My Health Journey

Hi, I’m Sheila! I’m an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, author, hairstylist, wife and mother of two. I work with individuals on nutrition and healing methods, specializing in helping those living with anxiety.

I graduated from the Institute for Integrated Nutrition in 2018. Here is how I realized I needed to get healthy and how I became inspired to help others too!

A few years ago, we had scheduled a summer vacation to Cancun, Mexico. My husband and I had our honeymoon there, and had been back another time with our oldest daughter. It’s a place where we always had great memories. I was so excited to go back again and bring our little one.

​When we got there, I immediately noticed that the hotel was a little too crowded. Still, we tried to make the best out of it. Before going on vacation I had just started to eat healthier, adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. I was so excited to see fruits I hadn’t eaten in a long time—it seemed like the perfect place to be with my new diet.

 After a few days, I started to feel very sick. I lost my appetite completely, had diarrhea and started to feel weak. I didn’t think too much of it, as other members of my family were feeling it as well. I was looking forward to visiting Chichen Itza for a second time. After being in that heat for so long with my stomach issues, all I could think of while we were there was finding a place to faint.  

​I tried my best to make it a nice time for my family but in all honesty, I couldn’t wait to go home. It was clear that I was sicker than the rest of them. When we got home, my sickness didn’t go away. I went to my doctor for some blood work. She told me that I needed to get a blood transfusion because I was severely anemic. I wasn’t expecting this at all and I was terrified. To avoid a blood transfusion, I asked how much iron I had to take. I began taking iron three times a day and visiting an oncologist. My doctor was certain that I was bleeding from the inside, causing the anemia. The oncologist looked through my health history and was puzzled. She couldn’t understand why I was there, and sent me to a gastroenterologist instead. The gastroenterologist suggested both a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.

 Still terrified, I began to mentally prepare myself, not knowing what to expect. The results were H Pylori. I was given antibiotics, but they didn’t help enough. My husband told his friend everything I was going through and he suggested I see an infectious disease doctor. The infectious disease doctor listened to my whole story, asking questions and giving me further tests.

 There it was: a parasite called Giardia. I had brought it back from Mexico and it was causing major problems with my intestines. I was given a second heavy dose of antibiotics. By this time, I broke out in an itchy rash all over my body. Everything was giving me a stomach ache, even water. My hair started to fall out, my skin haggard-looking with no glow. I had no energy, and spent most days laying down at home. I had a wonderful job teaching hairstylists in salons and had to leave due to having no energy to travel or even stand. Days at my salon job consisted of me constantly asking myself, “How am I going to get through today? When can I leave?”

​One day, my youngest daughter saw me laying down in the middle of the day and asked, “Mommy, why are you always sick?” This was heartbreaking. Immediately, I knew I had to get help. My lovely client told me about a holistic doctor who had helped her immensely. Desperate, I went to see him immediately. After listening to my story, the integrative doctor told me point blank, “I can help you.” I started to cry, as these words were all I ever wanted to hear from a doctor. Don’t get me wrong, the other doctor did their best.They did what they could and the rest was up to me.

​I have made, and continue to make, changes in my life to continue on a healthy path. I have been on this journey for a long time and I hope to use all that I’ve learned to help others.