Why You Need
an Integrative and Functional Medicine Provider
Dr. Bojana Jankovic Weatherly
Meet Ella: She is 33 years old, feels tired all the time, has gained 10 lbs in the last two years and struggles with depression and anxiety. Her sleep has been suffering due to increased job demands. Although she used to enjoy giving presentations at work, she now feels panicked before presenting.
She sees her primary care doctor who diagnoses her with depression, anxiety and insomnia. Her visit is over in less than 20 minutes, as Dr. Primary has 22 patients to see that day. Ella is given Lexapro for depression and anxiety, Ambien as needed for insomnia, and Xanax as needed for anxiety – an addictive medicine that can be potentially deadly when combined with opioid medications or alcohol. Her thyroid function tests come back and she is found to have an autoimmune condition causing hypothyroidism, for which he prescribes levothyroxine (synthetic thyroid hormone).
Ella’s energy symptoms improve slightly on thyroid hormone, but she is still not back at baseline and can’t shed the weight. She is still mildly depressed and starts using Xanax daily for her anxiety.
She is concerned about side effects of all of the medications she is taking but feels there is nothing else she can do to help herself. One morning, she finds her fridge has been emptied, only to later learn that sleep eating can occur on Ambien.
Ella runs out of Xanax while her doctor is away and feels anxious when told she may have to wait a day or two for her refill. She goes to an urgent care to try to refill her medication, feeling her panic spin out of control.
These events were Ella’s wake up call. She makes a decision to be an active participant in her healthcare and seeks approaches that will give her the tools to understand and manage her symptoms.
Enter Dr. Integrative. Prior to meeting with Ella, Dr. Integrative’s office sends Ella a comprehensive intake form to fill out, outlining her health and life goals, past medical history, family history and toxin exposures, as well as lifestyle and nutrition habits.
Dr. Integrative prepares for her visit with Ella, reviewing the intake form and taking notes. During their initial 90-minute visit Dr. Integrative gets to know Ella as a person, understand her values and health goals, as well as her readiness to change some of the habits that are not serving her. She educates Ella on underlying causes that may be triggering inflammation and autoimmunity in her body. They carefully review Ella history and nutrition, talk about Ella’s stressors and what brings her joy.