This is the first month of my adventure with a functional medicine doctor.
I’ve been searching unsuccessfully for years for a physician that goes beyond the traditional lab tests and annual exams. I heard about Integrative medicine but I wanted something more. I was already integrating alternatives into my health plan.
Then I saw that a chiropractor was promoting herself as a functional medicine doctor. At last, I thought, someone in my geographical area practicing functional medicine.
It was $300 for an initial consultation. After 3 visits to her, I knew she was a functional medicine doctor wannabe. Well… let’s just say I was not impressed 🙂 and felt this was a waste of my time and money.
She was focused on doing chiropractic sessions on me even though I (in our consult) told her that I had tried that more than once and it was not what I wanted in my health plan because it doesn’t help me.
Also, she was into selling vitamins. She “prescribed” sold vitamins to me without telling me why I needed them. This experience cost me over $600 bucks.
I know I have to pay for what I’m seeking in healthcare but I want to pay for something that I think is benefiting me. This wasn’t it.
After kicking myself in the behind for knowing better, because I knew she was a chiropractor and not a medical physician, I moved on.
Then I saw a pain management doctor promoting that she was a functional medicine doctor. Since I see a pain management doctor I thought great, perhaps I can combine the two. She could take care of my pain while being my functional doctor and my insurance would pay for it. After one consult I knew she too was a functional doctor wannabee.
I had an initial consult with her. That was a nothing consult as far as I was concerned. She gave me a package to send in a test that would cost me $305 or something like that. Since I wasn’t impressed with her during the consult I didn’t take the test so the only cost with her was $80 and time spent.
When my massage therapist asked me why did I think they were not “real” I told her that although I’m not a doctor, I am perceptive and knowledgeable enough to know when someone has some idea of what they are doing.
I’m certainly not saying these are not good doctors because I think they are, in their field as a chiropractor and pain doctors. But not as functional medicine doctors. At any rate, they were not a fit for me.
Parsley Health/Medical Doctors
During this time I had come across Parsley Health and functional medicine. After looking into what they offer I decided to hire them. They are Medical doctors who work in the field of functional medicine and who work with functional medicine nutritionists.
This is what I was seeking.
My initial one-hour initial interview with the doctor was spent discussing my family, social, physical, and medical history.
My top goals to work on are:
1. To reduce inflammation (with hopes it will reduce pain)
2. To reduce blood pressure
3. To get more info on my hypothyroid issues
4. To try to uncover the reason for the skin issues that I have been experiencing for years. (Dermatologists have not had any success. I’ve seen at least 7 and at least 4 allergists and have gotten as many diagnoses).
5. To try uncover why I have chronic anemia.
But my main goal is to get off all medication. And if I can’t get off all, reduce them to the minimum. To journey into my twilight years independently in my environment.
All of my health issues have previously only been addressed separately. To me and based on my research all or some of these could be interrelated.
In my research over the years, one health issue can cause or contribute to another health issue. For example, traditional doctors have never done a complete thyroid test on me and thyroid dysfunction can cause other health problems.
Thyroid hormones control the rate of many activities in your body. These include how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats. I have fast heartbeats and the doctor, rather than look into the thyroid issue, just prescribes another pill to take on top of a pill.
Nutritionist/Health Coach
Three weeks after the initial physician consult, I had a 45-minute consult with my health coach. We reviewed my health and nutritional history and habits. She recommended I go on a three-week elimination dairy diet. That would include milk, eggs, cheese, and butter. I can use nut milk, i.e. coconut, etc., and ghee butter.
Whew! That’s a relief. Everything’s better with butter. 🙂
They don’t recommend vitamins or supplements until they get all of the lab work and tests in, have discussed all of the issues with me, and can see the whole picture.
I had to get a lot of blood tests and stool tests before our next appointment.
I’ll see both my doctor and my nutritionist 6 times during the year but will have unlimited messaging.
Also, there is a care manager that takes care of organizing labs, tests, appointments, etc.
So far I’m impressed and it takes a lot to impress me.