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Please note that I am neither a conventional or non-conventional health practitioner, the information on this page is about my story and are based in my personal experience. Please consult with a medical practitioner and do your own research to determine if anything from this page is something you would like to pursue further.
My Personal Story: Allergies, Rosacea, Eczema, Infertility, Ear Infections, Rheumatoid Arthritis and MORE
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis on June 22, 2020. It was the first time I had ever been diagnosed with any kind of chronic condition. I remember being in a haze of disbelief and impending doom as I researched the difference between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA is a systemic disease whereby my immune system is attacking healthy tissue in my joints and organs. I thought my life was over - and to some extent some extent, parts of the life I had known were over. In the early days I made the "rookie mistake" of doom scrolling things like "Rheumatoid Arthritis worst case scenario". The grief and fear could sometimes hijack me for days. That was a dark period, and when my body flares, those dark feelings can return for short bursts.
On the day I was diagnosed a friend messaged me to cancel a friends' zoom call scheduled for the following evening (it was the earlier days of COVID). I told her about my diagnosis and she disclosed that she had been treating her Hashimoto Disease for over 20 years by following Dr. Sarah Ballantyne's Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. She proceeded to text me the "cole's notes" version of AIP and by the time we ended our conversation I felt empowered to become an active participant in my own healing. I immediately decided to reintroduce some foods I had eliminated as a vegan as well as a few other known inflammatory foods like: refined sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy and nightshade vegetables.
For the next few months my friend coached me via messenger and my health steadily improved. The inflammation in the photo above had almost returned to normal within three weeks of following the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. By August of 2020 I enrolled in one of three programs that used to be offered through Autoimmune Wellness Autoimmune Protocol | AIP Recipes | Diet for Autoimmune Disease | Autoimmune Wellness. I continue to be involved in an ongoing support group led by Angie Alt (one of the two owners of Autoimmune Wellness). Angie and a group of nutrition coaches started another program that I am currently involved in called WellTheory | Autoimmune Care Revolutionized
I have continued to study autoimmune disease and it's link to trauma and stress (see below for more information). I am also thankful for conventional medicine and see a Rheumatologist that monitors my progress. That being said my journey to a diagnosis is an all too familiar one for folks with autoimmune disease namely: years of seemingly unrelated symptoms which were all preceded by a lifetime of seasonal allergies, ear infections, rosacea, infertility, miscarriages, and painful periods.
In 2010 my role as a caregiver to my mother with dementia and my aging father really took flight following at least 4 years of mild symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. My body reacted from the stress and sleepless nights with increased allergy symptoms, joint pain in my feet and psoriasis on my hands and feet. In 2015 my parents moved to a nursing home which alleviated the need to leave home in the middle of the night to find my mother sometimes in a police car, other times at the bus station, church, the mall, and the hospital. Whatever relief I had was overshadowed by the utter sadness of supporting my parents in a nursing home system that symbolizes our society's intolerance of the elderly and the disabled. Over the 6.5 years they resided in a nursing home, I came to see it as a warehouse for old folks that reduced their life to being clothed, fed, bathed, changed and on the rare occasion entertained.
My seemingly unrelated symptoms led my doctor to either misdiagnose me or simply dismiss my symptoms altogether. She sent me to an ENT; a dermatologist; and a podiatrist. None of those doctors wanted to know anything about me nor did they try to link my symptoms together. It was only by chance I sent a photo of my flared up hands to my cousin. She shared the photograph with her sister-in-law that said "looks like Gisèle has a leaky gut and probably some kind of autoimmune disease". I looked it up and gathered evidence to bring to my family doctor but first I had to convince her to look at a list of my symptoms (which surpassed the two issue maximum for a doctor's visit). I was certain I had an autoimmune disease and although she seemed to agree, I was sent to a Gastroenterologist for gut issues - that were not detected.
Thankfully my Naturopathic doctor took all of my symptoms seriously and suggested during the flare depicted in the photo above, that I should get request a blood test that would test for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I followed her direction and she was right. It is because she takes the time to hear my complaints and believes me and makes me feel seen and attuned to, that my Naturopathic doc is my primary health care provider.
As you know know from my website - I am also a trauma therapist and during a training workshop in late 2020, I received another jolt when the presenter linked Rheumatoid Arthritis and other autoimmune diseases with trauma (see below for more information). That was the beginning of my second dark period. Like so many others, I became a trauma therapist because of my own long history of attachment trauma and sexual violence combined with the slow progressive impact of caring for and advocating for my parents in a world that both hates and profits from warehousing old folks in a broken system of nursing homes.
I felt betrayed because I've always been told and subsequently have told countless folks that the worst was behind them. I thought if I entered into trauma therapy that I could be done with the impact it had on my psyche. But no one had told me about the impact trauma could have on my body and my physical health. Listen to Dr. Nadine Burke Harris discuss the Adverse Childhood Experiences score and its impact on future health: (1) How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris - YouTube
My circle of care now includes:
Dr. Natasha Zajmalowski (my naturopath and primary health provider) Our Team - Proactive Healthcare (proactive-healthcare.com)
Dr. Alison Danby, Naturopathic Doctor & Certified AIP Coach that specializes in autoimmune disease Team - Dr. Alison Danby, ND | Oakville Naturopath
Living Well Collective, Angie Alt from Autoimmune Wellness and all the participants in my group.
