My Healing Journey

From Burnout and Misdiagnosis to Rebuilding My Health—One Step at a Time

I was once told I was “the epitome of health.”

Never mind that my joints ached, I had cysts on my ovaries, I made regular trips to the ER for mysterious stomach pain. I’d lie on the floor, heart racing, nauseous, dizzy, feeling like I was dying. I was utterly exhausted. The room would spin, my body would shake, and I couldn’t explain why.

Doctors shrugged and said it must be depression.

I’ve been depressed before. This wasn’t that.But being dismissed like that was depressing.

Another specialist told me I slept too much because I was lazy. Lazy? I’m a former ballerina and lifelong athlete. I run a business. I work seven days a week. But sure, let me add “lazy” to the list of things I now have to feel bad about.

Going out, drinking, socializing, even trying to have fun wasn’t fun anymore.Everything made me feel worse.

But I was determined. I wanted to feel better.I wanted to live in a body I could trust again, one strong enough to carry a child someday.

The traditional healthcare system wasn't helping, despite the fortune I was spending on insurance. So I took matters into my own hands.

Becoming My Own Healer

I started researching. I learned about inflammation and leaky gut, blood sugar imbalance, high cortisol, hormone disruption, root cause healing.

I also learned I wasn’t alone. So many people, especially women, get gaslit by doctors. It’s not always their fault. Many aren’t trained in functional medicine or trauma-informed care. But they didn’t see me. They didn’t listen to my body’s experience.

I knew there had to be more.I believed healing wasn’t just physical.It was emotional. Nervous system-based. Spiritual.

So I went inward.

How I Healed

1. I started journalingIt began with a realization: I am angry.

I had never let myself feel that before. Giving myself permission to feel anger, grief, confusion—that was healing in itself.

Sometimes I wrote full entries. Sometimes just sentences. I journaled in my Notes app, password protected, so I could access it anytime and feel safe putting my full truth there.

I processed memories, relationships, trauma, and long-held pain.

2. I found a functional medicine doctorShe ran everything including full bloodwork, bile testing, and hormone panels. She saw me as a whole system, not a checklist of symptoms. She made me feel seen.

My body was attacking itself. But now I had answers.

3. I changed the way I ateAfter over 10 years without meat, I started with bone broth to heal my gut and replenish nutrients. I never left the house without it so I wouldn’t end up depleted.

I also started taking electrolytes, which gave me a noticeable energy boost and supported hydration. I took lots of supplements as well, based on testing and guidance.

I also did a full elimination diet. I cut out gluten, dairy, egg whites (yes, that’s a thing), and even eliminated coffee for a couple of weeks. I later replaced it with matcha.

At first, meat was hard to stomach. But I felt better. So I kept going.

I quit sugar. Not forever, but long enough to reset. The first week was the longest week of my life, but then it wasn’t hard. Once I felt how it wrecked me, it was easier to let it go.

I became intentional about food. I ate more than I ever had and didn’t gain weight. My meals became functional:

• Half a plate of veggies

• 25 to 30 grams of protein

• A healthy fat

• A non-starchy carb

4. I wore a glucose monitorSpecifically, the Stelo glucose monitor by Dexcom. It taught me how stress, sleep, food order, and emotional state affected my blood sugar and inflammation.

It was empowering to learn how my body was responding and even more empowering to change it.

5. I focused on lowering cortisolFor as long as I can remember, high cortisol was at the root of so much suffering in my body.

I started doing breathwork. Restorative movement.I let myself slow down, feel, and just be.

I stopped skipping breakfast. I ate dinner earlier. I let food truly break my fast instead of fasting to feel in control.

6. I unpluggedI turned off the TV and my phone. I read actual books.I cleaned while listening to audiobooks. I put on music again.

I stretched. Wore a face mask. I danced every night.

It wasn’t about performance. It was about moving energy, letting things out.It felt silly at first. Sometimes my dog Wellington would give me the side eye. But it made me feel alive again.

One book that really impacted me was The Body Keeps the Score. It helped me understand how trauma lives in the body, how our nervous system holds memory, and how true healing means tending to both the emotional and physical parts of ourselves. I can’t recommend it enough.

7. I said noI stopped doing things that didn’t feel good.I gave myself time to cook, rest, and do all the things that nourished me.

I said no to drinking, to late nights, to restaurants that didn’t work for my body.

I began taking my own virtual classes again. I went to yoga. I read.

I stopped framing those things as luxuries. They were essential.It’s wild how easy it is to give to others, and how hard it can feel to give to yourself.

The Deeper Work

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• I always wanted to be the good girl

• When I felt helpless, I tried to control

• When I felt inadequate, I punished myself

• When I feared disappointing others, I abandoned myself

• When I feared feeling, I spiraled into anxiety

Healing has meant facing all of that.Listening to my body. Respecting my mind.Being kind to myself, even when it feels unfamiliar.

Still Healing, But Finally Thriving

My journey isn’t over. It’s something I work on daily.

But I went from not being heard to hearing myself.From being told I was too sick to have a babyto having a very healthy baby a few years later.

I felt helpless, frustrated, and alone.And I’m so proud I didn’t give up.

If this resonates with you, let it be your reminder that healing is possible.You’re not lazy. You’re not crazy. You’re not broken.

You’re allowed to take up space in your own care.You’re allowed to want to feel better.You deserve it.

With love,

Regan

My Health Story

*Check out more articles HERE at Regan's Journal on Substack