What Dr. Thompson's Patients Say . . .
Katherine B. | Maryland
When I first came to see Tricia, I was experiencing shortness of breath, heart palpitations, extreme fatigue and weakness with minimal exertion. I couldn’t walk across the floor let alone up the stairs without feeling horrible. This has been going on almost a year. I had already a complete cardiac work up, seen a pulmonologist and had loads of bloodwork. All the results were negative for any kind of infection or heart condition. The doctor said, “I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do for you”.
I had recently moved to a new home and resigned from a nursing position at a nursing home caring for patients with Covid. You and I met face-to-face and discussed my concerns in an open, calm and peaceful manner. You explained and demonstrated some breathing exercises.
I was totally exhausted inside and out and you determined that my stress was causing my adrenal glands not to be working properly. You prescribe supplements and confirmed this with lab work. After this meeting I felt relieved that something could be done.
I listened to the weekly group question and answer zoom meetings which were very helpful. I did not feel alone. The meditations at the end of the meeting gave me a sense of peace and calm. All this has made a big difference. I felt the support from you and the group .
What surprised me about working with you was that I could exhale and feel safe for the first time in a long time. I learned that I can be still and I don’t have to be doing all the time. I can just be. I’ve learned so much. And now I can run up the stairs and do my yoga without any difficulty breathing!!
I am grateful that I found you and this program.
Judy E. | Pennsylvania
When I first began working with Tricia I had so much going on . . . I had severe pain in my feet and hands and other joints. I also had sleep problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anxiety and fatigue. I was tired all the time. I was struggling with walking and using my hands first thing in the morning and sometimes at night I would wake up in pain. I had always been really active and I couldn’t do what I wanted to do anymore. It made me feel sad.
To get to the root cause of all of these things, we tested my DNA to look for genetic issues, we did a comprehensive stool test called the GI MAP and blood work specifically to find out what was going on with me. After the results came in, Tricia came up with a plan for me. Supplements along with a dairy free and gluten free diet were a big part of what I needed to do.
After just a few weeks I started to feel different and change was coming! My pain had subsided and movement in my hands and feet improved and I had less stiffness in other joints. I slept through the night and woke up with little pain and stiffness. I was getting better.
Working with Tricia has been a God send for me!! I have gained knowledge about my body and genetics through her. I like knowing how my gut health steers the ship! I still have a ways to go but am more functional through her help.
I continue to expand my wellness and keep getting better. I have learned that I need to meditate and be calm more, but this is still a daily struggle. I am a person who wants and needs to keep moving all day long. My mind is overloaded as well as my body when I do this. Relaxing is difficult for me. I continue working on meditation and breathing. 4-7-8 breathing is very helpful.
I’ve also learned that foods I choose to eat are so important for my health. Keeping a record of my food intake was important and I am not very good about journaling, but just taking a photo and putting it in Tricia’s App would let her and Elizabeth (health coach) see exactly what I was eating and make suggestions! . This is important to do, especially in the beginning of the program. I felt so proud of myself that I was sticking to my Elimination diet!
I have so much more energy, oh, and I have lost 17 pounds! I am now back in the gym and working with a trainer several days a week. I sleep great and have so much less pain. I will continue the Mediterranean Diet, which are my favorite foods and to avoid gluten. I still have work to do but what an improvement for me! Thank you Tricia. I look forward to continuing this journey of good health!
Barbara B. | Maryland
I remember the day I walked into Tricia’s office, somewhat manic and crying within the first two minutes. They were tears of depression, tears of fear and tears of exhaustion brought on by chronic pain. She signaled to me to slow it down and then gave me my first lesson in breath work, 4-7-8. That simple technique has been life changing. As my awareness of my anxiety began to build, I became conscious of it and it’s immediate effects. With that awareness I have developed the ability to stop it.
By the end of the first hour, I was on a path to learning the importance of my mental health’s role in my spiritual and physical health. I am more aware of my physical and mental state of mind (far beyond just mindfulness) and as my internal anxiety begins to build, I now have the tools to stop it.
I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Fortunately, my condition is not crippling but that first day I walked into Tricia’s office, I was in extreme pain, despite several pain medications. I was walking with a limp and my back and neck were hunched. Tricia showed me some simple exercises and then suggested an online exercise program that is specifically designed for MS patients. These simple exercises work on retraining the brain to work, and strengthen muscles to improve movement and balance.
