A LITTLE ABOUT ME
MY STORY
I’m a good wife, dedicated mother, doting grandmother, faithful friend, enthusiastic teacher, great writer, passionate poet, creative cook, encouraging mentor, sometimes activist, and forever-learner, who also went back to school to become a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
AN ALTERNATIVE PATH RESTORED MY DAUGHTER’S HEALTH
NOW I’M A BELIEVER IN THE HOLISTIC WAY
Parents will climb mountains to help their kids. And I am no different. When my daughter, Briana, was not yet one year old and still in diapers, she had her first urinary tract infection. The condition would prove to be chronic. The next six years of her little life would be overrun with fevers reaching 106, tepid baths, poking thermometers, skin-burning diarrhea, a couple hallucinations, and a progressive decline in her overall health. Her condition would be treated with antibiotics, antibiotics, and more antibiotics, each one more potent that the one before. And, of course, bottles and bottles of acetaminophen.
As a new mom, with my infant daughter Briana
Trips to the pediatrician, or hospital visits for extensive testing, were commonplace and became part of life’s scheduled tasks. While we worked diligently to provide a normal childhood for her, filled with extracurricular activities she enjoyed, this nagging illness kept rearing its ugly head and interrupting the fun. It became an utterly exhausting way to live to be sure. But I was not without hope.
As a young mother, knowing very little about health, I was smart enough to know that the path we were on was not working, and there had to be a better way. What I did not know at the time was the toll six years of antibiotics had taken on my daughter’s entire body, and also on her spirit. She was sinking further and further into poor health and began to catch every bug that passed by her sick little body. She was developing digestive disorders, mood problems, focus issues, and sensory sensitivities. I knew, as a mom, I had to do something to help my little girl since the antibiotics were not doing the job and the doctors had nothing else to offer. I now know that the overuse of antibiotics was destroying her immune system and she had little left to fight with.
I began to read every relevant bit of information I could get my hands on. I also interviewed other people with natural healing experiences. I was educating myself and I was becoming more optimistic. On my journey, I came across an article on Vitamin C. And another on probiotics. Maybe these could help I wondered… I started to experiment with natural treatments at home. I began by giving Briana acidophilus powder to begin rebuilding good gut flora. I mixed the contents of cranberry pills with peanut butter to help keep the UTIs at bay. As I studied and learned more, I adjusted her diet to eliminate foods like oranges and refined sugar that made her condition worse. And I increased her water intake to help flush her system.
Age 3, on our journey of discovery, still struggling
With anticipation, I tried to open a dialogue with the doctor. To my surprise, he belittled me, and shut the door to that conversation. There were others with the same attitude. I was a little shaken, but it would not stop my search for answers. If anything, it made my resolve stronger. Like I mentioned, parents will climb mountains for their kids. I continued to read, and I continued to find answers outside of mainstream thinking.
Finally, knowing nothing about them, I stepped out in faith and contacted an alternative doctor, asking myself what I had to lose. As it turned out, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I was amazed at the speed and permanence at which my daughter healed using only a homeopathic remedy, Vitamin C, and some dietary changes. Now my curiosity was aroused. Were there ways of treating illnesses that were different from the normally accepted medical practices of the day? The answer was a resounding yes! For the first time in six years, I felt like my daughter had a new lease on life. Healing her gut would take years of much trial and error, but we were on our way.
Age 8, making progress, finding solutions
This would begin my gradual but steady journey into the world of alternative and holistic healing—a world where most illnesses could be treated in a more gentle and natural manner. One where a lifestyle of healthy proactive measures could prevent most diseases from ever darkening one’s door. That was the world I wanted to live in, and the world I chose for myself and my family.
That world begins with using food and herbs as medicine, and extends to holistic healthy lifestyle choices that can be the difference between a life on the defense treating disease, and a life on the offense preventing it.
In 2017, I made the decision to make my study official and professional, and become a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist. It is now 2020, and I am embarking on this new chapter of life with great anticipation to share the possibility of excellent health with all who will listen. I hope you will be one of them.
Warmly,
Danielle