Kristin’s family line is filled with lots of love… but unfortunately, it’s not the only thing prevalent in the family.
“We moved my mom into Trouvaille Memory Care Suites as she battles dementia. Unfortunately, dementia seems to run in my family, as my aunt struggled with it before passing, as well,” explains Kristin. “Knowing I’m at higher risk for sharing a similar fate, I want to make sure to do what I can to keep my mind sharp. I saw that there was a cognitive decline series of talks at Trouvaille, so I went to one. During the talk hosted by Dr. Aaron, he shared that Valeo had another doctor on board, Dr. Kassie, who had specialized training in brain health and cognitive decline.” Kristin knew that she had to see Dr. Kassie, and didn’t hesitate to call and schedule an exam with her.
“What I learned from my exam with Dr. Kassie is that if my body and gut are healthy, my brain has a much better chance of being healthy, too. Even though I eat healthy, I was experiencing symptoms like joint pain, so I knew there was room to be healthier,” explains Kristin. “Dr. Kassie ordered a blood test to find out what was going on in my body. The results were both surprising and insightful!”
Reviewing Results and Making a Plan
After Kristin’s exam and blood work, she was able to schedule a Report of Findings appointment with Dr. Kassie to dig deeper into the blood lab results and discuss what her best course of action was moving forward.
“The Report of Findings experience was SO insightful,” shares Kristin. “Dr. Kassie really took her time to thoroughly explain the results to me and show me things that stood out. She made sure to do it in a way that I could really understand.”
“For example, one of the other symptoms I was dealing with was really low energy. She pointed out that the labs showed my iron level was high but my body was having difficulty with absorbing it. The low energy was the result of my body not utilizing iron correctly.”
Based on Kristin’s results, Dr. Kassie was able to recommend specific supplements and a short-term elimination-type diet to help Kristin’s body ‘reset’. “During that month, I lost weight, my body was functioning better, and the inflammation causing my joint pain went away. I saw a huge improvement! I was a bit surprised since I felt like I already ate healthy, but what I didn’t realize is that no matter how healthy I was eating, without my gut working properly, it didn’t matter!”
Process of Elimination
One of the things that concerns some patients when they are recommended an elimination diet is ‘but I can’t eat like this forever!’ Luckily, that’s not the goal of an elimination diet. Dr. Kassie explained this to Kristin, too, letting her know that eventually she should be able to resume her typical healthy diet with a few possible small tweaks.
“Dr. Kassie was right about being able to have some of the foods that were discouraged on the elimination without a reaction after it was completed. My body can handle food better,” says Kristin. “For example, over the holidays when I was ‘off’ on my diet, schedule, and exercise routine, I didn’t gain NEARLY as much weight as in the past, when my gut wasn’t working. Plus, the little amount of weight I did gain came off right away once I went back to my regular diet and routine!”
Lasting Results
Kristin’s initial exam and report were in the summer of 2022. “After my Report of Findings, I was wondering if I should schedule a follow-up appointment. But what’s cool about Dr. Kassie is that she said I could just email her. I haven’t had to since I’m doing great, but it was so nice to have her email and know I could reach out if I ever needed support or had a question. Having that kind of access to your doctor is unheard of these days.”
Kristin has been so pleased with her experience that she’s encouraged some of her family members who are dealing with similar symptoms and are at higher risk of cognitive decline to see Dr. Kassie. “My sister just had her initial exam with Dr. Kassie this month! We are excited to see how her health improves, too. It’s empowering to know what changes to make to support your current and long-term health.”
Dr. Kassie’s specialty training in neurodegenerative disease and cognitive decline makes her the perfect candidate for helping individuals who are looking to prevent, improve, or reverse their cognitive decline. She also works with those suffering from food allergies, leaky gut, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, and more. Learn more about Dr. Kassie or call 952-949-0676 to schedule your appointment.
