12/05/2023
MEET DELLNA - Surrey Herbs who will be with us on the 19th May to share her expertise and answer your questions on how herbs can help you and your loved ones.
Dellna Illavia registered medical herbalist MNIMH
My journey began 25 yrs ago when I was diagnosed with an auto-immune chronic gut disease Ulcerative Colitis. I was also studying medicine at Charing Cross and Westminster medical school and university college London. I tried every type of medication, I was hooked up to iv steroids, and pumped full of every drug the Drs thought might help. My face tinted orange, I got severe acne all over my face due to the side effects of the drugs and my weight dropped to below 7 stone. I was dangerously ill and could barely stand up straight. Doctors talked about removing my bowel and giving me a colostomy bag. I was told of all the other diseases colitis could lead to and how it increases the risk of cancer by 20% and how the drugs I was on my affect my ability to have children. It was then that I thought stop. What am I doing? There must be other ways of treating this.
I started researching different methods of healing. I went to see a herbal medicine practitioner in London and was given a mix of several herbs. My practitioner worked on my liver function, the permeability of my gut lining, my gut biome, my inflammatory state and most importantly my stress levels and of course my diet. I also began looking at deeper issues like parental influence, and started to soul search ask myself questions like ‘what is the meaning of life’ ‘why are we here.’
At this point I also decided to switch my studies to herbal medicine at university of Westminster and lecture on undergraguate degree and diploma courses.
Slowly but surely I began to heal and my life started to change. Today I am completely healthy, I don’t take any orthodox medication and maintain my health through plant medicine and diet. I am a home ed mum to two gorgeous girls Summer and Skye and and I have never been healthier or happier.
I now help clients find their own health.
