From Bedridden to Board Certified: My Chronic Illness Healing Journey
For most of my life, I was sick — not just occasionally under the weather, but chronically, persistently, and painfully ill.
Living with chronic illness for decades taught me something that no medical textbook could: when the body is suffering and conventional medicine has no answers, there's often a deeper root cause waiting to be uncovered. That insight is the foundation of my work today as a Board-Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) and holistic health practitioner.
This is my story — and if you're struggling with unexplained symptoms that no one seems to take seriously, I wrote this for you.
For most of my life I struggled with illness — not occasional colds, but a steady, nagging unwellness that never seemed to let up.
It wasn’t just tiredness. I lived with relentless fatigue, dizziness, sore throats, fevers, aching joints and muscles, and a long list of symptoms that never fit a neat diagnosis.
One of my earliest memories is the constant exhaustion of childhood. I looked forward to holidays and family gatherings, imagined the food and laughter — and then felt the sore throats that wouldn't let me enjoy the food and the feeling of being too worn down to really be present.
Even then, something in my body felt off.
As I got older, the symptoms multiplied.
By adulthood I was juggling anemia, heart issues, digestion problems, brain fog, joint pain, and overwhelming fatigue. Too often, doctors chalked it up to stress, growing pains, one told me I needed to quit drinking so many cokes (I wasn't even drinking any at that time), or I was told “nothing serious.”
My body, though, was telling a different story.
When My Health Reached Rock Bottom
In my 30s and early 40s the diagnoses grew: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, psoriatic arthritis, atrial fibrillation — and multiple surgeries and procedures followed.
No matter how many specialists I saw or protocols I tried, my health kept declining. I seemed to be reacting to so many things and developing the strangest skin rashes.
Eventually my body simply stopped cooperating.
The pain was constant and intense. Even my skin felt tender.
I remember needing a shower chair because I didn’t have the strength to stand long enough to bathe. Clothes brushing my skin was unbearable. The wind on my face hurt. Cold air felt like a shock.
My brain fog became so severe I struggled to recognize people or remember familiar routes. I used a GPS to find my way home from places I’d driven hundreds of times.
I could not lift my grandchildren.
I couldn’t cook for my family.
Even riding the buggy around our property was impossible — every bump sent waves of pain through my back.
It felt like my body was shutting down.
The Emotional Toll of Chronic Illness
Throughout those years I chased answers from doctor to doctor.
More often than not I left feeling dismissed, like my pain wasn’t real.
Tests would read “normal” while I felt like I was slowly sinking. It was isolating, exhausting, and deeply discouraging.
My faith in God stayed with me, but I began to wonder if He had a different plan. I felt alone and depleted because I couldn’t find the root causes of my symptoms and felt like no one believed me.
At a breaking point, I cried out in prayer.
I remember telling God that if I was to remain here, I needed direction — because I was completely out of answers.
The Turning Point in My Healing Journey
Not long after that prayer I met an integrative doctor who looked beyond symptoms and began searching for root causes.
For the first time, someone didn’t just mask what was happening; they investigated deeply.
With comprehensive testing we finally uncovered issues that had been missed for decades:
Chronic Lyme disease
Co-infections like Bartonella and Babesia
Mold illness (CIRS)
Heavy metal toxicity from mercury and lead
Jawbone infections and dental issues
Chronic Epstein-Barr virus and other viruses
Parasites
All of a sudden the scattered pieces began to fit together.
I finally had answers — and a mixture of relief and validation washed over me. I had known, deep down, that something was wrong even when others had dismissed my symptoms.
The moment that truly reignited my hope was a visit to a biologic dentist.
He told me his own story: once so sick doctors suspected ALS, barely able to walk — until they found mercury toxicity. After addressing it, he recovered.
Then he looked at me and said something I’ll never forget:
“Don’t lose your hope.”
Hearing his recovery made me believe that healing might actually be possible for me too.
The Long Road Back to Health and Wellness
Recovery wasn’t quick.
It demanded patience, persistence, and a stubborn determination I can only call bulldog tenacity.
We had to remove me from mold exposure, follow detox protocols, target infections and heavy metals, and do nervous system and emotional healing work.
Slowly, things shifted.
The first changes were small but meaningful.
My pain eased.
My energy returned in bits.
I slept better.
Those early signs kept me moving forward.
In about two years I began to feel like myself again. Each improvement reinforced a simple truth:
The body is built to heal when the right obstacles are removed.
Discovering My Calling as a Holistic Health Practitioner
As my health returned, a new clarity grew inside me: purpose.
I realized I wasn’t the only one who’d been dismissed or left searching for answers.
About two years into recovery, when real progress had begun, I told my integrative doctor I wanted to help. She encouraged me to train as a health coach.
I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and began working with her after graduation.
Supporting patients through cellular healing and detox work, and walking beside them in their journeys, felt deeply rewarding.
It confirmed what my heart already knew: this was my calling.
I continued my education and certifications and became a Board-Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) so I could better investigate root causes of chronic illness.
I wanted to be the health detective I’d needed for so many years.
My Life Today: Thriving After Chronic Illness
Today my life looks very different.
I do the things I once feared I’d never do again.
I go fishing with my husband.
I play with my grandchildren and can lift them with joy.
I cook for my family.
I go for walks, ride bikes, and enjoy the outdoors.
And most meaningful to me, I help others on their healing journeys.
I love this work with all my heart.
What I Learned From My Chronic Illness Journey:
Symptoms always have a root cause
Testing matters more than guessing
The nervous system must heal too
Environment and toxins matter
Faith and perseverance change everything
A Message for Anyone Who Feels Hopeless About Chronic Illness
If you’re struggling with chronic illness and feel like giving up, please hold this close:
There is a reason you feel the way you do.
Our bodies were made to heal. Often the task is to find and remove the hidden interferences that keep that healing from happening.
That is why I trained in functional diagnostics and nutrition — to use lab testing and a root-cause approach to uncover what’s hidden beneath symptoms.
Healing often asks for patience.
It may mean peeling back painful layers.
But answers exist.
I was reminded years ago of an old saying...
“Faith can move mountains, but don’t be surprised if God hands you a shovel.”
My faith carried me through the darkest seasons, and God gave me the strength to do the work of healing.
Because of that journey, I now dedicate my life to helping others reclaim health and hope.
I truly believe healing is possible for far more people than they realize.
Ready to Start Your Own Healing Journey?
If you’ve been struggling with chronic symptoms and feel like no one has been able to connect the dots, I want you to know that you’re not alone—and there may be answers that simply haven’t been discovered yet.
I offer a free Clarity Call where we can talk about your symptoms, your health history, and what may be contributing to the challenges you're facing. My goal is to help you gain insight, direction, and hope for the next steps in your healing journey.
Sometimes the first step toward healing is simply having someone listen and help you see the bigger picture.
If that sounds like something you need right now, I would be honored to speak with you.
Book your free Clarity Call and let’s explore what your body may be trying to tell you.
