After my “you are just recovering from mono” diagnosis, being told to just rest, and waiting more than eight months to “get over it”, I began becoming disillusioned by the conventional care doctor I’d been seeing for years (a provider at Swedish health care in the Seattle area). Once my symptoms got worse and I developed joint pains, and on the recommendation of my physical therapist, I looked into the naturopathic option more and more. I realized that for someone suffering from chronic health issues, it really didn’t seem like conventional medicine was going to cut it. Time to continue on in my healthcare journey.
I kept an open mind before my first visit with the rheumatologist. I figured there was no harm in moving forward with both the holistic route as well as the conventional route — why shouldn’t I concurrently see both and have a coordinated approach to my treatment?
Take a look at my “diagnoses” and solutions along each path. While I’ll never know what would have happened had I continued on the conventional care path, an emerging pattern is clear – prescription drugs to cover up symptoms and lack of both knowledge and recognition of chronic illnesses like Lyme, Reactivated Epstein-Barr, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Adrenal fatigue, and mold exposure. The root cause of my illness was never investigated.
The biggest takeaway for me was to continue searching for a treatment that works for my healing and to keep fighting for myself. Don’t give up!
I can’t imagine the shape I’d be in if I stopped and settled with my rheumatologist. Would I be taking Plaquenil forever? What would happen to my body if Lyme was left untreated for more years to come? If I hadn’t continued pursuing what the root cause of my illness was, I wouldn’t have discovered the root cause and discovered all the benefits of oxygen therapy, ozone therapy, Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy, herbal and natural treatments. I’ll never know if my body would’ve been fine with managing my symptoms using prescription medicine. But, I’m confident that focusing on holistic healing and solving the root cause of the problem is a win for my health.
What does your own healthcare journey look like?
