Unexpected Health Challenges with Dr. Jill Carnahan: Rational Wellness Podcast 332

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Dr. Jill Carnahan discusses her Unexpected Health Challenges with Dr. Ben Weitz.

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Podcast Highlights

1:40  Breast cancer.  Dr. Carnahan has faced a number of personal health challenges in her life, including a battle with breast cancer while she was in medical school.  During her third year of medical school she was taught how to do a breast exam and she performed one on herself and she found a lump. At first she didn't think it was serious, but she had a mammogram and an ultrasound and she was getting suspicious looking at the images, but the radiologist blew her off and told her that since she was 24 years old that it was no big deal.  Jill went on to have surgery and the surgeon told her that it was very aggressive ductal carcinoma and that she was in the fight for her life. 

6:41  Dr. Carnahan then went through a very aggressive, very toxic, 3 drug chemotherapy regimen. One of the drugs she was given is very toxic for the heart and she was given a dosage just slightly less than that amount.  She lost all of her hair, affected her skin, and she had massive  gut symptoms.  Dr. Carnahan admits that she did go against the recommendations of her oncologist not to take any antioxidants, but she knew intuitively that taking a few antioxidants was better for her body.  After the chemo she had radiation and then multiple surgeries. Eventually she was considered cured of cancer.  Then nine months later she started having cyclical fevers, diarrhea, abdominal pain and she was not allowed to call in sick, even working at the hospital.  She passed out one day while working in the emergency room and was taken to emergency surgery for a cyst in her intestines and she was diagnosed as having Crohn's disease. 

Dr. Jill Carnahan is an MD who runs the Flatiron Functional Medicine clinic in Louisville, Colorado.  Dr. Carnahan is one of the first 100 doctors certified by the Institute of Functional Medicine.  Dr. Carnahan is a popular inspirational speaker and writer and she often teaches other health care practitioners the Functional Medicine approach.  Dr. Carnahan has written a new book, Unexpected, Finding Resilience through Functional Medicine, Science, and Faith.  She can be contacted through her website, JillCarnahan.com.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure.  Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111. Dr. Weitz is also available for video or phone consultations.