They say that entrepreneurs often step in and create things when they see something that THEY NEED in their lives. I have LONG been passionate about health, wellness, fitness, and helping people. Since moving to Vegas, I’ve really missed my fitness community, and my health has suffered accordingly.
However, this year it all came to a head! It all started on a dream trip to Miami at the beginning of March. I was staying in a luxury condo and on day 2 of my 9 day stay, I started coughing at about midnight – and didn’t stop all night long. I pulled apart the entire condo and washed everything that wasn’t nailed down in the washing machine in hot water and no cleaner. Every time for the next 9 days that I walked into that condo, I’d have coughing fits for HOURS!
Then about 10 days later, Mike and I went on our 20th anniversary trip to Hawaii and the NON-STOP coughing came again. That first night in our hotel, I had to get up and leave the room and go sit in the lobby at about 2 am in the morning so Mike could sleep and I could get out of the environment.
It was so good to get home after the trip, but the chronic cough continued. I couldn’t create content – videos, webinars, nothing without coughing fits any time I started talking. In order to serve my clients, I was CONSTANTLY sucking on cough drops and chewing gum to try to keep the cough at bay. When I lived in San Diego, I had an amazing Naturopathic Doctor and an acupuncturist that I could go to any time something was off. Here in Vegas, any time anything has come up, I’ve been passed around from doctor to doctor over the past 7 years, with little support. So I’m not quick to go to the doctor.
When I finally gave in in June, I got a new primary care physician. But before I could see her, I had to do an appointment with her Physician’s Assistant. She couldn’t determine what was wrong – so she booked me an appointment with the primary care two weeks later. Over the next few months, I was in there with her every two weeks – getting CT scans, PET scans, MRI’s, another CT scan, then more tests I’ve never even heard of. At first, the CT scan showed stuff on my lungs and she was concerned it was Lung Cancer or Sarcoidosis (an autoimmune disease that creates cysts on your lungs). She sent me to a pulmonologist and a cardiologist – only for them to suggest that maybe it was really severe bronchitis and pneumonia. They put me on a heavy round of antibiotics, and the chronic cough cleared. Then my blood pressure jumped so high that they were concerned to let me leave my appointment for fear that I was at a high risk for stroke. So they immediately put me on blood pressure medicine.
In the mean time, I was in and out of a phlebotomist every couple of weeks, running more and more blood tests – with all their blood tests coming back completely normal.
By October 1st – I had incurred 10 doctor copays, gone through 18 blood tests, been radiated 8 times and traditional medicine still had no idea what was wrong. In the meantime, I have also been working with a Functional Health Practitioner and was also running tests with them – and paying for all of that data out of pocket – another $2k of tests, reports, and advice.
Ultimately, there have still been minimal answers, but most of the answers I did get were from all my functional tests. Since that time, I have done a parasite cleanse. A mold detox. Have been gluten and dairy free again to try to clear up my gut issues. I’ve cut back on hard core workouts and am sticking with lower intensity barre workouts, pilates, and walking.
But from this experience, I have felt SO frustrated and powerless. Fortunately Mike and I have great medical insurance. Fortunately I could afford all these tests. But it did truly show me the need for more PROACTIVE healthcare. More FUNCTIONAL – ROOT CAUSE healthcare. More getting to the bottom of WHY something is happening versus just giving another pill to mask their symptoms. So, that is why I’m excited to bring you Women’s Health 365. I’ll be going back to school and completing an Integrative Health Practitioner Certification. I’ll be able to run medical labs, provide protocols and help women take back their power in relation to their health.
So WELCOME! I’m glad you’re here and can’t wait to bring you on this journey!
