At the age of nine, I had bad experience with a high dose of antibiotics which left me unable to hold down even water. From that point on my parents decided to turn towards more natural medicine. Whenever we were sick my dad would make us do steam inhalations, give us herbal medicines, and we always had to take our vitamins.
Throughout the course of my life there were many other experiences that led me to prefer natural treatments over conventional ones. As a teenager I enjoyed jogging a few times a week. After some time I developed pain and clicking in my right knee, so I went to the doctor looking for some advice. I thought she might suggest a brace, some stretching exercises, something to prevent the pain. Instead, she recommended I take Advil, before and after running.
In my late teens I developed allergies, so I saw an allergy specialist. I asked him if there was anything I could do to prevent the symptoms (stuffy runny nose, itchy watery eyes). His recommendation was to get shots every month for three to five years and then hopefully my allergies to ragweed would go away … hopefully. To clear up my sinuses he wanted to put me on 3 different medications, including a cortisone nasal spray and antibiotics among other things. If that didn’t clear it up he said I’d need surgery to open up my sinuses and clear them out. Yikes! I had a stuffy nose, but it wasn’t that bad!
In my first year of university I heard about a very reputable and well-known naturopathic college in Toronto, Canada. As I read up on the program I felt an immediate attraction. This was what I always wanted to be! A doctor that could help the body heal itself using natural medicines, diet and lifestyle changes. It made perfect sense to me. As the famous American poet Robert Frost, wrote:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
