Is this you?
I am going to describe a fictitious patient called Mary who is 58 years old, typical of my patients, and I want to see if you can relate to her story.
From the time Mary reached menopause at the age of 49, or perhaps a little earlier, she has found herself becoming progressively more exhausted, lethargic, growing in “width”, and starting to suffer from arthritic pain in her left knee. She absolutely hates the way she looks and feels.
In the past, Mary has always been a “go-getter”. She was the “go-to” person when you needed someone to fix the job. Nothing was too big for her. In her younger years, she was able to juggle taking care of her husband and 4 children, as well as her full-time job as a very competent high school Math teacher, with a certain amount of ease and efficiency. She even volunteered for a couple of charities and many would have described her as an invaluable member of their team. Mary was also the one who was always well-groomed, and in her twenties and thirties, had a figure that was envied.
She has no idea when this first happened, but just that it did. She is now quite overweight, has lost her waist, and looks “frumpy” in her clothes. In fact, she now really dislikes clothes shopping. If she wants some retail therapy, she buys scarves, earrings and make-up. This makes it especially difficult when she finds herself unable to resist snacking on chips, chocolates and crackers. Indeed, when she is in her craving state, she will eat anything, whether it be sweet or savory. She is not too fussy.But now things have drastically changed. She can’t tell you exactly when thatHer older two children are married, and she has now 4 adorable
grandchildren aged between 6 and 6 months. They are her pride and joy.
However, she is just too tired to get “down and dirty” with them. When they are around, she feels like one of those elderly women in a nursing home, that just sit there, and smile as they watch the kids play. She is even reluctant to take the older two children to the park or out for the day, as she would find it too exhausting.
Owing to her declining health Mary has reduced her hours at her school considerably. She finds it hard to be motivated in the morning to get ready for her day, especially seeing her sleep the night before was regularly disrupted with toilet visits and hot flushes. Her memory is suffering, and she also finds it increasingly difficult to exercise, particularly considering she has recently started to suffer some arthritic pain in her left knee. While she also suffers from regular bloating and stomach cramps after her meals, what is really concerning is that her mood has really shifted. In the past, she has always been an extrovert and upbeat. But now, she is very moody and depressed. She is terrified that she is on a downward spiral and will either not live for that much longer, or, alternatively, be in this sad state for the remaining decades of her life.
So, after some coaxing from her husband, Mary decides to visit her doctor. After a brief examination, he advises her that her symptoms are typical for someone of her age. He explains that it is quite common to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood glucose levels when post-menopausal, and as a consequence she is at a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes. He therefore insists that it is vital for her to take medication that can reduce these markers. Consequently, he prescribes her a
hypertensive to lower her blood pressure, a statin for her cholesterol levels, and metformin to regulate her blood sugar levels, as well as an anti-inflammatory medication for her arthritis and an anti-depressant to reduce her depression.
While Mary has never been a fan of taking medications, she leaves the clinic satisfied that she finally has a diagnosis for her symptoms, and a prescription that she hopes will reverse her condition. She might now actually get her life back.
After 6 months on these medications, the pain in her arthritic knee has lessened, her mood is slightly improved, and her blood markers seem to be stabilising. Yet, despite this, she now suffers intense muscular pain, has become constipated, her gut symptoms have worsened, and her energy levels are lower than ever before. How can this be?
She returns to the doctor, only to be told that she should never stop taking these medications due to her high cardiovascular and diabetes risk. She leaves the clinic with a further prescription for her current medications and a new drug for her constipation and a proton pump inhibitor for her gut symptoms.
Mary is in despair. She cannot believe that this is her fate and what she is going to face for the rest of her life. There has to be an answer somewhere. Her friend suggests a naturopath. Up till now, she had never been to one, and in the past assumed that they were the therapists for hippies and “flower people” and their knowledge of health, sub-optimal.
She grudgingly fills out an intake form and attends the naturopathic clinic. On arrival, she is warmly welcomed by the staff and the naturopath. She is surprised at the comprehensive “fact-finding” initial session and is asked many questions ranging from her presenting complaints to covering all the other systems in her body. Her naturopath advises her that in order to understand and treat Mary’s conditions effectively, she needs to know more about her whole body and how it functions. She is interested in Mary’s diet, lifestyle and past medical history. Mary is quite taken aback at her naturopath’s professionalism and knowledge. The naturopath also spends time giving Mary a physical examination, examining her nails, skin, hair, tongue, conjunctiva and irises. She inspects her knee, and weighs and measures her, takes her blood pressure, and even orders certain functional pathology tests. Along with her analysis of recent blood tests, the practitioner is able to collect enough information to help her uncover the underlying causes to her patient’s symptoms. In her 58 years, Mary has never undergone such a thorough examination and is comforted by the fact that she had been listened to and taken seriously.
Over the next few sessions, the naturopath is able to uncover the underlying reasons for Mary’s general condition. The practitioner fully elucidates that the way Mary is eating is causing her to suffer from high blood insulin levels in response to her high carbohydrate intake. While her blood sugar levels may be stabilised by her medication, the naturopath explains that high insulin levels that are secreted by the pancreas in response to the high sugar intake, can be toxic, and can directly and indirectly cause obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, inflammation and oxidative stress, brain fog, and hormonal imbalances. She also explains that her eating and lifestyle
habits, and past and present medication and toxin exposure, have caused an imbalance in her gut microbiome, which can lead to a leaky gut, inflammation, autoimmune conditions and food intolerances, as well as memory issues and mood changes. As a result, the naturopath prescribes diet and lifestyle changes, as well as certain supplements and herbal mixtures. Mary is advised that her recovery will not be instant, and it might take several months for her to reclaim her life, and needs to stay committed, compliant and patient.
Week by week, month by month, Mary is returning to her old self. She is finding it easier to get motivated in the morning. She even takes a short walk daily, before breakfast. Her mood has lifted, and she finds she has
more energy to play with her grandkids. Her doctor has noticed improvements in her blood markers and has had to reduce some of her medications considerably. Mary was even able to stop taking the cholesterol-reducing drugs and consequently her muscle pain has disappeared. She has also been able to stop taking metformin as her blood sugar values are now in the healthy range.
If you can relate to Mary’s story and require assistance, contact me on the following contact details: Email:
naturopathsolutions@gmail.com or my website: www.naturopathsolutions.com.au