One of the biggest frustrations of practicing conventional medicine is not having enough time. Office visits are just too brief to make a meaningful difference in someone's life. Over the years I learned to compensate through writing--first with simple handouts for providing information not covered during office visits and later with blogs and books. What initially was a necessity evolved into passion fueled by a desire to explain complex things in a way that anyone could understand. When my life was disrupted mid-stream by fibromyalgia, necessity and passion became personal therapy. Writing helped me work my way through recovery. Difficult concepts of disease were made easier to understand by writing about them. Sharing that writing with others who could potentially benefit made it even more therapeutic. The result was my first book that I ended up calling The Vital Plan. The Vital Plan was written during the midst of my recovery and was focused on general health and wellness. It was never formally marketed, but still sold 5000 copies by word of mouth alone. The book worked because patients I shared it with during the writing process were kind enough to provide continual feedback. Once I became comfortable saying the word "recovered," I felt the need to share my knowledge and experience more directly with people who were suffering from the same fate. I wanted, however, to do it in a non-technical fashion. A user-friendly book that detailed a reasonable and safe recovery protocol for diseases like fibromyalgia and Lyme disease was the goal. After more than a year of hard work, the result is finally in print. My hope is that this book will be a light at the end of the tunnel for the many people struggling with this often misunderstood disease process. _____________________________________ Dr. Rawls attended medical school at Wake Forest University. He is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and maintains a license to practice medicine in the state of North Carolina. Formal professional training is complemented by a passion for the study of concepts in natural medicine. Ten years of intensive self-study in herbal medicine and other natural therapies combined with numerous seminars and a certification course in holistic medicine define his present practice focused on health restoration. Dr. Rawls is also the bestselling author of his newest book, The Cellular Wellness Solution, and the Co-Founder and Medical Director of Vital Plan, a holistic health company and Certified B Corporation. He resides on the coast of North Carolina where he enjoys other passions including boating, kayaking, kitesurfing and yoga. He lives with his wife of thirty years, who teaches biology at a local community college. Together they live and promote concepts of wellness. Their two adult children are also involved in health and wellness professions.
