The beginning of a new year is the time that many of us tend to be more focused on our goals, health, and resolutions. One key area of emphasis for me is this blog, and I have so many ideas and plans for it in the coming year! There is a long list of topics I want to write about and sometimes it can be overwhelming to decide what should be next. Since it has been three years since my first post on this blog (and my explanation of the functional medicine model that I practice), I have decided that before we jump back into specific themes, it would be wise to lay the foundation again. Whether you are new here or you could use a refresher, I believe that for you to benefit the most from the information I share, you need to be able to understand the whole picture! If you have not read my original post from January 2022, I encourage you to do so! This will not be a repeat of everything I said there, but an expansion of it.
I want to start by sharing some of my story with you, beginning with graduating from nursing school in May 2007. Somehow that was almost 18 years ago!!
My career began with one year on a medical-surgical unit at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN. After that, I returned to Nebraska for 5 years of Labor and Delivery and High-Risk Obstetrics at Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha and Bryan LGH Medical Center (my alma mater) in Lincoln. After my hubby graduated from dental school in 2012, we moved to NW Arkansas and I began working at NWA Pediatric Clinic, where I stayed for 5 years. When I left there in 2017, I decided to take a break from nursing all together and turned my long-time hobby of photography into a small business, “c-nic photography.” It was so good to tap into the creative side of my brain for a while! I also worked part-time at a kitchen boutique called “Euna Maes,” where I got back in touch with the girl who loved to be hospitable and feed people.
Peds Clinic Friends
Methodist Women's Friend
Part of my reason for making this big career change was realizing I was at a low point in my health. We had been walking through seven years of infertility at that point and I needed a break from being surrounded by kids and babies all day, every day to have the space to deal with my own grief… and all the repercussions of it. The physical stress of all the medications & procedures did a number on my body, the financial stress did a number on my mind and the relational stress did a number on my heart. Also during this time, we were living in a rent house while we were building a home and I developed a chronic cough, breathing issues and sinus problems. Come to find out shortly before we moved, the house had black mold in the ceiling and walls of one of the bathrooms. Needless to say, it was a rough time! There is much more that could be said about my health history, and I trickle bits and pieces of it into blog posts where appropriate, but when I think about my story… infertility and mold illness are two major factors that I believe have contributed most to my health struggles.
During this hiatus from working in the medical field, I can now look back and identify that the first thing to influence me to become interested in a more natural approach to health was doing “The Whole 30” diet program. I was at my heaviest weight at that time (30 lbs. more than now) and felt bloated, uncomfortable and blah. I had been hearing about a lot of people doing it and I thought, “why not?” It was extremely challenging to eliminate so much from my diet at once: gluten, all other grains, dairy, beans, soy, peanuts, added sugars and alcohol. But it was worth it! I learned so much about myself through that experience, like how much emotional connection I had to food, for one. It also felt so good to complete that goal, and it gave me a boost of confidence, which was much needed after years of feeling beaten down physically and emotionally. But most of all, I began to get back in touch with my body and see how quickly it could change and heal! The reintroduction process showed me some food intolerances I had that were contributing to my symptoms. All-in-all, Whole 30 was a very insightful first step in my holistic health journey!
We moved into our new house in 2018, and although my cough and breathing did improve getting out of the mold environment, limiting dairy and eating better overall; I continued to have several frustrating symptoms. I was still dealing with heartburn, bloating, stomach pains, anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, brain fog, eczema, pelvic pain, increased cholesterol and frequent illnesses.
During a church event in 2019, I was chatting with a gal who told me she was a functional medicine health coach. This was the first time I had heard of functional medicine, and I was immediately very intrigued! Shortly after that, I signed up to become a patient at the telemedicine practice where she worked so I could work with her and the doctor on my health issues. This was the 2nd big step in my journey and a total game-changer! It’s like an onion… Whole 30 peeled back the first layer and Hannah and Dr. Amy Beard helped me peel the next one. The intake process and history taking was very in-depth. Based off the information I gave them and some specialty testing that was recommended, we discovered that I had an issue with yeast overgrowth (candida) in my body. So they started me on some specific supplements and a candida diet to help bring down the yeast and rebalance my gut microbiome. Which helped A LOT with my gut and brain symptoms!
