal hernias, as well as being something that pressures the liver even further and can cause lack of bile flow and various types of stagnation). Of course, lack of bile flow = lack of peristalsis, so that worsens the symptoms.  And what bile is getting through isn't (likely) enough for the digestive process (which = digestive problems = more putrefecation = more gas = more symptoms :(

Everything in the 'main tube' (including gas) is supposed to go "downward".  If there's gas/reflux or anything moving upward, the main/first place we check is to make sure there's no clogs, crimps or congestion in the main tubing.  And it seems quite clear with all the various 'reflux' you're experiencing, there's definitely some 'clogs, crimps & congestion', and the minute that is increased with the IF#2, the symptoms become extremely enhanced.  That pretty-much means you're actually 'normal' (as in, I highly doubt there's any major problem that can't be easily corrected)....unless of course, your diet is conflicting with the cleansing protocol or you're taking unnatural supplements that are complicating or impeding the body's natural ability to function naturally.

Regarding this >>>  Clearly my body does not like colon cleansing, as even during the cleanse, despite drinking a lot of water with it, I was always uncomfortable - nausea, bloating, cramping, pain, etc. I am eating as bland as I can, but can't tolerate that either. I'm sure my epstein barr has flared up, because there seems to be a correlation between the two <<<

Correct, the body does not like being constipated - the colon/digestive tract ARE the foundation of the functionality of every system in the body.  That doesn't mean your body doesn't like 'colon cleansing', it means (as we can see now) that you need to add the IF#1 when you take the IF#2 to make sure you're having the 3 bms daily that will prevent the symptoms that constipation creates.  You (obviously) need quite urgently to get to the root of this integral issue in order to get effective work done on a very compromised liver...so that your body can be functioning and utilizing it's natural healing schematics in order to deal with the rest of your compromise.  With the "list of issues" you have, I know it's imperative that you cleanse & restore your GI, liver & kidneys to better working order.  We all need to do a thorough cleanse of each system and several 'quickie maintenance cleanses' yearly in order to keep up with the horrendous burden our bodies suffer from when being expected to run in ultra-high-gear (like a brick on the accelerator) 24/7/365.  So I definitely suggest you get 30 days worth of IF#2 through your system (with the IF#1) and then start diligent work on your liver & kidneys.

Also, since you know/realize that your liver has been compromised for 15 years, that means the other systems of detoxification & neutralization have been picking up a very heavy burden for a very long time (and are currently); it's very possible that your liver is likely much more compromised than you realize.  Treating just one system of the body at any given time typically only yields partial results (and can actually be counterproductive) - our body is one organism, not a bunch of parts stuck together randomly (as we so often try to treat it).  So I always suggest people that are working on a full & thorough colon cleanse to simulataneously support their liver (which only makes sense, as bile production/flow is integral for digestion & peristalsis).   Dr. Gerson had every patient in his clinic doing 4-5 coffee enemas daily - and coffee enemas are something that actually strengthen peristalsis as well as detoxifying the bloodstream (which takes a HUGE burden off the other syste).  They help to ensure some level of bile flow and also help to relieve constipation.  One coffee enema is something I believe would be extremely beneficial for you.  And also "bitters".  We have a very bitter Liver/GB tincture that I recommend everyone use after each dose of IF#2 - one just puts 5-10 drops on the tongue after every dose, and the bitter taste induces production/flow of bile (a 2oz bottle will easily) last 1-2 months.

You're definitely on the right track with cleansing your colon so you can set up the strong foundation you need to ensure your body's ability to heal itself.  Remember, it's knowledge that is the secret to healing & health (and quite frankly, the 'tide of knowledge' has turned from basic, fundamental natural health & healing to 'alternative medicine' that's typically as ineffective for true healing as allopathic medicine).  Keep increasing your knowledge base (there's tons of great info in the FAQs and we've got some great selections/videos under Media in the Apothecary), because that's an investment in your healing that will pay off as a 'steady upward trend' that leads to well-being, vibrant health and FREEDOM!

Healthiest of blessings,

Unyquity (who was interrupted by a very long phone call and did not take the time to proof this post for grammar & typos :)