Memberships

I just want to say thank you to Heather and Dr. Ruby for helping me so much. When I started with them a little over five months ago I was having extreme fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhea, leg cramps that woke me at night and insomnia. From the beginning they both took their time and listened. They worked to develop a program that helped me and I am now almost totally recovered.

Before starting with them I’d seen numerous doctors and specialists. None of them were able to help me. But Heather and Dr. Ruby did. It has been amazing the difference in my health and my quality of life. Thank you Heather and Dr. Ruby.

Patricia W.

In August of 2019, after experiencing a perfect storm of health issues that severely damaged my digestive and intestinal tract, I found myself rapidly losing weight and ultimately going through depression. The impact on my body physically and mentally caused me to take a leave of absence from my teaching career and redirect my focus on my health. I found myself visiting many Gastroenterologists in the Baltimore area, GBMC, Mercy and St. Joe’s, none of which could help me determine the cause of my illness. After a 6 month wait, I was finally able to get into Johns Hopkins Gastroenterology department and it was there that I was diagnosed  with S.I.B.O. (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth). They immediately wanted to put me on antibiotics, which was how I had gotten into this situation in the first place. Reluctantly, I decided to hold off and research a better option.

In Late August, a family member had recommended Optimal Wellness, Dr. Laura Ruby, Nurse Sarah Dedmon and their staff. Realizing this was not covered by insurance, I had to decide if I wanted to continue to wait many months to continue to be seen by JHU or give Dr. Ruby, Nurse Sarah and staff the opportunity to assist me. I decided to move forward and sign a contract with Optimal Wellness. After an initial in-office evaluation and a complete wellness check, I was followed up with multiple tests that included blood work, food sensitivities, stool samples, lactulose breath tests, and microbiome tests. In addition, I was offered mental wellness checks, guidance from a nutritionist, as well many opportunities to attend yoga and acupuncture sessions.

Dr. Ruby and Nurse Sarah followed me closely over a year’s time, using office visits, phones calls, emails and most recently telehealth options. The ability to blend western medicine and naturopathic medicine, combining the best of both worlds, has allowed my body to slowly recover, allowing me a better way of life. Even though I still have room for improvement, I truly believe I would not be where I am at this moment without the guidance of Optimal Wellness and its staff.

Ronnie R.

3 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with a health issue that made it almost impossible to function. I was a full time working mom of 2 and was barely able to make it through each day.  For 5 months, I followed up with a specialist weekly (sometimes twice a week).  She tried every treatment she knew but in the end, I was still suffering and not getting any better. When asked where do we go from here, she told me “We’ve done everything we can, it’s just the disease and we’ll have to see how things pan out.” Not the answer any patient wants to hear, and certainly not the treatment plan to follow. 

I was in search of a provider who was willing to look outside the textbooks for an answer – to determine the possible root cause of the disease, not just treat the symptoms or the lab results.  I wanted to feel better, to be able to work and take care of my kids, and not just sit around waiting to see what happened. I found Dr. Laura Ruby and knew at my first appointment I had come to the right place.  She took the time to listen to me, to actually hear everything I was saying and went as far back as my birth to determine if there was anything in my healthy history that may have led me to where I was.  I shared with her symptoms I had for years, as far back as I could remember, telling her that was just my normal.  Turns out those symptoms that I had discussed with many other doctors were in fact caused by another autoimmune issue, but had been undiagnosed because my lab work didn’t follow typical parameters.  She also found evidence of a virus I had 20+ years before, that was still lingering in my system and very likely was the cause of several of my health concerns. 

As a patient of Dr. Laura Ruby, I’ve done multiple types of tests (blood, stool, saliva, ultrasound), made adjustments to my diet, added in different medications and supplements, all following her evidence based protocols.  She assured me that I was not “too difficult of a patient” and that she would not stop digging until we had some answers and I felt better.  

It’s been 3 years and today I had a routine consult, just checking in, as I do every few months.  It has not been an easy journey, there were definite emotional and physical struggles along the way, but I can happily say that while I am not perfect, I feel like I have my life back.  I am forever grateful to have found Optimal Wellness for Life and know that I would not be where I am today without all their support and guidance. 

Kathleen

For the past decade, I have tried to diagnose and “fix” myself, reading loads of online information  and trying one diet after another in an effort to feel better and lose some unwanted pounds. Sadly, not one of these endeavors brought me closer to understanding or dealing with the underlying root-cause of my dysfunction.  I was simply left with my continued chronic fatigue and a sluggish metabolism, feeling discouraged and hopeless.  Eventually, I reached a point of exhaustion in trying to figure this puzzle out on my own and started searching online for someone who could help.

I stumbled upon the Optimal Wellness for Life website and started reading about the Functional Medicine approach to dealing with chronic health issues.  I read Dr. Ruby’s bio and her journey, which led her into Functional Medicine.  I knew I had to see her.  During my first appointment with Dr. Ruby, I was amazed.  She listened!  She made her decisions regarding my plan of care based on all the information she gathered through extensive lab work and a birth until present complete medical history.  She explained each step of the process and it all made sense!

Dr. Ruby and her team patiently came along side, helping me remove the inflammatory foods out of my diet, replacing the nutrients I was deficient in with high-quality supplements, and helping me manage my stress.  The first change I noticed was that I no longer felt groggy mid-day.  Then I noticed that I was actually feeling more focused, alert and peppy!  After several months following the LEAP protocol, I started shedding some weight.  Although these were not dramatic changes, they were the hope I needed to encourage me to keep going.  Now, I have all the tools necessary to move forward in the healing process. I highly recommend Dr. Ruby and her team to anyone struggling with chronic health issues.  Every time I leave her office I feel encouraged, supported, and prepared to continue on my journey to optimal wellness.

H, Manchester

I have been telling everyone about my experience at Optimal Wellness with Dr. Ruby and the team. In the past, I have tried going the natural route on my own through diet changes and supplementation, but OWL has given me the professional guidance and accountability that I need to succeed. I feel healthier than I have in several years. I have always had irregular cycles, and other doctors have been quick to prescribe birth control pills without asking “why.” Within one month of following the leap MRT diet that is catered to my body’s sensitivities, I restarted my cycles and they have been regular ever since — for the first time in years! Since “optimizing” my body with clean, high-quality vitamins and supplements recommended to me by Dr. Ruby and following the diet plan laid out for me by Michelle, the registered dietician, I feel great. I can’t help but tell people that they should see Dr. Ruby at Optimal Wellness if they actually want to heal and see results. I finally feel like I’m receiving treatment that I can trust, and I know that it’ll only get better from here!

Zoe, Manchester