I’ve always wanted a career where I can help people. In 2023, I discovered my true calling, and received my certification in Integrative MindBody Coaching. This year, my focus is on sharing my story and expanding my business, so that I can help other people with chronic pain on their healing journeys. My chronic pain journey is as follows:

At the end of 2020 and into early 2021, I had the incredible opportunity of backpacking across Europe for three months. I explored the beautiful countries of England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I am so thankful for the wonderful people I met, and the amazing experiences that I will always remember.

Six months after returning to the US, I became incredibly ill. Curled up on the couch and in excruciating pain, my life froze to a standstill, as did most of the world due to COVID. Doctors diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is a fancy way of saying “we don’t really know what’s wrong with your digestive tract, but it’s not functioning properly”. In January 2022, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.

Doctors immediately put me on steroids to help calm down the inflammation in my digestive tract. Although it was a “mild steroid”, my body reacted horribly to the drug: I had uncontrollable hunger that could not be satiated, no matter how much I ate; I developed really bad acne on my face; my hair started to fall out; and I even went into a dissociative state. Based on the advice of my pharmacist, I was able to slowly wean off the steroids. The next drug that doctors wanted to put me on, was in the same class as a drug that I was allergic to. When I went to pick it up, the pharmacist at the counter warned me that if I had a bad reaction, then I could die.

At this point, I was done. I was over doctors running countless tests on me (I had my blood drawn ten times that year alone!), and fed up with medication that only made me sicker. But, I wasn’t ready to give up. I have always been a fighter, so if there was a way to limit or even reduce the inflammation in my gut, then I was going to unlock the secret! It was then that I decided to take a more natural approach to healing my body.

Receiving acupuncture treatments, every week, was the first big leap in my healing journey. I was skeptical at first, but after just one session I had more energy than I had had in the past year, and my pain levels were significantly reduced. As someone who has personal experience with Irritable Bowel Disease, my acupuncturist also recommended some supplements I could try, in order to bring down my inflammation levels. I am so thankful to have her in my life, because she has been such an incredible resource to keep me healthy, no matter what is going on with my body.

My pharmacist also told me about the Autoimmune Protocol diet. By cutting out all types of inflammatory foods, I was able to significantly decrease my pain. After a while of being on that diet, I was even able to add some foods back into my meals that I knew didn’t bother me. I now follow the Paleo Diet, with the exception of nightshade vegetables.

Long term use of NSAIDs can cause ulcers, which make digestive issues worse. I am lucky to live in a state where cannabis is legal. I used THCa, which is derived from hemp, and the precursor to THC, in order to further control my pain levels. What I love about THCa is that it directly reduces inflammation in the digestive tract without getting you high!

January 2023, I got really sick again. I went to the emergency room, and am so grateful to the staff for running full diagnostic testing. When you have a chronic illness, often-times doctors will dismiss your symptoms as your disease. After all these years of being told I had Crohn’s Disease, it turns out that doctors had incorrectly diagnosed me. I actually had a bacterial infection, which is found in unpasteurized dairy in northern Europe, that causes inflammation in the same part of the gut as Crohn’s. Doctors gave me an antibiotic that finally got rid of the bacteria.

Although my inflammation levels are back to normal, I still have chronic pain. I hope that my story inspires other people, who become unexpectedly sick, after traveling, to get tested for bacterial and parasitic infections. In 2024, I also hope to help others with chronic pain, live fuller and happier lives, by offering them support through life coaching.