Irene’s Story: Getting Back to the Root Cause of Better Health
As a retired physician assistant, Irene knew how important it was to understand the body beyond surface-level symptoms. For years, she had been managing complex health concerns, including thyroid and hormonal issues, nutritional deficiencies, toxin exposure, joint pain, digestive problems, and an autoimmune condition involving gastric carcinoids.
When conventional medicine recommended a total gastrectomy, the removal of her stomach, Irene knew she needed to explore every option carefully. She began researching root-cause and functional medicine approaches to better understand what was happening in her body.
That search eventually led her to Dr. Habib at Next Health.
“I started to do some research on my own and got into the more root-cause functional medicine side of it, being a medical practitioner myself,” Irene shared.
When Irene first came to Next Health in 2018, she completed an executive physical unlike any standard physical she had experienced before. The testing revealed food sensitivities, inflammation, toxin exposure, and other underlying issues that had been contributing to how she felt. With targeted IV therapies, supplements, and dietary changes to reduce irritation and inflammation, Irene began feeling much better.
“The executive physical is like no physical you’ve ever had,” she said. “It gets down to the root cause.”
For Irene, one of the most eye-opening discoveries involved blood vessel stiffness, something she had not been aware of before. Around that time, she had begun experiencing blood pressure concerns that eventually progressed into atrial fibrillation. The deeper testing gave her a clearer understanding of what needed attention and helped guide her next steps.
After several difficult years marked by major life stressors, caregiving, family losses, a divorce, moving, building homes, and eventually COVID, Irene noticed her health begin to decline again. She felt tired, stressed, mentally foggy, and was not sleeping well.
She knew it was time to return to Next Health.
“I decided I better get back to taking care of my health,” Irene said.
When she came back to Dr. Habib, the goal was to reassess her health, identify what had changed, and determine which deficiencies or stressors needed to be addressed. This time, Irene began a focused IV therapy plan that included glutathione, Super B vitamins, and Plaquex to support blood vessel health.
Within just a few weeks, she noticed a meaningful improvement.
“The IVs that I’ve started the last couple of weeks have been a tremendous help,” she said.
Irene also praised the Next Health team for their professionalism, warmth, and skill. Although she is typically a difficult IV stick, she said the team made the process smooth and comfortable.
“The staff here is just wonderful, very caring, professional,” she shared.
What stands out most to Irene is Dr. Habib’s passion for root-cause care. Rather than simply treating symptoms, he focuses on understanding what is driving the problem and helping patients build a stronger foundation for long-term health.
“Dr. Habib is wonderful,” Irene said. “He understands that the root cause of health issues is what we have to address.”
Today, Irene is not only continuing her own care at Next Health, she is encouraging her family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors to explore it for themselves. Her sister is even planning to travel in for an executive physical with Dr. Habib.
For Irene, Next Health represents an investment in the years ahead: more energy, better understanding, and a proactive approach to living well.
“If you want to have quality life years ahead of you, you need to take care of your health,” Irene said. “Your health is the most important thing.”
