Back when my health was falling apart, I went to my doctor. I was scared there was something really wrong with me. I was freezing cold all of the time, my periods were every 10 days and they were very heavy,  with intense cramps and mood swings.  I had a sinus infection that lasted a year and a half that wouldn’t go away no matter what antibiotic I took or steroid I took and I eventually was on so many antibiotics that I developed an allergy to doxycycline.  In addition to all of this I was gaining weight at a rapid speed and it didn’t seem to matter what I did, it just wouldn’t stop.  I was exhausted all….the…..time…..  I had no energy to do things that I used to love, and I really couldn’t explain why.  I was also experiencing “issues” when eating certain foods and my approved foods list was getting smaller and smaller. 

Knowing SOMETHING was wrong, but not being able to pin point it, I assumed I was approaching menopause and went to my gynecologist.  She ran blood work and told me what I have now learned is all too common- “your labs are in range” and dismissed my symptoms.  Because the labs were in range, there was no diagnostic code, therefore she was unable to help me. 

Now I know I had tanked my endocrine system and I had no reserves left in my body to deal with any stressors at all.   And, my life is very stressful!  I have a very busy life with stressors that can’t be avoided including being a caretaker for my son who is a Type 1 diabetic and Autistic, mom, wife, friend, in the midst of the end of Perimenopause, starting a functional practice, the list goes on.

Because I had no reserve left, I now began to feel like I had lost myself.  Seriously.  I began to wonder who I even was, and was there a point to my life?  This is a scary and dangerous place to be mentally, but I just didn’t have anything left to give anyone, and a seemingly never ending to do list and people who were counting on me.

I forgot about the most important person who was counting on me- ME!

I had to find answers.

As mothers, we often forget that self-care IS child-care!  Or as a wife, what do you have to give to your spouse if you have nothing?  Or as a friend, are you even participating in the friendship when you aren’t even really participating in your own life because you’re just too depleted to do so?

Here is what I tell my clients: Nothing and Everything is wrong with you.

Your doctor-run labs probably look normal. Your thyroid is normal, your hormones are normal, your blood work is normal.

But you’re like, nope.  I don’t feel normal at all.

So when the Lord led me to Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and a new world of functional lab testing opened up to me, I was blown away.

Being able to test for things and get an idea of why I was feeling the way I was feeling was life changing.  And, just like healing is a process, and not linear, so is the path of a Functional Practitioner.

I have caught the “functional bug”, so to speak and now I nerd out on all things nutrition, holistic, lifestyle- you name it!  There is always more to learn, and every year I consider what area I might need to focus on improving, and/or adding to my knowledge. As 2025 came to a close, I really felt like I needed to add to my nutrition knowledge and go deeper there. I am currently in the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner course with the Nutrition Therapy Association, and will graduate in February 2027.  I have learned a lot through this course and believe it adds to the quality of service I give to my clients.  

Through the NTA, I have learned how to address the foundations of health- Nutrient Dense Diet, Stress Management, Sleep, Digestion, and Blood Sugar Management. I have learned how to utilize the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire to help pinpoint where to begin and where to go next. While I love functional tests, and utilize them often, it isn’t always the only or even the best option! We can make a lot of headway by focusing on the foundations of health first, and then, if necessary, add in functional testing if that fits your budget better!

Learning is a never ending task, and I consider myself a life-long learner (proudly!).  I will go on to complete even more courses and apply what I learn in practice along the way.  And, I hope I add a little bit to your toolbox too!