Mardy Ross, OTR and Founding Executive Director, Lumigrate

Mardy Ross, Executive Director

Lumigrate History

Mardy Ross created and founded Lumigrate in 2008, with Lumigrate.com launching onto the Internet on March 27, 2009. The 'cornerstone' of Lumigrate is the YOU! Model, created in 2007 with a collaborative colleague with military medicine in his background (a Ph.D. psychologist, savvy about chronic pain, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, and 'neuropsychology'. Chris Young co-founder of Behavioral Health and Wellness in Grand Junction, Colorado).  

The 2007-2008 live educational forum the co-created would spin off to 'become' what you see now, as Lumigrate.com.  

CONTACT INFORMATION

The phone number to reach Mardy (as of an editing May 2019) is 970/ 462-8662 . Connect via PM at Facebook, or e-mail at mardy.poppins at (@) yahoo.com. 

Mardy "pops in" to advise a person in a home or people in businesses about connecting with consumers, information, services, products and then provides ongoing support, as needed. In-person or remotely, connecting with people from "next door" to across the oceans (Europe, Australia). The website houses a reservoir of resources she often selects from for individuals or groups, though the majority of use is by people she is never aware of! 

Mardy on Facebook

Mardy is easy to find on Facebook due to the unique first name, and regularly communicates there (via Messenger). At a minimum, please become a "follower" if you are a Facebook user.  If a friend request is not accepted, please message, email or call, as these are important relationships to Mardy. (Mardy has standards about her Facebook wall conduct, "civility" is a descriptor, or "as you'd talk to strangers you respect and who will respect you, in turn". ) 

The Forums at Lumigrate

The Forums tab at Lumigrate currently provides a fairly comprehensive complement of information for people looking for a quality, no-cost Internet resource if they're wanting information on quality resources for functional, integrative and 'truth-full' sources. No sign up is required.  Fast and free, totally.  Time with Mardy beyond introduction and clarification to get started is, as she jokes, entails "a two drink minimum".  One transfers on Pay Pal and from there an appointment time will be made and how to communicate -- phone, messenger video, in person, etc. 

In the forums you will see health providers of various sorts, teachers/educators, advocates, activists -- there's a rich mix of invited experts (both professional and amateur/consumers/activists), mostly from "off the beaten path" but with several well-known in certain circles for our YOUsers to be connected with via the various topics.  

Mardy intially created a unique 'virtual team' of providers and laypeople who had much to offer the "YOUsers" of Lumigrate in reading in the forums, watching videos, listening to podcasts produced by Lumigrate or in collaboration with other providers.  This was the way Lumigrate "rolled" until 2012, when Mardy started creating most all the content independently and linking to worldwide sources that she selects to guide YOU /YOUsers to.

Mardy as "Mardy Pop-Ins"

In 2014, after seeing the difficulties of conscientious people in applying the concepts they are interested in learning about to increase their functional wellness within their homes, offices, etc. (EMFs, cleaning, diet, lifestyle, learning), Mardy went back to her old 'roots' in occupational therapy with various evaluations and teaching at job sites, homes, and specifically utilizing unique skills in cognitive and motor processing assessments, creating a new program informally titled "Mardy Poppins - Mardy Pop-Ins".  

The third house she'd be connected to for living as Mardy PopIns was to caregive a large black and white dog.  This is a selfie from the two year period at his house, and in the fall of 2017 they'd move on, with Mardy taking "O'Rio Grande" with her, because it turned out they really helped each other, and he was helping teach.

The more innovative concepts were difficult to approach about people, but by using O'Rio as an example, it eased the transition.  He turned 14 in early 2019, thanks to the knowledge and efforts of many people.  Please inquire with Mardy if interested in any small or comprehensive solution YOU are hoping to find which her guidance would likely benefit.  

Mardy also continues to work to connect providers of services and products with the people who can benefit, concentrating on 'outside the box', melding with mainstream to "integrate" the best of all worlds or models.  Mardy believes there's a lot of skill and experience involved in finding sources where the best and most truthful, sincere, and authentic experiences and results are found.  

All of the information currently offered on Lumigrate is free -- requiring not even an email address to be collected with a sign-up! Advising people who wish to have her assistance as a 'health information concierge' is a service offered.  In spring 2019 the first product maker was linked to where a commission IF A PURCHASE IS MADE was installed, and other are planned to follow.  These are clearly marked; transparency is  key to Mardy.  Ethics.  Etc.  (Perhaps this is clear to you at this point reading the details provided here.) 

Models of Medicine Presented and Utilized

Lumigrate.com promotes education and growth, a 'ripple effect' about health and wellness from a variety of models of medicine --  functional, integrative, biological (etc.), German auricular, orthomolecular ---.  

"Functional medicine" looks for the underlying causes and treats at that level, eventually getting to 'the root or roots'. Or so they say.  It appeared it was falling short, to Mardy, so she continued learning, and presenting other information. 

