‘How did you get here!?’
Strap in babes, it’s story time!
Ever since I can remember, the human body has been one of my biggest special interests. I was fascinated with biology and medical stuff as a child which was definitely one of the things that sent me on this path.
I have memories of spending time with my Nana whilst going through dialysis and of my best friend experiencing childhood leukaemia. I was in awe of medical professionals that were able to help them feel comfortable while needing to do painful things like take blood.
Fast forward to high school, 17 year old Lauren was feeling the pressure of needing to know what to study at uni. The demands were a little too much for my brain (thanks undiagnosed ADHD and autism) so I did what any regular teenager would do and ‘gave up’, deciding I would focus on more on the fun side of school rather than the academic side.
I signed up for a text message to receive my OP score (now ATAR for the youngins’) instead of waiting for the letter in the mail.
I got an OP of 22 (25 is the highest/ ‘worst’ score) which honestly I thought was pretty hilarious. It did mean that I didn’t get into the university courses that I wanted, which was a blessing in disguise.
I enrolled into my last preference; a diploma of Laboratory Technology at Southbank Tafe. The plan was to do a year there and switch courses to something that I actually wanted to do.
This course reawakened my love for biology and anatomy. I was obsessed with both the macro and the micro levels of it.
I loved the hands on components of lab work, mixing reagents and making agar. It reminded me of making ‘potions’ as a child.
Haematology (the study of blood) was my favourite, followed closely by microbiology (despite the stinkiness). I chose the pathology stream, mostly so I could just look at blood films under a microscope all day.
I was obsessed, one tiny drop of blood was like an entire universe.
One tiny drop could tell us so much information about what was happening in the body.
In my last semester, I decided to do a certificate III in pathology specimen collection to try and use that to get my foot in the door for a lab job as all of them required actual lab experience not just qualification.
After my 2 week placement, I was offered a pathology collector position with Sullivan Nicolaides. At 19 this was my first ‘real job’, I was beyond proud of myself. I strived to make people feel as comfortable as I could while doing something not so nice to them, reminding myself of those medical practitioners I has watched as a child.
A lot about this job was super appealing to my brain, the variety of tests, the different colours of the collection tubes, the fast paced times but also the times where you could slow down and have a chat to your regulars coming in for their weekly blood test. When it was quiet, I used to read the test instruction manual for fun. The job was bloody hard work (pun intended) but taught me so much.
In 2013, I decided to go back to study. I started a semester of a Bachelor of Health Science in Pathology but because I had so many credits, one of my first subjects was statistics- absolutely no thank you. I just really wanted to look at blood films again and immerse myself in that but I wasn’t able to get through the maths portion.
I came across ‘live blood analysis’ (a technique where a naturopath analyses a drop of blood as a part of a consultation) so I began looking into studying naturopathy.
Again, the idea of plant medicine and making ‘potions’ really piqued my interest so I enrolled and started studying at Endeavour College of Natural Health.
At the beginning of 2014, my sister Alyse welcomed her first baby into the world. I was lucky enough to be there to witness his birth. Ten years later, I still talk about it being one of the best experiences of my life. This is absolutely where my passion for working in the birth space came from. I was in awe of my sisters strength and was determined to learn everything about pregnancy and birth.
Later that year, my world was turned on its head when I had my first serious breakup, I had to quit my job and relocate to the Sunshine Coast to move back in with my mum. In hindsight, very much another blessing in disguise!
I had been mentally recovering from the break up, getting used to my new 2 ½ hour commute to Brisbane for uni and applying unsuccessfully for jobs when my best friend mentioned there was an opening at the clinic she worked at.
It was a clinic assistant role which also required massage skills- none of which I had.
I was hesitant to even go for an interview but I took her advice to ‘just watch a few massage videos on youtube and you’ll know what to do’ and I went for it.
It was at a busy acupuncture clinic on the northside of Brisbane which also offered naturopathy and massage.
Despite being into natural health and studying naturopathy, I was weirdly unsure about the validity of Chinese Medicine. I don’t know what triggered doubt that this ancient medicine didn’t work but I was very much proven wrong.
In the first month I was there, I saw so many amazing results and was blown away by the practitioner’s skills.
I knew that I was in the right place, I loved learning more about the body and connecting with people through physical touch. I would hang out in the dispensary, familiarising myself with all of the herbs and supplements. I was able to bounce questions off our incredible naturopath and dreamed about what it would be like to have my own clinic one day.
I had started semester 2 of my second year in naturopathy and was struggling, my lecturers had changed and I just couldn’t get into the content. I was venting to one of my bosses after a shift, he sat me down and gave me one of his famous pep talks.
He said ‘Naturopathy is great and all but I think you really need to put your hands on people and leave them feeling better then how they walked in’. It resonated with me so much that I dropped my subjects and took a year off to reassess what I wanted.
In July of 2016, I began my first semester as an acupuncture student. I was excited and nervous. One of my lecturers asked us to share our story and how we got here, after we had finished we reflected on just how vast our life experiences were and he made a comment about Chinese Medicine attracting the ‘misfits’.
Throughout my study, I experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my life. I made absolutely incredible friends and we supported each other along the way. It was such a unique period of growth but I felt safe in our container.
During my second year, my cycle began to change. I had always experienced period pain and been told that it was ‘normal’ but pain had started to creep in unexpectedly to different parts of my cycle. When we were learning how to interview people and sharing information about our periods, I learnt that my experience wasn’t universal and that my level of pain was not ‘normal’ after all.
I was 26 years old and furious that it had been dismissed for so long. The rage I felt drove me to learn as much as I could about gynaecological conditions so that no one else would have to be dismissed like I was. In 2018, I had surgery and was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis after 12 years of excruciating period pain.
After a global pandemic, loss of an incredible classmate and friend, and quitting my clinical assistant role of 8 years, I completed my degree. In 2021, I became a registered Acupuncturist and Doctor of Chinese Medicine.
This year I enter my 3rd year in clinical practice and my 10th year working in the allied health field. I am committed to providing accessible and inclusive healthcare to women and gender diverse people in every stage of life. I am here to hold space, support and guide individuals towards feeling good in their bodies and brain.
I strive to empower those who have had that taken from them, to help them advocate for their needs while providing a deeply nourishing state where they can rest and recuperate. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on and someone to celebrate all of the wins with. I’m here for you however you are in every season of life.
Love,
Lauren.
