“If you’re not interested in the medications I want to prescribe you, there is nothing I can do to help you.”
She looked me dead in the eye as all hope of discovering the root cause of my decades of pain and exhaustion fled. Not interested in why I always felt tired, sore, and plagued by migraines, she pretended to listen to my concerns as she flipped through her mental list of medication options.
“Well then, I guess we’re done here,” I said, and picked up my purse.
It wasn’t all her fault: she was a professional, trying to do her best, in a system that prioritizes profits and shortcuts to whole person discovery and investigation. I’m sure she wanted me to feel better, to thrive as best I could, but her tools were limited by her training.
As I drove home, defeated and in tears, I gave up.
Not on healing – I clung to the belief that I would someday find answers and wellness – I gave up on Western Medicine’s ability to provide those answers.
Let me be clear: Western Medicine can be lifesaving. It can be the vehicle for miracles. There are angels on earth working their hearts out in the doctor’s offices, clinics, hospices, and hospitals around the world. When it’s truly needed, I’m grateful that it’s there. But too often its limitations and overuse cause more problems than they solve.
Finally, I found energy healing and began releasing trapped emotional energy, cleansing my chakras, and expanding my perspective. That took care of around 90% of my physical and emotional issues, but the body – the organs, glands, muscles, fascia – all needed their own kind of support. I still needed a doctor for the usual stuff. We have incarnated into physical bodies, after all, and they need looking after.
Over the course of my healing evolution, I have built a collection of holistic care professionals that each contributes to whole-body wellness in their own ways. I have a trusted acupuncturist, chiropractor, Kundalini teacher, energy healer, incredible massage therapist, and yes, even an actual doctor.
After decades of searching, I found a practitioner that I believe in – and of course, I want to share the news! For most of my health needs, I see Rowena Daly, a Naturopathic Practitioner at the UCI Health Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute in Costa Mesa, CA. Unlike most allopathic doctors who do their best to keep the visit to ten minutes or less, new patients get a solid hour (an hour!) with their practitioner. The visit feels like meeting up with a friend, one who remembers your kids, cares about the trials and triumphs happening in your life, and also happens to have a ton of medical knowledge and resources to share.
She doesn’t know I’m writing this, and I hope it makes her day. She deserves it.
We ran more blood tests than I’ve ever had run at one time. From those tests, tests that other doctors have laughed at me for requesting, we learned vital answers to many questions. Among the results were levels of nutrients in my system. With that information, we were able to make sense of many of my symptoms and she was able to create a strategic supplementation plan for my specific needs. The Center stocks much of what they recommend for patient convenience, but they also help you look online for better prices because your health is their priority, not their bottom line. Imagine that?
In early February, I returned for an overdue visit. Once we got through the primary issues I made the appointment to address, I actually had the space to sit and reflect on whether there was more to ask. As I sat in my chair and chatted like an actual human to a healthcare provider, I thought, “I need to tell everyone about this place!” Far-flung readers fear not: they now offer online consultations. UCI Health does accept insurance, so check with your carrier to see if you qualify.
My intent is not to sell you on the Center. My intent is to provide an inside look into how the naturopathic approach can look, and how it can support your best life. To learn more about the UCI Health Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, visit their website here.
And if you see Rowena Daly online or in person, tell her I said hello.
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