My “Why”
“Living the dream” means varying things for all of us. For me, it is the privilege of opening my new acupuncture and herbal medicine clinic, Wild Medicine Acupuncture. As opening day is fast approaching, I have been reflecting on how my journey led me here. I hope you enjoy reading my story.
Growing up as a child of the 80s was a magical time. My family resided in a rural home in Minnesota, with a trail leading through the woods to my grandparent’s home. We rode bikes around the island carefree, ran barefoot in the yard, and stayed up late by the bonfire on summer nights. But my favorite part was hanging out with my grandpa next door. We did woodworking, painting, and took care of the garden together. He told me that if I talked to the plants when I watered them, they would grow even bigger and more beautiful. It works, I witnessed it with my own eyes! I developed a deep intrigue and love for plants and marveled at their unique beauty and design.
When I was eight, my grandpa wound up in the hospital due to an iatrogenic condition* and we almost lost him- he was prescribed two medications that can result in death if taken simultaneously. Once he recovered and we began working on our next project, I made a promise to him to become a “doctor that doesn’t hurt people”.
Time went on and the doctor dream seemed too big to accomplish. I went to college and worked at a garden center selling the plants I love so much, to help pay my way through. I decided to study communications and Asian studies at CSB/SJU, where I was awarded the Freeman-Asia scholarship to study abroad in China and travel throughout Asia. I learned Mandarin Chinese and took a deep dive into Asian culture. I fell in love with their philosophy and way of living. The travel bug caught me and I ended up living all over the world from China to Colombia to the Bahamas and the West Indies.
One day, sitting on my balcony admiring the hundreds of blue hues of the ocean, I received a phone call. My Mom had an iatrogenic event. She had been prescribed a narcotic for pain and an antidepressant which were both psychotropic drugs, meaning that they are substances that affect how the brain works, and should not be prescribed together. Again, the psychiatrist, medical doctor, and pharmacist missed the red flag. My mom was never the same after and was later diagnosed with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy), which was believed to be caused by an “environmental factor”. This was the moment that I knew that I had to make good on my promise.
The search for a career in healthcare was on! I became enthralled by herbal medicine and plants as a healing mechanism, but how could I use them? Finally, the puzzle pieces came together as I realized that I could combine my love for plants and my love for Asian culture to study Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine! I devoured the material and finished a four-year Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2 and 2/3 years. Each day studying was a gift, seeing how the ancient Chinese revered and observed nature so intently, that they developed a system of medicine that has held strong for 3,000 years. I became a mom just after graduating and was able to use this amazing medicine to take care of myself during pregnancy and heal post-partum, not to mention during any illness my daughter has had since! I am so grateful for this medicine, its track record of thousands of years, and for seeing it work in modern times to keep my family and clients healthy and happy.
To say opening my own business as an acupuncturist is a reward and an honor would be an understatement! It has been a long journey. I cherish every person that I come in contact with and hope that I can provide you with the best in care by listening to you, your body, and using my knowledge of natural medicine to bring you vibrant health and joy.
In Loving Memory of my grandpa George Dirtzu and mom Debbie Dirtzu, who believed in me and helped me shine.
*Iatrogenic: “induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures.” (Iatrogenic definition. (n.d.) Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.meriam-webster.com/dictionary/iatrogenic)
Iatrogenic deaths have been listed as the third leading cause of death in the United States: “Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in The BMJ, surpasses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) third leading cause of death, respiratory disease, which kills close to 150,000 people per year”. (Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. (2016, May 3). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/study_suggests_medical_errors_now_third_leading_cause_of_death_in_the_us)
