My Story:
Becoming Living Proof
From healthcare provider to patient—and discovering a different way to care.
For more than two decades, I've had the privilege of caring for others as a nurse and nurse practitioner. I always knew healthcare was my calling, but I never imagined how profoundly my own health journey would change the way I practiced medicine.
For years, I believed that if I studied hard enough, asked the right questions, and followed the appropriate medical treatments, I would eventually find the answers I needed.
But then I became the patient searching for those answers.
My journey through chronic migraines, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hormonal imbalances, and histamine intolerance challenged much of what I thought I understood about health and healing.
It also helped me recognize something I had felt throughout my career: Every patient has a unique story, and understanding that story takes time.
Living Proof Functional Medicine was born from the lessons I learned on both sides of the examination table.
This is my story.
When the Provider Became the Patient
My health journey began long before I ever discovered Functional Medicine.
At just 18 years old, while attending nursing school, I began experiencing migraines that would follow me for nearly two decades.
I tried different medications and treatments, searching for relief, but I never truly understood why they were happening.
Years later, in my mid-30s, I began experiencing additional symptoms that eventually led me to a diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Even with my medical education and clinical experience, finding answers was difficult. I knew something wasn't right, but I struggled to find someone who would look beyond individual symptoms and consider the bigger picture.
That experience became a turning point.
I began studying Functional Medicine, learning more about the relationships between hormones, thyroid health, nutrition, genetics, inflammation, and the body's interconnected systems.
As I continued investigating my health, I discovered an imbalance involving estrogen. Addressing my hormonal health finally brought relief from the migraines I had experienced for nearly 20 years.
I also learned about my MTHFR genetic variants and later experienced the challenges of histamine intolerance.
Each discovery taught me something new about the complexity of the human body—and reminded me that there is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare.
For the first time, I began to understand my health as a whole rather than a collection of unrelated symptoms.
My experiences didn't mean that every symptom had one simple explanation, but they changed the way I approached medicine.
I became even more committed to listening carefully, exploring possible underlying contributors, and creating individualized care plans for my patients.
Because I knew firsthand what it felt like to be searching for answers.
Why I Created Living Proof
Early in my career, I had the privilege of working with an internal medicine physician who taught me something I've never forgotten: every patient is a unique individual, and their care should reflect that.
That philosophy stayed with me throughout my years in nursing and as a nurse practitioner.
But as healthcare became increasingly focused on seeing more patients in less time, I found myself struggling with a system that didn't always allow me to practice the way I believed patients deserved.
I knew that each person was a complex puzzle. Their medical history, symptoms, hormones, nutrition, lifestyle, stress, and environment could all play important roles in their health.
Yet in a 15-minute appointment, I often felt I had time to examine only one corner of that puzzle.
I couldn't continue feeling that I was giving patients less than the thoughtful, individualized attention they deserved.
And after experiencing my own struggles as a patient, I understood that frustration from both sides of the examination table.
I knew I needed to create something different.
Living Proof Functional Medicine was born from that conviction.
I wanted a practice where appointments weren't rushed, where patients could ask questions, where we could explore possible underlying contributors to their symptoms, and where treatment plans were developed for the individual rather than following the same protocol for everyone.
My Christian faith has always been central to my calling. I believe God created each of us uniquely, with inherent worth and a story that deserves to be heard.
That belief shapes how I approach every patient—with compassion, respect, curiosity, and a commitment to providing thoughtful, evidence-informed care.
Living Proof isn't simply a business I started. It's the expression of the kind of healthcare I've always believed in.
A place where patients are heard, educated, respected, and empowered to take an active role in their health.
Beyond the White Coat
While caring for others is a huge part of my life, my greatest blessings are found outside the walls of medicine.
My husband, Bryan, and I have been married for 20 years, and together we've been blessed with two wonderful children—our 18-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter—and four dogs who keep our home full of life!
We love spending time outdoors, traveling to national parks, escaping to the beach, cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers, and gathering with family and friends around the pool.
My faith and family are the foundation of who I am. They remind me daily of the importance of slowing down, being present, and appreciating the relationships God has placed in my life.
Those values are also reflected in the way I've chosen to practice medicine.
I believe caring for people is about more than treating symptoms. It's about recognizing the person behind those symptoms—their responsibilities, relationships, challenges, hopes, and goals.
My hope is that every patient who comes to Living Proof feels genuinely seen, heard, respected, and supported.
Thank you for taking the time to learn my story. I would be honored to hear yours.
Where healing takes root, and growth begins.
