How a mom of three found healing for her autoimmune disease
If I learned one thing through my Endometriosis healing journey, it is that the body is incredible. Our Creator designed it, and He called it good. So how is it possible that 1 in 2 Americans currently suffer from a chronic disease? While conventional medicine previously taught that genetics were the key factor, this recent study suggests that over 85% of chronic diseases are caused by environmental factors (toxins, lifestyle, diet, & behavior). We clearly live in a broken world, and it is our responsibility to take care of the one body that God has given us. We accomplish this by discovering the root cause of the dysfunction and healing from the inside-out, not the outside-in. Our current healthcare system is failing to do this.
Unfortunately, the application of the conventional medical paradigm to the modern problem of chronic disease has led to a system that emphasizes suppressing symptoms with drugs (and sometimes surgery), rather than addressing the underlying cause of the problem.
-Chris Kresser
To be honest, even though I grew up in a pretty holistic & unconventional home of growing our own food, homeschooling, & avoiding antibiotics, I never knew that there might be an alternative answer to chronic disease. It wasn’t until God spoke through a woman in my Bible study and suggested I pursue alternative treatment through a holistic practitioner. Had I not pursued true healing, I would be on a number of prescription drugs today to manage my symptoms. More importantly, I would not have properly prepared my body for a healthy pregnancy. If you are reading this right now and suffering from a chronic disease, I want you to know that there is an alternative route. A route that gives the body the support it needs to be able to reverse symptoms and heal. Below is the powerful healing journey of a woman with Hashimoto’s & her son’s vaccine injury. Her story caught my attention on Instagram when she posted that she had reversed almost every single one of her food allergies/sensitivities. Buckle up, you guys… this is a good one.
How did you initially get diagnosed with your autoimmune disease?
Honestly, it's a pure miracle I received any diagnosis at all! I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, migraines, joint paint, GI issues, and other various symptoms for years, but they were never "bad" enough to warrant a doctor's action. Eventually my symptoms became severe enough that it was clear something had to be done. When I was pregnant with my second little boy in 2015, I ended up in the ER one night from what they deemed an "atypical migraine", after I started losing my vision, my speech became slurred, and I was so disoriented I could not remember my baby's name. They chalked it up to stress, handed us a very large bill, and that was that. Post-delivery, I continued to get worse and worse, to the point that daily life was unbearable. Everything hurt, I was exhausted but couldn't sleep, I was slipping into a scary postpartum depression, my mental clarity was nearly nonexistent, my migraines and headaches were becoming more frequent, and I had started developing tingling and numbness in my extremities, eyes, and face. It was truly terrifying to never know what was wrong. I pursued specialists, had an MRI to test for Multiple Sclerosis, had appointment after appointment, and the answer was always the same - nobody knew the underlying issue and could only offer medication. Eventually I found a new primary care physician who thought to test my thyroid, being postpartum, and sure enough it was completely out of whack. I had slowly developed Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune thyroid condition, which is not something Western medicine providers usually look for. There are nearly 10 thyroid markers that are essential to understanding thyroid health, including testing antibodies (the determiners for Hashimoto's), and a standard doctor will test maybe 1 or 2 things and potentially miss a crucial diagnosis. That to say, it was the grace of the Lord for me to receive any diagnosis at all.
This picture was taken the day before I went to the ER for what I didn’t realize was likely my first big autoimmune flare. I remember people telling me how healthy and glowing I looked at 37 weeks pregnant, but I had so many issues going on under the surface!
What kind of treatment was offered to you at the time?
The word "treatment" would be too generous, even! I was prescribed some medication and told I would never get better. They encouraged me to generally eat well and exercise, but offered no parameters or guidance as to what that looked like, and as someone who thought I was already extremely healthy, I assumed there was nothing else to be done.
Can you tell me about your journey to find healing?
