When I was 21 (a couple of years ago ☺), health wasn’t feeling like a fun topic. In fact, my dad had died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack a few days previously and I felt completely lost.
He was my rock
You see he was my rock. He was my definitive encyclopedia on life, the Universe and everything. When he said he would do something, then it was a done deal. He was fit, lean, looked super-healthy and could out-run me on the long distance legs of our runs together.
He was, quite simply, the one person in my life who I knew had my back and he was going to live forever.
That was up until his heart attack.
Deeply shocked, I sat in the waiting room at the doctors.
Given Dad’s super-high cholesterol levels and extensive arteriosclerosis (blockage of the arteries), it seemed wise to follow the suggestion of having some routine blood tests.
I wasn’t prepared for the next shock.
Nasty surprise…
Have you ever felt cold fingers of fear crawling up your throat? If you have, then I certainly can relate. It was no fun reading my blood test results….
…you see we discovered that I’d inherited those same very high cholesterol levels from dad. And at the time of the tests, the popular thinking was that these kind of circulating cholesterol levels would, quite simply, kill you. Add in the slight defect in the functioning of the right side of my heart and you can imagine how I felt about my cardiovascular health.
And then the miserable initial thoughts of ‘crikey, why me?’ when we discovered that my two sisters’ blood test results were both fine.
Panic
So when the doctors explained that I’d have 3 yrs to live, unless I took not one, but two types of medication every day for the rest of my life, I wanted to scream.
Too much information! I was in overwhelm and it felt like the world was closing in. For some reason though, despite all this horror, something clicked.
I made a decision.
I decided that I was going to live. In fact I was clear that I was going to thrive, and I was going to do this without using any of the recommended drugs. I reasoned that if my body could get itself out of balance, then it can get itself back in balance again – when I find and follow the right ‘recipe’.
And that’s exactly what I’ve done for the last more-than-two-decades. I combined my stubborn grittiness with knowledge and learning through my osteopathic training in Kent, UK. I became my own human guinea pig, figuring out the best ways to maximise my health and optimize future disease prevention for myself – and my clients.
Next was to apply what was working, to help hundreds of people I treated in practice – from locums in the UK, Asia and all over New Zealand, to my own three integrated health clinics in Auckland, and our Corporate Wellness programs…
…to today
The Health Detective
These days I’m often called ‘The Health Detective’, because I help you figure out where the gaps are for you with your health, and which steps you need to take to get back on track.
How do I do this? With specific, tailored Lifestyle Consultations.
Quite simply, we work out your effective ‘health map’ from here, to put you firmly in the driving seat of your own health.
Take away – If you can relate to my story and want to begin your journey taking you from where you are to where you want to be, then drop me a line (fi@fijamiesonfolland.com) – it’s always good to hear from you.
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O, is a Lifestyle Consultant, with over 20 years experience in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified osteopath, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, speaker, health mentor and Health Brand Ambassador. She loves to globe-trot with her husband Chris (NZ, Australia, USA, UK + Europe and Indonesia are current favourites) relishing an outdoor lifestyle and time with family and friends.
