How I found my way back to living.

When I was an infant, a doctor gave me a full dose of medicine to which I was allergic, and my body developed lesions from head to toe. The itching was unbearable. I was tempted mercilessly to scratch the sores. If I scratched them the pain would sting unbearably. I had to learn to leave them alone.

My dad bathed me each day and scrubbed off the scabs that were formed on the lesions. The pain was excruciating. He doused me with sweet smelling baby powder to make sure I didn't smell. This was what he felt was the best therapy.

When a nurse advised my dad not to scrub the scabs, I began to heal.

One of the most painful experiences of my childhood happened on the playground while playing a game called "It." A little boy pointed to the scars on my legs and shouted, "She has leprosy." This game involved running to touch one of your playmates to infect them so they would become "It." The saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me" is a big lie. The words my playmate uttered hurt my heart and even my soul. We played that game for three consecutive days, with me pretending to be the infected person trying to catch and infect my classmates.

I had to mask the hurt and continue laughing and playing during each recess as if those words didn't phase me. As an adult I know what it is like to cover up any part of you that causes embarrassment.

More of my story

When I worked as a nurse's aide while attending college, I saw many people with chronic diseases living miserable lives. I witnessed people suffering with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, bronchial diseases, cancer, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

I was fortunate to meet a seventy-year-old Sicilian woman who while recovering from a lifestyle of negative health decisions had no wrinkles, no pneumonia, and no bedsores although bedridden.

I learned from her daughter that her recovery could be accredited to a holistic doctor who supplied her with the nutrients her body was missing.

This woman's story motivated me to live a lifestyle that I call SPA living and made me excited to become a holistic nutritionist so that I could help improve the health of as many people who are willing to be challenged to live a healthier life.

Want to go deeper? Feel free to schedule a workshop, a seminar, or a Health Fair — email me with the words workshop, seminar or Health Fair in the subject line.