When I look back on this picture from 2008, I remember the suffering. You can see it in my eyes. I was in so much pain. Excruciating electric shock like pain in my head and face to be exact. It was taking over my life. The pic on the right is from a consult with an orthodontist. I was so desperate to manage my trigeminal neuralgia pain, I thought perhaps that realigning my teeth/jaw might help so I got Invisalign. It didn't help with my pain, but my teeth are straight. :)
You couldn't have told me that in 2020 (pic on the left), I'd find myself healed and pain free. I would have wept with relief. As I'd had severe facial nerve pain (off and on) since 2001. This post isn't to rehash or question those years, it's to share how going to a holistic MD (or an integrative health practitioner) changed, dare I say saved my life.
I ended up going to a holistic MD thanks to my acupuncturist, trusted practitioner (and friend). I posted about what led up to that journey here: Holistic healing
I met with Dr. Pravs of Montgomery Integrative Health in the summer of 2019. From the start, the appointment was different (in a good way). Starting with the gazillion (haha) page health questionnaire I filled out. The goal of an integrative health practitioner is to treat the the root cause and not just treat the symptoms. They look at the patient as a whole. If you read some of my previous blog posts you'll notice that I had seen my neurologist, a spine doctor, an orthopedic doctor- all treating symptoms. Bouncing me around from treatment to expensive treatment, never getting to the core of what was wrong with me.
Between the questionnaire and the sit down meeting with Dr. Pravs, I felt seen and heard. She was genuinely curious about my overall wellness. At my consult, we talked about the fact that there had to be something underlying going on in my body. We tested for many things- thyroid issues, autoimmune disorders, lyme, nutrient deficiencies- to name a few. My tests came back and I was lyme positive so she referred me to her colleague Dr. Wittels who is a lyme literate doctor. Dr. Wittels ran additional testing and found I not only had lyme but coinfections.
Here is more about my lyme journey: Lyme disease diagnosis
For the entire year of 2019 I made taking care of my health my second full time job. I worked with Dr. Wittels and Dr. Pravs on a holistic treatment plan that involved vitamins/supplements, prescription meds (for lyme), exercise and continued on my gluten free journey (which makes a huge impact on inflammation). I met with Dr. Wittels every 30-60 days and we tweaked my plan as needed depending on my symptoms. She is brilliant. I liken her to a mad scientist (in a good way) because she is so knowledgeable about the innerworkings of the human body and what it needs to heal.
During this time I continued to work with my acupuncturist and massage therapist to manage my pain. As the lyme cleared from my body and we started to rebuild my nutrients and immune system, I continued to feel better and better. And the most magical part of all, my neurological symptoms disappeared. The excruciating pain, the daily pins and needles, the pulling and pushing of my facial nerves. I haven't taken prescription neuralgia meds since the fall of 2019 and at one point I was eating them like candy. After suffering for so long, this is a health miracle. When you live with chronic pain for so long and your body suddenly feels peaceful, it's like living in black and white and all of the sudden seeing color.
Fast forward to today and I'm living my best life. I still am treating some lasting symptoms of lyme with vitamins/supplements, but all in all my energy is up, my severe pain is gone. I sleep better. My hair and skin look and feel better. Even things like my teeth grinding is gone. I am humbled to be at this place in my life. My heart is filled with gratitude. This post might make the healing journey seem easy-peasy, but it was constant trial and error. It was really hard work. It was pushing through when things didn't work. It was staying hopeful during setbacks. A few things were key for me:
- Surrounding myself with practitioners who worked together and truly knew me.
- Being open to different modes of treatment.
- Staying curious about my health and healing my body.
- Keeping my mind present (not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future).
I'm writing this in the hopes that more and more people will learn about and embrace holistic healing. It's funny when I tell people I see a holistic MD, some think it's some typic of crazy nonsense practice. When really it's how we should be treated as patients who live in bodies that are complex yet also miraculous. The only thing I wish is that I'd known about integrative medicine sooner. That's why I'm sharing my journey. With the right help, you have the power to heal your body.
Make the choice to heal. Commit to it and continue with courage.
XO,
Tara
Resources:
Montgomery Integrative Health (Dr. Daila Pravs- Dr. Heidi Wittels)
Acupuncture for Health (Kate Pietrowski)
Simply be Well Massage (Renee Wachter)
Podcast on inflammation and integrative medicine (Dr. Will Cole- Dr. Caroline Leaf)
