Sometimes we have symptoms for so long that we begin to think that it’s just a “normal” part of life. Add in not getting support from a medical provider, and it’s easy to see how one can go on feeling crummy, and settling for this new baseline. Such was the case for Danielle W., our latest member of the month.

Danielle started having chronic fatigue dating back 25 years ago. It would come and go, generally not lasting more than a week, each time offering bouts of extreme exhaustion. And then she’d be fine.

While those moments of “fine” were ok, she wondered why it kept coming back. Naturally she sought the advice of many medical professionals over the years, trying to discern the cause of the problem. Yet each time she was dismissed with an offering of antidepressants.

Fast forward to 2023 when Danielle was actually looking for a functional medicine doctor for her husband, who has an extensive family history of heart issues. “I wanted someone who could spend more time looking into his whole medical being. In traditional systems, they only look at a few things,” she says. Instead, she wanted a comprehensive look at him to ensure he was doing all that he could proactively for his health.

While the original intent of her search was for her husband, Danielle liked the comprehensive offerings she found at Companion Health, and ended up becoming a client of the functional medicine practice herself.

Dr. Jorge obtained baselines, a complete health history, took time to understand Danielle’s health goals and more. And then that chronic fatigue reared its ugly head again, this time lasting for three months.

“I could sleep all day long and still be tired,” Danielle recalls of the plaguing fatigue.

But it turned out that the timing of this was positive, as it gave her yet another chance to try to find answers.

Sharing this information with Dr. Jorge, she offered a precursor: “I agree that there is a time and place for antidepressants, but I am not depressed. Please do not offer this suggestion,” she shared.

Fortunately, this was not in his original plans. Instead, Dr. Jorge began investigating: he looked at Danielle’s hormones, did heavy metal testing and also looked for mold toxicity. He researched the areas where she previously lived, looking for what types of chemical/nuclear plants may have been in the area. He then tested for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), and bingo! Danielle was in an EBV flare. It took time and effort to unearth these findings, but finally there was a roadmap to follow.

Taking all of the learned information of Danielle’s specific case, he created a specialized regimen including individualized supplements, a prescription for Low Dose Naltrexone and individualized IV therapies.

With these efforts, Danielle’s symptoms went away.

“It was life-changing in so many ways,” Danielle remembers. Fast forward to now: “I can process information better, I can multitask better, I can regulate emotions better. There are so many positive things that have come out of this,” she says. “I don’t eat processed foods, have very little sugar, and I exercise a lot.”

In her work (a joint business with her husband that was initially a small business which scaled very quickly), she was formerly getting frustrated knowing that there was so much going on, and not being able to maximize her efforts or offerings. With her newfound energy, she is able to offer better contributions, benefiting her and their company.

Of her experience, she shares this: “I’ve been a runner for over 20 years … but what I’ve realized through all of this is that sometimes we think that we are so healthy, but we really need to see what’s under the hood.”

“I could not even count how many doctors told me I was depressed,” she continues. “If I would have listened to all of them, I may not have discovered why I have chronic fatigue.”

Instead, she’s got a solid understanding, a protocol to manage it, and future health goals to keep bettering herself: “I want to continue to reduce any inflammation that I have in my body; we have plans to focus more on sleep, meditation and to look into red light therapy.”

Danielle is proof that symptoms that seem off kilter or not right should not be ignored. Our bodies speak to us; it’s our job to listen. If you are not getting the answers you need, don’t just settle!