As a prospective patient, it is helpful to learn more about RestorMedicine and our practitioners by hearing what others have to say.
We are grateful to be able to post testimonials from our patients, and below you will find some of those stories.
Do you have a testimonial you’d like to share? Email us at info@restormedicine.com and we’ll be sure to include your story.
Testimonials:
General Medicine
When I met you, my thyroid wasn’t functioning properly; I weighed over 200 lbs., was anemic and had no idea I had food allergies. My first meeting with you was exactly what I had always imagined a good doctor/patient relationship would be. You listened, you were receptive to my intuitions and always found a way to ground them in something practical and effective.
As a practitioner, you inspire confidence with a complete absence of ego or professional arrogance. You think creatively about the “whole”, and the effect is that I walk away feeling more whole and alive, and less like the bag of parts that years at the affect of “modern medicine” had imprinted. Today, with your help (and that of the task master Bikram) I feel more “myself” than I have in a decade. I recommend you to everyone who says, “What did you do last year? You look amazing!”
B.A.
Not a day goes by that I am not totally and completely relieved and grateful for how you have helped my daughter. Eating gluten free has not been easy for her and as she grows and feels better she is gradually noticing and seeing the difference in how she feels. Recognizing that her concerns are minor in comparison to other patients you treat, I just keep thinking back to how many times in the past 3 years we had taken her to the doctors for symptoms that were making her feel out of sorts and would walk away with nothing but a diganosis of “anxious tendencies” and iron supplements for anemia.
Had we not met you this past summer, I am certain she would have been prescribed medications to treat symptoms for her behavior without anyone discovering her gluten intolerance. While I find her pediatrician to be competent and give him credit for treating her for other ailments over the years, nothing compares to the individualized assessments and recommendations you have provided for her. She is now a happier and healthier person. I am eternally grateful for Naturopathic medicine and the safe health alternatives it provides. Thank you!
H.W.
Dr. Nicola took time to do an extensive assessment of the problem/symptoms I was having – by listening and by recommending/administering relevant samples/tests. She went outside traditional limits to prescribe treatments that would fix the problem from the inside out, rather than only bandage symptoms or pain.
S.C.
Struggling with unregulated hypothyroid, anemia and weight gain for years, every MD I saw simply ordered more tests and told me to “eat less, exercise more” to lose the 60+ pounds I had gained when my metabolism plummeted. After exploring several potential causes, Dr McFadzean Ducharme suggested allergy testing. We discovered that I was allergic to much of what I had been eating. Now, after five months of completely eliminating all allergens, I have lost 28 pounds, my energy level is higher than it’s been in eight years, and I feel healthier than I have in a long time.
I trust and enthusiastically recommend Dr McFadzean Ducharme for her intuitive, accessible, open approach. She empowers and partners with her patients, gently guiding toward overall wellness. For the first time in my life, I feel like my doctor actually cares for the whole person I am, rather than observing and clinically diagnosing a collection of “parts.” Thanks to Dr McFadzean Ducharme, I have renewed energy for my life, and there is no way to put a price on that.
B.A. San Diego, CA.
You already have been a significant help, catching what many doctors missed. I felt cared for and relieved as we left your office. You are doctor I have been looking for.
I appreciate your responsiveness, as well as your willingness to question prior lab results and think outside the box. In the future, you will be my first stop, not my last.E.A. Encinitas, CA.
After it was missed for many, many years and by many wonderful Internal Medicine Specialists, the knowledgeable doctor who finally diagnosed me was Dr Nicola McFadzean Ducharme. She’s incredible! Once I regain my strength, I will owe my life to her!
T.W. San Diego, CA
Autism
The balance of science and good medicine with a thorough understanding of herbal remedies and alternative medicine is unparalleled. I have been so disappointed in the past by practitioners who mainly want to sell a product or who know much less than I do about my children’s condition. I was so grateful to find someone who knew so much – what tests to order, how to interpret them, which products to recommend – and amazed by the effective results in a short time.
I consider myself quite capable and resourceful yet in a decade I have never found another practitioner with the same balance and insight. I would like to see you do more outreach or training, or travel to other areas, because there are very few people like you with your knowledge base.