I remember reviewing my medical record and I saw a comment made by my neurologist. He said that I walked into his room looking like a woman much older than my age in years. Working with Tricia, I continue to look, move and feel younger, more centered, more focused woman. Most important of all....I am more willing to put myself first and treat myself with kindness! Tricia has taught me that I am worth it!
I have changed my diet and it has helped my pain and inflammation immensely. I now sleep through the night and wake up rested, and I don’t have brain fog anymore. My skin is clear and I don’t have any more hives. I am becoming what Tricia calls RESILIENT! And I have my life back.
The only objective that I set for myself that has not been met is my desired weight loss. THAT, however, is my own fault. The health coach, Elizabeth, from Maryland Integrative Health worked with me and was encouraging and informative. I was provided the tools for tracking meals and exercise, but I neglected to use them. However, I now have the resources that I can use when I am ready to get serious about that part of the program. I could go on but I can say all of the above in a few simple words.
Maryland Integrative Health is everything you would expect it to be and more. It works!
Amanda P. | Maryland
I found Dr. Tricia Thompson from an ad for a webinar on the “Overlooked Causes of Autoimmunity”. Two months into the global pandemic I had racked up 4 auto immune disorder diagnoses and wanted to see if I could get this under control. I remember when I received that 4th autoimmune diagnosis my doctor said, “Once you have them you will continue to get more.” This made me so sad and unmotivated, but after watching the webinar I finally understood that these conditions were not only related, but they all came from the same basic issues and thus could all be managed together. I signed up for the free 20 minute question session and after that call started a notebook My Journey to Better Health!
When Tricia and I started working together, I had very low energy and was poorly managing a ton of stress. I filled out a comprehensive intake form and we had a 75 minute first appointment. We ran baseline blood tests for all of my “conditions” and did a comprehensive stool study. I had been having diarrhea on a daily basis multiple times a day for years. Some days I couldn’t even take a walk after dinner without sprinting home to go to the bathroom. I used to take Tums every night for heartburn. I would usually eat 2 but some days I would eat 4. I was always burping and was gassy.
The stool test showed a ton of issues and we started to treat them. I went on what was initially a 30 day gluten free, dairy free eating plan and I worked with Dr. Thompson's nutritionist and health coach Elizabeth and learned how to eat healthier. Although I had my doubts that I could do it, I took the eating challenge very seriously!!
I ended up eating strictly dairy free for 8 weeks and gluten free for 11 weeks, I never imagined that I could do it. We made huge changes to my breakfast, lunch and snacks. I increased my intake of non-processed food and of vegetables and I joined a weekly CSA. For breakfast I have a smoothie with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables . I love them and am still doing that daily. I started to avoid sugary food and heavy gluten meals which was my typical lunch and switched to scrambled eggs or shrimp or chicken salad in lettuce wraps. These meal changes were easy and I look forward to eating good, healthy food. For snacks, I eat a lot of nuts.
We added some supplements to balance my stomach acid and bacteria in my intestines. I was surprised that I had been looking at eating and digestion all wrong. I always thought that I was a relatively healthy eater but some of my habits weren’t good and were causing me to not process food to the fullest! The dietary changes RESET MY GUT. I went from having diarrhea multiple times per day to normal bowels which means that my intestines are absorbing food better. I haven’t taken a Tums in months. This is HUGE! I wouldn’t go anywhere before without having Tums with me just in case. So where I always thought that I needed to calm my stomach acid, I really just needed to boost the acid so that my food could get digested properly.
Tricia is patient and good at explaining what is happening in your body. It is amazing that gut health ties right back to autoimmune diseases. This was not a correlation that I had ever made before. The fact that the improvements to my thyroid antibodies can be directly related to better eating, is amazing!!!
In hindsight, I am amazed that I could make dietary changes and stick with them! If I choose to eat a fried or heavy pasta meal, then I can expect that I’ll feel it in my gut that night or the next morning. I can make a conscious decision on that trade off. If I feel like I need to give my gut a break again, then I know I can do it since I have done it before.
Just by making these changes I have way more energy and have lost 10 pounds. My inflammatory markers have come down 86% and are now undetectable. My MSQ which is Tricia’s measure of health symptoms came down from 33 -> 4! My thyroid is in balance and the thyroid antibodies, which measure if there is ongoing thyroid damage, are vastly improved, one is completely normal now! My female hormones are also working the way they are supposed to . . . . and even my cholesterol is normal . Tricia said when we check again in a couple of months I will be able to stop my cholesterol medication!!!!
I still struggle with making exercise a regular part of my week . . . I still have a journey ahead but I am excited to see how far I can go.