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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – After working as a pharmacist for more than 15 years, Derek Dean felt that he was treating symptoms rather than fixing the root cause of his own health problems.

“I thought that becoming a pharmacist would allow me to help others obtain health,” Dean said. “After graduating and practicing pharmacy, I found that I wasn’t helping others with obtaining health, but most often I was assisting them to put a band-aid over the underlying cause for the symptoms they suffered from. I personally suffered from many GI issues (and) digestive issues, was overweight and didn’t feel well overall. For a 27-year-old at the time, I wasn’t thriving. Medications also didn’t fix my issues despite being on several for 10 plus years.”

After working to heal his own acid reflux, Dean lost 50 pounds and regained control of his health and energy and never looked back.

“After learning the root causes of my health conditions, I began to make radical changes in my lifestyle including my diet, exercise and mindset,” Dean said. “I’m happy to say I was able to get off of all of my medications and heal my GI tract naturally, and I was truly able to thrive and have energy like I had never experienced before. ”

Thrive Functional Medicine is located on within Double Oak Mountain Pharmacy off of U.S. 280 and hopes to help local residents improve their overall health and wellness.

“My goal is to help you experience health, wellness and healing so that you can fulfill the plans and purposes for your life,” Dean said. “Because health impacts your ability to leave a legacy to your children, your children’s children and ultimately impact generations. I am passionate about helping you to learn, address and heal the root cause of health conditions so that you don’t spend your life managing symptoms and not truly living.”

Those interested in learning more may speaks to Dean for a free 15-minute discovery call prior to scheduling an initial consultation so that he can get to know you and determine how he can best help.

Dean has a passion for working with families and serving individuals experiencing diabetes, thyroid conditions, hormone imbalances, metabolic conditions. Thrive Functional Medicine can run and interpret blood work, provide supplement recommendations and aid in general wellness.

Double Oak Mountain Pharmacy, which Thrive Functional Medicine is located within, is currently undergoing renovations. Once completed, this will provide Thrive Functional Medicine with more office space.

“My wife and I would like to thank Joseph Feick and the entire staff at Double Oak Mountain Pharmacy for welcoming Thrive Functional Medicine in their building and expanding their selection of supplements so they can be easily accessible to patients,” Dean said.

Thrive Functional Medicine is open currently Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More office hours will become available by appointment in the coming months, and patients can also be seen virtually online at Thrivefunctionalmed.com.