Kelley Teixeira, MSN, NP-C
Nurse Practitioner
I became a Registered Nurse in 1992 to help others. However, I found I needed help myself. I always struggled with fatigue. Even as a small child, I never had a high energy level. I often complained of stomach aches and had frequent colds.
After becoming a nurse, I continued to report fatigue to many doctors. None could find a cause. With each year, my fatigue worsened, especially after each pregnancy. My doctors told me they had found a reason! "You work hard and have children. That is why you are tired." Of course, this "diagnosis" did not make me feel or function any better.
After my fourth child, I felt my health was further deteriorating. Could it be normal to be this tired? I finally decided to seek the advice of an alternative practitioner who took the time to listen to all my symptoms. He suggested a gluten-free diet. Could a little gluten really cause all these problems? Yes, and the blood work confirmed it. My symptoms became about 85% better within 2 weeks after a diet change. And that was just the beginning!
Patients with chronic illness, like my chronic fatigue, get lost in the current healthcare system. Even patients who want a higher level of wellness are not assessed properly. Now, as a Nurse Practitioner, my goal is to spend time to truly help others as I set out to do so many years ago- by using A Functional Approach.
After becoming a nurse, I continued to report fatigue to many doctors. None could find a cause. With each year, my fatigue worsened, especially after each pregnancy. My doctors told me they had found a reason! "You work hard and have children. That is why you are tired." Of course, this "diagnosis" did not make me feel or function any better.
After my fourth child, I felt my health was further deteriorating. Could it be normal to be this tired? I finally decided to seek the advice of an alternative practitioner who took the time to listen to all my symptoms. He suggested a gluten-free diet. Could a little gluten really cause all these problems? Yes, and the blood work confirmed it. My symptoms became about 85% better within 2 weeks after a diet change. And that was just the beginning!
Patients with chronic illness, like my chronic fatigue, get lost in the current healthcare system. Even patients who want a higher level of wellness are not assessed properly. Now, as a Nurse Practitioner, my goal is to spend time to truly help others as I set out to do so many years ago- by using A Functional Approach.