Patient Stories

PY’s Story:
A couple months ago, I went to the emergency room because of some chest pain.  Luckily, some of the more serious possibilities were eliminated and eventually it was narrowed down to “muscular-skeletal” in nature.  After a couple of spins on the muscle relaxant/painkiller merry-go-round, I was finally ready to try another approach.  Friends and family have recommended acupuncture for years, so it seemed a natural path to take. Within 5 minutes, Dr. Becky had identified my problem as a "slipped" rib.  With some adjustments and a couple of needles here and there, I had an immediate reduction in pain and was pain free within a couple of treatments.

But here is the best part:  While she was treating my rib, she also noticed and inquired about other problems that I have and offered some treatment options.  I really felt like she wasn’t just reading a symptom off of a chart, but was looking at a whole human being.  She has helped me with stress, anxiety, back pain, lingering knee pain from my surgery and gout.  But that’s not my favorite part.

My favorite unintended consequence of seeing Dr. Becky was her unusual treatment for foot fungus.  I had been given a prescription for Lamisil in the past, but ultimately chose not to fill it when they asked for a blood test first (that did not inspire my confidence in the drug).

I had resigned myself to living with it, until Dr. Becky suggested an alternative solution:  A foot soak of Dark Beer, White Vinegar and Acidophilus powder.  Within a week, the skin on my foot improved visibly.  Within a month, I started to see clear new nails grow.  Not only that, but all noticeable foot odor was gone.  I was, and still am just amazed by how effective this treatment has been.  And to think it’s all because of a dislocated rib!

I am a firm believer that traditional medicine still plays a major role in keeping all of us healthy and happy.  But for me, acupuncture and naturopathic medicine do as well, and I would recommend them to anybody that asks.
And when they ask me who should they see, I have one answer:  Dr. Becky!
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Lauren’s Story:
My daughter Lauren was in her freshman year of high school when she became very ill. She was studying hard and pulling all nighters to finish her final exams for the year. Lauren kept telling me how tired she was. She had worked so hard for her grades I encouraged her to keep going thinking she could sleep all day when summer vacation started next week.

After school was over for a while, she was still so tired we decided to try some vitamins and iron pills to build up her body. However the vitamins had little effect. I took her to our clinic and they took blood. They found out she had had mononucleosis. We went home and waited for her to heal, however after two more months and another trip to the clinic she had not gotten better.

School started up, Lauren could not make it through the day. We decided to get home help from school; a teacher came to help Lauren at our house so she could keep up in her classes at school. We needed doctor’s notes that said certain things, back and forth from the school and the clinic we went. It was a big ordeal. I think the school and doctors did not believe Lauren loved school and wanted to be there. This did not help us. So we decided to take a break for that quarter.  As a parent I was frustrated.

I took her to a doctor I heard about from a friend. She did blood work again and found nothing abnormal as well. She thought Lauren might be depressed. We had been through a hard time with her father but Lauren said she was “dealing well” and did not feel depressed. We were then sent to Children’s Hospital to a specialist who had seen this chronic thing before but was looking at it as a symptom. He had no answer for the fatigue itself.  We ran tests but nothing came of them. After seeing him weekly for a couple of months Lauren seemed to be happy we were doing something about it but there was no real improvement in her fatigue.  He suggested a class like Thai Chi as our next step. The disappointment after each doctor had gotten to both of us, but I knew Lauren still wanted me to fix her.
It was at this point that I realized myself that this may be it for my smart, highly motivated daughter. We talked about altering some of her arduous life goals. Lauren was always an “A” student. She wanted to be a Pediatrician or the First woman president.  I was always praying for her healing, but I did not know where else to take her. It has been so hard to see her sleep all day and still not have any energy.

 

In the summer of what would have been her senior year my mom told me about a naturopathic clinic she had gone to with my sister. I called the number and asked if they had heard of chronic fatigue before. To my great surprise they had. The receptionist told me that one of the doctors had a special intravenous drip just for it. She said they have had success with it. I brought Lauren with true in trepidation that this may be another failed attempt at healing my daughter and dashing her spirit yet again. We talked about it and decided to meet with Dr. Becky. At our first meeting Dr. Becky knew what we were talking about. We had been feeling like we had made up the name for her illness, Chronic Fatigue. We were so happy to find out it was well known by this smart young doctor.

We were now in our third year of illness with little hope for any improvement let alone a cure. This interview gave us hope. I prayed that Lauren would be healed in September of 2008. I wanted to be clear with God on the year. Then Lauren started the IV drips on Tuesday mornings missing part of school for 6 weeks. She had signed up for a full load of classes this time her first since freshman year. She was immediately improved. I was feeling some relief and I mean it. Every time we went I would be more encouraged that this may be the answer!

