DATE: Friday, April 19th 2024
From the Desk of: Dr. Carri Drzyzga – The Functional Medicine Doc
Hello Friends,
Have you been told things like, “It’s all in your head” or “You’re just tired and stressed out?”
Or perhaps you’ve heard, “You just need a vacation.” Statements like this can be frustrating for sure.
If you’re like many people today, you might feel like your doctor isn’t taking your health
problems seriously or perhaps they’re only offering you ‘band-aid’ solutions.
The truth is…
Far too many people, men and women, are at their wits’ ends when it comes to finding out what’s truly
wrong with them and then doing what’s needed to feel normal again. Sadly, we live
in a time when pills or other ‘band aid’ solutions are offered as a way to simply
‘make you feel better’ – even if it’s only on the surface.
I believe that a better approach is to find the ROOT cause of the
problem and then fix it – so you can feel normal again.
If you’re feeling as though you’re at your wits’ end (or close to it!) and all that you
really want is to FEEL NORMAL AGAIN and have your health problem FIXED,
you are at the right place and I’m glad you are here!
Functional Medicine may have the answers you’ve been searching for!
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is about finding and fixing the underlying root cause of your symptoms, so you feel normal again!
Functional Medicine is a new and emerging field of healthcare. It’s a sub-specialty within the much broader field of Natural Medicine.
While medical doctors typically address your symptoms, Functional Medicine doctors:
- Pinpoint the root, underlying cause of your symptoms.
- Work with you as a team to fix it.
- Use treatments that are natural, safe, and proven effective.
- Help you feel normal again.
- Get your health and energy back.
- And become able to enjoy your life to the fullest.
Functional Medicine is NOT Band Aid Medicine.
Functional Medicine just makes sense – it changed my life…and I know it can change yours, too!
So, that’s what Functional Medicine is in a nutshell:
WE find the cause.WE fix the cause. So YOU feel normal again!
Everything in your body is connected.
Functional Medicine doctors understand this – we tend to think “outside the box,” not only in how we diagnose you, but also in how we treat you.
With Functional Medicine we look at your WHOLE body because everything in your body is connected.
We want to hear about everything that’s going on with your health—all your complaints, all at once—so we can piece those connections together, and help find the answers to your health problem.
- Everyone is unique – you should always get a personalized approach to care.
- Your first visit is where the detective work starts. A thorough history will often reveal the clues needed to crack your case wide open.
- We’ll look over previous your tests and run any specialized tests to find the underlying cause of your symptoms.
- Next, your treatment plan is put together—an actual plan designed specifically for YOU.
Candidly, Functional Medicine is not right for everyone.
Some patients simply prefer their doctor call in a prescription for ‘make-me-feel-better-now’ pills, and don’t mind waiting one or two hours for a three-minute appointment just to be handed another prescription because the ‘make-me-feel-better-now’ pills are giving them side-effects and even more health problems.
Some patients don’t actually want to get better because they like talking about their health problems – they secretly enjoy getting the extra attention from others. And some patients just don’t want to take responsibility for their health and prefer their fast-food lifestyle where the only exercise they get is walking to and from the bathroom.
The truth is our office might NOT be right for you…
Frankly, we do not offer band-aid care or band-aid solutions like most offices do…so if that’s what you’re actually looking for then our office is NOT the right one for you. Also, if you do not consider your health a priority…if you do not want to really improve your health for the long-term…if you’re not ready to do whatever it takes to get your health back and feel normal again…then we may NOT be the right office for you.
However, if you’re looking for a doctor who…
- Will take time to listen to you and talk about your concerns in a comfortable setting…
- Looks to find the root underlying causes of your problem (even if all your tests have been normal)…
- Is open-minded and uses holistic approaches…
- Answers all your questions in plain, simple language…
- Provides treatments which are natural, safe and proven effective…
Then Functional Medicine, and Functional Medicine Ontario, may be right for you.
My name is Dr. Carri Drzyzga (pronounced “DRIZ-ga” – it’s Polish), but everyone simply calls me Dr. Carri! I’m best known internationally as ‘The Functional Medicine Doc’ – the go-to expert on finding the root causes of health problems so you can feel normal again.
I’ve been in private practice since 1996, founded Functional Medicine Ontario in Ottawa, Ontario, where I treat men and women – helping them feel normal again!
I have two medical degrees — Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine – and I’m the author of the hit book Reclaim Your Energy and Feel Normal Again! Fixing the Root Cause of Your Fatigue with Natural Treatments.
I’ve also been trained in Functional Medicine, the Bredesen RECODE Program, Bio-identical hormones, Acupuncture, The Kalish Method, and I’m a Certified Gluten Practitioner. Always an avid learner, I’ve obtained a level of expertise in my profession that few other doctors in Canada have achieved to date.
You may have already heard me speak – I’ve been a featured guest expert on multiple online health summits and podcasts, and have been interviewed on such topics as natural treatments for fatigue, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, and digestive problems.
