Ep. 72: Naprotechnology, with Dr. Kristina Pakiz
Caitlin Estes:
Welcome to the Woven Well Podcast. I'm your host, Caitlin Estes. I'm a certified fertility care practitioner with a master divinity degree. Each episode will cover a topic that helps educate and empower you and your fertility while honoring the deep connection your fertility has with your faith. Let's get started.
Caitlin Estes:
Welcome back to the Woven Well Podcast. I love it when we get to introduce you to doctors who specialize in Napro technology. We've talked about it a lot, Napro technology and its restorative approach to a woman's health in other episodes on the podcast. And I'll be sure to link a few of those in our show notes. But there's just something really helpful about hearing from these medical professionals directly. So today I'd love to introduce you to Dr. Pakiz. Dr. Pakiz is a board certified obstetrician gynecologist specializing in Napro technology, gynecologic surgery. She is the owner and operator of Vivify Women's Health and Fertility. And after completing her obstetrics and gynecology residency, she completed the St. John Paul II Medical and Surgical Fellowship jointly offered by Creighton University School of Medicine and the St. Paul II Institute. So she chose to stay at the Institute to Practice Medicine, utilizing the nuances of Naprotechnology for 12 years before starting her own gynecology only practice where she's currently working. So, Dr. Pakiz, thank you so much for joining us today.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Thank you for the invitation. I'm so grateful to be here and to, to share the great news about Napro technology.
Caitlin Estes:
Well, I am glad to. We are constantly trying to share this alternative. So tell us a little bit about what led you to Napro technology and maybe what role it's played in your professional life.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Yes. Well, it was definitely, divinely planted in my life. I learned about it at a young age in college. I read a book called Physicians Healed, where a lot of physicians give their testimony of, you know, stopping prescribing the birth control pill, and they all trained at the St. Paul, the Sixth Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. And I thought, well, why have I never heard of this place? I'm from Nebraska. And so I went to their website and inquired as to, you know, if I could maybe get a job there. I was looking for a summer job, and I ended up getting a summer research position working directly with Dr. Thomas Hilgers and compiling data for the research that he published in his medical textbook. So that was very rewarding, and I learned so much. I had no idea that there was an alternative to the birth control pill, for all of these medical conditions.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
I had no idea that I could become an obstetrician gynecologist because of my faith beliefs. I thought that, you know, that was automatically not an option. So once my eyes were opened, I actually decided to pursue obstetrics and gynecology, but I worked there the summer before my first year of medical school. So obviously I had a lot of time ahead of me, but I was always very much interested in this field. I also felt like I was called to do it because here I was given this knowledge and none of my other classmates in medical school knew about it. So surely I was supposed to use that, in some way. So that's how it all started and how it affects my practice. I mean, it, it is my practice, you know, Napro technology is authentic women's healthcare and I wouldn't want to do anything else. And everything else is a bandaid or, you know, more of a counterfeit. It doesn't really get to the root cause in cure disease.
Caitlin Estes:
Hmm. We talk about the difference Napro makes in so many areas of women's life on the podcast, in what areas do you see maybe the most dramatic or drastic improvement?
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
There are so many examples of, you know, how drastically different Napro technology is and how our results are, dramatic, you know, from every condition really. Starting with infertility, of course, couples being able to, to achieve a pregnancy and, and have a full family. I mean, some can have three or four or five children once their underlying diseases are treated, you know, women with recurrent miscarriage, you can't really quantify suffering. But the way that they are dismissed and treated is, is really unfortunate. I mean, they're basically told, you know, better luck next time, you know, we can't find anything wrong, just try again. And especially the ones that have never had even one successful pregnancy, you know, they're very much hopeless. And so we can, turn that around for them and they can have full term healthy pregnancies, and women with severe premenstrual syndrome or severe pain, we can help give their lives back, you know, save marriages. I remember one woman I had spoken to early on in my training, she felt terrible three weeks out of every four, and because she had such severe premenstrual, dysphoric disorder. So I asked her, you know, what do you do to help with those symptoms? Thinking maybe she took supplements or added exercise into her regimen. And she looked at me completely serious and said, I pray that my husband doesn't leave me.
Caitlin Estes:
Hmm.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
And so, you know, these disorders and the suffering that women experience is significant. It affects their marriage, it affects their children, if they have them, or, you know, it just affects their whole life. Some women are in so much pain, they can't work. And so when you can treat the underlying cause, I mean, they can literally live their life. And so, it it's very traumatic.
