He called me ‘Pathfinder,’ saying, “You need to find your path so that others can follow, Prem. Don’t just follow what others do. Take time to think.” I wonder if he regrets imparting this to me now? 😊 My Mum wanted me to break the traditional mold concerning what an Asian woman could do and was a strong advocate for further education for me.

My Dad worked as a manager of a beauty shop where they sold perfumes and cosmetics. In my early teens, having an enquiring mind, I used to do research into the ingredients used in cosmetics and perfumes and share my knowledge with my Dad. He used this knowledge to give cosmetic, skin care and perfume advice to his customers.

The life skills of using common sense and asking the right questions have become great assets to me as a health care professional.

Lived Experiences: Car Accident, Reproductive Health Issues.

In December 1994, on the way to a wedding in Gisborne, a friend and myself rolled a car trying to avoid a head on accident. This led to concussion and damage of my neck and back and on-going pain issues with stab like pain at times that were unbearable and led to migraine and vomiting.

Though I believe in divine healing, my healing for this has been gradual and mostly based with doing what I can do naturally through an integrated holistic rehabilitation (Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, Daily Strengthening Exercise and Nutrition). Even now, I am limited regarding the level and type of physical activity I can do.

I believe this accident impacted my reproductive hormone cycle which led to irregular periods, to infertility and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Fertility therapy only made the estrogen level bleep but not get high enough to ovulate. It seems that for during the years of irregular menstruation, I had not been ovulating at all. My hopes to be a mother of 3 children was being squashed with each treatment failure.

I went through a hard season of personal upheaval. I believe this further contributed to a period of time where my womb became so unstable that I was confined to bed. Eventually, I was able to get the much needed help from the fourth gynecologist that I consulted with. He said, "We don't know what we are dealing with. We need to do a scan and a hysteroscope". This resulted in having an operation. It took 6 months for my hormones to stabilize. Thankfully, after that, I was able to become a mum! I also do not suffer from IBS now. What I learnt I teach to my clients.

And you would think one person cannot go through so much. Life has a way of throwing lemons, so I also have diagnosis of PTSD which is under control but does need me to be very aware of my triggers and to ensure that I keep safe strong boundaries and support around me.

When women with reproductive issues and IBS started seeking my help with weight management, I saw a pattern in their timelines.

This led me to research and study relationships between various biological systems and helped me develop a unique approach to holistic health.

I now realize that the right nutritional plan with appropriate supplements and lifestyle skills could have prevented the long term effects of this accident.

A Walking Testimony to Holistic Health

I am a walking testimony of what holistic nutrition and lifestyle approach to health and rehabilitation can do.

I do well when I stick to my personalized nutrition plan, take my nutrition supplements, do regular exercises (as recommended by my Osteopath and Physiotherapist) and keep a good life balance. My pain level when I am not consistent with one of these interventions is 5-6 out of 10. When I am consistently doing each part of this - and I am not that great with sticking to my physiotherapist's recommendations - it is only 1 out of 10 pain, which is so manageable!

These incidences and some others have given me empathy, compassion for others and a “life journey” approach to health care.

I hope my story inspires you to keep your hope up and to seek the right help for your journey.