I’ve been married for 20+ years to my husband Benoȋt, who is also a doctor. Our ‘children’ are two rescued Basset hounds, Bailey and Sammi, who couldn’t be doctors because of their lack of opposable thumbs and propensity for slobbering on patients.
First, we do not accept everyone as patients. We prefer to work with patients that we believe we can truly help.
To help make sure it’s a good fit for both of us you will go through a New Patient Application process – we will look over your health history and any testing you’ve had performed first to see if our office really is right for you.
Why do we do this?
Because you do not want to work with a doctor that accepts every patient regardless of what’s wrong, and we only want to work with patients who we’re sure that we can help. We have built such a great reputation by working with patients that we know can truly help.
I personally review every application. If I’m not the right doctor for you, my staff will let you know ASAP and I’ll try to match you up with a doctor that’s most appropriate for your case.
Our Fees
| Initial Visit (50 min) | $425 |
| Follow-up Visits (30 min) | $215 |
| Follow-up Visits (40 min) | $310 |
| Follow-up Visits (50 min) | $400 |
In a perfect world your insurance would cover everything, right?
(C’mon, that’s a pipe dream that will never happen – you already know that!)
The truth is insurance coverage is minimal at best and is only there to get you started.
Most insurance only covers your first one or two visits with a Functional Medicine doctor. That’s it.
Frankly, the rest will be up to you.
Let’s get real for a moment:
- Your health is YOUR responsibility…NOT your insurance company’s responsibility.
- Your insurance company doesn’t care how sick you are…
- Or how much treatment you really need to get better.
- And, many patients don’t have any insurance coverage. So, even if you have some coverage for naturopathic care…it’s better than none at all.
- Just accept that in order to get great healthcare you’ll have to pay for it from your own pocket.
The faster you just accept that fact, the faster you will be on the road to better health.
Give yourself permission to take back control of your health. Invest in yourself. Invest in your health. You more than deserve it!
Obviously, real doctors cannot guarantee results or promise they’ll cure you. That’s totally unethical. And, just plain wrong.
The fact of the matter is…
YOU are the one that has to do most of the work in our doctor-patient relationship.
YOU have to follow all my recommendations…not just the ones that you “want to do” or are “the easy ones”…
YOU have to take the supplements…
YOU have to do the exercise…
YOU have to eat a healthy diet…
YOU have to manage your stress…
Etc …Etc.
You get the point.
Being healthy takes hard work, time and patience. Being healthy is a choice, not a given. In order for you to get the best results, you have to hold up your end of the bargain.
Now, having said all that…
A great Functional Medicine doctor WILL explain what to expect to regain your health.
Here’s what I mean….
It took time for you to get SICK. It will also take time for you to HEAL. Because Functional Medicine is a process and journey that we go on together, specific RESULTS often take time.
A Good Rule of Thumb to Use:
Once you start treatment you should expect to see positive changes within about three months.
(This doesn’t mean you will be magically “cured”. We’re just looking for some amount of positive change.)
If you do not see any change within three months it means one of two things…
One: You are NOT following the treatment plan I outlined for you.
(If this is the case my suggestion for you is to get on board with the program and stop wasting my time or you can leave my practice)
OR…
Two: There is something we are missing and we need to dig deeper.
So, we find what we’re missing, adjust your treatment plan accordingly, and give it time…about three months…to see a positive change.
Again, if you still do not see any change within three months it means one of two things…
Either you’re NOT following the treatment plan…OR…we’re still missing something and we need to dig deeper.
So we find what we’re missing, adjust your treatment plan accordingly, and give it time…about three months…to see a positive change. Etc… Etc… (I think you get the general idea…so please be a patient patient. )
And we continue in this manner until we have:
- Attained the health goals you were looking for. Or…
- Attained maximum medical improvement. Or…
- Until we have exhausted all treatment options.
What To Do Now…
If you’re ready to decide that feeling run-down…rotten…lousy…tired…and generally miserable is no longer an acceptable option; If you want to finally get to the root, underlying cause of your health problems; If you’re ready to get your health and energy back so you can enjoy your life to the fullest, then I encourage you to apply today to become part of Functional Medicine Ontario!
Whatever you decide I sincerely hope that I’ve given you something new to think about. Band-aid solutions are no longer the answer. I believe that Functional Medicine is not only revolutionary and here to stay, but I also believe it will be the new standard that all areas of healthcare will model. I would be honored if you’d like to work with us. To apply to become a patient just click the button above.Whatever you decide I thank you for visiting my website.
Wishing you great health,
Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND – The Functional Medicine DocPS #1 – I know I’ve already given you a lot to think about and you may still have additional questions. I do have a Frequently Asked Questions section.
PS #2 – If you’d like to learn more about working more with me and my practice and see if it’s a good fit, for both of us, please click here to begin the application process.
PS #3 – I’ve written many amazing reports on various aspects of Functional Medicine and just for reading this far on my website I’d like to give you a free copy of them all! To get instant access to these reports simply click here.
