It’s early in the morning, around 5:00 a.m., I probably fell asleep two hours prior. My nose is starting to run, or so I thought, it was actually one of my nightly occurring nose bleeds. Finally I’m back in bed, nose bleed taken care of, and then the alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. triggering my daily anxiety attack. My throat tightened, chest squeezing, gag inducing, anxiety attack. Fortunately I know how to self comfort and start deep breathing exercises to help calm myself down so that i can begin or continue getting ready for work. I’d make it to work just after stopping to get my venti americano; life force. I didn’t pack a lunch because I worked in a fast paced, non-stop medical environment. Coffee, and Caffeine drinks fueled my day, and occasionally a Turkey Tom from Jimmy Johns. I did, however, drink a lot of water in between those coffee and energy drinks. During the day I was so lethargic and foggy I could barely keep my eyes open or even think beyond my constant fight-or-flight mental state. My blood sugar would crash during the day until I would get home and eat a lot of carbs, fats, and starches because, my body knew it needed fuel. I would then immediately go to my room and try to go to bed, exhausted. Next thing I know my mind is racing and I’m tossing and turning with complete insomnia. Another night falling asleep around 2:00-3:00 a.m. It was May of 2013, and I suddenly had the thought, that I should try this Functional Wellness that I keep referring patients to. I approached Dr. Emily Mallon, D.C. and asked her opinion, on whether functional medicine could benefit me or not. She said she couldn’t say anything for sure without seeing my lab tests and such. So after sitting down and figuring out the cost of the lab work I began the process of Functional Wellness.
From that moment, of having made the choice to invest in myself, everything changed for the better. Some things happened almost instantly while others took time, but in five years I do not recognize the person in the picture below. I had to sit down with the cost of functional medicine, as insurance will not pay for most of it. Paying a large amount of money at the time, for me, was very overwhelming. Even with the payment plan I was still stressing. Then, it occurred to me that I was definitely worth spending the amount of money on myself, because, I was worth investing in. Affirming my worth was one of the biggest leaps of faith I had to take in my mid-twenties.
Within two days of starting my dietary restrictions, supplements, and various other things I noticed a strange sensation of
Feeling less anxiety
I had more energy
Brain fog was much less
The low blood sugar was gone
Belly bloating and the sensation of feeling gorged was gone.
Overall feeling much more calm mentally and physically
I had a few moments where I sat in Kroger and cried because I was so overwhelmed at what I could eat and what I couldn’t. I had to learn the difference between food and food-like products, and that was before all the new label laws, and people definitely hadn’t heard of “Gluten” before. Mentally, after about two months I was so much more clear in my thoughts, as I was now sleeping restfully, not having panic attacks, and definitely had more energy. I felt an increase in my self confidence, as my body started to feel stronger and wasn’t bloating every time that I ate.
By October of 2013, I had completed my Functional Wellness and was now living a completely different lifestyle. I was 25 lbs lighter, no longer controlled by the fight or flight state, I had left the medical office that wasn’t conducive to my mental health, moved back home with my parents, and attending college again for psychology, social work, and leadership development. By May of 2014 I was so grounded and motivated, I moved back to Morgantown, got a job at a local Spa making way more, and working a lot less than I had previously. It was like starting a whole new adventure and it was so fun. Investing in, and putting myself first was the biggest life changer. It’s July 2018 and I live in Cheat Lake, of Morgantown, one of my favorite places.
Doing a career I love, as a life coach and massage therapist
Friends and family that support and love me unconditionally
Feel safe and secure in my own body and mind
I weigh a healthy 136 lbs
Feeling better than I ever have, and wouldn’t change a thing.
I hope from reading about my personal experience you can learn that you too are worthy and deserving. Never let money be the determining factor of your self-worth and self-value. Sometimes we have to invest in ourselves in order to make even bigger changes. Don’t let fear inhibit you. Love, love, love yourself first, that way you can be complete and authentic 100%. I strive to be of service to others and only by taking care of myself first can I truly step into my life purpose.
*The photo from left to right began in the Spring of 2013-Fall of 2013-to Present day.
Chase Hyson, LMT