About Me:

I was born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago. I have two siblings and the best parents in the world. We grew up with a great family life that I am forever grateful for. My health issues seemed to spike in my early teenage years. In high school I dropped about 20 lbs freshman going into sophomore year. I was always very active & health conscious, I played club volleyball and other sports year round, and also was a frequent gym go-er with my love for group fitness classes (shout out to Lifetime Fitness Burr Ridge!). Fitness was (and still is) what kept me sane, gave me energy, made me smile & laugh, and brought me to meeting so many amazing people that I am so close with today. However, despite how much I ate, how well I ate, high protein, carbs or fat, I could not put on weight and keep it on. I was diagnosed with thyroiditis and later hypothyroid between the ages of 13-15 and was started on levothyroxine at that time. But that didn't make sense to most people because the most common symptoms of hypothyroid is “weight gain” and “inability to lose weight” when my problem was clearly the opposite. I continued to take my levothyroxine and didn't ask questions for the most part, but the weight loss continued. Now mind you- I ate a very wholesome diet for the most part! We did grow up with somewhat of a “meat and potatoes' ' based meals, but my mom always gave us veggies, fruit, etc. However, toward the end of high school, my 5’8'' athletic lean figure weighed in at 95 lbs one day. I remember being so terrified to tell anyone that number. I knew I felt the worst I have ever felt and I didnt know how or what to do. I remember crying that morning telling my mom I really don't feel good and we need to go to another doctor because I keep losing weight and none of my clothes fit. With no questions asked she made me a doctor appointment, and this is what began my slow journey in healing my gut. Oh how I wish I knew all the things I know now. 

We started off at a general primary care practitioner who ran some blood tests on me and gathered some symptoms. She told me I should see a nutritionist and called my mom after I left to make sure I didn't have an eating disorder. She assured her I eat as much as the boys in my family if not more sometimes but they didn't seem to believe that. A few days later a celiac lab test came back positive. She called my mom and told her I had celiac. My parents sat me down and told me, but I had no idea what that was at the time ( as I was eating an “easy mac” meal during this conversation- hello gluten!). She called back a week later and said the blood test was not sufficient for diagnosis and to go see a GI doctor. I went to our family GI doctor because IBS, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, AND Crohns disease all run in my family (wonder where I got my symptoms from..). I did more lab work at my GI doctor who told me that my vitamin D levels were within normal limits so there is no way I have celiac because “those with celiac are vitamin D deficient”. Now, while that is true for some people, vitamin D alone is not an accurate marker alone to determine celiac. Then I turned 18 and I went off to college. Unsure of how to eat differently, I attempted gluten free pasta here and there but didn't make a full effort. My freshman year of college was really hard for me. I developed a terrible anxiety disorder that mainly affected my sleep. The first semester of college I was sleeping maybe 2-3 hours a night, and I felt like a zombie daily. After my first panic attack, I started seeing a psychiatrist and was put on an anti-anxiety prescription at the age of 18. I still could not gain weight at this time, and was experiencing frequent debilitating abdominal pain, cramping, and alternating diarrhea and constipation. I also started having fainting spells because my blood pressure was so low. 

I then saw a chiropractor whom to this day I hold great respect for. He ran some functional diagnostic tests and after seeing my results, he said it would be best to go gluten and dairy free. From that point on, in summer of 2010, I never turned back from my gluten & dairy free lifestyle. 

It wasn't as simple as gluten and dairy free though. Along the way I had to see many specialists for an array of different issues. 

I suffered from thyroiditis (mostly hypothyroid from my understanding), acne flare ups, skin rashes, skin inflammation, cold hands/feet, and still experienced digestive issues such as gas, abdominal pain, and bloating. Although I was still struggling to gain weight, within a few years of going gluten free I gained ten lbs back. Around 2014, I began to experience spontaneous fractures. I woke up one morning with some pain only to find out I had two small fractures in my feet and a partially torn achilles. The main question I got was, how? What did you do? No idea. After some further testing from my endocrinologist I was diagnosed with osteopenia at age 24 (meaning thinning of the bones, making them fragile and prone to spontaneous fractures from normal wear and tear). I was put on prescription vitamin D and calcium supplements and sent to a metabolic specialist who diagnosed me with intestinal malabsorption. Based on my deficiencies she had me supplement with Vitamin D, calcium, zinc and magnesium. 