Caitlin Estes:
Yes. And I appreciate you sharing that because there are both stories there of successful pregnancies, but also for women who are maybe done having fair families or not at that point yet, or maybe young single women who are still going through all of this pain or PMDD as you mentioned, and these are quality of life issues. They deserve to have these treated now even if they're not actively trying to get pregnant. So I so appreciate you validating that and specifically mentioning that. I do think it's a big deal.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Absolutely. And one thing that patients across the board tell me is, you're the first person who took me seriously, or, wow, I can't believe that you asked me all of those questions and really listened to my concerns. And I just think that's really sad for my profession because I feel like I'm just doing what I, what a normal doctor should do, you know, listening to their complaints and asking them about their medical history and getting to the you know, the root cause and treating it, you know, that's what medicine should do.
Caitlin Estes:
Yeah. That root cause, we focus on that a lot because it, I agree with you. It sounds so simple that we're trying to figure out why someone is having these symptoms, what do these symptoms point to? But it is a totally different approach than what most women are experiencing. So obviously you felt so passionate about these things that not only did you complete the full Napro training and the surgical fellowship, which is the highest level of training you can receive in the Naprotechnology field, but you went on to train the fellows that came after you. So I'm curious what that was like for you.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
It was incredibly rewarding, you know, just getting to know each of the fellows and their journey and get to meet their families and, you know, watch their transition from, you know, secular residency to understanding the full scope of Napro technology, you know, and at the beginning, they may not have even used a Da Vinci robot for surgery before, and then we train them on how to use that and, and treat all of the diseases that we treat. And so it's a very rewarding experience, and I knew that was one of the big things I would miss when I left, but we have started a society called, the Society for Procreative Surgeons. It's the John Paul the Great Society for Procreative Surgeons. And so we actually, all of the graduated fellows are welcome to join the Society, and we meet once a year for a conference and kind of idea share and, you know, plan for research studies and, you know, collaborate and encourage each other. So even though I'm not, directly training the any fellows, I can continue to get to know them and work with them, moving forward. So that's really exciting.
Caitlin Estes:
That is exciting. And to have that kind of community, I would imagine is extremely important in a field where you may feel pretty isolated,, you are doing things differently. You are, challenging the status quo in many ways. And, so having other surgeons and other professionals that you can have that kind of empowering community with, I would imagine it's a very comforting thing too.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Yes. And hopefully the numbers will continue to grow and grow. Yeah.
Caitlin Estes:
That's how we feel too about our community here at Woven well and broader within the, the woven community, because it feels like an isolating experience when we're doing things a little bit differently. We see things a little bit differently, but the more we connect and the more we talk to one another, we realize there are so many of us out there who do see things in this way who do value the female body, the way that God created it, and all the amazing things that it can do and believe wholeheartedly that a woman's quality of life matters right now, regardless of pregnancy intention. Like you were saying, regardless of age, regardless of anything, those root causes deserve to be investigated and figured out and treated in a, way that works cooperatively with the woman's natural cycle.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Yeah. So many women come to me and they say, look, I know there's something wrong with with my body. Like, I know something is not right. And I think that that's the amazing thing about the natural law is that, you know, when things don't work the way they're supposed to, you know, deep inside there's something wrong. So if I'm being dismissed by this doctor and this doctor and this doctor, I'm going to keep searching until I find one that takes me seriously. And so that's what happens. And, and then hopefully eventually they find me or one of the other Napro technology physicians.
Caitlin Estes:
Yes. And we are so grateful that you all are out there. We're right there with you that we want more and more, so you're now serving clients solely as a medical provider, and I believe only in gynecological care. So maybe tell us a little bit about that transition.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Yeah, so, you know, trying to be, involved in every aspect of obstetrics and gynecology is quite difficult, and a lot of physicians who specialize in endometriosis, they kind of set aside the obstetrics, part of their training in order to really focus on that, so usually, you know, you don't try to be, an expert at everything. And so I have set aside my obstetrical, knowledge in my medical practice just to focus on helping, with all the gynecologic diseases. And in that way, I hope that I can help more women, and couples and, you know, I loved obstetrics, but obviously there's a lot that goes on in the middle of the night. And endometriosis, the surgeries can be very long, and so the combination of those two just, it doesn't really jive. And so now that I am focused on gynecology only, I feel like I'm able to see so many more patients in a day, and do more surgeries.
