Thriven Functional Medicine

For 26 years of my life, I have battled with constant health issues such as asthma, severe allergies, and rashes. I’ve dealt with achy joints and muscle cramps since I was about 10. I was diagnosed with ADD at 12 and have been on various ADD meds since then, depending on them to get me through the day. I have been on Prednisone and antibiotics throughout my childhood; Going into my teen years, I battled with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. At 18, I was quite overweight, reaching almost 200 lbs., when I was diagnosed with Pseudo Tumor Cerebri. I was miserable for 26 years. The way I felt interfered with my daily life and I felt like I had absolutely zero control over anything. I felt lost and hopeless. I was an angry and pessimistic person from my teen years into young adulthood. A few months ago when I did my initial consultation, one of Dr. Anderson’s questions asked (wow I’m actually crying right now) “How old do you feel.” I answered that I feel like I’m on my deathbed. How is it possible that a 26 year old should feel so old?! Over the years, I have had very little motivation. My mental clarity was limited. I didn’t push or challenge myself; I had no desire. All of these things I did realize, and trust me, it was stressful and it hurt me that I couldn’t just push through it. I felt horrible because I felt like I was letting the people around me down… friends, family, my boyfriend… even his family.

When it was time to sign the dotted line to be a part of this program, I was scared. It’s summer time. There’s BBQs, camping, hiking, and events to go to. There’s delicious food to eat and beverages to drink. If I couldn’t have self-control before, how am I going to have self-control now? I was absolutely terrified of failing because I have failed so many times before. Because I made the choice, the decision, to jump into this and invest in my health for once. I was done waiting until Monday to start my lifestyle change over. TODAY IS THE DAY. At first I thought about what I was losing, only to be reminded of what all I would be gaining.

My background is that I am a Dietetic (food & nutrition) student. I have known and have researched about the state of our Healthcare system, traditional medicine, pharmaceutical companies and the Standard American Diet. A passion for Nutrition and helping others has been growing ever since I was introduced to this at 18, when I was diagnosed with PTC, and my mom and I were seeking answers elsewhere. At the time, I started out good but over the years, I couldn’t find a lifestyle change that encouraged me to stick with it. I went to a 3-week program versus a 3-month or even 6-month program, in which Dr. Anderson’s 3-6 month program will give you the tools, education, and tips to take with you when you go back home and into the real world to face your fears, challenges, and obstacles that we deal with on the daily.

In 2 months, I have lost about 15 lbs. I am energetic, I have mental clarity, I’m working on how I handle stress, and I have motivation. I finally have the motivation to reach out and do what I need to do so I can be a successful Dietetic student and future Registered Dietitian. For those in the program; that list of symptoms we fill out… my score was initially 115. Today, I’m at 16!!! This program is so much more than a weightloss program… in fact, the losing weight part is just a fantastic bonus. But what is so much more than weightloss, is being able to feel good again. And as for me, I have never felt good. I’m positive, calm, relaxed, and just all around HAPPY. My body feels amazing! I have finally gotten to a point where I never want to go back to how I used to be, to how I used to feel. Food isn’t that important if it is affecting my daily life. And I’m done relying on medications to treat my various symptoms. And just think… I’m only 2 months in. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be, who I’ll be in another 4 months when I’ve completed my 6-month plan and journey. And this journey is lifelong.