How This Member Optimized Her Health and Resolved Her Sleep Issues

At Parsley Health, we’ve helped thousands of members feel better with root-cause resolution medicine  . With our Member Stories  series, we zoom in on a member’s health journey, what brought them to Parsley, and their road to recovery.

Read on to find out how Mary optimized her health and improved her sleep with her Parsley medical team.

I had been struggling for several years with a variety of health issues that seemed to stem from being overworked and overstressed. While I had good intentions of placing a higher priority on my health and wellbeing, I continued to allow the stress and demands of my job to get in the way.

I was seeing specialists for so many different health issues, like arthritis, frequent colds and sinus infections, gastrointestinal issues, and sleep issues. I felt like I was constantly in pain or discomfort and had little energy. However, the problem was that each doctor was just looking at a very narrow picture of my health history. There was no one there to connect the dots across all of my health issues.

Frustrated with conventional medicine

I also felt like I was going nowhere with the doctors I had been working with to address my health issues. I tried several different medications, but they didn’t seem to work well and they had many side effects.

I found the typical 15-minute visits with my doctors to be an insufficient amount of time to fully describe how I was feeling. I felt like my doctors weren’t interested in understanding the full scope of my health issues. In fact, it was often the case that the doctors I had been working with frequently found themselves overworked and stressed as a result of being responsible for more than 300 patients.

Given all my health issues, I felt that I needed more time with a doctor. So, that is why Parsley and its 60-minute initial doctor visit and its holistic approach to health stood out. I jumped at the opportunity to join when they opened up their West Hollywood office.

A doctor who listens

My first visit with Dr. Svetlana Stivi was amazing. She has wonderful energy and is a very attentive listener. She allowed me to tell my health story and she started to think about how my issues were connected. She also didn’t make me feel like I was overreacting or fabricating my health issues, which is how I often felt with my other doctors.

It felt very empowering to be able to freely describe my health history. When I left my visit, I was in tears because Dr. Stivi had given me such a strong reassurance that I would be okay. I felt her commitment to helping me put my health on track. From that first moment, I felt like she was going to watch out for me.

Dr. Stivi and Erica Zellner , my health coach, have given me the tools I need to place a high value on my health. I know the current healthcare system was not working in my favor, and Parsley has really helped with that. More importantly, I also needed to take ownership of my own health and wellbeing. My Parsley team empowered me and showed me that I have a responsibility for my health as well.

Putting together the pieces of the puzzle

The blood and stool tests that Dr. Stivi recommended were eye-opening as to why I was constantly feeling discomfort. Dr. Stivi went through my results in detail and explained everything in a way that I could understand. She always made sure to connect the dots across the test results, health issues, and treatments.

My test results showed I had a hormonal imbalance , which made a lot of sense in explaining how I was feeling at the time. She showed me how each result explained why I lacked energy or why I felt stiffness in my body or why I couldn’t think clearly . The detailed test results were like a puzzle that Dr. Stivi started to piece together and it gave me a more complete picture of my health.

Gettin on the path to healing

As I started to trust my Parsley doctor and health coach more, I also started to trust myself. As an academic, I really appreciate the knowledge that I have gained from both of them. This understanding of what was happening to my mind and body gave me the confidence to take ownership of my health and place it as my top priority.

I love the supplement plan I'm on. The supplements have addressed so many of my health issues. I also love the tips from my health coach. I have learned to meditate more and prep my meals in advance for the week.

I actually have a relationship with my Parsley doctor. She knows my personality. She knows my goals. She knows my health history. She knows my strengths and weaknesses. I believe this is really important for optimal treatment. Treatments have to be tailored to individuals, but you have to know that person well to be able to prescribe the correct treatment. I really do feel like my Parsley doctor and health coach are invested in me and committed to guiding me to a better way of living.

Dr. Stivi and I are still working on addressing some of my sleep issues and I plan to work with my health coach on improving my diet, but I can honestly say I have never felt better. I have less pain and inflammation . I have less stress, anxiety , and depression. I have more energy. I have less hormonal and stomach issues. I can think more clearly. I exercise and meditate almost every day. I also take naps sometimes which I never did before, but have helped me tremendously.

I had a lot of health issues going into Parsley and I was highly symptomatic, so I know I still have more work ahead of me. However, I really do feel better than I have in the past ten years—and that is in the midst of a pandemic.

Ready to start feeling better? Your journey starts today. Schedule a free call  to learn more about Parsley’s root-cause approach to healing and how to use insurance  to pay for your Parsley medical fees.