Dr. Andrew Bigness, chiropractor specializing in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Dr. Rena Citron, Chiropractor specializing in movement and improving range of motion Our Team - Proactive Healthcare (proactive-healthcare.com)
Dr. Tina Shrigley, EMDR Trauma therapist
Indira Pulliadath, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and AIP Certified Coach with Well Theory WellTheory | Autoimmune Care Revolutionized and Cook2Nourish - Recipes that nourish !
Dr. Naidoo, Pain Care Clinic (I am taking Low Dose Naltrexone prescribed by Dr. Naidoo, I have my scripts filled at Banwell pharmacy and have organic ginger as a filler)
Family Doctor and Rheumatologist, on the team but do they do not collaborate with non-conventional practitioners - despite my successes (I am taking Hydroxychloroquine aka Plaquenil)
My husband and my mother-in-law that help with the cooking and baking and provide a shoulder to cry on.
Friends that are always rooting for me especially the friend that recommended the Autoimmune Protocol.
The Things I do to Stay Healthy
Autoimmune Protocol: The Paleo Mom - The Paleo Mom and
Autoimmune Protocol | AIP Recipes | Diet for Autoimmune Disease | Autoimmune Wellness
Binaural Beats: Binaural Beats: Sleep, Therapy, and Meditation (healthline.com)
Could Balancing Our Gut Bacteria Be the Key to Unlocking RA? Could Balancing Our Gut Bacteria Be the Key to Unlocking RA? (healthline.com)
Donna Gallers RA Comics: Shayna Payne Has RA (early pages) - Comics & Art by Donna Gallers (donnagallersart.com)
Listen to this podcast to stay current: Phoenix Helix - The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol: Diet, Lifestyle, Mindset, Empowerment - Phoenix Helix
The things listed on both my calming, soothing, coping page and the Movies, Podcasts, Links and more page.
Supplements as prescribed by: my primary and secondary naturopathic docs, and my nutritional coach
Low Dose Naltrexone as prescribed by Dr. Naidoo (I go to Banwell Pharmacy where they compound my LDN with organic ginger)
Nemcheck Vitality Cable 5 minutes/day Vitality Smartcable
Joovv Red light 10 minutes/day Joovv Mini Full Body LED Red Light Therapy
Vagal Yoga with Dr. Arielle Schwartz YouTube channel: (32) dr arielle schwartz - YouTube website: Welcome | Dr. Arielle Schwartz (drarielleschwartz.com)
Vectra by Labcorp: Vectra – Rheumatology Tests and Services | Labcorp
Vibrant Blue Oils for vagal nerve stimulation; sleep, and adrenals: Organic Essential Oils - Vibrant Blue Oils
Walks in Nature: Outdoors Mobile Apps | AllTrails
Weights to build strength: PAILS & RAILS talk to your chiropractor
Wiggling Exercise and other routines from this free site: joyn - movement for every.body
Bilateral Stimulation to increase Gaba and create more calm: BLS Drum Therapy - Gary Brothers, LCSW (garybrotherscounseling.com)
Pranayama (breath work): Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast - Huberman Lab and Pranayama – Sounds True
Autoimmune Disease and Trauma
A Randomize Controlled Trial of an Internal Family Systems -Based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in
Connection Between Stress and Autoimmune Disease Affirmed By Massive 30-Year Study: Connection between stress and autoimmune disease affirmed by massive 30-year study (newatlas.com)
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Proof-of-Concept Study: A randomized controlled trial of an internal family systems-based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: a proof-of-concept study - PubMed (nih.gov)
Instinctual Well-Being: Instinctual Wellbeing: Healing Autoimmunity With AIP Food & Wisdom
Marlysa Sullivan: Marlysa Sullivan-Yoga Therapy- Physical Therapy- Integrative Health
Psychoneuroimmunology: Psychoneuroimmunology: Definition, Research, and Examples (healthline.com)
Stress and Autoimmune Disease: Autoimmune disease and stress: Is there a link? - Harvard Health
Studies Probe Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Studies Probe Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Vagus Nerve Stimulation - The Rheumatologist (the-rheumatologist.org)
The Burden of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Impact of Disease Activity and Psychological Factors: The burden of pain in rheumatoid arthritis: Impact of disease activity and psychological factors (wiley.com)
Treating Chronic Pain with Mindfulness: Treating Chronic Pain with Mindfulness - NICABM
Treating Multiple Chemical Sensitivities - For Therapists: (1) Treating Multiple Chemical Sensitivities--For Therapists - Bing video
Advocacy
30 Years Ago, "The Golden Girls" Treated Sick Women Like We Matter: 30 Years Ago, “The Golden Girls” Treated Sick Women like We Matter | Bitch Media
Podcasts, Nutrition, Wellness & Combining Non-Conventional and Conventional Medicine
Can the Mind Body Connection Improve Food Tolerance: Can the Mind-Body Connection Improve Food Tolerance? - Phoenix Helix
Combining AIP with Conventional Healthcare: The Definitive Guide: Combining AIP with Conventional Healthcare: The Definitive Guide (autoimmunewellness.com)
Starting Medication After 4 Years on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol: Starting Medication After 4 Years on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol - Phoenix Helix
Can the Mind Body Connection Improve Food Tolerance: Can the Mind-Body Connection Improve Food Tolerance? - Phoenix Helix
Combining AIP with Conventional Healthcare: The Definitive Guide: Combining AIP with Conventional Healthcare: The Definitive Guide (autoimmunewellness.com)
Starting Medication After 4 Years on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol: Starting Medication After 4 Years on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol - Phoenix Helix
