I became a health coach after my experiences as a nurse. I became a nurse after my experiences of being a Crohn’s patient. I became a Crohn’s patient after following a standard American diet and lifestyle throughout my childhood. It’s been a long journey, but at age 29 I am now happier and healthier than I’ve ever been. Now I’m on a mission to help as many people as I can find healing and happiness in their lives too.
Growing up, I had a great childhood. I had amazing parents and an awesome big sister. I was well fed, nurtured, and loved. I was athletic, a good student, and went to church with my family every Sunday. But despite my seemingly perfect childhood, I experienced a lot of health issues growing up. However, my health issues were all considered common and therefore written off as normal. Here is a list of some of my chronic ailments as a child:
Ear infections
Sinus infections
Tubes in both ears
Adenoids removed
Vertigo
Gradual hearing loss in left ear (it never came back)
“Seasonal” allergies (that lasted year round)
Constipation
So I was basically taking medication year round growing up. From antibiotics, to allergy meds, to stool softeners and more. I was treated by dozens of different doctors and specialists throughout my childhood and not a single one of these “health experts” pointed out that these red flags produced by my body could be a sign of something seriously wrong. Instead I was offered medications and surgeries as bandaids to quiet my symptoms rather than real solutions or efforts to get to the root of the problems.
Fast forward to my freshman year of high school: my health significantly started to decline. After a few weeks in bed unable to keep any food down, excruciating abdominal pain, and a couple of trips to the hospital, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. My family and I were pretty ignorant towards Crohn’s and autoimmune diseases in general, so we were at the mercy of the conventional medical system for guidance. I was told that there were a lot of unknowns about the disease, but I would definitely have it for the rest of my life and require medication forever. That turned out to be a lie.
Over the next 10 years or so, my life looked like this:
2009:
Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease
Pancreatitis from side effect of Crohn’s medication (thankful to have parents that advocated for me in the hospital as my health continued to decline)
IV nutrition due to extreme weight loss and inability to tolerate food
High dose steroid that led to quick weight gain and mood swings (gaining a lot of weight quickly as a freshman girl is depressing)
Started the Paleo Diet
Started Remicade (IV immunosuppressive medication)
Small bowel resection for an obstruction caused by disease
2010:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
2011:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
2012:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Graduated high school
Went to university & played soccer
2013:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Played soccer
Misdiagnosed with acid reflux for 6+ months (it was my gallbladder)
Gallbladder removed (1 week after gallbladder issues discovered)
2014:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Started nursing school
Played soccer
2015:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Continued nursing school
Played soccer
2016:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Graduated nursing school
Tonsils became chronically swollen
Had tonsils removed
Passed nursing boards
Started new job as an ER nurse
2017:
Continued paleo diet
Worked night shift as an ER Nurse
Started seeing Rheumatologist for abnormal labs
Rheumatologist believed I may have drug-induced lupus from Remicade
Continued on Remicade anyways
2018:
Continued paleo diet
Continued Remicade
Worked night shift as an ER Nurse
Started Intermittent Fasting
Took myself off Remicade
Found a new GI doctor who supported my decision of being off medication as tolerated
As you can see, a lot happened in 10 years. But I want to highlight one key thing from my timeline: the Paleo Diet. I have to credit my mom for this one. At the height of my illness in 2009, she refused to take the doctors’ opinions that there was nothing we could do to treat the disease outside of medications and surgery at face value. She did her own research and discovered many Crohn’s patients were finding success in treating the disease with diet and lifestyle changes. I’m not going to say that none of the conventional medical interventions helped me; I do believe I needed medication and surgery at the time based on how I was living my life. However, I do credit my mom for truly saving my life by starting me on the Paleo Diet. I would have never become healthy enough to get off prescription medication otherwise.
The following years looked like this:
2019:
Continued paleo-type diet
Continued intermittent fasting
ER Nurse at Level II Trauma Center
Started to experience burnout as a nurse
2020:
Continued paleo-type diet
Continued intermittent fasting
ER Nurse at Level II Trauma Center
Enter Covid-19 stage right
Began travel nursing
Began to question the conventional medical system’s ability to actually make people healthier
2021:
Continued paleo-type diet
Continued intermittent fasting
Travel Nurse in ER
Worked in Florida, stared at the ocean for a long time, and found God again
Started reversion back to Catholic faith
Came back home to the Midwest & met the love of my life (shoutout to my sister for setting us up)
Enrolled in Functional Health Coach Training Program at the Kresser Institute
2022:
Continued paleo-type diet
Adjusted intermittent fasting routine
Travel Nurse in ER
Got engaged & planned a wedding
Prioritized my faith
Started a garden
Started living a simpler life
Continued health coach program
2023:
Got married (best day ever!)
Continued eating real, whole, nutrient dense foods
Adjusted intermittent fasting routine
Stepped away from nursing and conventional medicine
Became a Certified Functional Health Coach
Went on a honeymoon
Started a health coaching practice
Continued to grow in my faith
Continued to pursue a simpler, balanced life
Focused more on gentle detoxing and daily movement
Prioritized sleep and stress management
Learned how to slow down when eating and chew my food
2024:
TBD
I truly believe that God used every moment of my first 29 years of life to lead me to where I am today. All of my illnesses, my journey to heal myself through diet and lifestyle changes, and my experiences working as a nurse are the reasons I became a functional health coach. I decided to start my own practice so that I can meet my clients where they are at in their lives and personalize care to meet their needs as an individual rather that offer a one-size-fits-all solution. My goal is to partner with as many people as possible to help them learn to live a simple balanced life. In a world full of sickness and misery, there is still hope for us to find health and healing in body, mind, and soul.
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