"Integrative" means "to bring together", and in health care that means the best and appropriate of modern / Western medicine with traditional medicine and new understandings and methods which come about as understanding 'progresses'.  Body, mind and spirit are integrated in integrative medicine, looking at the whole person (holistic).  Mainstream medicine has been allopathic model, but functional and integrative strategies are bleeding in to what is conventionally provided in mainstream.  It's a very confusing time for the providers and consumers alike, in many cases! Mardy hopes to alleviate that!

Occupational Therapy Woven Through Mardy's Work

Mardy uses a model in her consulting that includes occupation and vocation (anything that occupies time is "occupation", "vocation" is money-making occupation(s)). 

In 1996/7 when first becoming an OT, Mardy took the 40 hour course and was certified after successfully completing the required case work in 'The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills', taught by Dr Anne Fisher at Colorado State University.  Mardy has utilized these skills ever since first sitting in the classroom of this scientifically validated method of determining people's safety for living independently and identifying the various aspect of a person's functional performance (strengths and weaknesses).

She currently provides 'Functional Advice and Counseling' to individuals or groups and organizations utilizing her unique skill set, but was no longer an OTR after 2017. This serves to liberate her from the restrictions of the allopathic, organized medicine's "occupational therapy" and insurance-based reimbursement of orgnaized medicine.  In 2015 she became the carer for a big dog that re-directed her work, and she applies OT experiences to pets and people today. 

Mardy received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University in 1996, and completed internships at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Denver, Colorado in both physical and psychiatric rehabilitation. She maintained her "R" with the NBCOT (#1014945) since passing the boards in the spring of 1997 and has chosen to no longer be a member of the American and International OT organizations, but to instead become a leader in creating new organizations and supporting independent 'outside the box' professional organizations.  

Mardy - A Reluctant "Joiner" Gives to Community Selectively

Mardy contributed extensively for years to the Collective Health Initiatives in Grand Junction, Colorado (2009-2012) which was also a client of the local Business Incubator. She was a founding member of the Pikes Peak Blues Assocition in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2001-2003).  When moving to Grand Junction in 2004 she volunteered with, and was immediately asked to be on the board of, the Friends of Kulture in the Grand Valley (FOKE) related to bringing live music to the people of the area.  

Not one to flock with the birds of a feather, Mardy generally is not a 'joiner' but is happy to help on occasion in the community in various ways.  She served as Public Relations Chairperson for the Colorado OT Association in her initial years as an occupational therapist but resigned when duty stationed across the Rocky Mountains from the hub of activity in Denver (pre-Internet days, 1997/8).

Her father lived until 2010 and had increasing needs for assistance since before Mardy graduated from high school, and, with similar symptoms, she had to conserve time, energy and financial resources for her own health needs, too.  

Some Further Details

Mardy has extensive work with insurance-based medicine (a majority of the 20 years as an OTR), including documentation and billing for Medicare charges without having had a declination, even when in jobs where the employer or facility was under 100% focused review.  It was common sense, really, to document things in a way the reviewers of paperwork in the insurance systems were able to understand, as they are typically not familiar with therapies. The others reading the documentation -- the patient or anyone on their team -- were then able to use the resources to better help the patient (or themself) as well.

Innovative, simple, effective (but more time consuming initially which doesn't 'mesh' with the productivity formulas that organized medicine revolved around for therapies.). She was not without her conflicts with big businesses employing her, but always had the big picture in mind for doing what was right or self, patient/client, and the organization overall.  

Immediately prior to completing her occupational therapy degree (from 1994-1996), Mardy was part of the Health Education Department at Colorado State University, which included the Center for Drug and Alcohol Education, Nutrition Services, and psychological / counseling services' satellite personnel related to eating disorders and cultural diversity.  

She had enjoyed a first career for eight years beginning in her mid-20s in research program administration on the renowned National Park Service Visibility Monitoring project which contracted through Colorado State University and was the driving force to create the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Her functional supervisor was William C. Malm, also known as "Wild Bill" at the time, but upon his retirement, the Environmental Protection Agency suggested the title "Dr Visibility". They have enjoyed a respectful friendship for many years. 

In 2012-2014, Mardy extensively studied 'the system' and how the world is operated by 'the powers that be', which she believes may currently be transitioning to being 'the powers that were'; 'the rabbit hole' it is called, was a place that brought Mardy to more fully understand the 'dots that never connected' in many aspects of the medical and health field and she continues to enjoy applying this to her practice with education and consulting services. It is not her nature to rabel-rouse, but she realized that effective consumers can only be proficient navigating if the KNOW THE TRUTH.  

In order to 'keep it light' and disspel any pre-conceived notions, you might read her writing in the forums or talking on social media or in person if you do-so of 'the monkeys and their monkeybusinesses'.  She suggests how people can learn enough about that in order to become an educated medical consumer and then how to become a strong YOU! consumer. It simply comes down to the consumer today having to do the homework and use their time, energy (and in some cases money) resources to be the one directing their health and well-being. Not an easy task, and it requires changing habits and support. 

These unique experiences proved invaluable in shaping her unique approach to a career in occupational therapy. As an OT in insurance-based medicine, Mardy has worked in many different arenas, including geriatrics, inpatient/outpatient hospital, home health, and outpatient in the community as well as unaffiliated with any hospital. In private-pay environments, she has specialized in consulting related to driving rehabilitation or fitness, with legal teams related to change of function and ability/disability, management teams, and family systems related to achieving the best outcomes.

