What is your WHY? At the young age of 18, this is something that we must quickly decide upon before applying to college and is something which determines the trajectory of our life. Like many people who choose to enter the medical field, my why was that I had a passion to help others. I had a love for science and desire to serve, which meshes together to perfectly knit a role in the medical field. I ultimately decided that pharmacy was the right role within the field for me after I shadowed several different people. I continued to pursue this dream and graduated from pharmacy school 6 short years later.
It only took me a few months after graduating and stepping into the role to realize that this path was not where I saw myself in 10 years… or even 5 years. I started questioning why it seemed almost every person was on a depression/anxiety medication, every other child was on a stimulant, and why the person picking up insulin had a cart full of processed sugar and artificial flavors. Sure, maybe I was helping people by checking their prescriptions for accuracy and ensuring there were not any drug interactions, but I was not helping these individuals heal. Not a single person I dispensed a pill to for a chronic condition was ever healed under my care.
Not too long after I began my role as a pharmacist, I started struggling with my own issues. I started learning about Functional Medicine and decided to step into a more holistic lifestyle. I learned about toxins and chemicals all around us which are pushing our bodies into a state of overwhelm. Quickly after I took this approach, I stopped using my “beloved” Proactiv skincare and all hell broke loose. Ripping off the Proactiv band aid revealed to me all of the symptoms of chronic gut imbalance and inflammation that had been going on within me for who knows how long. After over a year of self-study, I discovered my own root cause and have found healing. I have also discovered that healing is a long process and requires extensive patience. It took 25 years to create this chronic inflammation, so of course it will not go away overnight. Once I began to notice improvements in my symptoms, I knew that helping others along their own holistic journey is my TRUE WHY. Although the struggles have not been easy, I am grateful for the process in that I can now share my story and help others.
