Where did you stay?
The first time we went Jess and I stayed at the Wyndham Hotel in Durango. It was about 7 minutes from Namaste. This definitely made travel to and from the clinic simple.
The second time Jess went with her husband and kids they stayed at the Durango Mountain Resort about 30 minutes away. There are a variety of places to stay outside of the city but some to the North in particular may become difficult to reach in the winter as roads may be closed. Namaste has a suggested list of places listed at the end of this FAQ. A lot of people use Air B&B or VRBO to book lodging on a weekly or monthly basis.
How did you travel?
There are three main airports in the general area. Denver is the furthest at about six hours by car. Albuquerque, New Mexico is the next closest but it is still around three hours away. Finally, the Durango airport is a small airport but very near the city. Unfortunately, as it is a small airport flights in can be more expensive and we were unable to find direct flights.
We flew from BWI to Denver and then took a small plane from Denver to Durango. The Durango-LaPlata City Airport about is 30 minutes from Namaste. We booked our rental car through Enterprise but there are several options nearby. The airport in Durango was small and easy to navigate. I pushed Jess in a wheelchair at the time and someone helped us with our bags.
The Denver Airport was very big and required a lot of walking. We even got a ride on a special cart through airport to our gate. The second time Jess went she traveled the same way going to Durango, but flew back home by driving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The flight was significantly cheaper this way and she felt well enough for the extra travel after her stay at Namaste.
For us there were no direct flights to Durango, CO, though this will depend on your departure airport. Alamo is also owned by Enterprise; they offer superior service, late model vehicles, but their prices are lower. Be sure to book online because it is much cheaper!
What did you do for food?
City Market has locations on the north end of town on 32nd street and downtown just
off Camino del Rio. They actually have a decent selection for organic produce most
of the year and carry Boars Head deli meats, which are gluten-free and nitrate-free.
Just stay on the perimeter of the store to avoid the processed food temptations in the
middle isles! We ate at some of the recommended restaurants in Durango that served organic, grass-fed, gluten free options. We had a little kitchen in our place so that we could cook most of our meals. Nature’s Oasis and Natural Grocers by Vitamin cottage were our favorite places to buy groceries. Nature’s Oasis had a smoothie and juice bar that we LOVED! We went there so often that we could order “the usual”!
- Durango Natural Foods Co op is a nice little market with a deli, juice and smoothie bar!
- Raider Ridge Café is a great place for smoothies, breakfast and lunch!
- Next to Raiders Ridge in an amazing carry out restaurant called “Intolerant Italian located at 509 E. 8th 100% gluten free bakery with grain free options for bread and other items. You will love their nutty bread! The pizza crust is amazing! They also make paleo meals that you can purchase. Usually $10-$12 and its oven and microwave safe. Great for patients who want something they can heat up and have a delicious and healthy meal without all the work!
- Zia’s Taqueria is another favorite. It’s a healthy version of Chipotle and no E.coli! Conveniently located just five minutes from the center. Get the salad bowls with chicken and veggies! It’s located at 3101 Main Ave and 400 S Camino Del Rio.
- Fifth Street Eatery is a locally sourced Southern Cuisine restaurant. You can get fried chicken with the gluten free breading or enjoy their fish or shrimp entrée! They also make delicious soups. Located at 139 East 5th
- Grassburger makes the best grass fed burgers and you can get some tasty sweet potato fries and a gluten free bun or wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Be sure to check with your Naturopath to make sure it’s safe for you to eat red meat depending on your ferritin levels. Grassburger is at 726 Main Ave.
- Red Snapper offers excellent seafood options. It’s located at 144 E. 9th Street Seafood.
- Check out James Ranch for food and fun! The Ranch is ten miles north of Durango in the beautiful Animas River Valley. Here, you will find 400 acres of high altitude, irrigated pastures, crystal clear flowing water, 100% grass fed and finished beef cattle, grazing Jersey milk cows, a spruce tree nursery, an organic vegetable and flower garden, and busy families who utilize organic growing practices in the day-to-day operation of the ranch and their enterprises. 33800 Highway 550 Durango, Colorado 81301 Tel: (970) 385-9143.
How was the weather?
The weather was unseasonably warm when we went in February of 2015. We experienced 60 degree weather during the day and in the 30’s or lower at night. It was colder when Jess went in October of 2015.
Be sure to pack layers. It feels warmer during the day with the sun out and much colder at night. The significant difference from day and night temperatures was very different from Maryland weather. We recommend researching the weather before you go. Be prepared for a lot of sunshine. Durango averages 300 days a year of sunny days but it can definitely get cold and snowy during the winter.
What kinds of therapies are available?
Jess took advantage of as many therapies as possible. The first time we went she saw her naturopath at least twice(1.5-2 hours for each appointment), acupuncture 2x/week, hydrotherapy 2x/week, cranial sacral therapy a couple times, mistletoe IV therapy (2 hour infusions) every day and we met with a nutritionist(1-2 hour appointment).
How do we make the best use of time?
