• With the right inputs, our bodies have a strong, innate ability to heal.

• Our organs and bodily systems are all interrelated. The body must be viewed as a whole.

• We must address underlying imbalances and dysfunction rather than simply covering up symptoms.

• Functional lab tests are a must for understanding what is going on in the body.

• Unique individuals require unique approaches. No two bodies are exactly the same.

Prior to studying functional medicine, I spent 25 years in the corporate world, implementing custom software. I had planned to finish out my career in software, until my youngest, then 14, started experiencing some very bizarre and scary neurological issues. She was plagued with panic attacks, non-epileptic seizures, and issues controlling her heartrate and body temperature. She was passing out dozens of times per day and sometimes losing feeling in her limbs. Traditional medical doctors couldn’t provide any answers. Brain scans and blood work all looked normal. One ER doctor surmised it was “seasonal allergies” and sent us home with our child unconscious in a wheelchair.

Disappointed in our healthcare system, I took to the web to scour PubMed articles in the evenings and on weekends. I created diagrams showing all of her symptoms, suspected diagnoses, and how they pieced together. With the help of a couple of very smart functional doctors, I eventually began to understand what was happening in her body - severe autoimmune disease that was impacting her brain, nervous system, and thyroid. Through significant diet changes, brain re-training, and supplementation, we were able to put her into complete remission.

My daughter’s journey showed me the power of functional medicine and truly understanding the root causes underneath the symptoms. Additionally, I had found a true passion in piecing together all of the parts of her health puzzle and I wanted to help others in the same way.