Why did I choose Chinese Medicine? 

 

I first knew that I wanted to practice medicine while taking an elective psychology class while in the Running Start program at Cascadia College.

 

From day one, I was so drawn into it, and couldn’t get enough. The standard treatment for psychological conditions were very troublesome to me, even at 16 years old. It seemed like pharmaceuticals were, in most cases, the only real option. Wherever therapy couldn’t go, medications did. Because of this, I had chosen to pursue a career in psychiatry, so that I would have the credentials to take on the more difficult cases, use medication only when absolutely necessary, and try to devise alternative and holistic ways of helping these people who were clearly suffering.

 

Even back then, I had a holistic mind, though I didn’t even know the term “holistic medicine” yet! I was focused on the interplay between psychological and physiological pain, and how to lessen both to help people to heal. Little did I know how far that concept would end up going in my life!

 

Two years later, I was studying at the University of Washington towards a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and getting all of my Pre-Med classes done with the plan of attending Medical School the following year. While I was getting frustrated with the pharmaceutical complex driven program, I was still on my mission to find a better way for the treatment of psychology patients and mostly enjoying school.

​

Then something happened that changed everything… My migraines, which I had been struggling with since age 12, became debilitating. I was getting them a few times per week, they would last up to 3 days, and I couldn’t function. I saw countless doctors and specialists, and it seemed as if no one could help me. I ended up having to take a hardship withdrawal from my studies for a quarter because I simply could not function.

​

I was growing more and more frustrated with doctors, until one day, I had finally had enough. I was on day two of a migraine, and it was “a bad one.” I had an appointment with a new doctor to evaluate my migraines, again. I lived a few blocks from the office, and I remember stumbling, trying to walk there with my eyes mostly closed to block out what seemed like piercing bright light (it was Seattle, in the fall… it was not very bright out…). I made it to the office, and was hopeful that this doctor was going to be the one to figure it out, the one who would help me…

 

Well, I was wrong. The doctor, like all the others before him, offered me opioid pain killers, to which I responded that I couldn’t take, and that it should be in my chart that I cannot take them because they make me violently ill. The doctor then threw his arms up in the air, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, “well, I don’t know what you want me to do then!” Now crying, I told him that I wanted him to figure out what was wrong with me. Why, an otherwise healthy young girl was struggling on an almost daily basis with debilitating pain. He again threw his arms up, said that there was nothing more he could do if I didn’t want to take the medication, and walked out of the room.

 

I      was      devastated.

​

Days, weeks, or months went by, I am really not sure – pain does that to ones’ memory… but somewhere along the line, a friend convinced me to try acupuncture. I was TERRIFIED of needles, so it was a pretty hard sell… but I was desperate! I wanted my life back!

 

So, I went, and it was maybe the single most defining choice of my life...

​

I had some relief with my first visit. It wasn’t magic, by any means.. it was subtle, but it was almost as if the edge of pain that I was on, even on my “good days,” wasn’t as bad. It was enough to get me to go again. And again. And again…

 

After a few months of acupuncture treatment, along with Chinese Herbs, and some exercises to do as homework, I began living a migraine free life. Yes, MIGRAINE FREE! Other than a couple of migraines while I was pregnant with my son, I have continued to be migraine free ever since.

​

I just completely fell in love with the medicine, I couldn’t get enough!

 

So, instead of applying for Medical School, I applied to Bastyr University and pursued a Masters of Science in Acupuncture. Fast forward 14 years later, I am STILL in love with this medicine, and am thankful every day for the honor of using it with my patients.

 

I feel so privileged to be practicing Chinese Medicine in this time in history because we have been able to (and continue to) unravel so much about how it actually works. Western Science has been making extraordinary steps in understanding the power of this incredible medicine. This gives me the ability to explain what I am doing with patients. It helps them to understand their treatment which allows them to take an active role in their healthcare.

​

On a daily basis I get to help ease suffering and empower people to take control of their health! I get to utilize science, while also performing art. I get to help people get freedom from pain, and to get more enjoyment from life.

 

Find out how Chinese Medicine can help you! Schedule a free consultation today!

​