Today we’d like to introduce you to Seyla Roberts.
Hi Seyla, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey started when I was around five years old… For many years, I had unexplained migraines, body aches, numbness, and fatigue, and as I got older, my symptoms only got worse. When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I was never bit by a tick, but because it’s congenital, my mother had passed it to me. Doctors diagnosed me with chronic Lyme Disease by the time I was 15. For much of my academic life, I was living with a pain management routine since, at the time, there was not a lot of treatment for patients with Lyme disease and its co-infections. I was supporting my auto immune-ridden body via many types of alternative therapies such as ozone therapy, IV Therapy, hyperbaric chambers, foot baths, sauna, cryotherapy, and the most impactful, lymphatic drainage massages. My pain management routine only kept the effects of the disease at bay for so long… As time progressed, I developed a seizure disorder. These seizures would last anywhere from 30 minutes to hours. This propelled me to quickly seek intensive treatment to prevent brain damage and to get a grip of the disease. It wasn’t long before my parents were moving down to Lyme Mexico in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 3 months of intensive treatment. Upon arriving, I was told by the doctors that they were going to help me as best that they could but that it wasn’t a silver bullet. They had diagnosed me with Lyme disease, Bartonellosis, and Babesia. I had an extensive treatment plan that included hyperthermia treatments, ozone therapy, red light therapy, antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, and, shockingly, Lymphatic Drainage massages twice a week. My time in Mexico was in many way very beautiful yet simultaneously the most challenging thing I’ve ever endured. My body was put to the test to see what it could handle in effort to kill the multiple strains of disease in my body. I’ve been blessed with an amazingly supportive family and found doctors and nurses that really changed my life. It was during treatment I had talked to one of my doctors about the importance of taking care of our lymphatic system. I remember discussing how it was the sewage system of the body, and it is often the most neglected when it comes to self-care. I told him I had been receiving Lymphatic Drainage massages for eight years by this point and how they had such an impact on my pain management routine. I firmly believe that without my pain management routine, including lymphatic support and ozone therapy, I would not be where I am today.
At the time of treatment, I was in pre-nursing school and prepping to apply for the next full semester… By the time I got home from treatment, I still had another six months of post-treatment, and my seizures were still not under control. At this point, we had understood that the Bartonella was causing inflammation on my brain, and therefore causing the seizures but I continued to have seizures, even after being diagnosed in remission. It was clear I still had an uphill battle, and the thought of going back to a medical facility made me nauseous. I couldn’t look at another blood test or stick myself with another needle. Suddenly, becoming a nurse felt almost more challenging than being in treatment. It was too fresh that I had just been a patient in a hospital for three months, poked and prodded, seizing and sedated. I needed a break from the medical world even though it had been my passion all of my life. The year following treatment was what I like to call my enlightenment year. It was the year that I lost myself in post-treatment therapies and a cocktail of seizure drugs that made me a zombie. It was the year of many trials and many errors to regain control of the brain I wanted so badly to have back. The last seizure I had was in July 2021, but this seizure changed the projection of the way my life could’ve been. This seizure started around 10 AM in the morning, and I didn’t come to until about 6 PM that evening when I woke up in the ICU with absolutely no recollection of what happened. I was told I was on and off seizing for multiple hours, aspirating, and convulsing vigorously. I was told that I couldn’t keep seizing like this without causing severe brain damage. It was the next day that I was diagnosed with conversion disorder. I was introduced to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or rTMS, by my amazing neurologist in Newport Beach. It was another trial to see if it would be an error. They told me they don’t know if it would work for my disorder, but it was worth giving it a shot. Once approved by insurance, I started my TMS therapy five days a week for eight weeks. After weeks of emotional ups and downs, they started weaning me off of my cocktail of seizure medications. I slowly came back to life and regained the sense of self I had before the seizures started, and my health severely declined. Fast-forward about a year, I was fully weaned off of all of my medications, I was able to begin driving again, my speech impediment has slowly started to resolve itself, and my body was starting to feel stronger and healthier than it ever had in my entire life.
After a lot of self-reflection, I realized that even though the trials I had been through were extremely challenging, it gave me a different perspective on approaching health care and knowledge that only comes from experience. After being so well taken care of in treatment by my doctors, nurses, and family, I wanted to give back to my community. I found that my lymphatic detox treatments can be so amazing for not only people with autoimmune disease but for those who struggle with asthma, migraines, allergies, TMJ, sinus pressure, water retention, and inflammation.
