Healing Beyond The Algorithm

Healing Beyond the Algorithm:    Metanoia Musings

The current state of healthcare, and life in general, often feels like a conveyor belt. We wake up, the autopilot sets in often, go through the day with almost every minute filled by something- work, shopping, online searching and learning too. This could be followed by sports, music, different work, maybe doctor appointments, the gym, maybe physical therapy, counseling, grocery store, cleaning up messes, racing to the next practice or event, maybe connecting back at home, maybe not…otherwise just “grazing.” We find ourselves by default catching up on news, social media, just wanting to “zone out” in front of a screen, then put things away, collapse in bed for a repeat in five to seven hours.  

Did you breathe? Pray? Meditate? Connect with another human face to face beyond a convenience or courtesy? What about the quality of the sleep you did get? I didn’t even mention detours such as sick parents or kids, a car accident, sprained ankle, or like me- random retinal tear in my eye… just because.  Is your stress level elevated just reading this?  (Mine could be in writing it- if I let it.). Deep breath in through the nose now…..hold for 7 seconds, breath out of your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat.  Calling up the parasympathetic nervous system this way helps to turn on the executive brain, leaving the amygdala fight/flight/freeze response. Breathe.  Breathing should be something on autopilot, but to take in senses, sometimes we have to remind ourselves. 

After over 20 years in traditional medicine, I’ve seen the “algorithm” take over, and quite frankly, it isn’t working for the human body or soul.  A 15-minute assessment, limits on ordering labs because “it’s not time” yet, or labs looked “good” so there is nothing else to do-despite the fact you may know deep down something is up.  I have heard physicians tell clients, “I don’t know anything about that.” and move on.  You are stuck, second guessing your symptoms, waiting until the labs get worse before you return?  Feeling run down daily despite eating well, or exercising with no “feel good” reward after, just  a crash,  this can make you wonder what is the point.  These are considered “soft” symptoms, so the problem in the current system must be you (read-whiney woman or lazy man).  Even when there are notable, code-worthy diagnoses like high blood pressure or kidney disease, there is rarely an explanation as to why this is occurring.  It is inferred that we haven’t been taking care of ourselves, and the education for that is on us. 

I was not satisfied with these scenarios, not ok with seeing the rampant rise in autoimmune diseases, cancers at younger ages, elevated liver enzymes in people in their 20s, insulin resistance at an all time high,  a whole category of illness that falls under the neurodivergent heading, and Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive deficit (pre-dementia) also unusually common at a younger age.  I took a deeper look into potential causes. What followed was the best education I have had since I graduated from medical school.  It continues to grow, because there are great discoveries are being noted, quietly at times, but still true. The clear and not so clear part in discovering why the body is declining is in the fact that there are multiple root causes. 

If it were as simple as eating cleanly, exercising more, we would not be having this conversation.  And in this day where you can “just google it” to get answers with the freedom to order almost anything online to try to “fix it,” why should anyone still be struggling with their health? 

The missing piece in my opinion is connection. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully created by God, with our own genetics, experiences, exposures, and wiring. This requires customized care, time and trust- connection. 

We are often afraid to ask the deep questions—or we simply don’t know what to ask. Even when we are given a path to heal, the missing link is often integration. How do we fit these changes into our already overstimulated, busy lives?

Realizing that I couldn’t serve people the way they deserved within the fixed setting of our current healthcare system, I stepped out of my comfort zone to seek and apply those real answers. 

I am still a physician, but my role has evolved. I now have the freedom act as an advocate, advisor, and consultant. I’m building a community of like-minded practitioners who value the whole human person:

• Intellectually
• Spiritually
• Emotionally
• Physically

We are living in an era that demands adaptability. Life is full of detours; the goal isn’t to avoid them, but to navigate them and thrive. This isn’t a 15-minute interaction—it’s a partnership. It requires a willingness to reassess how we live and identify what can be modified to allow for true healing.

There is a fundamental truth we often forget: You do not need to be “fixed.” Our bodies have an incredible, God-given capacity to regenerate if provided with the correct tools.

A partnership is needed- awareness, ownership, support through changes, and getting back to basics. My goal is to help everyone understand better their own physiology, offer options for healing, and give them the tools for longevity and feeling confident to pivot when the challenges arise.  That takes education, options to maintain and improve mobility, understanding and removing toxins, addressing sleep dysfunction, support the molecules that are needed to rebuild the system, incorporate mindset management, as well as the often overlooked stressors and spiritual health that suffers as well. 

If this resonates with you, let’s connect!

Join the Community: This is Metanoia

Metanoia you say? Metanoia is a Greek word that signifies a profound reordering of life; it is a transformative change in heart or mind, or both.  Think you are stuck in your current health status? THINK AGAIN. 

Investing in your health and wellness is a personal endeavor. It requires time, vulnerability, commitment, and the courage to step out of your comfort zone. If you are tired of being a data point in a system, part of an algorithm, and are ready for a health journey that honors your full humanity in a customized manner, then contact me through a discovery call or functional assessment. Connection is key. Change for good is possible!   

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