During my college years I began seeing a rheumatologist for extremely elevated ANA titer levels (this is a common marker for autoimmune disorders such as Sjrogens, lupus, scleroderma, etc). While I had many of the markers for lupus, I thankfully did not meet full criteria for diagnosis. It has been my secret mission since this experience to never have that diagnosis. My rheumatologist, though a sweet incredibly intelligent man, continued to prescribe me random drugs. I was put on plaquenil, an immune modulator, to “prevent the progression of autoimmune processes and conditions.” I was also frequently put on oral steroids and topical steroids for my deteriorating inflammation of my hands and feet with my raynaud's diagnosis. My hands had almost no circulation. They would turn anything from white to blue, red and purple. They were ALWAYS ice cold. Even if my body was warm my hands were ice. I had/have an extreme intolerance to the cold and even developed hypothermia once after running a 5k in october. No matter how diligent I was about minimizing cold exposure to running from the car to the door with double gloves on, I still had awful symptoms. The steroids did nothing other than make me feel like crap. 

Then, in 2017, I developed random finger infections. I would get the diagnosis of paronychia by my dermatologist and be treated constantly with antifungals and antibiotics to kill the infections that would cause severe pain, tenderness, and swelling. My fingers would drain pus-like fluid from the cuticle that would culture for mostly fungal growth. I would use topical and oral antifungals for months and they would start to go away, but then would always come back. Long story short, I ended up having 3 finger surgeries to surgically remove the damaged nail from the infection and drain out the area underneath the nail & cuticle. If you think a hangnail is painful, just wait until your whole nail is removed. Recovery involved excruciating pain each time. I had to take off work for 30-45 days after each finger surgery making my education and skills as a new graduate nurse very difficult to grasp. With all my health issues I always had a strong interest in medicine and the healthcare field. But with my fingers constantly becoming infected and taking time off work, I felt so behind as a new grad nurse trying to build my nursing skills. I was then diagnosed with chilblains after a finger biopsy, which is a rare autoimmune disease that coincides with raynauds (which I was already previously diagnosed with) that attacks the cutaneous tissue of the skin and causes severe swelling, redness, pain and tenderness. The only treatment for this and raynauds is to avoid “cold environment triggers,” ( which is impossible to do living in the midwest with our frigid long winters).

After years of miserable sick winters, I decided to finally listen to my rheumatologist and “try living in a warmer state.” HELLO SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Thankfully, as a nurse, I was able to start travel nursing and picked up a contract in Orange County, California in my specialty as a NICU nurse. 3 weeks later I was on my way with myself and two stuffed suitcases to stay in an air bnb for 3 months. Well, turns out I was starting to feel a little bit better with avoiding the ice cold Chicago winters that year, and I re-signed a few more times. After 2.5 years of being in southern california, I have to say MOST of my symptoms have resided. I believe a lot of this has to do with my newly shifted paleo-conscious diet along with several other lifestyle changes. I may not be 100% paleo, but I am very conscious of using paleo principles in my diet roughly 90% of the time. Between that, warmer weather year round, avoiding antibiotics, and discovering holistic nutrition & supplements, I must say I feel better than ever. I have taken ALL MY FREE TIME in the last 10+ years to read, research, study and discover ways to naturally reverse autoimmune conditions and symptoms through diet, lifestyle, and supplements. This is what led me to Restorative Wellness Solutions, which has four levels of practice, the first being The Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. I am proud to say I am officially a Restorative Wellness Practitioner for Level 1 and I am beyond excited to share my knowledge with you and help find your way back to health. 

I cannot tell you how many countless hours I spent at doctors in my early 20s without positive end results. My gut, my hormones, and my body were out of balance for too long and no one should have to go through the things I went through. I am here for you 150% of the way and I want to help you stop wasting time at that doctor's office who won't listen to you, who tells you everything looks normal, and who prescribes you another medication (whether that be a birth control pill, an anti-anxiety medication, an antacid for heartburn, etc.) . Let's be real- the time for functional wellness is NOW and you deserve to feel YOUR best ALL the time!

Let's chat! I am ready when you are.

Schedule a discovery call here.

Email
sara@thatnursesara.com