Fast forward 6 months to July 2020. I was feeling much better and super excited about this whole functional medicine thing because of my personal experience as a patient! I felt like God was calling me to get back into nursing, and although we were in the midst of a major pandemic, He opened the doors for a job as a nurse at a brand new clinic in NW Arkansas called SALT Health. It was not easy getting back into nursing after three years away, in an entirely new field where I had no experience, and at a startup! But I learned so much there, both as a patient and a healthcare provider, under the care and leadership of the very smart and empathetic Dr. Aunna Herbst. I also got to work alongside some other amazing people, and gained a couple of friendships I still hold dear!
During this time at SALT, I got to enjoy the lovely spa, which included infrared sauna, steam room and cold shower. That was such a treat and I not only learned about but experienced the benefit of those therapies. I also took an online course through The Institute of Functional Medicine called, “Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice.” Over the year, I continued to gain more insights into my own health, as well as how I can best serve others with my gifts and personality. And ultimately I decided I wanted to go back to school to become a health coach, so I could spend more one-on-one time with my patients.
So in January of 2022, I started a coaching program at the “Integrative Nurse Coach Academy,” and I also launched THIS blog/website that I had been working on behind the scenes for months! I had been feeling a nudge to get back to writing, something I’d done a lot in years past, mostly about my infertility journey. This time, I wanted to focus on overall health and all the exciting things I was learning that I felt could benefit pretty much everyone! To me, this blog has always been more of a ministry than anything. I felt strongly it was God’s will for me to do it, and it is one way for me to glorify Him and give my time, talents and treasures to bless others!
In the summer of 2023, I was approached about a 9-month discipleship institute called Downline. Their mission and vision is “to encourage a restoration of biblical discipleship in and through the local church by equipping men and women to know God’s Word and make disciples.” As amazing as it sounded, I wasn’t sure I could handle starting this right before my nurse coaching school ended. I said I needed time to think and pray about it. Well, God made it very clear that I was supposed to do it and boy am I glad I did! It was truly life-changing to sit under the teaching of pastors from all over the country and study 70% of the bible through the lens of discipleship with other men and women of all ages. I am so thankful for how I have been able to use some of what I learned in small group, here on my blog and in my interactions with others.
In January 2023, my friend Taylor and I started a Functional Medicine meet-up group in NW Arkansas. We thought there might be a lot of like-minded people out in the community and we wanted to create a way to bring them all together. It has been really neat to watch it evolve over the past two years! We now have over 120 people (doctors, PA’s, NP’s, nurses, health coaches, physical therapists, dieticians, accupuncturists, massage therapists, pharmacists, counselors, business owners, etc.) and we meet bi-monthly to share a meal or snacks, fellowship, and one of the practitioners in the group presents on something they specialize in or are passionate about. I’m so thankful for this inspiring community and really enjoy learning from and with them and supporting one another!
Also in January 2023, I took a job as a health coach at Holland Health, another startup in the area! Along with getting some good coaching experience, I occasionally got to use my nursing skills to start IV’s or draw blood, etc. This is where I was introduced to red light therapy and became a big fan! Dr. Shane Holland had been an Emergency Room Physician for many years before deciding to open his own functional medicine clinic. He is an Osteopathic Physician and had been trained through a more holistic lens. He has a very cool perspective due to his training and experience with both acute and chronic illnesses & with a whole-person approach and specialized medicine. And he’s simply one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Working there also afforded me some sweet new friends, and we even had an office dog named Pip, who always kept us entertained!
In May of 2024, I found out my Mom had cancer… which kind of rocked my world! I knew without a doubt that my priority was to be with her as much as possible during her treatment and that I wouldn’t have the capacity to keep up with my coaching clients and give them the care and attention they deserved. So I made the difficult decision to leave my job in early June so I could focus on spending as much time in Nebraska as Momma needed me. It was a very challenging ordeal, and let me tell you, I have so much more empathy now for anyone who has gone through chemo and radiation… and for their caregivers, too. As painful as it was to witness, I know it was so much more painful to endure. But praise God, my Mom is a surviver and is now in remission! I absolutely hate cancer and am very motivated to learn as much as I can now about prevention and holistic treatment as an alternative or to help with the side effects. There will definitely be more to come on that!
At the end of the summer, I turned the big 4-0! My friends had an awesome party for me and my husband took me on an epic trip to Greece this fall to celebrate. And there were lots of other sweet things people said and did to commemorate the occasion; I truly felt so loved!
And now here we are at the start of 2025, and I’m back in school… again! Three weeks ago, I started a 12-week program called “Functional Medicine for Nurses,” which is offered through the same place I got my coaching certification. Although I’ve had good deal of education and experience over the years, I haven’t had any functional medicine training specifically for nurses, and I am really enjoying it. I think this is going to help prepare me for what I am planning to do next: start my own functional nursing and coaching business!
