Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Kendrick.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up, becoming a nutrition and health coach wasn’t something I ever imagined I would do. In fact, I was set on being a private investigator. However, at the age of 14, my father was diagnosed with cancer at the incredibly young age of 39 and passed away fairly quick. Unfortunately, his original cancer was misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly, which ultimately led to an earlier death. My thoughts of going away to school came to a halt and it was then I decided I would stay close to home and go on to be a cosmetologist. My mother and father had owned hair salons for many years, so it just seemed fit.
About three years in, I became pregnant and suffered many complications throughout the pregnancy. I’d say it was then my health went on a downward spiral. I began to suffer tumor growths, fatigue, joint pain, migraines, bloating, irritable bowels, recurrent sinus infections, skin issues and so much more. Pregnancy number 2 was six years later and with that came an even longer list of ailments. I had grown another tumor, this time on my pituitary gland, which was producing hormones causing a multitude of negative effects. In the beginning, they did not suspect a tumor. In fact, for seven long months, they threw around early menopause, hormone imbalance due to pregnancy and tried to pump me up with many drugs. While on these drugs, there was a worsening of symptoms, weight was piling on and I mean, weight gain is the worst thing a post-partum woman wants to experience, am I right? I decided to do some research of my own, as I was determined not to end up misdiagnosed like my father. I began to write each symptom down, pair it up with my research, and take it in with me to the doctor. I requested an MRI and had it done within the week. I had myself diagnosed before the results came back, went on to schedule an appointment with a specialist so I would be ahead when the results came in. Sure enough, my hypothesis was right and it was indeed a tumor. All the medications they had me on were a waste and were of no benefit to the tumor. Thankfully, the specialist got me going in the right direction and slowly, the hormones leveled out.
During the next few years, my anxiety was at an all-time high. It did not seem right to always feel so anxious. I knew there had to be something else going on, but what was it? The migraines were debilitating; the bloating would leave me looking pregnant. None of this seemed fitting for someone that worked out five days a week and ate a healthy diet. Or at least I thought the diet was healthy. We are taught to choose wheat, right? Wheat is healthy. So, I ate lots of wheat pasta, wheat breads; you name it, I chose wheat. The fatigue would then set in and take over my body. The migraines left me lifeless. Throughout the next three months, while continuing to work in the salon, I would have stays at four different hospitals and visit 13 different specialists. I was diagnosed with three diseases that were later confirmed I did NOT have. I was given a drug to take for one said disease, in which I again went home to do some research. I did a drug check and plugged in my seizure medicine, tumor medicine and the new drug they were prescribing. Turns out just that year seven people had died from the drug combination. Well, let’s just say I’m really grateful I did a drug check before taking their prescriptions.
These three months took a toll on me mentally and physically. I was losing weight rapidly and found myself at 97 pounds. The bowel distress was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The Gastroenterologist could not come up with anything that was wrong and wanted to place me on a feeding tube. I knew a feeding tube would just be a band-aid and we would still go on to have no answers. The other doctors told me I was just depressed, told me I had major anxiety, told me I “looked normal,” and nothing was wrong. I even had one tell me to go home, take 6 Xanax and go to sleep. Throughout this time, I avoided all prescribed anxiety/depression meds as I knew there was an underlying reason for my anxiety. I decided I had enough of the false medical diagnoses and called a client’s dad. He was a local physician and if anyone could help me, it was going to be him. Sure enough, within 48 hours, he had me lined up with a new GI doctor, a friend of his. I went in locked and loaded with everything I had been experiencing written down. He schedules a colonoscopy/endoscopy and sends me on my way. Why did I have to wait this long for an endoscopy? I had been complaining of bowel distress for months only to come out with “you are depressed, how’s your marriage, you look fine, take these meds.” Unfortunately, this happens far too often in the medical world. Self-advocacy means more now than ever. The biopsy would come back positive. It was celiac disease I had.
Anxiety being a number one complaint. Things I had been living with that I thought were normal had been celiac disease all this time. Turns out what was not healthy. Or at least not for me. I was damaging my insides further each time I ingested wheat. The diagnosis hit like a death. I was losing my old life. Who even was I now? Everything I did that revolved around food would change from this point on. How would I socialize? How would my friends take my new restrictions when dining out? I did not know where to start.
The doctor sent me home with a printed paper that read “What is Celiac Disease.” No direction at how to navigate my new life. I spent the evening and days following researching the internet on how to live my new life. In between the tears of course. I searched for a nutritionist but could not find one that really had anything to offer my new way of life. Most were for diabetes, high cholesterol, and things of that nature. Health coaches were not really much of a thing back then, either. It turned in to me educating myself the best I could. I would read books, read the NIH.Gov research sites, take notes and follow all the studies they were conducting on mice. The connection between the gut, mind and your health became an obsession of mine.
I began by practicing on my cosmetology clients when they would come in for their hair appointments. Throughout the years, I was able to guide many to diagnoses that they may have never been able to receive. I started changing their diets, creating meal plans, helping with weight loss, and fixing nutrient deficiencies. It was like I was health coach and cosmetologist all in one. Turns out, I was still living my dream of being an investigator after all. Just in a much different way than I had ever imagined.
Unfortunately, over the next seven years, I would be struck with more bad health. I would battle candida overgrowth, leaky gut, over 200 food intolerances, and so much more. At the top of 2020, January 2nd to be exact, I would find out I had a massive tumor growing behind my eye. I had been noticing my vision diminish over the last year as well as some pain which took me into the doctor initially. They informed me surgery would be required and that would entail them cutting my eye/head open. I did some research and located the number one eye institute in Miami. Against the first doctors wishes, I went to a second opinion and asked to be referred down to Miami.