God graciously used the immense suffering of my second son to lead us both on a path to recovery. When my son Archer was just two months old (and immediately following his 2 month vaccines), he began developing severe eczema. His doctor had the wisdom to encourage me to go dairy-free since I was nursing and prescribed steroids to help in the meantime. I stopped all milk products and did see an improvement in my son, but after a few weeks his skin worsened. He was in and out the hospital regularly for skin infections and rashes, which led to an awful cycle of antibiotics, steroids, and more medication (and not once did a doctor warn us of the dangers). My son's immune and gut health continued to spiral, with his skin becoming worse daily. He had become lethargic from the pain and slowly fell behind developmentally. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't move. He would wake up from naps and bedtime bloody from scratching and I vividly remember not being able to find a spot on his precious face to kiss. His entire body was covered in eczema.
We continued to pursue dermatologists and other specialists recommended by his primary physician, and they kept us on the steroid and antibiotic cycle for months and months. We tried every cream available, every weird bath method, anything the doctor recommended to no avail. Eventually his doctor ordered an allergy test, and I continued to wonder if somehow food was a big culprit in everything. This was the absolute darkest season of my life - I cried every single day, I was carrying anger for my sweet baby that I had never experienced before, and every day felt utterly hopeless. I didn't even have time to consider or grieve my own diagnosis or seek treatment for myself because of how much emotional and physical energy and financial resources we poured into Archer's health. Around Christmas-time in 2015, we admitted Archer, at barely 5 months old, to the hospital for a worsening skin infection and rash. I can hardly bear looking at the photos of him from this time - every doctor we saw said he had the worst case of eczema they had ever seen. I continued to feel deep down like there was a lot going on under the surface of my son's issues, but I still could not get a physician to agree. A dear friend with autoimmune issues who knew of my own diagnosis and Archer's journey brought the Whole30 book and the Autoimmune Paleo book up to the hospital for us, and somehow I knew this was going to be revolutionary for us. We were released from the hospital on Christmas Eve, with prescriptions and follow-up instructions in tow. His skin had cleared from the heavy medication they used, but I had a strong feeling his issues would be back soon. I dove into the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet soon after, an elimination diet meant to remove the most common inflammatory and allergen-related food items, with a focus on nourishing your body with real, whole, nutrient-dense meals to help seal the gut barrier (and by the way - every doctor I mentioned leaky gut or intestinal permeability to, scoffed and shrugged it off). We slowly began transitioning our home to safer items and went from the traditional "free and clear" approach recommended for eczema and started pursuing completely non-toxic products for cleaning, bathing, beauty, etc. About a month into starting AIP, I realized my symptoms had virtually disappeared, and Archer's skin had improved quite a bit. It would take much more time and space to cover everything that happened over these last four years, but we have slowly watched my son improve and he is now totally eczema-free, and God has used him in an incredible way to launch our entire family on a path of healing.
Honestly, I would have never had the strength to pursue a healing diet if it weren't for my son as well. We began learning about food and nutrition, about ingredients and labels, about how to holistically take care of our bodies. We completely left the world of Western medicine and now partner with holistic practitioners with a focus on nutrition, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and other whole-body treatment! I can hardly describe the difference between a cold, unfeeling traditional office and the care we now receive. And one of the coolest parts is that we've felt SO empowered to take a lot of the healing into our own hands. I was even able to educate one of my former providers on the Autoimmune Protocol, which she started to recommend in her practice! It was incredibly rewarding, albeit tough, to seek out answers during this season, and while it's so crucial to work with a good care team, I found myself amazed that someone can make such big strides pursing holistic health totally on their own - things like learning what's in your food, why good food sourcing really is important, how to read ingredient labels, and how to focus on nutrient-density!
How did you overcome your autoimmune disease?
It has been a long four years of working with functional medicine practitioners, pursuing testing, and even having setbacks, but I'm thrilled to say I am symptom free almost 100% of the time. While I will always have Hashimoto's, I don't feel that it defines me anymore - in fact, I feel better than most people do day-to-day! My healing has never been linear, as anyone with an autoimmune condition can probably attest. I did see some major improvements with my initial diet transitions, but it still took me a couple of years to uncover a lot of extreme food sensitivities, continue healing my gut, and step away from most of the environmental toxins in my life (from things like paint exposure, furniture flipping, and off-the-shelf item chemicals); in fact, one of my biggest healing setbacks was after we bought our house a couple of years ago - I got down to eating about 7 foods because my body was so overloaded with chemical off-gas from paint, new rugs, new mattresses, etc, which is still absolutely crazy to me. I was working with a great nutritionist at the time who encouraged me to explore the Dynamic Neural Retraining System, which is a program based in neuroplasticity that resets your limbic system from being in a constant “fight” mode and retrains your brain in order to escape from the trauma your body has been stuck. It was seriously a miracle program. I stuck with the program for about 4 months and saw major improvements - I expanded my diet to almost all of the Paleo-approved diet items and toned down many of my chemical sensitivities, which was amazing, but I was still not where I wanted to be in terms of healing.
