Guest Post by Haley Peck

The first 70 degree-weather weekend in Denver calls for biking around town and enjoying what the city has to offer. Little did I know that I would be spending most of the evening and the entire night in the emergency room getting my face stitched back together. Who knew that getting your purse strap caught in your bike spokes would cause a fall directly to the face, and only the face? My front teeth had been chipped and shoved into the roof of my mouth, my lip was split open, and my left cheek resembled a big red balloon. Before I knew it, I was on my way home with a new set of braces, internal and external lip stitches, a swollen-shut eye, neck pain, and a concussion. After a good couple days of rest, pain-killers, and smoothies, I dragged myself in to show Erika the damage.

Testing reveals interesting results

She tested my body’s nervous system with Nutrition Response Testing and found that many of my previously weak organs and areas that needed improvement had become taken over by the priority of my tissues, bone, cartilage and brain. She then dosed me for supplements that tested well with my body, which targeted the bones in my teeth and mouth, the scars and scabs on my face, the immense amounts of swelling, as well as my concussion. One of the most fascinating revelations happened when my kidneys tested a negative response for the first time ever. My kidneys?! This wasn’t something that has come up before before and didn’t seem to make any sense. Erika pointed out that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are related to bone and particularly to the teeth! It is truly amazing what our bodies can tell us by targeting our organs and paying close attention to what they need.

Laser therapy speeds up healing

Lastly, Erika had me using a cold laser on my face, which was where the immediate magic took place aesthetically. Cold laser therapy uses wavelengths of light that help repair connective tissues, release pain-relieving endorphins, and is known for anti-inflammatory effects. After just 2 days of exposing the laser on and off of my scabs and stitches, ALL of the scabs fell right off and my face became tremendously less red and inflamed. My friends and family couldn’t believe the transformation that took place in just a couple of days.

Healthy, whole foods enhance recovery

Being a nutrition student and a whole-food enthusiast, I made sure that I was jam-packing my smoothies and soups with dark green and colorful vegetables, healthy fats, healing broths and herbs. I’m a true believer that nourishing myself with these vitamins and minerals allowed my body to respond quickly and efficiently to the whole-foods supplements that I was given on my program. Not only was I waking up in less pain, I almost immediately started to see the structure of my face again. I no longer needed pain killers, I could sleep straight through the night, my lip went from the size of an apple to a grape, and I could smile again without being in pain.

Amazing results

The doctors and dentists who had seen me at my worst could not believe their eyes when they saw my quick improvements. The oral surgeon who I initially met with told me that it would take about 8-10 weeks for my teeth to heal and get settled back into place. During the second week I went in for an x-ray and my teeth had already started to significantly restore themselves. Needless to say, it was entertaining to see the shock and disbelief on their faces. I’m confident in saying that my journey back to health would not have been this fast or effective without Nutrition Response Testing and all of the help and support from Erika. Three weeks later and I am back at work, eating solids, and basking my scars in all of the sunscreen in the world just in time for the sunny summer weather.