Hey there, welcome to my Rise & Thrive page!

I'm Susana, and I am seriously thrilled that you're here!

If you are taking the time to read this, it's because you came across my story, resonated with my burnout symptoms, and want to know exactly how I reversed my health struggles and got my life back.

First things first, I'm a wife and a proud mom to two crazy, full-of-energy neurodivergent kiddos. We call Texas home, where everything is bigger and hotter than hot (seriously, it's like living on the sun!). I've got this amazing, big fat Latino family that I adore, and I'm back to staying active, dancing, and soaking up the great outdoors. Oh, and let's not forget my number one, Jesus - He's my rock through thick and thin!

After learning about chronic stress, I now know my journey started during my childhood when I was 15. At that time, my parents annouced they were getting divorced and exactly just a week later, my dearest cousin died in a tragic car accident. It was too much for a child to understand and process. Shortly after this news, I began having massive vertigo spells. My parents took me to doctors, specialists and after months of testing, the only conclusion they came up with was vertigo induced migranes. I was prescribed 2 heavy medications that just made me sleep.

That didn't stop me from pursuing my goals of wanting to become a Physical Therapist. In college, I pushed through, and coped with alcohol. I graduated somehow. lol Shortly after, I began graduate school to pursue my Master's. In grad school, my vertigo worsened to the point in which I would miss class and even fell over and hit my head a couple of times. Nonetheless, I continued my degree. Halfway through my degree, I began having nocturia, which is a bladder issue in which you produce excess urine at night. This is when I began to have major sleep issues. I kid you not, when I say there were many nights I slept on the toilet with my pillow leaning on the counter.

Once I graduated, I began working in a hospital system working long hours. My vertigo continued and so did my nocturia. By this point, I was on 3 medications and taking melatonin in attempts to get some kind of sleep.

Once I got married, I had my first child a year later. I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy who struggled with severe projectile reflux which made him colicky. We cried day and night. The stress of having to put my baby on reflux medication at such a young age, broke my heart daily. Needless to say, sleep was something of the past. My son didn't begin sleeping through the night until he turned 2. And even that was short lived. He has been coming down to our bed, even still, since the age of 3.

Life with my hubby has been one wild ride - we've moved so much, I've lost count! It's like we're on a never-ending adventure, and hey, who doesn't love a bit of excitement, right? We even lived in Dubai for three years!

But life threw more curveballs along the way. I faced fertility issues while abroad and after 2 years was blessed. When I was seven months pregnant, I got diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer in 2017. I fought that battle like a champ, but afterwards was so dysregulated emotionally, physically, mentally, and hormonally that I hit rock bottom. All my previous ailments worsened. I will also add that during this time, my son began to struggle with the emotional dysregulation and anxiety of his ADHD. It breaks my mama heart to admit that I didn't know how to handle or support his needs. I became an angry mom, easily triggered by his behavior, that led to many moments I am not proud of.

I burned out after pushing my limits and never wanting to ask for help. Any other type A mamas out there?

I began struggling with...

*worsening dizziness

*inability to fall asleep/stay asleep (waking up between 2-4am)

*irritability/yelling at my kids

*brain fog/inability to think clearly

*exhausted all day only to be wired at night

*anxiousness

*overstimulated/overwhelmed all the time

*gaining weight in face/belly

*holding onto inflammation/fingers swelling

*bloating after every meal

*chemo induced menopause

*no sex drive

I had my third ever panic attack on Christmas Eve 2022, after a massive blowout with my son. It was in that moment, I knew sometihng had to change. So, I did what I do best as a DPT, I began to reseach after my doctors told me my bloodwork was normal and it was all part of being a mom. They offered me anxiety and depression medications but I refused to accept this answer.

What I found was a mental wellness company based in Utah that offered promising holistic solutions that worked via the gut brain axis to create balance in your mind, your gut, and your nervous system.

They offered different protocols to help with gut health, mental health, hormone health, improving focus, increasing energy and happiness, reducing anxiousness, and promoting stress resilience. What I loved the most is that they used herbs, adaptogens, nootropics, specific strain probiotics that were clinically studied. Being in healthcare, that was super important for me. I also loved that nothing contained toxins, chemicals, artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners; they were gluten free/soy free/GMO free/sugar free.

As a physical therapist, I had known about the cortisol and pain connection, but until I began to struggle and dig deeper, I learned how cortisol can affect so much more. Our bodies are designed to activate our stress response, fight or flight, when we encounter a dangerous experiece. It is meant to elevate cortisol in the moment to help you deal, then excrete it to move out of that place. However, what happens nowadays is an accumulation of everyday stressors that cause our bodies’ stress response to activate and stay activated long term causing your body to lives in that heightened fight or flight state without true “danger” being present. Cortisol, your stress hormone, is released into your bloodstream in response and disrupts it's normal pattern.

This chronic stress can impair your ability to regulate your thoughts, your emotions, and even your behaviors. When I dug into all my health issues, sleep struggles and annoyances like belly fat, all paths lead back to CORTISOL!

There’s a domino effect that cortisol has…

•insulin/blood sugar dysregulation- leads to weight gain and further hormone imbalances.

•thyroid hormones- impacts metabolism and energy levels

•reproductive hormones- irregular cycles, sex drive, even fertility issues.

•immune system- frequent illness

I took a chance on the Happy Juice protocol and within the first month, I began to notice my sleep and energy improve. I was able to wean off the 2 sleep aids that I had been taking for years. With each passing month, more improvements began with my brain fog, inflammation, anxiety, bloating and eventually I began to lose the stubborn belly fat.

I can't wait to share all the magic of these products with you! I got my life back and so can you! Get ready for a wild ride filled with laughter, learning, and lots of "aha" moments. Let's conquer your health and wellness together!

My passion for helping others has been my guiding light from day one.

Contact me anytime:

susanademore0817@gmail.com