How Envision Life Balanced Came to Be

I wanted to share some of my story. I ask you all to share your truth with me, and I want to share some of my truth with you.

In 2016 I was diagnosed with scarlet fever, I did not have any previous symptoms (like untreated strep) I was very confused. Myself as a therapist, should of known another major factor of sickness is overloading stress on the body without any release.

In 2016 I had just closed a chapter of my life that was stressful to say the least.

So, here I am, sick and not aware of what else the world had up its sleeve to knock some common sense into me. See, I wasn’t listening to my body, it was telling me to slow down, but with our society always pushing work until you can’t anymore. I was that person who was making sure to make it to cycling multiple times a week, working 40+hrs in a high stress, trauma focused job with children, and my body was about to give out on me. 

One day, after a long day at work, I worked out per normal, I had {what I thought was an allergic reaction} some hives pop up on my neck, I took a Benadryl, finished my workout and went to bed. The next day the hives had not disappeared, I didn’t feel 100% but was urged to work my full day and go to the doctors afterwards to get checked out.  That is when the PA at minute clinic was concerned due the nature and placement of the rash on my body, that I had Scarlet Fever.

After this incident, I started having “allergic" reactions, I would wake up with serve facial swelling, major mood swings, stomach aches and spiked anxiety. With the support of my fiancé and concern of my family I went to see an allergist. I am SO thankful for the allergist, who suggested I get tested for an Auto Immune Disease called Celiac. He pushed and urged me to get in with my doctor and get blood work done to confirm what he had thought.

I will forever be grateful to that man because he helped me advocate for myself with my PCP.

My pcp wasn’t convinced I had Celiac, but at my request took my blood anyways. Come to find out I did in fact have the markers and elevated antibodies connected to celiac. Now I got to meet a GI doctor and I got a scope done and my life has forever changed. 

With being diagnosed with an Auto Immune Disease I started working with Amber as my holistic practitioner ( Instagram handle : @healwithamber ). She blew me away within minutes of meeting her, explaining to me what causes my symptoms and how strep was connected to everything that had happened to me. We discussed causes of inflammation, mental stress and physical stress and the importance of listening to my body. I had not really listened to my body before being diagnosed with celiac. I would always push past the uncomfortable and carry on, because in a world that is so fast paced, you either evolve or are left behind.

Now to the present, I work very hard at not over working myself, and I removed people and things in my life which did not create a positive relationship for my health. This is NOT easy, it’s hard and sad. But my health trumps everything else, my mental and physical health. I now work with my clients on a daily basis on what “balance" looks like to them. If you aren’t happy or fulfilled in where you are in life, make a change. Take that scary step—that’s what I am doing with Envision Life Balanced. I want to help people understand your story is never fully written and you are always able to make a change that will help you live a life you love.