A.R.
Lyme Disease
Dear Dr. Nicola,
It was so good to see you at the ILADS conference. I was thinking, I wish you could have seen me at my worst, bedridden and really unable to move at all. What a contrast. Each day is so tremendous for me now. I’m so grateful to be a happy, healthy, recovered Lyme Disease person! Your input was invaluable to me.
Keep up the good work! You are great!
C.S.
After 15 doctors over 10 months time, Dr. McFadzean Ducharme was the only one able to make a clear diagnosis based on all the lab tests, and clinical symptoms presented which allowed a positive treatment protocol to be developed and real results to be achieved.
M.P. and E.P.
My experience with you has been very satisfying. I have been listened to. I received a provisional diagnosis that was followed up on in a rational, systematic manner. I received treatment that is actually making a difference. You have worked with me to help solve the various problems that have arisen along the way. You haven’t been too busy to communicate with me. It has been enough to make me think that you not only know what you are doing, but that you actually care about me as a person. I have not felt like I was just another one of those “cases” that walk through the door and from which you make your living and pay your overhead.
J.Y.
Fantastic alternative treatments for Lyme Disease. I love that I could get tested for things my doctor refused to send me for because he was more loyal to my insurance company than me. It was validating to finally have someone tell me that I wasn’t crazy and that I was sick. It was even more validating when I received my CDC Positive Lyme Western Blot. Thank you Dr. Nicola for helping me through this complicated process to get rid of this awful bug!
C.W.
I really like Dr. Nicola – she is caring, my kids like her, and she incredibly experienced with LD. I like the fact that she works with you, rather than just telling you what to do (although I do what she suggests, it is a discussion rather than a lecture). She has made a massive difference to my health – I have been washing myself for 6 months, after having someone come to the house to wash me for the past 7 years. I haven’t used my wheelchair since Christmas. Her treatment has made a massive difference to my health – Thank You!!
N.C.
By my second conversation (phone appointment) I realized Nicola was a very skilled and knowledgeable physician, something I have not found in the past 15 years. I also appreciate the fact that she will use prescription drugs if necessary, but that she seeks natural means of encouraging your body to heal itself. I am also impressed that she appears to continue educating herself to new treatment modalities.
K.L.
Letter written by a patient to a potential patient
I ran across a referral for a medical group in San Diego online from Dr. Joseph Mercola. I called this medical group since Dr. Mercola stated that they were the tops in the country for dealing with difficult medical cases. They actually referred me to Dr. McFadzean Ducharme with a glowing report of her.
I started working with her last fall. I initially asked her specifically to work with me on my hormone levels. She did testing and saw the areas which were trouble spots for me. However, I could not tolerate the remedies. She also tried a few other things in working with me that I did not tolerate well. She was always so kind and understanding and LISTENED TO ME when I told her what was going on. She did not give up on me. She did some more testing on me and then decided to start me on the Lyme treatment. I would say that I have a long ways to go, but after 10 years and over 50 doctors – I have definitely found my doctor.
You will find Dr. McFadzean Ducharme to be fair in her financial practices with you – she does not order tests or remedies for you that are not necessary. Most of them are very reasonably priced. She listens to you and to your body. I could not be more pleased or feel more confident with her expertise and professionalism. She is from the very best school in the U.S. for Naturopaths – Bastyr. She has done a lot of research and is staying up with the latest in treatments.
I have not had a need to go to see her at all. We have done our work by telephone. When bloodwork or saliva testing are needed, you can have that done at your lab and overnighted to her.
Dr. M is wonderful because she will specifically tailor a treatment for your body based on what she hears you saying. Yours might be totally different than mine. We had to try a few before we got to what I needed, but believe me – she got to it and rather quickly.
Please feel free to ask any questions that you have. I hope that you will be able to move ahead. This type of illness is certainly not fun, but I don’t believe that we have to live with it. There are answers out there for us, and I feel blessed that Dr. McFadzean Ducharme is on my team. The game might take a while, but it is a winning team.
