My Autoimmune Story

Hello, I’m Dr Rashel and I am enthusiastic to have connected with you! 

I am a Functional Medicine physician, an Autoimmune Disease survivor, a health autonomy advocate and a mother with a passion for holistic medicine.  My mission is to help others avoid the pain and suffering that can go along with wrong treatments patients may receive conventionally when symptoms are masked and root causes of health complaints not identified, by shedding light on the root causes of disease, and addressing them.

I want you to live your lives to the fullest with health autonomy, to recognize your power, and to uncover the truth of what is contributing to symptoms of ill health, and to ultimately avoid the unnecessary pain and suffering that can come with conventional medical interventions when root causes of symptoms are not addressed and when consequences of conventional recommended treatments are not fully explained.  We all just want honest answers, that actually have our best interest at heart, as to what is causing our health problems and look to medicine for a hope for health and healing. 

Unfortunately the conventional medicines model for chronic health ailments offers anything but that and often perpetuates further disease.  Pharmaceutical drugs used to mask symptoms, often more than one, have numerous negative side effects, and do nothing to address or shed light on the root cause of the problem. 

I was failed by conventional medicine. I set out to heal myself and then spent the last two and half decades researching and implementing the best modalities to best heal and spare others from being failed by what conventional medicine had to offer. 

I developed a very rare autoimmune disease that had devastating consequences, that was triggered by the side effects of a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drug prescribed to me to mask very common symptoms such as irregular periods in late teens and early twenties and an ovarian cyst in an otherwise health individual. Of course there is more to this story such as my birth history and what happened in the years to follow, the numerous drugs such as antibiotics that I was bombarded with that destroyed my microbiome prescribed for simple infections that I now know are a normal part of life and our immune system can take care of, especially when given the right natural support. 

My Autoimmune Story – Medical School

While in medical school, and throughout my Family Medicine residency, I was not feeling my best and definitely not feeling as someone in their 20’s should feel. I struggled with severe hair loss, muscle pain and severe spasms, hormone imbalance, and severe digestive problems of every kind, fatigue, and it was not easy to put the pieces together at the time so I pressed on performing as expected and completing my duties.

Of course this only worsened the problem. It was few years later that I relentlessly did not stop researching for answers and was able to diagnose my own extremely rare autoimmune condition that was affecting my fat metabolism, thyroid, and even kidneys. While suffering from tremendous hair loss, hormone imbalance, digestive problems, gastritis, acne, and muscle spasms and fat changes throughout my body. I soon realized that conventional medicine and conventional doctors are unable to help me and in fact conventional medical treatments triggered and caused the illness and I set out and was determined to find answers myself.

My Autoimmune Story – Research

After two decades of research and study in Biological Sciences, Medical School becoming a licensed physician and surgeon, and Family Medicine Residency, I dedicated another decade to researching Functional Medicine and Anti-Aging Medicine because I knew there is something more than what conventional medicine is offering me and the truth about health and healing lies in addressing the underlying causes of disease not just masking symptoms with drugs and surgery and having to cope with disease.

Going through my own health challenges with a rare autoimmune condition, I knew I deserved better and had to take back control of my own health. I looked back and like many, throughout my childhood and young adulthood I was a victim of conventional medicine and suffered from negative side effects caused by conventional treatments being bombarded with toxins, and pharmaceutical drugs like antibiotics, and oral contraceptives for reasons that were not truly necessary. Although the path was not always easy, I am proud to say that I did take back control of my health and successfully reversed the serious effects of autoimmunity and restored balance to my body and I feel great today.

My Autoimmune Story – My Family

I was fortunate to have my daughter at the age of 43 with my own eggs and without the use of IVF and I don’t think I would have been able to do this had I not reversed the conditions and addressed the root causes of my health ailments and restored balance to my body.

Today I continue to train regularly and am now able to cycle 23 miles in one hour and my time is improving although my age is increasing.

I would not have been able to do this at just a couple years away from 50 years of age had I not worked to address the root causes of my health problems.

My Autoimmune Story – My Life’s Mission

It is my life mission to share what I have learned and lived through with my patients and make sure that it has been purposeful by helping you avoid or heal illness, find answers and put together the pieces, shed light and avoid the pains that can be associated with feeling unwell and not being on the right path.

It is my mission to not allow medicine fail you as conventional medicine failed me, by shedding light on the root causes of disease rather than turning a blind eye to them and partnering with you to take back control of your health so that you will live a life filled with well-being and vitality, not just today but for years to come.

In Wellness,
Dr Rashel