I think it would be easy to see a health practitioner and think, they really have their health sorted out and always must have.
This could not be further from the truth for me!
My health struggles literally walked me straight into my naturopathy degree. Because they opened my eyes so much. But just because I'm a naturopath doesn't mean that the health struggles have disappeared, but they are managed a lot quicker and much further and far between.
As a young child, I had constant viruses. Like once monthly, I was sick with something that brought me down with a fever. This was huge signs that I was deficient in something, but no one ever investigated. Years later it was found out that I was also dairy intolerant which can cause issues with your immune system - think chronic ear and throat infections.
Anyway, this actually set off the starts of health anxiety for me, because I really didn't trust or feel confident in my body. I didn't trust it to ever stay healthy.
I then caught glandular fever in Grade 3, which eventuated into chronic fatigue and months off school. Cue: severe health anxiety. My 8-year old mind could not understand the way I was feeling, and I really thought I must be dying. Especially because there was no treatment.
In high-school began chronic tonsillitis. I would have tonsillitis at least 6 times per year. At one point, I was on antibiotics for three months straight because it just wouldn't fix. And at not one single point, did anyone wonder..
What was my vitamin D levels? My B12 levels? My iron levels? My white blood cell count? And all the other nutrients we need in a good amount - copper, zinc and so on. Not a single doctor wanted to run a blood test. It's baffling. I was just given constant scripts of antibiotics, which of course I know ruined my gut and further left my immune system weaker for the next time a bug came along.
(I actually don't know how I don't have chronic gut issues as an adult).
What happened to my health anxiety you ask? It just worsened as a teenager, of course. Between bouts of tonsillitis, I was absolutely exhausted. I used to nap as soon as I got home from high-school until dinner time. How is that normal?! Why didn't anyone investigate things?! C'mon Mum & Dad!
I had bruises the entire way up and down my legs, and my periods were SO heavy. Of course I was anaemic, and a simple blood test referral from a doctor would have sorted that out. It sucks to think of my teenage years being quite wiped out when there were quick fixes.
Thank goodness, by the time I was an adult - around 18 years old - I had had absolutely enough of feeling like this so I went and found a naturopath in Doncaster East. For the first time, it all made complete sense. And I had answers, and there is nothing quite as relieving. I'm so glad this naturopath was able to ‘fix’ me, but I learnt a huge amount about lifestyle, nutrition, whole-foods, nutrients, low-tox and my passion started to come alive.
Oops this email is going on for a bit longer than I expected so ill quickly run over the things I've experience since becoming a mother at 21 years old.
Recurrent mastitis, anaemia (plenty of this!), anxiety, burn-out, low libido (let's be honest, this one rears up often ha!), period flu, and sluggish thyroid from the stress of lockdown and being a single mama.
So the point of this was for you to learn a little bit about me, I don't always have perfect health, but at least I have some damn fine knowledge about how to fix things now. And I know a TONNE about the health issues I've had, so if you are reading this and have similar things going on, or have a teenager going through the same things as I did, reach out to me xx
Until next time!
Take care, Melanie
