One of the most frustrating things about chronic illness is how many symptoms overlap.

Is it an autoimmune condition? A nervous system disorder? Hormones? Gut health? Inflammation? An immune response? Something triggered by COVID? Or some combination of several things?

I’ve been told I have so many different conditions that sometimes I wonder whether I truly have all of them—or whether the symptoms simply overlap with multiple diagnoses.

Some conditions have well-established diagnostic tests. Others are much harder to identify with confidence. And when you’re experiencing symptoms that seem to involve nearly every system in your body, figuring out where one problem ends and another begins can feel impossible.

That’s the inspiration behind the name Twisted Roots Collective.

I believe our bodies are incredibly interconnected. Our nervous system, immune system, hormones, gut health, cellular function, and emotional well-being can all influence one another. Understanding those connections is an important part of understanding our health.

I don’t believe every health problem has one simple root cause. Sometimes there are multiple contributing factors, and sometimes the answers aren’t clear.

But I do believe we should keep asking questions.

My professional background isn’t in medicine. It’s in entrepreneurship.

I graduated from the University of North Texas in 1992 with a degree in Entrepreneurship, and I’ve spent more than 30 years building, operating, and marketing businesses across a wide range of industries.

It’s an unusual résumé for someone starting a wellness collective, I know!

But entrepreneurship has taught me how to research complicated problems, ask questions, connect with knowledgeable people, evaluate options, and build something from the ground up.

When I couldn’t find all the answers I needed for my own health, I did what I’ve always done:

I started researching, connecting, questioning, and looking for a better way forward.

I don’t have a medical degree, and I won’t pretend to be a doctor. What I do have is years of firsthand experience navigating chronic illness, an insatiable curiosity, and a genuine desire to help others who are facing similar challenges.

Since becoming chronically ill following the COVID era, I’ve discovered just how many people are struggling with complex, often invisible health conditions.

I know what that feels like, because I’m living it.

I created Twisted Roots Collective because I want to share what I’ve learned along the way.

I’ll be writing about the research I’ve discovered, the treatments and therapies I’ve explored, the products and supplements I’ve tried, and the lifestyle changes that have—or haven’t—made a difference for me.

I’ll share the successes, the disappointments, the questions, and probably a few mistakes.

If something helped me, I’ll tell you. If something didn’t, I’ll tell you that too.

Not because my experience will necessarily be yours, but because sometimes hearing someone else’s story helps you ask a better question, find a useful resource, or feel a little less alone.

My goal isn’t to replace qualified healthcare professionals or offer medical diagnoses. It’s to help people discover information, explore credible resources, connect with appropriate professionals, and become more informed advocates for their own health.

And if I can save someone even a fraction of the time, frustration, and money I’ve spent searching for answers, then this journey can serve a greater purpose.

Family has always been the center of my world.

I’m a proud mother of two exceptional adult children, blessed with a wonderful son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and an even prouder grandmother to four beautiful grandsons.

Our family lives on an 80-acre farm, where life is anything but boring. Between the longhorns, pigs, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats, there’s always something happening!

It’s a busy, sometimes chaotic, wonderful life, and I wouldn’t trade it.

I’m especially excited that Twisted Roots Collective is becoming a family endeavor.

Together, we bring different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to the collective, united by a shared interest in whole-person wellness.

And that’s what I want Twisted Roots Collective to become: a growing community of people, practitioners, resources, and ideas that help us better understand the connections influencing our health.

I wish I could tell you that after all these years, I’ve figured everything out.

I haven’t.

I’m still learning. Still researching. Still experimenting with different approaches under appropriate guidance. Still trying to understand what my body is telling me.

But I’ve learned that there’s value in sharing the journey, even before you’ve reached the destination.

Twisted Roots Collective is built on curiosity, compassion, education, and the belief that no one should have to navigate complicated health challenges entirely alone.

Some roots may be easy to identify. Others may take time, patience, and the right people to understand.

And sometimes, we may discover that the roots are more connected than we ever realized.