Naturopath In Spokane

During medical school my husband and I were so confused on where to move.  Do we stay in Phoenix area where there are numerous naturopaths?  Move to a licensed state?  Unlicensed state?  We were so plagued with what, where and when to make a move.  We would debate each location on a map until we talked ourselves out of it.  Spokane came up once, but was quickly dismissed.  We joked on just throwing darts blindfolded on a map and moving to where ever it stuck.  It almost wasn't a joke at all.  As one of our business class requirements to start a mock business, we took a trip to MT.  We traveled the whole state and thought Bozeman would be ideal.  We were really set on making MT work.  

Then came the opportunity.  After completing a rotation with two naturopaths, they asked me to join them in Chandler, AZ.  It was so refreshing to work with two naturopaths that had been working in the field for many years.  We thought we finally found our place.  This was the time when the economy was changing in AZ.  I networked and built my practice rather quickly.  I enjoyed working in Chandler, and we loved living there.  However, we knew we needed to make a change for our family.  So we packed up and moved back to Texas.  I quickly was hired to work with a M.D. in the Houston area.  We had family.  We had support.  We worked trying to get Texas Licensure.  Yet we were so discouraged in not being able to fully practice in an unlicensed state.  Then my husband, Dr. Trevor George, transferred with his position to Sedona, AZ.  

Sedona, AZ was a unique place to practice medicine.  Being a healing destination, people from around the world traveled there.  I shared an office space with a naturopath that shared my same vision for healthcare.  Then my daughter developed health issues that often required emergency treatments.  Sedona area does not provide emergency treatments for children, they transfer to Phoenix.  After several transfers we knew we had to make a move.  

On a business trip my husband met a man on an airplane.  The man owned a business in Spokane and my husband was the right fit.  Shortly after that trip he made the move to Spokane.  The family and I followed behind 8 months later.  

We have found home and absolutely love Spokane.  We really believe that it was a God Move to get us here.  We have met incredible people, have great schools, attend an amazing church and live in a great community.  Besides being a little fearful of the bears, we love camping and hiking.  Being surrounded by lakes and so many neat places to visit, our free time is filled with adventure.   We intend to call Spokane home for forever! 

Life Changes

As an expecting mother I envisioned the way I wanted to raise my children and have a professional career.  I wanted to instill some of the same family traditions that I had taken part in as well as start new traditions.  I thought about having themed birthday parties, trying healthy recipes and traveling the world.  I contemplated childcare situations and future education for my precious kids.  I envisioned taking 3 months off, then gently going back part time and building up to full time after the second birthday.  I really thought all of this was a perfect game plan.  

Then there was the birth of our third baby.  Everything went smoothly and she was a healthy 9lb 2oz baby girl born at home.  My envisioned game plan was still in place.  At 2 months old she started having horrible eczema and really bad reflux symptoms which were not improving.  As a mother, especially a naturopath, I felt like I was failing at discovering the underlining issue.  She had imaging and was being seen by a fantastic pediatrician, with no answers.  When she was 4 months old, we decided to give her an excellent product for eczema and reflux.  She immediately had anaphylaxis to the product.  We rushed her to the local hospital and onto being transported to the Children's hospital.  At the first hospital her blood work came back extremely abnormal.  We were in the hospital for 8 days before being released without a definite diagnosis.  Months later she was given the diagnoses of Hereditary Spherocytosis and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE). 

During these months leading up to the proper diagnoses, our family's world was unraveling.  My naturopathic office was having to be put on hold, my life evolved around driving to the children's hospital multiple times per week for testing and treatment.  My husband and I spent countless hours researching the diseases as well as natural treatments.  The medical doctors did not always agree or understand our approaches.  It was extremely exhausting fighting for my rights to breastfeed my child, and not to do the harsh medications and feeding tubes.  My husband changed careers and relocated during this exhausting time, which left me tending to the stress of an ill child.  I managed working limited hours for months.  Some patients were understanding, but not all.  After a scary allergic reaction that required airlift to the Children's hospital due to respiratory distress, our flight nurses and ER doctors advised that we needed to move closer to the hospital.  This expedited our relocation to Spokane, WA. 

Life as we once knew it changed.  Everything changed.  We can not be careless anymore or free spirited about where we go.  With the Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) she has anaphylaxis to most foods, along with severe environmental allergies.  Planning a trip requires knowing where the EpiPen is located and how close the nearest hospital is to us.  Childcare is extremely difficult to come by due to the possibility of another child dropping a crumb on the floor and she picking it up.  Things that most people never think about are now in our awareness each day. 

All of those plans I had years ago are just reminders that life doesn't always go as expected.  I am now having to be extremely creative with birthday celebrations and holidays.  We live life to the fullest and are grateful for our little girl.  She is doing amazing and I will write on that in the future.  My daughter's health conditions are definitely influencing the way I practice medicine and my appreciation for caregivers.  Life has changed and we now embrace our new life.