I am Dr. Kathryn Tapper, better known as Dr. KTap. I was born and raised in Jamaica, and migrated to the U.S. to pursue a career in medicine. I am Mayo Clinic trained in the field of family medicine, and I am also a speaker, author and holistic health and wellness expert. As the founder of GLOW Coaching, I empower women who struggle with their illness and feel overwhelmed in life to dominate their diagnosis and live their destiny. What makes my story unique is that I use my personal experience as a chronic illness patient coupled with my professional experience as a physician and coach to lead women to GLOW up in life despite having a medical condition.
I have so many favorite affirmations but the first one that comes to mind is, “Everything that I need is right here within me.”
Three words come to mind immediately while thinking about the meaning of ‘Save Yourself’: self-worth, self-love and intentionality. You should be the most important person in your life, and therefore you must put your wellbeing before anything and anyone else. When I learned my value and began loving and trusting myself conditionally, it became easier to put myself first, especially before work. Loving and trusting myself truly meant loving, trusting, and allowing God to lead. Finding quiet time to be still, silent and listen to God’s instruction has been the key to letting go and letting Him lead. It is so important to identify what you are ‘saving yourself’ from, discover your why, act on the how, and know that you are worth it!
The work that I do focuses on helping women with a medical condition to ‘save themselves’. Most women feel limited and restricted by their illness. Often times, taking care of themselves is near the bottom of the list because they find it difficult to do it in a way that works with their lifestyle. I provide the space and the steps for women to become holistically well so that they can ‘save themselves’ by thinking, feeling and becoming the elevated version of themselves.
One of my greatest challenges in life was being diagnosed at the age of 19 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the stage that requires dialysis to survive. This happened soon after migrating from Jamaica without having health insurance and with a slew of financial struggles. Three things kept me laser-focused in pursuit of my dream of becoming a physician:
1. A strong support system with
my mother as my spiritual teacher and backbone.
2. My faith and
spiritual discernment.
3. My solution-driven mentality. I understood
that this diagnosis was not happening to me but for my personal
growth to share with others, which is why I am so passionate about
what I do.
Here is a list of things that I would tell my younger self. You don’t have to perform hard work to prove your worth. Doing other people’s work isn’t everything; doing the Father’s work is everything. Enjoy the journey and allow things to happen with more ease and flow rather than forcing things to happen. Everything has already worked out for your highest good. If you don’t pour into yourself wholeheartedly, you won’t be able to serve others fully.
You don’t have to do it all on your own. Be ok with receiving and asking for help. There is no such thing as being perfect. Give yourself grace because you are not going to always get it right, and that’s ok. Focus on being grateful for what you have rather than on your problems. The you on the outside is reflected by the you on the inside, so find harmony within yourself.
Pouring into yourself should be a daily activity. I absolutely love practicing my morning flow as soon as I wake up, which includes meditation, movement, and a cup of tea. This allows me to set the tone for the day. I also enjoy dancing, writing, traveling, and being surrounded by nature.
I am so excited to have my first book published soon titled, “You Are Greater Than Your Diagnosis: 10 Steps to GLOW Up in Life from the Transformational Story of a Doctor’s Journey as a Patient”
Sure, let’s connect on social media:
IG: @drktap, FB: Dr. KTap
LinkedIn: Dr. KTap
You can also visit my website at
www.drktap.com.
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