If I had any chance at coming out of this with my vision, it was there that I would stand the best chance. After a few visits and many scans, they would set up surgery. Upon my arrival for surgery, I’ll never forget my life flashing before my eyes. The surgeon would pull me aside 20 minutes before start time and inform me she believed I had cancer. My scans showed cancer and the tumor had diminished the bone separating my brain from the orbit. It was possible I would suffer a CSF leak, and an extra team of neurosurgeons would be on standby. They would do a freeze biopsy while I was on the table to be certain if it were cancer or not. If the tumor were in fact cancer, I would be stitched back up without tumor removal and start chemo the very next day with a port going into the tumor. Can you say overwhelmed? Yep, me too. I had checked out of my hotel that morning. I was set on going home after surgery. Nope, not the plan. She would have my husband book another room and we were indeed staying. After 5 hours of surgery, and not one but two freeze biopsies, they could not believe I was cancer free. How could it be? I was the first she had seen in 15 years that presented a case like mine but not carry cancer.
Aside from being overjoyed, it was time I put my life into perspective. I had been given my last medical miracle. Why was I faced with so many battles over the years? I ate healthier than most, worked out five days a week but had battled more than most double my age. After some research and compiling graphs, it hit me. It was the chemicals. The chemicals in the salon. It was time I removed myself from the toxin filled environment and give myself the best chance at living a healthy life. After all, it had become my passion to help others. I had been servicing the public for almost 20 years but spent the last 10 of those years being an advocate of health for each and every person in my chair. I would follow my passion of being an investigator finally by becoming a certified health coach and begin investigating for others. I would take all that I had learned through my health trials that had been handed to me and use it to help others.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle would have been the let down. The let down of the 175 plus hair clients I had prior to retiring. The disappointment they may have had in me for quitting on them. But what I had to tell myself was by staying in that profession that was causing me to be so sick, I was only letting myself down. I had to do what was best for me, no matter how difficult it was to say goodbye. Another thing was realizing, I wasn’t quitting. I was transitioning, I was transitioning to a new career where I was gonna be there for others in a new way. An even more meaningful way. The way I was put on this earth to be.
Aside from that, I truly haven’t experienced any obstacles in my current business if I am being honest. I have been blessed beyond measure. From my very first client I received referrals and from then on, they kept coming. I just so happen to be working with a Nurse Practitioner that was succeeding in her goals while working with me. The oncologist she worked for, Dr. Imam, noticed just how much she was thriving while using my services, that he reached out to me and asked if I would like to work with some of his patients that were now diagnosed Cancer Free. Many of these patients are in a need of weight loss, which is the symptom seen on the outside, however there are many symptoms on the inside that contribute to the weight gain that we tackle through their nutrition.
I couldn’t have asked for a bigger blessing. It was then I knew I was in the place that God had set out for me to be in. I absolutely love working with his patients as I feel I am able to give them an even larger chance at a healthy life from the moment we meet. I teach his patients how nutrition can affect the state of your health. How by healing their gut they can avoid further disease. Chemotherapy does a number on the body which will require months of healing afterwards. Through working with me I am able to ensure they take all the necessary steps in healing their body following all the trauma. They have me to lean on, day in and day out. When I first meet them they have so many ailments, physical and mental, stemming from anxiety, depression on down to constant thirst. I’m so happy to report that when they leave me, those ailments are a thing of the past.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Here at Nicole Kendrick Nutrition, I offer health, wellness, nutrition and fitness coaching based on honesty, integrity, and empathy from the heart. The journey I had to get here wasn’t easy with my own health, therefore I approach each and every client with the highest amount of sympathy and understanding. Online services are individualized to a clients’ specific goals by a one-on-one approach. There are no two humans created alike, therefor no two approaches can be the same. An initial health and diet intake process is first performed to determine exactly how they are feeling as well as where they may struggle personally when it comes to diet and overall wellness. I offer a wide variety of services that always start with your health as the number one priority. It’s important that we don’t mask symptoms to get things working temporarily. Instead, we work from the root cause of your problem area, allowing things to run more efficiently and effectively, so that you go on to feel better mentally and physically.
Some of the areas I focus on are, but not limited to: Leaky gut, Weight gain, Weight Loss, Hashimotos, Thyroid Disease, Celiac Disease, Chemotherapy diets, Post Cancer/chemotherapy recovery, Gluten Intolerance, Dairy Intolerance, Adrenal Fatigue, Disease prevention, PCOS, Diabetes, Lupus, Colitis, Chrohns, High blood pressure management, High cholesterol management, Diet change transitions, Hormone Imbalance, Antidepressant, Antipsychotic, and Antianxiety medication detox and transition.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Never think you are too old to change your career. Any age is the right age when the change makes your heart happy. Also, don’t ever be afraid to start from the bottom to get to the top. It is through the hardest journeys that we learn the most strength. Strength that we can use to help carry others through their hard times. God never gives us a battle we are not strong enough to handle, it is what we do with those battles that will create the special, most meaningful moments in our lives.
When I am not working with clients, I make it a priority to take time away, drive down to the beach and spend time with my husband, 2 kids and 2 dogs. Life is so short, we must enjoy the moments with those that mean the most to us. Don’t waste time crying over spilled milk, for one day our milk may really spill. Enjoy this life while we have it.
Thank you for this opportunity, I really appreciate it. Over the years many doctors told me I should write a book, and while I have never done that, this opportunity was a way to possibly inspire just one more person along the way and for that I am very grateful.
Contact Info:
- Email: nicolekendricknutrition@outlook.com
- Website: www.nicolekendricknutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glutenfreeandgolden/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicole-Kendrick-Nutrition-106448368401789/
