What's Your Why?

[Dr. Andrew]

My WHY is to help other practitioners master the incredible science and art of functional medicine. I’ve seen how powerful this system of healing can be, and I am lucky to see it in action every day in my practice. Nothing is better than helping an individual overcome a health challenge naturally. When you drive home from a busy day in practice, having helped chronically ill patients overcome their challenges naturally, it is the best feeling in the world. Every individual you help to improve their health naturally, you save someone from the “medical matrix”. There are more people today, on their knees praying for an answer to their health problem, than ever before. Many of these people have tried traditional medicine and been let down time and time again. We have an incredible opportunity to up our game and improve our skills to be the solution our patients so desperately want. Functional medicine works, but it is complicated…and I have dedicated myself to simplifying the science so more doctors and practitioners can bring this amazing gift to more patients. – Dr. Andrew

[Timothy]

Hi everyone! I’m Dr Tim Gearhart D.C.

I’m a practicing chiropractor just finishing up my 15th year. I’m blessed with a successful practice and truly enjoy what I do.

Now, maybe more than ever, our patients (and truly all of humanity) are in need of help, and ultimately are in need of hope. I see that the outside-in approach to health care is failing to help patients reach their true potential when it comes to the treatment of chronic disease. I feel driven to not only learn, but to also apply the principles of functional medicine so that more can understand that true health comes from within, that our body is made to thrive and function at a high level, and we can all live long lives free of chronic disease.

As I learn more, I find myself excited like never before! I cannot wait to share this knowledge, and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive changes in my patients’ lives!

Thank you for putting together this program!

Dr. G

[Marsha]

My name is Marsha Meyers. I have 30+ years experience as a physical therapist and was certified as a functional medicine practitioner from the Institute of Functional Medicine in 2022. My WHY is to stop generational diseases and dysfunction. My mother died of lung cancer when I was 42 and my father died of renal cancer when I was 48. Both sides of my family have a strong history of cancer and I was always curious as to why that was. Cancer is ugly and devastating. It was very traumatic to watch my parents fade away from this disease. There was also strong neurotransmitter imbalance/depression in some family members that despite their superior intelligence….they could not cope well in life. My physical therapy background gave me basic tools to start investigating these issues. My own infertility and estrogen dominance caused histamine intolerance which led me to investigate methylation/MTHFR. It was very empowering to me to learn that we can override our genetics and ultimately thrive with good health both physically AND mentally. I want this for my family and for future generations as well as the patients in my practice.

[Lidia]

Hi, my name is Lidia Palcu. I’ve been working as a computer analyst for about 15 years. In 2010 I was put on Levothyroxine and sent on my way. I felt better for a bit but managed to get off the medication about 3 years later due to starting on smoothies, I called them green drinks because I used lots of leafy greens and veggies in them. I was doing better for a few years continuing to see the regular MDs and limited testing, of course. But then in 2016 I lost my father, suddenly.

The grief, and the stress of the new job, coupled with nutritional deficiencies, made my health spiraling down into the autoimmune Hashimotos Thyroiditis soon thereafter. As a child, I wanted to become a doctor, but as I got older I realized people bleed, and I was not okay with seeing blood, my dolls didn’t bleed when I would give them their shots. 😊 So blood put an end to my medical career and I started studying computer science instead.

Because I always had this deep curiosity about how the body functions and wanted to understand when something was wrong, I would dig and study everything I could find medically. The search for knowledge, coupled with conventional medicine discrepancies, pushed me to keep on searching. I kept my eyes and ears open and in a chiropractor’s office, I have learned about alternative medicine. I started seeing a naturopath who started me with lots of testing where I found out I had thyroid antibodies, MTHFR polymorphism, Lyme, prediabetes, and can’t remember what else but she told me I was exposed to a lot.

Not much has changed in terms of the protocol to get healthy, very similar to conventional medicine, back to levothyroxine and B12. After months of this, I didn’t feel better. I kept on digging and learning how the thyroid is secondary to the adrenals or something else that can push it over the limit. I’ve learned about methylation and how nutrition/minerals play a big role in keeping the thyroid healthy. I’ve learned how multiple antibiotic courses destroyed my gut. However, I noticed that my naturopath seemed to have felt that I was too complex of a case to solve and was not very interested in solving it, she would only read me the test results.

