A little about me
A little about me.
A little about me
Janet Wrathall ND, B Ed, H Ir, Dip Herb, Dip FCT, MGNI, MRSPH, URHP.
I graduated with a B Ed in Food Science & Nutrition from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1988. Prior to that I had followed the usual route through school to university although I did take two years out to train as a chef. I had been brought up on a farm, growing our own produce and enjoying the freedom that growing up in the country can give you.
After graduating I was lucky enough to get a teaching post at a local secondary school. After ten years there, where I was the head of a busy department, I eventually developed Chronic Fatigue or some people know it simply as M.E. This meant that I had to make the choice to 'retire' from teaching full time at the age of 33. I had also just got married the year before. At the time M.E. wasn't generally recognised as a condition and so I wasn't able to retire on health grounds. Shortly after that, I also began to have fertility problems and within two years I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A month before my diagnosis my father had become very ill with a stroke and within a year he had sadly left us too. Life seemed to take quite a serious turn from thereon and little did I know that my life was to change forever!
A week after we buried my father, my husband left, of course due to the strain of what had been happening over the last year. There was also the factor of a third person in the equation that I felt had enormous control over our situation. This made me feel very suppressed and unable to exist rationally anymore: I was spiralling down into a deep depression. There were two choices at that time: I could stay on my own and relinquish my marriage but at least I would not be in such a controlling situation and work on getting myself better or I would stay in my marriage with this controlling person in the background which certainly wouldn't help my cancer and would lose my life both metaphorically and possibly physically.
It felt at the time it was a choice between life and death. It seems dramatic now looking back with hindsight but at the time it led to a very dark period in my life where I became very depressed and had suicidal thoughts. I can only relate it to being in a prison cell and the world looked very black. The divorce went through and I nearly lost my house. Thankfully I fought to keep it and also kept some of my dignity. I had however no money or resources to fall back on. I will just add however at this point a very important life lesson ...the people that you feel bring you the most heartache are there to teach you the most profound of lessons. I will never let anyone ever allow me to feel suppressed and downtrodden again and I know that the person that does that is feeling out of control themselves and therefore needs to become overtly controlling; they are coming from a place of fear and need help themselves. I no longer have any angry feelings towards this man and have indeed forgiven him, I could not hold on to the bitterness, that would have just flamed the cancer ! I had a decision to make and that changed the course of my life completely, it was as if I had to start my life again. I was grieving for my father, I was grieving for the loss of my husband, I was grieving for the loss of the children I couldn't have and I was grieving for the health that was slipping away from me.
Somewhere however within the grief and deep sadness I found a strength that showed me the way forward and began to realise that I could rebuild my life. After all I still had the support of my family and friends and of course my cats! I am also a rather spiritual being and I shouted more than once "upstairs" to the all-knowing Energy or whatever we wish to call it!
There was one particular incident I remember when I was fighting against the divorce and just wouldn't let go. Whilst driving on the motorway at 75 mph I became aware of another car moving towards my right side and so I instinctively swerved and immediately found myself doing a 360 degree pirouette in the middle of the carriageway ! I nearly rolled the car but miraculously came to rest facing the oncoming traffic with my eyes on stalks and learning the next life lesson to stop trying to go against the flow of life and let things go! That evening I phoned my husband and said he should just go through with the divorce...I wouldn't contest it any more ! I think upstairs was trying to tap me on the head again...albeit rather a large tap I felt this time !!!
I started to build up my Home Tutoring business that I had established when I had left teaching and built upon a small group of existing students. I also started another business promoting health products, doing talks for local groups and so slowly got back on the road to financial recovery although my student fees did rather pinch more than a little!
Once I became a little saner I took on the task of trying to establish why I had developed breast cancer and the world of Naturopathic Medicine opened up to me. Initially I accepted some surgery, but declined to take any hormonal medication and felt there was a more natural route back to stabilising and removing my cancer. It was then that I decided to pursue 'alternative ' and 'complementary' routes to investigate the reasons behind chronic health issues. My search gave me chance to speak to and study the work of many leading doctors and health professionals in both fields of medicine from around the world. Eventually this led me to study Naturopathic Medicine with the College of Naturopathic Medicine at Manchester University, complementing my initial studies of Food science and Nutrition in the 1980's.(See task bar for information about CNM college courses)
At the time I also realised I had been living with a condition called Hypothyroidism for most of my life and this explained the melancholy disposition I felt I had carried since my childhood. My fibromyalgia, depression, infertility, hormone imbalances and ME were all explainable at last. The jigsaw pieces were beginning to fit together and make sense. I also realised the immense impact that mercury fillings had had on my system and the heavyweight of anti-biotics that I received for teenage acne. Slowly but surely the bigger picture was coming into focus.
