Why Functional Medicine?

What if I told you that Functional Medicine saved my life almost five years ago? For my ICU friends reading this, I did not need CPR in an office setting! What happened, though, is that for the first time in my two-year health journey, I had a provider who took my complaints seriously, looked me in the eyes, and said, “No Kelly, you are not crazy, and I believe that I can help you.”

You see, I was at the end of my rope. I had been having terrible hives all over my body as well as lip and eyelid swelling (angioedema). One night I ended up in the ER and was convinced I was making all of this up. After that night, I had two more episodes where I awoke in the middle of the night in a full-blown reactive state but refused to go to the ER because I was not in distress (later my husband admitted that he thought I was going to pass out at any moment). No one had any idea what was wrong with me. It was frightening, frustrating, and even embarrassing.

I thought that I had always taken good care of my body, yet it was not functioning the way it was supposed to, and as a healthcare provider myself, I had no idea what was going on. My stress and anxiety levels were extremely high. After a long day at the hospital, I could not bring myself to even stop at Target to buy milk, because the thought of being away from my kids for even longer gave me panicking anxiety. I started stopping at the gas station for milk because I could get in and out quickly. The one thing I knew was that I could not go on like this and I desperately needed help.

Long story short, I made an appointment with a Functional Medicine nurse practitioner on a whim. By this point, I was taking Claritin, Zyrtec, and Pepcid twice daily along with Singulair once daily without complete resolution in symptoms. At that first visit, the NP listened to my entire story. I had never had someone ask so many questions about my medical history. She was intrigued that I had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 16 and that my current dose of Synthroid was more than three times what you would expect. She was concerned that I had been severely anemic and iron deficient in 2014, requiring iron infusions. She didn’t just take into account my current symptoms; what I realize now is that she created a timeline of my health.

My GI MAP revealed off-the-chart inflammatory markers (I’m a little glad I was clueless back then) and pathogens. By treating my gut and instituting dietary changes, I eventually saw symptom resolution and many of my lab values improved significantly. We also had some eye-opening conversations about the source of my stress. I will forever appreciate her honesty and empathy and will never forget the moment that she gently suggested that I make a few lifestyle changes for my health.

I share this with you because I want you to know why I am passionate about Functional Medicine; it allowed me to take back my health. I would be honored to join you on your path to health and wellness.