Why I loved 2018

What an exciting and enriching year 2018 has been! I’m bursting with gratitude for the abundance and adventures I’ve experienced, both personally and professionally.

In addition to travelling, skiing, SUPing, lifting weights, cuddling kittens, slaying dragons, planting a garden, getting married 🙂 and then travelling some more, my practice turned 10 years old and enjoyed a record breaking year full of new patients and fully booked weeks that kept me hopping.

Somehow I managed to get away to attend three fantastic medical conferences where I geeked out to my heart’s content.

In Toronto last February I learned about the diagnostic and treatment challenges of Lyme disease and related co-infections. Lyme disease, caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, is presently a very controversial topic in medicine. While a growing number of people are presenting with Lyme disease, the medical community is divided with respect to best practices in diagnosis and treatment, particularly when individuals present with symptoms attributed to chronic Borrelia burgdorferi infections i.e. those that aren’t diagnosed and treated in their acute phase (see link below for more on this).

In May I traveled to Hollywood, Florida for the annual international conference of the Institute for Functional Medicine. This year’s topic caught my attention – Solving the Puzzle of Autoimmune Disease: the interplay of gut, genes and the environment. I gained insight into the integrative assessment and treatment of conditions like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

These complex, chronic diseases can no longer be attributed to simply bad genetic luck; a growing body of evidence suggests that multiple, cumulative insults to one’s system come together over years, decades even, forming the “perfect storm” in which autoimmunity is triggered in a genetically susceptible individual. Insults such as acute and chronic infections, compromised microbiome and gut health, gluten sensitivity, diet, lifestyle, environmental exposures, hormonal factors and even psychological stress all play a role.

In November I attended the annual convention of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors in Toronto where I advanced my knowledge of mental health conditions, medicinal Cannabis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and fertility, and neuroinflammation – which plays a role in mental health conditions and neurological conditions like cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s and concussions.

My biggest take away from all theses events is that chronic disease is complex and that an integrative approach can help patients improve their quality of life. With this in mind, it is not always practical or clinically useful to explore the various “triggers” that led to a person’s condition. We need to be balanced in our approach and avoid over-complicating integrative healthcare.

In this, my 10th year in practice, I’m more inspired than ever to be a naturopathic doctor and stand confidently with my colleagues in our ability to be part of the solution to the chronic disease epidemic. Helping our patients connect the dots in their health and take meaningful action to improve their lifestyle and diet can go a long way when it comes to managing and preventing chronic illness. We are here to be allies to physicians and specialists, and advocates and coaches for our patients.