Growing up, my mom had - and still has until today - an aggressive form of Lupus, an auto-immune disease. As soon as I got to college, it became my mission to dive into the health and wellness world to learn how to keep myself and my family from developing similar health problems. I started consuming every podcast and book I could get my hands on. I used myself as a guinea pig for keto, plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free diets (if it was trendy, I tried it). No matter what I tried, I felt I had a hard time losing weight and always carried a lot of bloating in my stomach. I was sleeping 8 hours a night, working out 5-6 times a week, and not eating (hardly any) processed foods, bad oils, or added sugar (where I could control it). Fast-forward to 2020 when I came into contact with Covid-19. My symptoms were minimal if not zero until about 4 days in. At this point, I started my menstrual cycle and had one of the worst experiences of my life. There was stabbing pain in my abdomen to the point that I was curled up on the floor of my shower unable even to stand up to get the phone. The pain was so intense along with a considerable amount of blood (unusual for me), fever, and feeling extremely unwell. I had hoped this was a one-time experience from having covid. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning. For the next three years, I would lose about two weeks of every month dealing with these symptoms: Week before my cycle:

Bloating

Extreme exhaustion

Depression / uncontrollable emotions 2-3 days

Week of my cycle:

Bloating

Debilitating cramps

Diherria

Extreme exhaustion

Ibruproheb or Tylenol every hour

Blood increases from only lite tampons to going through an ultra tampon / hour

Unable to work 1-2 days

During this time period, I went to traditional gynecologists, family medicine doctors, holistic doctors, Chinese herbalists, acupuncturists, and therapists. I tried many supplements, holistic remedies, and food options. Nothing worked. I finally reached a point of desperation and didn’t want to keep relying on ibuprofen in these quantities every month. At that point, I reached out to a close family friend, David Perez, to inquire about his curcumin drops which I hoped could alleviate some of the pain. At this point, I didn’t share any specifics of my health concerns - only that I was curious to try the drops. He responded by asking if he could “do a scan on me to find the root problem”. I wasn’t sure what this meant, but was open to trying anything to help with the pain. I drove down to San Diego and did my first scan and bath at Hydrate Spa. David asked me not to tell him about my health issues until after he did the scan to see if his findings were accurate. Within a few hours, he had been able to tell I had a small cyst on my ovary. He could also tell how recently it had developed and asked if I had started experiencing painful periods in the last 2 years specifically. I couldn’t believe it. He was able to find the exact source of my pain in such a short, completely painless way. Beyond this, he also found I had some other issues that may have been causing my chronic bloating and be early markers for auto-immune diseases as my mom has experienced. From there, he created a protocol for me that included a few simple supplements and dietary adjustments. I left and was unsure of the impact this treatment would have. Fast-forward a month and I forgot my period was about to start. Usually, the week before is my alarm clock based on the intense symptoms. However, to my surprise, I had zero symptoms the week before. I thought about writing David to let him know, but was scared to jinx the experience before actually going through my cycle. As the days continued, I held my breath for the other shoe to drop and the pain to return. It never came. My cycle went back to being extremely light - only needing 1 lite tampon for 6+ hours. Prior, I was going through an ultra tampon per hour. Whatsmore I experienced zero cramping, depression, anxiety, or bloating. I felt like I got my life back. I’ve never felt healthier and I’m only 4 weeks out from my first treatment. I hope to share this journey and solution with more women experiencing menstrual issues. It can feel so isolating and impossible to treat. Hydrate Spa gave me my schedule and freedom back to enjoy life. I’m forever grateful and look forward to adding to this story over the next 6 months of working with them.