It is important for the naturopath to see you before making any solid recommendations. That said, it is worth setting up a phone consultation ahead of your trip if at all possible, as this may help both you and the doctor plan your treatment. You don’t want to have to wait to schedule treatments until you get there if it can be helped. Otherwise you may be at the mercy of whatever schedule is already in place for the week.
What is an example of a typical day?
An example of one of Jess’ days looked like this:
- 8:30am wake up, eat breakfast, pack lunch and snacks
- 9:30/9:45am leave for Namaste
- 10am meeting with naturopath until 11am.
- 11-1pm Mistletoe IV infusion.
- 2-3pm Acupuncture
- 3-3:30pm Sauna
- 3:30-4:30pm Nutritionist
- ~5pm Out to dinner or home
Usually we would eat lunch while there. Occasionally there may be a gap between sessions. The above day is actually a well-packed day. Typically we would be done at Namaste somewhere between 3pm and 5pm.
What should we bring to the center?
We like packing plenty of food so we can keep our blood sugar stable and Jess needed food in order to take many of her supplements that we brought with us. Namaste has a filtered water machine where we could refill our bottles and they offered hot herbal teas. We would bring a bag for food and another bag for her supplements. The infusion room has limited space so we had to be careful not to spread out our stuff.
Keeping your blood sugar stable is important when receiving high dose vitamin c or alpha lipoic acid since they lower your blood sugar levels. You don’t want to get “hangry.” Hungry and Angry. : )
If you have a helper with you or some time in your scheduled treatment there are some food options nearby. Otherwise it is imperative that you bring lunch.
We stayed busy and asked a lot of questions. We brought notebooks so we could take notes daily. Every person working there will teach you a lot. We learned a lot from other patients as well and formed new friendships.
Sometimes you may just want some quiet. A laptop with DVDs and headphones, a book or Kindle, or some sort of tablet can come in very handy. Finally, it is worth bringing ear plugs and an eye mask to help rest during treatments.
What is an infusion and the room like?
An infusion typically lasted 2 hours for the mistletoe. The infusion time took longer if they gave Jess other types of infusions like Alpha Lipoic Acid, Glutathione, High dose vitamin C or a nutritional IV (Meyers Cocktail).
The chairs in the room are somewhat comfortable. Some patients didn’t like how low they sit so patients could sit on pillows for more comfort. They do have a few blankets to share if you get cold. Sometimes Jess used their heating pads for pain relief.
The first time we went Jess would get a fever every evening that was low grade and lasted several hours. It was a strong immune response from the mistletoe. She did not feel anything other than some achiness temporarily until the fever broke. Jess also had a strong skin reaction where her belly turned red and the texture of her skin changed. This was also temporary and a sign that her immune system was at work. During the infusions we would talk with the doctor or nurse running the infusion or with other patients. Sometimes we read and on occasion Jess fell asleep. It varies from person to person.
Any Special Tips?
- Definitely take a lot of notes and like a sponge soak up as much knowledge as possible.
- Be prepared for potential altitude sickness.
- We had trouble falling asleep at night and needed extra melatonin and sleepy time tea or Kavinace.
- Meet with the nutritionist as soon as possible to ensure you are following the best nutrition protocol for you.
- Get your blood work done as early as possible so that you hit the ground running on your first day. The nutritionist uses your blood work to come up with the best meal options based on your individual needs. Your blood work determines so much about your nutrition, supplements and regimen. Lab results take time to get the results. Be sure to get it done as quickly as possible.
- Speak with your ND about either the RGCC or BioFocus test to see if that is helpful for you. Jess did the BioFocus test and it helped determine exactly which conventional and alternative therapies would help her the most. She did this test before she went the second time and we believe she had a much better experience because of it. This test can take 3 weeks to process so inquire about it early. She got her results just before she arrived at Namaste the second time and it was a real game changer.
Namaste’s Housing Suggestions
These and more available here:
http://www.namastehealthcenter.com/coming-from-out-of-town/
| The Rochester Hotel (downtown Durango- 1.2 miles from Namaste) 726 E. 2nd Ave Durango, CO 81301 970-385-1920 |
Homewood Suites by Hilton (3.4 miles from Namaste, brand new) 15 Girard St. Durango, CO 81303 970-259-2996 |
| Residence Inn (1.6 miles from Namaste) 21691 US Hwy 160 Durango, CO 81301 970-259-6200 |
Lou’s Bed and Breakfast (pet-friendly ☺) 3115 E 2nd Ave Durango, Co 81301 970-769-3332 |
| Siesta Motel (1.6 miles from Namaste, family owned) 3475 Main Ave Durango, CO 970-247-0741 |
Caboose Motel (1.5 miles from Namaste, old-fashioned, family owned w/extremely competitive rates) 3363 Main Ave Durango, CO 81301 970-247-1191 |
| Wapiti Lodge (1.6 miles from Namaste, family owned and built in 1965, so it is a bit outdated, but has competitive weekly rates) 21265 US Hwy 160 Durango, Co 81301 970-247-3961 |
