by Simran (Simi) Chawla
Simran (Simi) Chawla
“EVERY ORGAN IN YOUR BODY IS CONNECTED TO THE ONE UNDER YOUR HAT.”
-BJ PALMER.
Cue Bollywood music. I’m a first-generation Indian American who was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. By the age of five I was sold on going to the University of Nevada Reno and by 15 I was ready to major in biology. My dad and I would plan everything out and made a “To-Do” list for medical school. Chiropractic was never on my radar.
I was first introduced to chiropractic through my younger brother, Saurabh. He was fourteen at the time and was playing his ninth year of football. In all his years of playing, he hadn’t gotten badly hurt, but one day he was injured during practice and had a hard time breathing. There was a concern of potential surgery that we luckily avoided. My dad called Saurabh’s previous coach who was a chiropractor. I found it strange that my dad would call a DC over an MD.
The adjustments for Saurabh proved to be very effective, and he began to heal both physically and emotionally. He took his renewed energy and applied it to making videos and becoming creative in writing, editing, and filming. Saurabh decided to quit football and focus on his passion for videography. Noticing the benefits it provided in his own life, Saurabh began to recommend chiropractic care to everyone. I didn’t think anything of it until I could barely focus on homework due to back pain and stiffness. The pain was becoming unbearable. I was already on medications for epilepsy and didn’t want to go to the doctor to get another prescription for pain. Although I was still skeptical, I took Saurabh’s advice and made an appointment with a chiropractor (Dr. Doyle) the next day. My skepticism faded immediately because I felt amazing and after that I went once a month and saw so many differences in my body. Although I enjoyed my experiences, I still had a few more obstacles to face before I realized where my true calling was.
“I let myself “go” so much that one day I got onto the scale and it reached 320 lbs. I couldn’t stay awake at work, I felt uncomfortable, and my self esteem was in the dumps.”
For several years, my grandma suffered from dementia, which escalated quickly, impacting mine and my family’s lives as we worked to help her however we could. My coping mechanism at that time was to go to the grocery store, walk the aisles, grab my favorite junk food, and then binge while watching TV. I was a year into therapy and still in denial about my health and “bad” habits. I blamed everyone around myself and slowly my “To-Do” list for medical school faded away. I let myself “go” so much that one day I got onto the scale and it reached 320 lbs. I couldn’t stay awake at work, I felt uncomfortable, and my self-esteem was in the dumps. When I did start to work out, I would be in pain just from walking.
I called Dr. Doyle’s office hoping to get back under care. Luckily, they took me in. Dr. Doyle adjusted me, but also had a conversation with me about the importance of consistent care. Not only was he looking out for me, but I felt heard by a doctor. This time I followed the care plan and found great improvement to the point that I was motivated and wanted to chase after my dreams again. I never knew how much I would rely on chiropractic, especially when the pandemic hit.
As I binge watched Tiger king, like most during lockdown, I thought about what I wanted to do with my life. Although my dad insisted, we follow the med school “To Do” list, there was still a lot of hesitation on my part. One night I was also watching a lot of tiktok videos and stumbled on one where a baby was being adjusted by a chiropractor. Amazed and slightly startled, I began to research the benefits of chiropractic care. I began to look back and realized the benefits it made in my life. I discovered the concept of innate intelligence and wanted to know if chiropractic was truly built on this foundation or if I was reading some false information. During my appointment the next day, Dr. Doyle confirmed everything I had read about the night before and I wanted to know more. He mentioned going to Life Chiropractic College West and how the philosophy makes you rethink the healthcare system we are brought up in. That night I kept thinking about looking at Life West and the credentials needed. I pulled up the website and checked off all the boxes needed to apply. I was terrified and so excited because this time there was no hesitation. I felt like I was being called to this profession.
Before I knew it, the application was filled and sent in. Three weeks later I was accepted into Life Chiropractic College West and every day I count my blessings. Chiropractic has let me do a complete 180° in my life, from my health to my happiness, I feel like a new person. I am passionate about spreading love, serving my community, and giving back by encouraging future students to have the same hope I found in the profession and in their lives. Everyone has a right over their health; it is not a privilege. Every human should have the knowledge of how to take care of themselves.