I feel so honored and privileged that my client trust me to take care of them in my treatment room. I have the best clients, the best mentors, and the most amazing husband, family, and friends. Whatever kills you really makes you stronger. Without any of what I’ve been through, I would not be who I am today, I would not be able to give back the way I’m able to give back, and I would not have the appreciation of life that I do. There are so many people in the world who are suffering from many types of diseases with no cures. I really believe that if you have been through something, you have a moral obligation to share your story because you never know how it will impact another person’s life. I know that takes vulnerability, but when you can tap into that, it’s surprising how many lives you can touch.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth road to get to where I am today. Not only from a health perspective was it challenging, but from an academic and secular perspective was it difficult. When dealing with an autoimmune disease or really any disease that takes a toll on your body, many times, your mental and emotional health are severely impacted. I was definitely not exempt. I even vividly remember coming too after some seizures, thinking this would all just be so much easier if I didn’t wake up. This severely impact how my career developed. I was on and off working, on and off learning, and dealing with a dysregulated brain that couldn’t make up its decision. The type a person that I am was wanting me to hurry up choose a career since I wasn’t going to be a nurse anymore. But my body and my brain was not ready. It didn’t matter how much I pushed it. I just wanted to crawl into bed and go to sleep. But as sick as I was, as depressed as I was, there was always a little voice inside me that reminded me to stay positive. That I could make it out on the other side and that I could be a strength or a resource for someone else. I had always been super passionate about helping others in whatever way I could, so now, being in the industry that I am, I am so blessed to be helping people feel better every day. Because of my history with depression and anxiety, I had always wondered if that would impact someone’s lymphatic detox treatment. From my experience working with clients, I noticed that when a client comes in with a lot of anxiety, they are less likely to detox. After many hours of research and through my travels, I learned of many different types of therapy that bridge emotional and physical well-being. There is a huge importance in treating the body as one big computer, not two separate ones, which shockingly many health ideologies follow. Our mind and body is connected, and we have to treat it as so. Which is why my approach with my treatments is to bring the body out of fight or flight mode so that the body can relax and detox. Rather than remaining in survival mode, the body can go into what I call detox mode. If I find that a client is still struggling to relax in the treatment room, I will refer them to trusted psychiatrist that provide EMDR therapy, which I have found to be extremely effective for those who struggle with ADHD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I often notice the difference in my client’s treatments when they have been in therapy. I use many different types of modalities in my treatment room to detox the body from a mind-body perspective. One type of therapy I use is sound therapy, which works on a cellular level to “scrub” the cells as well as grounding techniques that mimic the effect that the ocean or grass or sand has on us as humans. When traveling through Finland, I came across an eco-therapy camp called Metsamieli – the Finnish word for forest mind. The technique originated in Japan, Shirin Yoku, or forest bathing, which lowers heart rate and blood pressure, reduces stress, and boosts the immune system. After furthering research, I found many studies that have proven how ecotherapy can significantly improve the state of a dysregulated patient. I knew I had to integrate this into my method somehow!! And I truly believe its is an integral part of my treatments. I work with clients that deal with a variety of conditions and like many people, they suffer from anxiety, ocd, adhd, ptsd, depression. With my approach in the treatment room, I find that my clients that deal with these conditions are way more likely to detox when I properly approach the whole body via the different types of modalities I use. Eco therapy has been proven to boost the immune system, and the lymphatic system is part of the immune system. Time and time again, the body proves that it wants to be approached from a mind-body perspective.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in lymphatic support (or what I call lymphatic detox treatments) and skin revision therapy. In town, I am known for the best lymphatic facial and I can promise you, you have never had one like it. Not only are my facials detoxifying and lumifying, my detox treatments are here to bring you relief from sinus pressure, TMJ, headaches, migraines, congestion, inflammation and water retention. All of my treatments are personalized to each individual and include modalities that are science-backed. More recently, I have been exploring the skin revision side of the industry under the supervision of my amazing mentor, Amy Berisha @ Amy Berisha Aesthetics. I love helping my clients with all their lymphatic needs, but more recently, I have developed an interest in and love for skin revision. Understanding the skin in conjunction with the lymphatic system has opened up a whole new world for me. I am most proud of the uniqueness and efficacy of my treatments. It brings me so much joy when a client leaves feeling “10 pounds lighter” or feeling as though they can breathe better. My lymphatic facials are unlike any other treatment on the market. I pride myself in always wanting to grow, improve and educate myself on new techniques and modalities to better my treatments to give my clients the best experience possible.
What were you like growing up?
I have always been a very type a person. I have always been naturally academically driven – in fact, you could pay me to be in school the rest of my life; that would be my dream job other than being a doctor or neuroscientist. I love to learn and expand my knowledge on novice ideas. I started playing piano when I was five years old, and I learned by ear. When I was in third grade, I started playing violin where I was forced to read sheet music and I remember so vividly thinking how stupid it was that I had to read sheet music when I could just listen instead. I often got reprimanded by my piano teacher or violin instructor if they noticed I was playing by ear rather than reading the music. I have always loved snowboarding and going to the mountains with my family growing up. Snowboarding was a huge part of my childhood and still one of my greatest interests today. I loved horseback riding as a kid and always wish that I had the body and health to keep up with all the activities I had interest in. I’m really not good at any of these type of sports, but I do enjoy tennis, rock climbing, and surfing. I really loved reading as a kid to the point where I could read a whole book in a day, which is very irresponsible when you have responsibilities. So, I began limiting reading books to vacation. I have had a chronic travel bug since the first time I got on a plane… I always cherished my trips as a kid to Mammoth with my family or road trips throughout the States to different ski resorts. It wasn’t all about snowboarding… I loved our summer trips to Mexico, spring trips to Europe, and fall girls’ trips with my mom to NYC. To this day, I look forward to the next time I get to the airport, get a coffee, and on to my next flight.
Pricing:
- Lymphatic detox treatment – $199
- Lymphatic facial with ZO stimulator peel – $299
- Hydrafacial – $250
- Dmk enzyme therapy – $250
- Dmk enzyme therapy + muscle banding – $275
Contact Info:
- Website: lumiestheticsco.com
- Instagram: lumiestheticsco
Image Credits
The Torunos