The only medical worker or entrepreneur in generations, Mardy was inspired in her formative years, surrounded by extended family who were educators in public schools, music, higher education/coaching, the military, and when she was born and learning to walk and talk, dog training.  She started reading Psychology Today in elementary school and bored her classmates with an oral book report on the book I'm Okay, You're Okay in eighth grade. (No kidding!) 

She was initially ushered away from studying psychology and toward studying business in college while living under the control of parents and "learned in the school of hard knocks" about adverse childhood experiences and the role of chronic illness in adulthood.

Her exploration of mental and behavioral health and evolutionary psychology with environmental health issues yielded a unique background to present to people about causes of parents who pass things along from generation to generation not only through their nature but their nurture; there are many 'interloping hitchhikders hijacking our minds, bodies and spiritual abilities', she believes and teaches others at Lumigrate or otherwise. Finally, in 2017 she immersed herself in the innovative teachings of a German MD specializing in energy medicine known as auricular medicine, which offers yet another layer, at the core or root of things.  

Her years from age 18 to 29 brought professional and personal successes, but ended with a recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, aka ME outside the US), which naturally was formally diagnosed with a different 'label' in 1988/89 in the endless succession of confusion about what's causing chronic conditions and what to do about them.  

At this time she 'unraveled the sweater of her life', then rewound the yarn, so to speak, and re-knitted the sweater and then set out to become an occupational therapist.  She addressed her learning disabilities and her disability for boundaries (aka codependency by some, it was a new term then!) She divorced. She changed jobs.

She finally graduated at age 36 after having had a frightening relapse of her health symptoms, now believing it was Guillion-Barre and not multiple sclerosis as was initially suspected and tested.  She also utilized the 'system' of the Americans With Disabilities Act at Colorado State University and with obtaining the national board certification/exam. It was a wonderful coming together in recent years when finding information that accounted for the reason learning disabilities are on the rise and so often seen in people who have chronic pain, fatigue, and environmentally - caused conditions. 

As a result, Mardy took a unique approach to her work as a therapist or consultant and focused on education, allowing patients to better understand and therefore treat their conditions. This was the key to their achieving their best level of function and well-being.  Often confused with the familiar 'big brother' discipline of physical therapy, occupational therapy is the specialty created in health care after World War I which addresses the functional activities that "occupy" a person's time, and is founded on the saying "Engage the mind and the body will follow." We hope Lumigrate does that for you as well.

While enjoying relative good health but with an underlying, unknown condition lurking throughout childhood and adolescence, Mardy's adulthood has been impacted by the increasingly common disorders labeled today as "chronic fatigue syndrome" and "fibromyalgia".  More recently it would seem "chronic Lyme" would apply, and "Ehlers Danlos Syndrome" as well.  Sometimes GB, MS, etc., but why get into specifics? What was the root cause? She believes she now can account for it. 

Getting to Real Root Causes

What is causing these 'overlapping conditions' in so many of us? That, Mardy wanted to get to the bottom of and as of 2015 believes there is a LOT of intriguing information for consumers to be finding, considering and then DOING the things YOU, the consumer, believe is right for YOU.  So the forums have a 'fund of knowledge' for those who will take the time to pursue the content. It is hoped people can be DIY with time and effort if they have enough help if cognitively impaired. (Which comes with the package deal so it's a catch 22 that has to be reversed and then people will need less assistance as they return towards wellness.)  

Uniquely capable with logic and reasoning skills which includes 'clinical reasoning', and with her history with research and education layered upon, she has had relative success with finding innovative solutions for countless numbers of patients/health care teams.  

Initially collaborating with other professionals for live educational forums in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she moved in 2004, she's come 'full circle' and is now bringing innovative concepts through the Internet with Lumigrate.com in order to reach the growing numbers of people who seek progressive, functional health information.  

Lumigrate utilizes 'integrative medicine' as a framework; body, mind, and spirit of a person is treated as a whole/holistically. Lumigrate is the result. The goal is to provide information which will benefit ALL providers and consumers seeking the type of information Lumigrate provides, with the website as a primary tool and platform for Mardy's consulting work.  

Thank you for your interest in Lumigrate's and Mardy's story, may it help you understand our intentions.          

Photos: Upper photo taken on Thanksgiving 2008 by 'anonymous' photographer and friend at the pipe springs on the mountain Mardy hiked or snowshoed virtually daily during childhood.  Lower photo taken summer of 2011 when 'making do' when scheduled photo shoot was weather delayed.  Thanks to all who have collaborated in one way or another to make Lumigrate be the successful platform it is, or who have posted links, emailed pieces of interest, printed or simply said "You need to check out this place called "Lumigrate" that is Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being on the Internet!  

"Live and Learn -- Learn and Live Better!! ~~ Mardy Ross" 

***Read more about the providers at Lumigrate's Forums in Forums, near the top you'll see one titled "About Lumigrate's Forum Writers"***