Lauren has taken on a lead in the school musical at Shorewood High School and working daily ’till 7:30 to prepare for the play. She is like a normal girl again. I keep asking her if she is “tired” she knows the kind of tired I mean. The awful can’t move your body tired. It has not come back. We are hopeful that it will never return, however just to find something to live a normal life has been an answer to prayer. We can never thank you enough Doctor Becky! We will always remember you!!!!!
In your service, if you ever need us to talk to a patient just call!
Natalie and Lauren Sweeten
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Eric’s Story
I’m very excited about the help I’ m receiving from Dr. Becky: I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety and fatigue for eight years. Like many people out there I’ve seen multiple doctors, tried the traditional pharmaceutical routes (antidepressants such as SSRIs, SNRIs, plus benzodiazepines, sleep meds, hormones, even Provigil, among others). When they worked at all, the best I can say is they kept me functioning at a very low, unhappy level; when they didn’t things were even worse—the wrong meds put me into a dark place so awful I despaired of ever climbing out of it. I’ve done enough therapy and work in a spiritual program to know that my problem wasn’t only attitudinal; that was of course true to an extent, and I’ll never be able to claim my thinking is perfect, but in addition I truly had physiochemical imbalances that were making my life much more difficult.

 

Dr. Becky has helped me to understand better what my issues are. She sent me for a genetic test not previously suggested by other doctors. This, as she predicted, came up positive for a double mutation along the gene in question (known as the MTHFR gene): This defect pair calls for a specific medication which can partially or perhaps even fully eliminate the issues caused by the malfunctioning gene. However, my body has been a wreck for so long, this alone wasn’t sufficient to heal me immediately. Dr. Becky supplemented that medication with herbal extracts which reinforce the function of my adrenal glands and serve to reverse my cortisol cycle (cortisol is a hormone that helps the body react to stress; normally it is higher in the daytime and lower in the night, to let the body sleep. My cycle was reversed, causing nighttime sleeplessness and anxiety along with daytime lethargy, which served to create a downwards physical spiral in both my energy levels and my emotional life).

 

I’ve now traded in all my pharmaceuticals save the one med Dr. Becky recommended; this is the first time in years I haven’t been on (or in transition between) antidepressants. I’ve changed my diet, since I learned I was using sugar, other simple carbohydrates and alcohol to band-aid my symptoms; cutting back on these things wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be after Dr. Becky suggested I experiment by going off them for awhile then re-challenging my body with what I formerly considered to be ‘normal’ amounts; experiencing first-hand their ability to steal my energy and increase my anxiety was what made me decide it was worth it to cut back; no doctor could have convinced me solely by edict, I had to find out for myself.

 

I’ve now got a diet I can live with, literally. There’s a ways to go still, no body as damaged as mine can recover overnight, especially when I have a stressful week at work then slip back into old dietary habits, but things are vastly improved. Finally, after working seriously with six different doctors, I’ve found one who can return me to what other people consider ‘life.’

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Emily’s Story
Dr. Becky Andrews at Mosaic Medicine has changed my life. I went to her initially because I had back pain and my insurance covers massage only if it is provided by an MD. From there, Dr. Becky not only fixed my back with a combination of acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic adjustments, but she got to know all of me.

 

Since our first meeting, Dr. Becky has done lab work that has spired on changes to my prescriptions, vitamins, and diet. She has also cured other aches and pains, including a sprained ankle! I’ve also gotten her help with prenatal care and other women’s issues. She knows how the whole body works together – all its parts – better than anyone I’ve known or any doctor I’ve seen.

 

I was hesitant seeing a naturopath because I do think Western medicine has its place. She does too. Dr. Becky’s bedside manner is friendly and honest. She asks you how much you want to know, and she adjusts based on what’s comfortable to you. Her office is clean and inviting, and her office staff does everything they can to help too. Dr. Becky has called me during off hours just to be sure my concerns were addressed. She even uses e-mail. I feel that someone was looking out for me in that this chance encounter with Dr. Becky that has surly turned into a life-long relationship. I feel that she truly understands my medical needs – and she cares. Words simply aren’t enough to express my sincere appreciation for all that Dr. Becky has done to change my life for the better.

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Michael’s Story
Dr. Becky as she is informally known, is the most compassionate, articulate, and professional caregiver I have ever encountered.

After a series of properly administered and immediately effective acupuncture treatments during 2007/2008, I have had no further ailment from the knee swelling which prompted my initial visit. I silently thank her after every subsequent pain-free mountain hike I am able to enjoy.

I discovered her to exhibit vast Naturopathic expertise, skillful research abilities, something I value as a professional researcher, and tireless attempts to expand her ever-increasing knowledge base which she freely shares to improve the wellness of others.

Besides being an excellent listener, she was proactive in attempting to make out-of-state connections for me before I relocated. I hold her in high esteem and feel grateful to have made her acquaintance.
It is without hesitation that I would refer potential patients to seek her understanding care

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CC’s Story
Dr. Becky Andrews is a wonderful physician!  She cares deeply for her patients and is eager to find the answers to even the most difficult health conditions.  She went the extra mile (actually, many extra miles!) to get a diagnosis for my lifelong illness, even when it was something that was unfamiliar to her.  She listens to me–even if that means going over the scheduled appointment time–and takes my concerns seriously.  I especially recommend Dr. Becky for anyone who is struggling with a condition such as chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, the “mystery” illnesses that many doctors do not take seriously.  If you are looking for a physician who will advocate for your healing, come visit Dr. Becky!

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