Caitlin Estes:
Yeah. Well, we know that the need is great . We know that there are so many women out there who are looking for more Napro resources in a variety of states and in different areas and for different focuses, so I, I know that your work is very important and very needed. So if somebody is interested in working with you, what would you say is the best way for them to try to get connected?
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
They can simply call, our phone number's 402.203.8000, or email info@vivifyfertilityhealth.com. So my website is www.vivifyfertilityhealth.com. And so any of those means you do not have to be charting for two months in order to make an appointment. And so if you're in pain, there's no reason to wait, and because of the telehealth connection, you know, I can develop a treatment plan moving forward without having to have everything in front of me because, you know, we can connect again, in two months if that's the timeframe that we need to. So I was really excited about telehealth. I kind of was introduced to it through Covid, and it's perfect for what we do because I don't have to listen to your heart and lungs, but I do need to know about your cycle. And so obviously if you have a chart that's awesome, and you know, at the first appointment, but if not, we can talk about your symptoms and your bleeding pattern.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
So I'm, I'm really excited because I got my license in 25 states so that I can help, a lot of people and, you know, especially those who live in rural areas where it's not easy to get to a physician appointment. It's been extremely helpful, patients really like it. You know, subjects like infertility are very private to some couples, and so the fact that they can do the appointment in their home is helpful, and a lot of people are working remotely, so it's not that hard for them to have their husband at the appointment as well. And so it's been working beautifully.
Caitlin Estes:
That's great. Now, I completely agree, there are so many benefits to telemedicine, and I also really appreciate that if a woman is in pain, you are willing to see her as soon as you can, but I also know that you very much value the information gathered through their Creighton use as well,
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Absolutely.
Caitlin Estes:
I was going to say, I've never met a doctor trained in Napro technology who did not view it as gold, you know, like want that information.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Exactly. But, you know, I want to meet them where they're at and kind of help them on their journey. And a lot of times, charting is a big part of that, but some women, you know, they're in so much pain and they just need to figure out, if they have endometriosis and get that treated. And then at that point, they may be willing to learn how to chart their cycles, you know, but at that moment, they're kind of in, a crisis. And so I'm just trying to meet them where they're at and then, kind of walk along the journey with them.
Caitlin Estes:
I, of course, have the privilege of working with clients and teaching them the Creighton system. And I'll notice sometimes when you first start getting started and you start teaching them how to chart, they don't think that their pain is unreasonable or unusual. And the more we talk about it, as we start getting through a month or two or a cycle or two, they start realizing, oh,, this isn't just a part of being a woman. There is something going on here. You know, I, I should get an answer to this, but I really appreciate, like you said, that you meet anyone where they are. I think that's really important.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
A lot of women don't know what normal looks like, and so once we actually treat their underlying causes, they have like this aha moment Yes. Where they realize, oh, this is how I should have felt.
Caitlin Estes:
That's why we keep trying to get the information out there. That's why you do what you do, because we don't want women to live in this indefinitely. So I'm right there with you.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Yeah. There's so much unnecessary suffering.
Caitlin Estes:
Yes, yes. Well, I'm going to make sure to have the links that you mentioned, the email address, the website in the show notes. So listeners, if you want to get connected with Dr. Pakiz, you can do it that way, but I again, appreciate so much you spending the time and sharing your experience, with us today.
Dr. Kristina Pakiz:
Thank you so much for the opportunity and, please continue the work that you do.
Caitlin Estes:
Thank you. I appreciate that. Listeners, I hope you have enjoyed hearing from someone who has invested countless hours in personal service to patients and also in the training of other Napro technology providers. As a certified fertility care practitioner, I know that we could not serve women and couples the way that we do without their education, compassion, and care. Here on our Woven Well podcast, we bring you resources like this on a regular basis. We provide education and a sense of community that empowers women to make informed fertility decisions while honoring the deep connection between fertility and faith. So we invite you to check out our other episodes of woven well, just to get to know us, and we'll have a few of those episodes linked in the show notes to help you do that. If you'd like access to more of our free resources, we email them out each month through our email list, which you can sign up for at wovenfertility.com. As always, thanks so much for listening as we continue to explore together what it means to be woven well.