Updates from Dr. Melissa Oden

Hello!  I am so very happy that you are here!  

My story begins back in 1994 when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis at the age of 24.  I had been suffering with it for 12 years and when I finally got a diagnosis, I was relieved but left feeling helpless.  You see, Endometriosis (Endo for short) is a chronic disease of the female reproductive system and I was told I would have to deal with it for the rest of my life.  Even at that young age, I did not accept the prognosis my doctor gave me.  So, I began researching the disease and trying to discover a way to help myself heal.  I found a book from the Endometriosis Association that changed my life forever.  I absorbed every bit of information in that book and went back to my doctor with a plan.  He was gracious enough to become my partner in this quest, and we set out to try some things that would give me some relief.  That treatment plan included 4 surgeries and 6 months of treatment with an approved drug for addressing Endometriosis.  At the end of that time, I had one more surgery and it appeared as though the active Endo was in remission!  It was at that time that I was introduced to a Natural health Practitioner who taught me the principles of natural health and how natural products could support my body's natural healing ability.  I very quickly absorbed all of that information as well, and, in essence, became a natural health practitioner myself.  Those natural health protocols helped me stay in remission for 20 years but, more than that, it provided a much healthier lifestyle than the one I had been living up to that point.

Because of my experience, I decided that other women needed a clearer path to healing than I had.  So, in 1997 I created my company, then known as "Health Education Resources" with the tagline, "Helping People Heal", to provide one-on-one Endometriosis education to women who had been diagnosed with the disease.  I decided that I probably needed some credentialing, so I went back to college in 1997 and within 15 years, completed 4 college degrees: a Bachelor's in Social Science, a Master's in Social Work, a Master's in Public Health, and A Doctorate in Health Education.  I also earned the Certified Health Education Specialist credential. (Yes, I MIGHT be a bit of an overachiever.)  In the process of finishing my education, I moved into other areas of Health Education, but my goal remains the same: Helping People Heal.  If you need healing in any area of your life, you are in the right place.  I am excited that you're here and I can't wait to see what we can achieve together!