As I mentioned above, I have been very humbled to meet and work with some very successful practitioners in the world of alternative medicine, one in particular called Dr Patrick Kingsley, a leading alternative cancer specialist from Leicestershire who helped me through my own recovery from cancer. Although now retired he is still contributing to the knowledge base of alternative cancer treatment and I shall always be indebted to him for his kindness and humbling attitude to treating the sick and his help with cases I am now seeing as a practitioner myself.
My studies involved completing two years of Naturopathic practical and theory plus a year of Physiology, Anatomy and Pathology (Conventional medical training).
I also completed two years of Herbal Medicine training and over 300 clinical practice hours.
Coming from a rural background I have always been interested in botany and how plants have been used to heal. Indeed my first project at school was about herbal medicine!
Since gaining my Naturopathic qualifications I have also trained to become an Holistic Iridologist and Causative Homeopath (See Field Control Therapy in the task bar) and been lucky enough to study with another eminent medical doctor in Dublin and New York, Dr Savely Yurkovsky and his dedicated colleague Simon Rees. Also two very well respected and sought after Herbalists and Iridologists here in the UK: Peter Jackson-Main and Nick Imry both of whom have fought a diagnosis of cancer and are still here to tell the tale !
My studies are ongoing and of course our education never stops. I feel privileged to be part of a growing body of natural practitioners who are being given the opportunity to help patients with disease and illness, whether it be a simple sore throat or a life changing event like cancer and teach them to be able to empower themselves to get better and be the person they aspire to be.
Currently I have just invested £6000.00 in a unique body scanning system called NES (See task bar) which acts not only as a diagnostic instrument but also helps to restore patients health with healing protocols using an approach from the world of quantum physics, what I and a growing number of practitioners believe to be the next paradigm in medicine.It has enabled me to blend my medical work with my teaching work and I am currently involved with a research project with the above company looking at the possible relationship between autism and dyslexic type presentations and whether or not the clearing of heavy metals etc from their systems and the correction of their body's energy fields improves their learning abilities and dissipates their autistic tendencies.There are some excellent results already coming in from an American study of this nature.I remember the old adage that states that a new theory is at first scorned and laughed at, then it is investigated and found to have some merit and then it becomes the norm. We are in the process of great reform I believe in the world of medicine.
It is here that I can introduce the next chapter in my story and bring you up to date. It has been my dream for some years now to build or convert an old property and make available to the general public what I would call a Naturopathic Cottage Hospital where patients aren't merely seen as a number in the system but as individuals that need nourishing at a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level in order to obtain optimum health. An environment that honours our elderly and has compassion for people's circumstances. I have a very successful naturopathic colleague and friend, Amanda Shaw, who also holds this vision and one day we believe we will make it a reality. So if anyone reading this just happens to know of a derelict stately home that could fit the bill then please let us know!
At present I have links with another inspirational colleague called Rosa Hughes who has just established a movement called "The Breast Revolution". Like myself, Rosa was diagnosed with breast cancer and she also turned to her expertise as a homeopathic practitioner plus other modalities and successfully treated her own cancer. I have been invited to be part of the working committee for this venture and it is my privilege to be able to work alongside Rosa and other women who want to take the message out into the community that getting cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence! Rosa's bid to take Thermal Imaging, a safe breast screening technique, to every community in England is at the forefront of the campaign. Mammography should be left in the museum of outdated medical screening devices ...time will tell how this device will be seen for what it is...and considerable controversy remains regarding its value despite what we read in the press!
We must stay optimistic for the future of alternative medicine and indeed integrative medicine, although we do often have to fight many legalistic battles, getting Bills passed through parliament that will protect you the general public and ourselves within the profession. Modern western allopathic medicine has much to offer too and we must take I believe the best from both paradigms and work together to give our patients the greatest possible care.
Millennium Medicine is what it says...medicine for a new millennium, combining the best of ancient diagnostic techniques and treatments with new technological developments like the NES system developed by a professor of energy medicine! I have told you my personal story in the hope that as patients you can feel that I may be able to empathise with you. I see my cancer as a catalyst for my new life and without having experienced some of the illnesses I have listed I wouldn't be able to understand what you as patients are now facing.
I wish you abundant health, happy relationships and a joyful disposition.
Janet Wrathall ND
Degree level, Food Science & Nutrition
Diploma in Naturopathic Medicine
Diploma in Holistic Iridology
Diploma in Field Control Therapy (Causative Homeopathy)
Diploma in Herbal Medicine
Certificate in Psychology ('A' Level)
Certificate in Counselling (Leeds Metropolitan University)
and more recently :
Certified NES Health Practitioner
Currently studying Derma-glyphology : the assessment of lines on the feet (not reflexology) in order to ascertain deep pathology.