I was listening to a podcast the other day and a senior faculty member of The Institute of Functional Medicine named Monique Class, said,
“Nurses are becoming the leading sector in this functional medicine movement. We are the fastest growing profession in functional medicine. And it’s just a great time for us to be an important part of the collaborative care team and align with the vision and mission of the Institute for Functional Medicine, which is bringing functional medicine to everyone, to hospital settings, to doctors’ offices, to, you know, every place that we as nurses are. So we are leading the charge and they are supporting us in moving forward and encouraging us to be part of the movement.”
The reason I decided to tell you all of that is because in functional medicine, the story is really important! I wanted to demonstrate (using myself as an example) that getting to where you are involves a lot of things along the way; some that are in your control and some that are not, some that make sense at the time and some that do not, some that are enjoyable and some that are painful. But ultimately, it all plays into why you are where you are. And taking the time to listen, chart it out and connect dots is a vital part of the work we do as functional medicine practitioners! There is power in asking ‘why’ and partnering with you to find the answer. Because even though you have lived your story, it can be difficult to see how different pieces affect one another. But once you do understand, it can reignite your curiosity, rekindle your hope, and increase your motivation to do what needs to be done to enhance wellness! I have experienced this firsthand from the patient perspective with three different functional medicine practices and I have also witnessed it so many times from the professional side. Two common tools used in functional medicine to organize the story are the timeline and matrix.
As you can see, both documents include antecendents, triggers and mediators.
- Antecedents are genetic, environmental or acquired factors that predispose an individual to an illness or pattern
- Triggers are factors that provoke the signs and symptoms of illness
- Mediators are factors that contribute to pathological changes and dysfunctional responses
So think about my mold illness: an antecedent could be that I have a family history of mold allergy, a trigger could be living in a rent house with black mold and a mediator could be high stress and inflammation in my body, causing immune dysfunction.
The white box on the matrix is an area for organizing clinical imbalances. Dr. Thomas Sult, M.D. explains this in his book, “Just Be Well,” which I am currently reading for school. He says,
“Functional medicine does not divide disease up by organ system (as traditional medicine does) but instead addresses the underlying physiological process that is contributing to the patient’s condition.”
In other words, we believe that everything is connected and that no system of the human body works independently of the rest! The 8 categories of clinical imbalances are: assimilation, defense and repair, energy, biotransformation and elimination, transport, communication, and structural integrity. You can see what falls under each category in the image below.
A tree is a common symbol used to show the difference between functional medicine and conventional medicine. Functional medicine focuses on the soil, roots, and trunk; conventional medicine focuses on the branches and the leaves. Both have their place and are extremely valuable! It comes down to knowing when to use a functional medicine approach and when a conventional approach is more appropriate. Conventional medicine is better for acute conditions and emergencies, whereas functional medicine is better for chronic conditions or other health struggles where you haven’t gotten relief or answers. We think not just about the symptom you are having or the disease you have been diagnosed with, but you as a whole… your background, lifestyle, environment and personality. Most doctors and nurses simply were not trained to operate this way. But hopefully that is beginning to change with programs like the one I am taking for nurses and the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine here in Northwest Arkansas, which will welcome it’s first class this year!
I hope you have a greater understanding of functional medicine after reading this post and feel like you know me a little better, too! As you are focusing on your own health, goals and resolutions for this year, I encourage you to think about and maybe even write out your own story. Doing so has caused me to feel so appreciative of all the experiences, people, struggles and successes that have led me to where I am today and given me the unique perspective I have.
This little sign lives on the bookshelf in my office and it really challenges me! Every time I see, it I am reminded how much I long to make a difference in this world and for eternity…and how easy it can be to get caught up in daily grind and lose sight of that. My dream is to be used by God to bring hope and healing to those who are sick, lost or hurting! And thankfully He has used imperfect and flawed people throughout history to do just that, so I’m in good company! “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I intend to begin taking clients in late spring or early summer, so if you are interested in seeing me for functional nursing and/or coaching services, please click here to receive more information, ask questions or join my waitlist!
Although I am a nurse by trade, I am not a doctor or an expert, and the information I provide on this blog is for educational purposes only. Each person is unique and their needs and circumstances vary, so I always recommend that you consult your medical provider before making any changes.
You have gone through so much and are knowledgeable about so many things. I know that God is usng your experiences to help others. It was so nice to talk with you the other day. My vagus nerve stimulation is helping me to sleep so much better. I look forward to your next blog.
Such a beautifull story. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.