Kayla had been struggling with digestive issues for over a decade by the time she found herself in Valeo’s lobby, waiting for an appointment with Dr. Rob.
“Having an upset stomach had become normal for me, and there was no way for me to determine what was causing it, although I did know that stress made it worse,” says Kayla.
As a teacher, the last few years of working during the pandemic had made her stomach issues so bad they were hindering everything about her day. She knew something needed to change but wasn’t quite sure what steps to take.
Luckily, a friend of Kayla’s had received care from Dr. Rob and recommended him. “I was really excited to hear about their experience… I had never gone into the hospital formally for what I was dealing with because I knew if I went in, I would be told I had IBS and be given a medication, without them looking for a root cause,” Kayla explains. “To hear my friend’s experience with Dr. Rob focusing on getting to the root cause was just what I needed.”
Experiencing Functional Medicine for the First Time
Being new to functional medicine, Kayla states, “the whole approach was mind-bending!”
“During testing, Dr. Rob found a few things. 1) insulin resistance (my blood sugar doesn’t regulate well) 2) leaky gut syndrome, and 3) parasites,” says Kayla, adding, “I’ve been on multiple mission trips to third world countries and that’s probably where the parasite issues started.”
Once Dr. Rob and Kayla determined the big issues at play, they created a plan for how to solve them.
“First, I needed to eliminate all inflammatory foods. I was surprised that some of the foods that I thought were healthy could be inflammatory! But trusting the process, I cut them out. It was a real shift in eating habits, even though I already ate healthy in general. Making the change was difficult, but it’s been very worth it!” Kayla exclaims.
The second step in the healing process for Kayla was to address the parasites and leaky gut with remedies and supplements.
“It took one to two months to eliminate the parasites from my system, but as soon as those were gone, it was the first time I can remember having regular digestion and normal stools. It was incredible. I noticed such a tremendous change with both the remedies and supplements, and it was clear that my intestines were healing,” tells Kayla. “I was able to have food that used to cause issues for me! Addressing the things that were causing inflammation in my body allowed me to finally get back to a true normal, not the ‘normal’ of upset stomachs that I thought I had to live with. I just didn’t realize that an upset stomach and diarrhea were signs of inflammation.”
The Effects of Her Efforts
Taking the functional medicine approach may not be as easy as the ‘pill for every ill’ approach of modern medicine, but Kayla knows that it’s what has allowed her to experience true healing and has opened her eyes to the power she has over her own health.
“I now know I need to eat every two hours to regulate my blood sugar naturally, so I don’t have to rely on medication. I also know now that my body doesn’t do well with dairy, and it’s also clearer to me when I’ve eaten something I shouldn’t have. It’s so empowering to know these things!”
With the process opening her eyes to so much, Kayla has been able to listen to her body and make the choices that support her health… and she’s reaping the benefits. “My brain fog is gone! I hadn’t even realized I had been dealing with it because it was just my ‘normal,’ but now I notice I am focusing better at work and have more energy. My digestion doesn’t disrupt my day or control my mood or my energy level anymore.”
Reflecting on Her Investment
Our health is an investment—it requires investments of time, energy, and money. But in the end, these investments pay off in a big way. While discovering the investments she had to make for her own health, Kayla realized something big. She realized that she’s worth it.
“The whole experience was a lesson in self-worth. Because I was made in God’s image, I’m worth investing in. God calls me to take care of my body in a way that I can serve Him better,” explains Kayla. “I also believe it’s worth investing in understanding your body. Instead of being told ‘you have XYZ,’ you can learn why you’re experiencing something, what you can do about it, and how you can prevent it in the future. It’s worth knowing the root of what’s going on.”
Kayla is spot-on in her assessment and it’s worth mentioning that getting to the root cause of an issue you’re having now can even prevent other issues from stemming from that same root cause in the future, as the inflammation continues to grow or spread.
“Being able to see Dr. Rob has been a huge gift from God. God provided the money for me to do this after I prayed about it and asked if it was the right direction for me,” says Kayla. “It’s been so great. With Dr. Rob, I know I can ask questions and learn what I can or should be doing, so I can have a better idea of how to take care of my body in the future. It’s worth it to understand all of this so I won’t need to continually rely on care or have the need for more interventions down the road.”
If you’re ready to invest in yourself and your health like Kayla did, give our office a call at 952-949-0676.
