Why me?

 

We all have a story, and this one is mine.

 

I was born on Cape Breton, a remote island off the northeast coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, in the 1970s, the third of four healthy children. I had two parents and was unaware that things were about to change drastically. In 1981, just after turning eight, my father left and never returned. This left my Mum, severely disabled by an autoimmune disease called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, to not only be the sole caregiver but also the main source of money, food, and shelter. We were plunged into deep poverty, seeing our Mum go without so we could be fed. I still marvel at her sacrifice and how she kept a roof over our heads.

 

The shame and suffering of poverty were powerful motivators for me: I had to get out. I had a work ethic and a growth mindset. I set my sights on science, specifically medicine, because that seemed the most stable option in my youth. I excelled in school, graduated with scholarships, and was the valedictorian of my class. I thrived at university and medical school, meeting the constant distractions of deadlines and exams with military precision. Of course, I had no money, but I could survive on coffee and cheap carbs, right? Until I couldn’t. Until my body became metabolically unwell, worn down by almost two decades of stress, poor sleep, and cheap, convenient food lacking significant nutrition. By age 24, in my final year of medicine, I was diagnosed with my autoimmune condition: ulcerative colitis. I felt betrayed, embarrassed, disappointed, but unwavering in my commitment. This wasn’t going to alter my course or slow me down! I asked about how I should change my diet and was told “diet has no impact,” just “take the pills.” I trusted and was busy, so I did as I was told. The next stop was residency. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science and medical school taught me that as I served others, I found a greater purpose than my own needs. I became an anaesthesiologist, where I could compassionately care for the most vulnerable and sick, using vigilance and science. It felt like a natural fit. I grew up “mothering” my Mum as she became more unwell: I could do this for patients, too. However, by my mid-forties, I had suffered the impact of multiple events: 

 

• Neglecting my own needs 

• Twenty years of inflammatory bowel disease

• Multiple nutrient deficiencies as I tried vegetarianism and veganism for “health & planet”

• A toxic workplace culture

 

My colitis was controlling me, and I was getting sicker, but still showing up for work, doing 24-hour shifts. There was a push to escalate to immunomodulators and biologics, but I did not want the immunosuppressive side effects. It was then that a change in diet was mentioned. I tried a specific carbohydrate diet designed for those living with inflammatory bowel disease. It changed my life in a matter of days! I was overjoyed and voraciously consumed literature about diet and disease. I quickly transitioned to paleo, then low carb, keto and for the last two years, I’ve been carnivore. 

 

I’ve been off my drugs. My colitis is in remission. 

 

However, now that I am aware of the power of lifestyle, I see the needless suffering around me. The demand for surgery and anesthesia has never been greater. Having a career providing drugs to stop pain or to render someone unconscious to have surgery, it is a humbling realization that, for chronic illness, diet has far greater power than drugs. Drugs might control symptoms. But to address a lifestyle-induced, chronic disease, we have to change the diet to remove the toxin. Diseases don’t have to be chronic and progressive. There is hope!

 

By providing metabolic medical coaching, my goal is to optimize health through lifestyle modifications, empowering patients through education and choice.