Melissa Talwar was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at the age of 14. 20+ years later, living in chronic pain and regularly becoming bed-bound, she watched her symptoms stabilize and her decline subside at her discovery of biohacking and functional medicine. Not long after, she went on to establish the International Support Fibromyalgia Network, a non-profit patient-led organization created to fulfill the unmet needs of the fibromyalgia community. #SupportFibro believes in collaboration. It is open, participatory and dedicated to educating, advocating and inspiring the fibromyalgia community. Melissa is also a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, Certified Wahls Protocol® Health Professional, and ReCODE coach (Bredesen Protocol). She cites among her heroes Dr. Terry Wahls, Dave Asprey, and Dr. Dale Bredesen. She and Lauren connected at HLTH 2019, where she was also in attendance as an honoree at the WEGO Health Awards. Melissa was awarded with the honor for Healthcare Collaborator: Patient.
Tune in as Melissa shares…
- that her chronic pain journey started with a sports injury, when she was an Olympic hopeful for CA in the 800m
- that she suffered a concussion and couldn’t even walk up stairs when her chronic pain began — and she was eventually in a wheelchair
- that fibromyalgia had rarely been seen in juveniles when she was first diagnosed as a teen in the ‘90s
- that fibromyalgia itself is far from rare, and its incidence has increased over the years
- that she was placed on numerous anti-psychotics and other drugs, which caused terrible side effects
- that in 2016, still in a state of physical decline (and about to invest in an electric wheelchair), she heard about Dave Asprey and began exploring his approaches, Dr. Terry Wahls’ writing, Dr. Dale Bredesen and his book The End of Alzheimer’s, and functional medicine — and finally began to see a positive change in her health
- that she gathered past labs, studied her inflammation levels, and began to design and implement a 36-variable protocol that gave her back her life
- that mental health has been a big component in her healing
- how she plans to continue the growth of the Support Fibromyalgia Network — through patient education initiatives that empower them to reclaim their health
- that she combats depression by keeping her mind focused and busy — and learning new skills
- that fibromyalgia isn’t currently classified as an autoimmune disease
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