Born out of frustration

Key Story Summary:

• A lower back disk herniation sustained through athletics left me in significant pain 24/7 for over an entire year.
• After unsuccessful medical visits, my independent research on topics of pain and inflammation guided me to alter my diet and ultimately relieve my suffering.
• The relief of pain and improvement in mood and overall health made me question how much else can be improved without modern healthcare.

Practically in tears while driving home from a weekend getaway in northern Michigan, I contemplated how easy it would be suddenly swerve off the road and let my vehicle and I tumble to an end at the bottom of the majestic, hilly slope.

I made this road trip often, as I enjoyed spending vacation time Up North. That particular summer though was wrought with significant misery due to a consistent, unyielding neuropathic pain.

As an undergraduate, I competed on the University of Michigan Varsity Track team and was used to competing and exercising vigorously. A few months after successfully graduating and ending my career as an athlete, I continued to exercise with demanding physical workouts. One day while performing back squats, my hips “winked” and pain shot down my left leg, taking residence for what I now know would be over a year.

I was diagnosed with a herniated disk at L5-S1, that was compressing my nerves causing constant pain.  Turning to medical professionals, I had X-rays, MRI, CT, a radioactive injection with bone scan, and 4 different sessions of steroid injections and nerve blocks in my back.  I was prescribed heavy pain-relieving drugs like Celebrex, Norco, and Ultram, all of which carried unpleasant and intolerable side effects.  I went to physical therapy for weeks and walked 40 minutes a day for months as a means of self-therapy. If one of these recommendations would have worked, I may have never transitioned to a healthier lifestyle.  As fate may have it, none of these alternatives reliably helped ease my pain.

It was during this period I also developed a depressive and angry mood. I was in pain. I was frustrated. I wanted to quit. I had persistent yet fleeting harmful thoughts. Sitting too long, especially in the three hours it took to drive back from northern Michigan, exacerbated the pain and threw my mind into a dark and lonely place. I didn’t like life.

Upon entering pharmacy school at the University of Michigan and employment with a stem cell company, I was taught the tools of researching scientific questions. Out of curiosity, I began to research what causes pain and related inflammatory conditions.  After reading numerous articles, I came across studies in rheumatoid arthritis that showed the benefits of a vegetarian-based diet on inflammation and pain.  With my hope diminishing, I went full throttle and cut out red meat, sugary drinks, bought USP-certified fish oil and began to dose myself.

Lo and behold, within a few weeks, my pain levels began to decrease.  This continued on with improvements each week.  Inspired, I sought out other nutritional means to decrease my bodily inflammation. Over four years later, I am still pain free!

Without this suffering, I would have never been able to change my ways and my lifestyle, for the better.

This experience has opened my mind to the ways modern healthcare is lacking. But while I believe a significant amount of disease and illness can be prevented and alleviated through lifestyle fixes, there is a definite need for the medical system.

Drawing from my personal experiences, The Healthy Pharmacist hopes to provide a clear and unique message with the goal of improving the health of all I can.