The scientist and analyst in me were trying to connect the dots and figure out the systems that are malfunctioning so I could start restoring my health. The fatigue, lack of energy, the body pain, the anxiety was unbearable, couldn’t sleep, I felt helpless, I had to do something different. Became obsessed with searching and learning every second available was used for that. Learned about Iodoral started that for a while, got off the medication, again, and from there I started looking at my adrenal function. Did a DUTCH test and found out I had a reversed cortisol curve, big-time adrenal insufficiency, and insomnia, and worked on that. My diet was always good, that’s what made it so puzzling, but then I’ve learned about mindset and perfectionism, and how it doesn’t serve the body the right way. Little by little the more I’ve learned, the more I implemented.

I’ve struggled with bone pain for several years and shared it with several doctors but no one has been able to provide any insight other than suspecting and testing for rheumatoid arthritis. The pain was debilitating for days, with each episode, especially since leafy greens, avocados, nuts, and veggies were my diet. Eventually, I was led to learn about oxalates and how they impact my health. As I’ve been studying Dr. Andrew’s material I am so grateful to find out even more on the subject and how they impact my health. Besides that, I got to the place where I feel good, again.

In the process of learning and trying to find solutions for my health conditions, I developed this love and passion for understanding how this miraculous body we have been given works, and how all the systems connect and depend upon each other. I’ve learned how the body speaks out when it’s trying to alert us about the abuse we are putting it through. My quest, my WHY is that I like to deepen my knowledge so that I can be of help to myself, my family, and other people around me. I feel I am being drawn back to my first love and who knows what the future holds.

[Peter]

My name is Dr. Peter Schmitt, I’m a 1996 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport IA. Being in practice for over 27 years has been extremely rewarding, knowing we make a significant difference in so many lives along the way. I started using nutrition as an adjunct to my practice about 16 years ago. I’ve continued to expand my knowledge and apply these new learned principles to my patients overall care. I heard Dr. Rostenberg speak at a CSW seminar a couple of years ago and even referred to his office a couple of my more challenging cases.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Rostenberg speak again at an event in Wisconsin. I don’t now what was different but something got me hooked. I purchased his latest book, YOUR GENIUS BODY, and after reading it, I just wanted more. So the next logical step was sign up for Dr. Rostenberg’s classes and keep feeding the machine. I have no plan on leaving practice anytime soon, and want to make an even greater impact for the many sick and suffering individuals turning to us for answers. GOD knows we can’t leave this to the medical profession.

I want to end by saying thank you to Dr. Rostenberg for his willingness to not only help his patients but educate others practitioners willing to take true healthcare to the next level.

[Candi]

My name is Candi, I grew up in a small town in Kansas. My entire life I’ve had family members diagnosed with IBS and thyroid issues, anxiety & eating disorders (over and under eating). My husband of 15 years has also struggled with gut issues and in 2021 had surgery to remove his infected bowels. 2022 was my breaking point, I became anxious, couldn’t eat without what felt like fire in my stomach, hair loss, not sleeping. My doctor prescribed me PPI and SSRI and told me if that doesn’t work I don’t know what to tell you. I had a doctor tell me to remove my gallbladder and see if that helps. When I would ask WHY this was happening or question their protocol they became defensive and dismissive. I dove into the research for the past two years and just a few months ago found some of Dr. Rostenberg’s YouTube videos & read his book… My WHY is to help educate others that your body can heal & guide them through the process.

[Suzanne]

My name is Suzanne. I started my career as an RN, working mainly in oncology. I graduated as a chiropractor from Northwestern Health Sciences University in 1995. I started my own practice, but then sold it after 10 years to work for in onsite clinics taking care of employees in the workplace. I became very interested in nutrition and functional medicine early in my career, especially because I had chronic fatigue and other health problems that a very caring and dedicated instructor at Northwestern helped me with. Then my son developed an autoimmune alopecia at age 4, and the condition progressed a few years later when all of his facial and body hair fell out. Working with functional medicine, and especially with help from Bob Rakowski, this progression was reversed, although he never recovered his head hair since so much time had passed by then. Through continuing education and mentorship under a naturopath, I attained certification as a naturopath. A few years ago, I graduated with a Masters in Nursing and am now an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner. I continue to have a love for learning and especially in the area of functional medicine. I’ve not yet found a good way to tie it all together to have a more systematic approach to working with clients, and I’m looking forward to this coursework to help me with that. As I wind down my career, at this stage my overall “why” is to help myself, family, and friends live functionally healthy lives, without dependence on medications and medical interventions from a broken system.