Meet Mackenzie Rowe! 

Mackenzie is a Functional Health Coach and FDNP

I spent years feeling unheard and unwell—trapped in a cycle of doctor visits, only to be told I was “just being dramatic” or that I “wasn’t eating enough.” Meanwhile, I couldn’t eat without pain, get out of bed without feeling dizzy, or hang out with friends due to debilitating fatigue, anxiety, stress and a never-ending list of symptoms that showed up day after day.

Until I discovered the power of personalized functional medicine. Functional Health transformed my life, and I’m here to help others do the same

It All Started In 2018...

I had been struggling with digestive and hormonal issues for years, and I had just moved to a new city to start my career after graduation. Each day, I would wake up, take hormonal birth control to manage my PMS and acne, take SSRIs to get through the day without a panic attack, and avoid eating for as long as possible to prevent the cramping, bloating, and nausea that always followed. After work, I’d take a nap, try to cook dinner, force myself to work out on my best days, then go to bed, only to repeat the same cycle the next morning.

After work one day, some colleagues invited me to go to a HIIT workout class with them. Wanting to make friends in my new city, I figured I’d give it a try. Just six minutes in, my heart rate spiked to 215 bpm. I lost my vision and hearing, and I was overwhelmed by the taste of iron. An hour later when the symptoms hadn’t gone away, I was rushed to the hospital, undergoing tests, only to be told that everything looked normal and my labs came back fine.

I saw dozens of cardiologists, neurologists, and gastroenterologists, all of whom insisted there was nothing wrong. They said my lab work was normal and brushed off my symptoms telling me I was being “dramatic.” It was only after speaking with a family member who is a cardiologist that I was advised to request a tilt table test. After requesting a this test from four doctors, I finally got someone to listen, and sure enough, I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

While I was relieved to finally have answers, that relief lasted all of 10 minutes. The doctor told me there was no cure, no real treatment, and that the best they could offer were experimental steroids. I was advised to eat as much salt and carbs as possible and “hope for the best.”

At 23 years old, I was devastated. I couldn’t work out, go on dates, or even hang out with friends without blacking out, sitting out during activities, or feeling so nauseated that I had to leave early. It felt like my life had come to a standstill.

But Then Everything Changed...

In 2021, I discovered functional medicine. A family friend who had experienced similar struggles recommended that I get functional lab testing done and work with a practitioner who could help me address the root cause of my symptoms, rather than just masking them.

Through a 5-month Functional Health program, I was able to completely turn my life around. I felt better each day, and gradually, I felt confident enough to wean off my SSRIs. I stopped taking my hormonal birth control and slowly started to feel like myself again. 

I woke up feeling energized, I could eat full meals without pain or bloating, I was fitting into my old clothes again, and the anxiety and stress that once ruled my days started to fade. I even began working out again—without blacking out! My life took a complete 180, and I couldn’t have been happier about it.