R.A. Mableton, GA
HCG Weight Loss
Dr. Nicola:
This is T.L., I started your HCG diet 2 months ago and I thought you might like an update.I had wanted to lose 20 pounds, so you gave me a few extra injections and at 5 foot 9 inches, this morning I weighed 152 pounds. I started out at 177.
I knew I was a bit overweight and uncomfortable about it, but I didn’t think it was anything drastic. My body had different ideas! I was on high blood pressure medicine for about a year and a half and my blood pressure is consistently normal now. I was on a medication for acid reflux for approximately 4 months and now I no longer need it. I don’t know how this could be related, but I don’t seem to need my reading glasses as much as I use to!
I have to confess that this all happened with absolutely no exercise. I had tried to do the 45 minute walking, as recommended, but I didn’t really have the energy to do it and would get very light headed with such few calories. I know now that I really need to exercise to keep it off.
I am amazed at how good that I feel and I know it is because of not carrying around an extra 20+ pounds every day. Thank you so much for your professionalism and knowledge that enabled my trust to be placed in your HCG protocol.
T.L., San Diego
I have tried to lose weight for two years. I have tried everything with no success. I had actually just about given up, then Dr. Nicola suggested I try the HCG protocol. Well, I have been on it for almost 20 days and I feel great and I am not too tired or hungry. I have a lot of energy. The best part of all is I have lost just over 13 pounds!!!! Amazing. I love it and I am looking forward to the next twenty days!
G.G.
Neurofeedback
Dear Dr. Nicola,
I am writing this letter to you with regard to the Neurofeedback treatments you have been administering to my teenage daughter since early November. Prior to beginning treatments with you, my daughter was suffering from 9 out of 10 of the “Symptoms of a malfunctioning Central Nervous System” listed on your website. These symptoms were severely impacting the quality of her life. For the past year and a half she has had difficulty overcoming small challenges and has been easily overwhelmed. Memory problems and poor performance on tasks were making it difficult for her to succeed in school while depression and anxiety had a negative impact on her social life. In October of this year, my daughter expressed a desire to “feel at peace and was tired of hurting inside.” There are no words that can describe how a parent feels when you hear your child say those words. You were the first doctor I thought of when seeking treatment for her.
I am writing this letter to you 6 weeks after beginning your recommendation of amino acid therapy and 10 Neurofeedback therapy sessions and would like to tell you that I am absolutely amazed at the progress I have seen in her mental health. Lately she has had a spark in her eye and a consistent lift her in her mood. She is progressing well academically and as a junior in high school attended her first winter formal dance this past weekend. These changes have even been noticed by family and friends who are not aware of the treatments she has been receiving. They have simply just commented to her how “happy” she seems to be.
I write this to you with tears of happiness streaming down the key board about how thrilled I am with the treatments she has received so far. We are set to schedule an additional 10 treatments of Neurofeedback. If she has made this much progress after 10 treatments I can’t wait to see how much better she will feel after 20!
Many thanks to you and your staff for all the specialized and individual care you have provided us!
- H. W.
I started to see small changes in my mental abilities very quickly, after the first four or five sessions. I work with a computer and since the concussion I had to relearn all my passwords and how to use several of my day-to-day programs…The first positive change was that, suddenly, I was able to easily understand computer functions again and start doing things like backing up my data and using PayPal. I then simply felt like I ‘had my brain back’ again and my functioning really improved immensely.
- Pam, a woman with brain injury sustained after falling from a bicycle
Suffering from serious depression and several additional complaints for forty years, I have spent many hours over the years in talk therapy sessions…Therefore, when I learned about neurofeedback I was somewhat skeptical, thinking it was just another form of therapy. How wrong I was! My experience with (NeurOptimal®) was surprisingly very positive. Subtle changes started occurring after the first session. I noticed that I was definitely feeling more chipper health-wise. My daily intestinal distress had calmed down, and I no longer felt sick to my stomach all the time. Mentally, my level of anxiety dropped considerably so that I had more energy to get on with life, and enthusiasm for the small every day things. This path towards well-being continued to unfold throughout my fifteen sessions, and I find myself today able to cope with events in a more calm, less angst-ridden manner.
- 60-year-old woman who suffered from depression and anxiety
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