My Path to Wellness With Dr. Peter Kladstrup

By Kaylin Sanderl

I just returned from a wonderful vacation in the Adirondacks with my family. We swam, relaxed on the boat, explored in kayaks, cruised on the jet ski, shopped in town, laughed telling stories around the campfire, and slept in late. However, when my friends asked me what was the best part of my vacation, I responded, “The bread and the ice cream!”. Most people would wonder what the big deal is about eating bread and ice cream, but my friends and family have watched me live without any foods containing wheat/gluten, dairy or soy for the past 4 years due to food allergies. So, on my vacation eating a slice of fresh Italian bread, a piece of cheesecake, and a hot dog with a bun, was a VERY BIG DEAL! So you are probably wondering how after 4 years of severe food allergies, how can I be eating these foods now with no reaction. It is because of the compassion, dedication and knowledge of Dr. Peter Kladstrup, along with my willingness to enter with him on a path to wellness.

In the Fall of 2007, I began having a severe migraine that lasted 5 months. Some days were worse than others, but the pain was constant. I went the traditional route, straight to my general practice doctor, who gave me some pills and told me to call if the pain did not improve. Next came a referral to a neurologist, who listened to my symptoms, ordered some tests and sent me home with some more pills. Several weeks later after no improvement we tried a new medication and a few after that, and still no change. In a last attempt for the neurologist to get rid of me, he sent me for 4 cortisone injections in the base of my skull. After the excruciating pain of the shots, I passed out. I woke up to find some relief from the headache pain, which lasted about an hour until the numbness wore off. 

I was so distraught and almost out of hope that there was anything that would help when a friend and migraine sufferer recommended a book written by a neurologist concerning migraines linked to food. I tried eliminating the very long list of foods known to trigger migraines, and found a slight easing of the pain, but after a few weeks it remained. I felt alone and so desperate for help from someone who looked at me as a whole person and not just a patient with migraines. I wanted someone who was willing to find the source of my pain, not just try to treat the symptoms. That’s when I found Dr. Kladstrup.

With tears in my eyes, I sat in his office and explained what I had been going through. He listened, taking everything in with such attentiveness. After I had finished, he told me he wasn’t sure what was causing my pain, but that he had many techniques to figure it out and we would get to the bottom of this. For the first time in months, I felt hope and comfort. I knew that there wouldn’t be an instant answer, or miracle pill, but Dr. Kladstrup showed me that with every visit I could put my confidence and trust in him that we would get to the bottom of my pain and he would be with me every step of the way.

At first, I was skeptical of techniques like muscle testing, Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET) and Neuro-Modulation Technique (NMT). Americans are so used to traditional western medical practices, that Dr. Kladstrup’s techniques may seem strange. Visit after visit, however, I began to understand what he was doing and notice the consistencies in the results. I asked a ton of questions and Dr. Kladstrup was always willing to explain what he was doing and why. Besides, I had tried the traditional route and all I wound up with was a body full of toxic drugs with side effects with no relief from the pain. I strongly felt that Dr. Kladstrup and I both had the same goal in mind and we were willing to do the work that was required to get there.

Throughout the next two months I swallowed a lot of supplements and drank some really gross solutions, but I began to feel loads better. He was able to narrow down the cause of the pain to food. There were three huge categories that I had to eliminate completely, gluten, cow’s milk dairy and soy. The list was long and it was difficult to food shop, cook, eat at a friend’s house, go to restaurants and educate my family so I could enjoy holiday meals with them! But it was all worth it. I felt better. In combination with diet, Dr. Kladstrup helped cleanse the toxins that remained in my body and repaired my damaged immune system. He dealt with the emotional stress in my life from being ill to burdens of emotions I’ve carried around since the womb. All of these factors were contributing to my body’s sudden inability to tolerate foods I had been eating all my life. Each visit an obstacle on my path to wellness was moved out of the way. 

I finally got to a point of no pain, no headaches, unless I ate a food on my allergy list. A year after being headache free, I had a quick meal out before a meeting and ordered what I thought was a safe meal of rice and stir-fried chicken and veggies, hold the soy sauce. Big mistake! I developed a headache within 15 minutes followed by three days of severe migraine pain and vomiting and missing work. Turns out I should have told the waitress to check with the chef for any gluten or soy… it was in the sauce the chicken was marinated in. There were a couple other incidents like this, but I became much more diligent about checking everything I put in my body. 

After four years of feeling healthy, happy and in control of my body, something still bothered me. Yes, I was pain free, but why did I have to live with so many food restrictions? True, I had gotten very used to shopping, cooking and eating out, gluten free, dairy free and soy free, but it was expensive and inconvenient for me, my family and friends. Why had I been able to eat whatever I wanted throughout childhood and into my twenties and then all of a sudden, develop these severe allergies? I talked to Dr. Kladstrup, who had always believed these allergies would be temporary, and we agreed to dive into another layer of treatment to rid me of these allergies. He tested, treated, re-tested, treated and so on, mostly using NMT and a few supplements. He spent so much time with me, never showing impatience or fatigue as he went through box after box, food sample after sample. Again, I asked a million questions. I can see how the silence of NMT treatment can be confusing for patients. You think to yourself, “What’s he doing? Why am I laying here? How do I know anything is happening? What should I be doing?”. So, you ask questions when he is done. You use the silence to listen to what your body needs and wants. Think about what you need to do better in your life to respect your body. You can even think about what groceries you need to pick up at Wegmans before you go home! Once you understand what took place, you become comfortable with the process and the trust between patient and doctor strengthens. You keep your mind open and you show a willingness to follow through with the work that needs to be done on your end. For me, after 4-5 sessions I started testing strong to many of the foods that were problematic before. Week after week, I saw the same results and Dr. Kladstrup said that I could go ahead and sample some of those foods little by little. 

That night I ate 3 ounces of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream! It was heavenly and I was beyond ecstatic when I had no headache pain the next morning. Slowly, I added bigger or more frequent servings of dairy. Then I went on to soy and finally the biggest offender… GLUTEN! Dr. Kladstrup literally watched me take a nibble of pretzel in his office because I was too nervous to do it on my own. It has been almost 2 months and so far, I’ve had a couple slices of pizza, a roll, a slice of bread, a hot dog bun, garlic bread and some pasta with no repercussions. I’ve had cheese! Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, feta, gelato, ice cream….and the delicious list continues. It is amazing! I am still being conservative in serving size and frequency, but I hope to be full of gluten, dairy and soy and completely back to normal soon. 

I can’t possibly convey the gratitude I feel for the amazing work Dr. Kladstrup has done with me, and I do mean WITH me. This healing process is a two way street and I wouldn’t have had such amazing results had I not been riding in the passenger seat while Peter drove the car. If you are looking for a quick fix with no more effort than swallowing a pill, then you are robbing yourself of true health and happiness. Wellness takes work on the part of the patient and the doctor. It takes an open mind, a willingness to follow through on what is recommended, and the courage to ask questions when you don’t understand. You must pay attention to your actions and what your body is telling you and you must reflect on the process you experience. Then, you will truly see what is possible when you walk into Peter’s office. During a period in my life that was so full of pain, challenges and emotional stress, Dr. Kladstrup was with me every step of the way. Whether I needed him on a Saturday or he called to check on me after a long absence or weeks I was at his office 3 times, he was there, healing. Rosa too, plays a part in the process if you let her. She doesn’t merely sit at her desk to keep records and deal with payment. She offers kindness and friendship with a genuine concern for the health and happiness of everyone who walks in the door. Dr. Kladstrup’s practice is a place to find health and wellness, but it is also a place to find true caring, compassion and love. I am so thankful to have found him.