Dr. Elizabeth graduated from Southwest Naturopathic College in 2000. She started her career as a Naturopathic doctor in Mill Valley, CA treating mood disorders, chronic fatigue and addiction at Recovery Systems Clinic with Julia Ross. Following, she worked as a primary care doctor treating both adults and children. After many years of practice, Dr. Large began seeing patterns emerge among her patients, both pediatric and adult. Her patient population exhibited similar symptoms such as chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, chronic digestive issues, high reactivity to foods and medications and other unusual symptoms. She discovered that many of her patients were suffering from chronic infections or neurotoxic illnesses such as Lyme disease, co-infections, mold and/or heavy metal toxicity.

She sought further education in this area, preceptoring with Dr. Wayne Anderson in the summer of 2010 at Gordon Medical Associates and went on to become the first ND to complete a five month internship with Dr. Anderson in Lyme, infectious disease, and neurotoxic illness. She pre-ceptored with Dr. Ray Jones and Dr. Ann Corson. She practiced with Gordon Medical Associates, a clinic specializing in complex, chronic illness focusing heavily on Lyme disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome until 2016. Dr. Large was honored to be a speaker at the 2016 American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Conference on treating Lyme disease. Dr. Large is known for her unique approach to treating complex illness and has patients across the US and in Europe.  She lives in Santa Rosa with Isabella, her 15 year old daughter, 2 cats, 1 dog and 6 chickens.

MY HEALING JOURNEY

Most of my life I have been interested in personal growth and health. Having been predisposed to allergies and acute infection since childhood, I had the chronically stuffy nose and contracted most colds and flus that went around. I was a sensitive kid yet pushed myself to excel in many areas. I was put on antibiotics on a regular basis from an early age which ended up causing chronic intestinal imbalance and a permanent degradation of my microbiome.  Luckily at the age of 14, I figured out that healthy eating and exercise were critical components to my well-being.  However,  the chronic intestinal yeast overgrowth in my GI tract predisposed me to intense sugar and carbohydrate cravings that kept me on a perpetual wheel of immune and intestinal health challenges. 

I majored in Exercise Physiology in College and participated in triathlons and long distance cycling. At the ages of 11 and 21, I lost two of my brothers which sent me on a spiritual and personal journey to understand the greater meaning of life. The grief brought depression which I suffered from for many years. Ultimately it helped me become a better person through all the various self-help books, courses and spiritual practices I sought out. I identified with being a highly sensitive person with a high need for self-challenge. Learning about HSP’s or Highly Sensitive People also helped me to understand my need for solitude which helped to support my immune system.  I had always been sensitive yet quite ambitious in my approach to life. I had a strong will and was able to make my body keep up with my passionate thirst for life. I backpacked throughout Southeast Asia for a year, taught English in Taiwan, climbed volcanos then started Naturopathic Medical School.

I was incredibly thankful to discover Naturopathic medicine at age 28. It was the first time I found an alternative to the antibiotics that had been the mainstay of my childhood. Natural medicine cured my chronic sinusitis that I had suffered from for 10 years. It helped pull me out of a debilitating fatigue that came after working one summer doing indoor oil painting. This led  me to pursue a career in Naturopathic Medicine. My experiences in my family and my personal health helped shape my career as a doctor. 

When I moved to Arizona for 4 years to attend Naturopathic School I remember my health and energy improved greatly which I attributed to the dry climate and lack of mold allergies.  In 2001, I moved to Portland and was going to Acupuncture school and working part-time. I developed extreme insomnia which I now believe was due to mold exposure.  I ended up leaving the acupuncture program as the insomnia became chronic and consequently I didn’t have the energy for the rigorous requirements of another 3 years of schooling. I had always loved Northern California and in 2002 I moved to Mill Valley and began practicing Naturopathic Medicine.  The insomnia had improved, I felt good and hiked regularly all over Mt Tam and my practice was going well. I suffered from insomnia and fatigue only episodically. I struggled with depression on and off for many years and used exercise to keep it under control. Understanding the genetics in our family predisposed myself and my siblings to depression and addiction was a huge discovery for myself. Studying nutritional genetics helped me understand the interplay between genetic susceptibility, nutrition and stressors. Utilizing strategic nutrients through diet and supplementation helped me avoid a life of depression ups and downs.

In 2011, after having many patients that didn’t respond to any of my treatments, I began educating myself about chronic infection and Lyme Disease. From my research in chronic infection, I realized that I too had many of the symptoms of Bartonella and Lyme disease. I began treatment with natural medicine and found that my body responded well. Desiring to learn more from experts in the field, I sought out Wayne Anderson, ND and spent a week pre-ceptoring with him. Dr. Anderson asked me to come work with him first at Clear Center of Health and later, Gordon Medical Associates.  Working with Lyme Disease and complex illness began first at Clear Center of Health and later at Gordon Medical Associates. I learned a great deal about all the aspects of chronic infection, mold toxicity and other disorders that accompany these complex health issues.  The infectious diseases include Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella, Erlichia Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and can be carried by ticks, lice, fleas and mosquitos. I began to believe that many illnesses are actually infection in disguise. They rarely show up on most blood work and may manifest in 200+ different health disorders.  

In 2014, I was overjoyed to become a foster parent to a beautiful 8 year old girl who I ended up adopting 2 years later. After two years, during a very intense rainy season, she developed extreme insomnia in our rental home, chronic headaches and depression which initially we thought was trauma but later realized it was all due to mold.  She tested positive for having the mold susceptibility gene.  After moving out immediately, she responded positively and has over time has recovered but still deals with some Mast Cell Activation Disorder.

In the past ten years, I have personally dealt with multiple chronic infections -Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, shingles, Babesia, Bartonella, mold toxicity and MCAS. My healing path included oral antibiotics and short term IV antibiotics , herbal therapy, immune system IV treatment, Los Dose Immunotherapy and sauna. I also strongly utilized the tools that I had previously learned in yoga, meditation, somatic therapy, art therapy and exercise. 

I now believe a large factor in my health struggles was due to mold toxicity in my childhood home and the mast cell activation following exposure. I have learned that mold is an immune system suppressor and often hard to detect. It often takes many different forms of testing with a mold expert such as ERMI, moisture meters, and thermal cameras to find the moisture sources. I have found that most often people with lyme and  chronic infection will not get better living with mold exposure  in their workplace or home. Getting ill often happens with the “perfect storm” of multiple stressors on your immune system. Lyme and chronic infection can lay dormant in the body for many years only to appear when a major stressor appears. Other factors affecting the  immune system include our genetics, trauma history, stress levels, nutrition, social support, and level of resilience. 

Today, I am a wiser, more compassionate doctor from my experience and have learned many things on this journey. I believe that we must see the positive in all things. My experience taught me to listen to my body.  Despite ups and downs, I remained optimistic, with the belief that I would be fully healed.  I learned what it’s like to have a health disorder that isn’t understood by mainstream medicine and the fear and isolation that comes with it. Both my daughter and I experienced being outside the parameters of western medicine and I’m grateful that we have both found our way to health. I hope my story can be useful to others and shine a light for them in their own healing journey.