My dad was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 6 years before I was born. By the time I made my entrance in the world, he was experiencing extreme highs and lows – blood sugar levels reading above 200mg/dL and below 10mg/dL. I woke to the sound of ambulance sirens and strange men running into my house regularly. By the time I was 5, I knew exactly what he needed (usually juice) and how to prepare it. I would plead with my mom to allow me to help; still, she called for an ambulance. Through this experience I grew a deep fascination for the body, and especially for how to heal it. I also became deeply empathetic.
I was drawn, at first, to pharmaceuticals as I watched my dad give himself a shot in the thigh at the dinner table on a daily basis to help stabilize his blood sugar. Later on (around 8 years old) I learned about the healing powers of food; a way to help the body function optimally, support the cells in all their functions, and to heal from the inside out, without the need for pharmaceuticals.
After high school, I attended nursing school while working as a certified nurse’s assistant in hospitals and nursing homes. Here I realized it was all a trap. In nursing school, any questions about the validity of natural remedies were quickly shut down, and my concerns about most pharmaceuticals were quickly dismissed. In mainstream “health”care, I noticed many missing dots. Nobody was talking about nutrition, nervous system regulation, emotions, or anything holistically or naturally-minded, and if you did, you were often thought to be less intelligent than the rest. So, I was “that” girl, and I was okay with it.
I wasn’t okay with people at their sickest being trapped within 4 white walls and polyester sheets, while a loud ambiance of beeping machines, and pokes and prods from nurses, kept them from restful sleep, all while stuck with a sick roommate who’s snoring, shouting, or sometimes dying. I wasn’t okay with the patient loads we were given, that made it challenging to serve tender, empathetic care. I wasn’t okay with people getting that sick that young, and being trapped in it by the system. Medication this; Medication that; “You’ll be fine.”
I wanted more for people. I still do. That’s the truth of why quit my mainstream career to deliver whole-person care to the members of my community.
Embrace Your Journey