It has been 5 WEEKS since we've had our last seizure episode and we couldn't be more thrilled. In my last blog I mentioned that I had been searching for someone to help us along in our journey and we found that person.
You know when you meet someone and you have the feeling that it was meant to be or that you found a secret and you want to share it with everyone, well that's how I feel. I wouldn't have found this person unless I put this blog up and started having conversations and connecting with people so again I express my gratitude to all those who have and continue to reach out.
Leading up to this point Harlo's long time Doctor had recently moved so we we're already in search for a new physician. At this point I was in no rush due to the fact that Harlo was healthy and we have a great deal of good physicians in the area. Well, once her health took a hiatus I knew I wanted someone who would address Harlo as a whole and not just her symptoms. Again I had gone through a health disaster years ago and had worked my way through 10 doctors simply due to the fact that each of them wanted to give me medication to cover up the symptoms and not treat the underlying issue. I knew I didn't want this for her, I knew I was going to hunt down someone who was willing to work with us, educate us and give us guidance. And I found HER!!!!
Ironically we had an appointment with a new physician in Madison who was going to be meeting with us and was apart of the UW Clinic which we thought perfect, they'll all be on the same page. We showed up for our appointment and when we went to check in they denied us due to the fact that they accidentally assigned us with a doctor who was out of our network. Mind you this appointment had been made weeks ago so we we're going to have to wait another several weeks to get in with another doctor. At this point I was already emotionally spent and just broke down. I sobbed all the way home, I was so frustrated. For those that know me I always say there's a reason for everything and in that moment I couldn't get my shit together but Jeb and Harlo assured me that it was going to be just fine (terrible mom moment). And they we're right, the very next day is when I had a conversation with an old friend who told me about a clinic in Theinesville (Waukesha,WI area).
Meet Dagmara Beine ( http://zuzasway.com/). She was wonderful. Before you make an appointment you are able to have a 15 minute phone conference with her to connect with her, explain what your looking for and see if it's a good fit to move forward. In that phone call she made me feel as if she cared about Harlo just as much as I did and she was beyond thrilled to work with us - so we made our appointment!
When Jeb, Harlo and I walked into her clinic it was more like a yoga studio. It was small and cozy, diffusers we're giving off wonderful aromas, there was local artist collections of wellness products, teething necklaces, essential oils and it made you feel comfortable and at home. Dagmara spent about 90 minutes with us - she got to know Jeb and I, she learned all about Harlo prior to her episodes and everything that happened since. She was beyond attentive with Harlo and made sure to speak to her not only about how she was feeling but wanted to know her thoughts, her frustrations and what she wanted for herself.
Dagmara has a special story, if you have the time to visit her website you will learn that she has a Masters degree as a Physician Assistant and had worked in emergency medicine for over 12 years. Her 3.5 year old daughter, Zuza was diagnosed with cancer and her diagnosis wasn't good. They moved through her treatments and as they did Dagmara realized that western medicine was failing them and not addressing Zuza as a whole. This is what led Dagmara to research, seek out and find what she needed to address her daughter's overall health and not just her cancer. This is what led her to be redirected in her journey and open her own practice to help incorporate integrative wellness into her clients lives and treat each one individually. Here is a piece of her story...
"My approach to your health starts with preventative care. Disease takes a long time to form. We do not go from being completely healthy to sick overnight. It takes an average of 10 years for most diseases to develop. Preventative medicine steps into your life and helps reverse the disease formation. I work with individuals who are committed to taking charge of their health. I will be your medical consultant, lifestyle coach and health educator in order to teach and empower you in your quest for optimal health. Through a thorough medical assessment, an understanding of your individual goals and an analysis of your current health, I will help you create health strategies that will last a lifetime. "
I understand there are no promises, no 24 hour cures and maybe not even one cause to why Harlo's seizures started but I do know that something or several things caused a trigger in her body and I needed someone to build a team with and we left Dagmara's clinic with a new team. If I could bottle up Dagmara and hand her out I would. She had such an impact on us that Jeb, Harlo and I will be switching over to her as our new family physician.
I know there's incredible people out there and if you've come across someone please share, they aren't easy to find nor do we realize what we're missing out on until something bad in our life or health happens. Again I appreciate all of you reading this and I can't wait to share our journey with Dagmara and the things we learn along the way!
#healingharlo #westernmedicine #holistichealing #integrativehealth #lifetimehealth #goals #choices #consciousparenting
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