Now, here’s the most exciting and to me, coolest part of my story. In May of 2018, I got a call from my husband’s grandpa (our “Papa”), who said he woke up the night before with a very vivid dream and a word from the Lord for me. He explained a picture of me carrying an extremely heavy burden and looking back at my family with sadness. God kept giving him the word "pregnant" - that I was pregnant with the pain of all I had carried over the past several years but that God intended to use the pains of labor and delivery to bring healing to me. When I received the call, we had our two precious boys, but had no intention of having any more children, so I interpreted this beautiful imagery only as a metaphor (even though I remember checking my cycle app to make sure this wasn't God's way of revealing a surprise!). In November of that year though, my husband and I did become pregnant with a third little boy. A few months into the pregnancy I remember wondering if the Lord was actually going to use this dream and vision of healing through pregnancy as more than just imagery. I had a few other friends and family members speak visions of healing over me during this time and God even gave my mother-in-law a clear direction for a middle name for our son. We had landed on the name Bennett, but hadn't settled on a middle name quite yet, and as my mother-in-law was driving one night, she kept having the name "Josiah" come to mind. Sure enough, when she looked up the meaning, it means "Jehovah has healed." Our sweet Bennett Josiah was born in our home, a VBAC baby, and it was certainly the most physically difficult thing I've ever experienced, and almost required emergency hospital transfer. God was not kidding about using the "pains of labor and delivery!" One of the biggest reasons we feared having any more children was due to my health - I didn't know if I could handle the stress and turmoil of another pregnancy and baby, especially because women almost always have thyroid issues following birth, but I did not have a single setback or flare postpartum. I have felt amazing ever since our little one was born. Recently, I began working with a new primary care physician who suggested I try a food sensitivity test through a specific company called KBMO (most food sensitivity tests are highly unreliable and not recommended, but the science behind this test in particular is extremely accurate), and I felt a lot of peace about pursuing this method. I received the test results back a few weeks ago now and was so shocked at the results I could hardly process them - God had removed almost every single one of my food sensitivities, and He did it in a way that leaves absolutely no room for me to take credit.
I genuinely believe he used every single part of my journey and I'm forever grateful for the wealth of knowledge I've received about nutrition, gut-health, and holistic wellness over the years, but even the hard work I've put into my healing could have never produced these results alone. As an example - when I've had gluten cross-contamination in the past (not even eaten it directly, mind you!), I would end up in bed for three days straight, and it's now on the list of things I don't have a reaction to anymore. While there are still things I need to, or even choose to avoid, I'm able to do simple things like eat lunch with a friend or have dinner at someone else's house - things I haven't been able to do these past four years. And while I still "have" Hashimoto's, I don't feel like it. My thyroid numbers look amazing, I feel incredible, and I genuinely feel overflowing with joy. A friend recently shared a verse with me from Acts 4:20 that says, "for we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." The followers of Christ who had witnessed his miracles first-hand could not stop sharing about what he had done, and I truly feel like I am right there with them. I think it's important to note that I still take medication, I still can have symptoms after certain triggers, and I still don't feel comfortable eating anything I don't have an ingredient list for, but my life has changed so drastically from an anxiety-ridden, hypochondriac-labelled, always-sick girl that I hardly feel like I have any limitations at all. I truly believe my healing will continue to come in many forms - spiritually, physically, emotionally - but I pray above all else God uses my miracle to rescue other women. I would not trade a single bit of my journey and am so thankful for God redeeming it all.
Thank you for stopping by, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about pursuing holistic healing! I would love to hear from you. You can find Fallon on Instagram here!
-Kori