Reintroducing Genny Mack and My Journey with Lupus
Hello there! If you are new here, welcome. And if you have been here, thank you for sticking with me.
I'm Genny Mack, a Holistic Nutritionist and Lupus Warrior, and I have a lot to share with you.
First, it's been a long time since I wrote my last email, and I sincerely apologize for keeping you in the dark.
However, 2023 was the hardest year of my life. It has been a wild ride. I spent the majority of 2023 in and out of the hospital and recovering from the worst lupus flare to date.
I experienced debilitating symptoms like chronic pain, drastic weight loss, skin lesions, hair loss, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and anxiety, to name a few. I went from 155 lbs. to a malnourished 110 lbs. in just four months.
The solution often by doctors was to take immunosuppressive therapy, and if that doesn't work, take more, and more. While pharmaceutical drugs saved my life, I was fearful of the life-long dependency of heavy medications, only to mask symptoms and not address the root causes of lupus.
This experience led me to dig deeper into phytotherapy, which is the practice of using food and plants as medicine to reverse health conditions. In this discovery, I become a Certified Autoimmune Nutrition Specialist to learn more about eating to nourish and restore the body's ability to heal itself.
This experience taught me a lot about lupus. I learned that you can still get sick, no matter how healthy you are. I am human. We are human.
These life uncertainties and realities taught me how to be more compassionate. I learned SO MUCH, but largely speaking, I learned:
how to advocate with doctors, even through gaslighting, to get the most and best options for lupus care;
how to heal and nourish my body using whole foods and plants as medicine, while safely following doctor's care with conventional medicine;
how each person is uniquely different and requires a unique approach to managing lupus and autoimmune conditions;
how to understand the root causes and triggers of lupus to rebalance the whole-body and systems (nervous, digestive, immune, etc.);
how to love food again;
how to tap into your community and network to conquer lupus (because you can't do it alone); and
how to rebuild confidence and self-love to live a joyous life.
I also learned that it is very expensive to receive natural care with Lifestyle Medicine Doctors, Naturopaths, Herbalists, Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors, and so on. I spent over $25,000 ( in just 1 year) trying to figure out the best way to heal. While natural healing does require an investment, I also learned that there is a way to gain access to more readily available resources to allow the body to recover and heal itself.
Through my life-threatening experiences, I've learned that managing lupus and autoimmune illnesses requires a holistic approach, one that nourishes the mind, body and spirit, which should be accessible. This is my mission, to share this information with the community.
This is why I'm committed to sharing my knowledge and insights with you, to help you take control of your own lupus and autoimmune healing journey.
Going forward, you can expect to find:
nutrition tips to support lupus management;
mindfulness and self-care practices to reduce stress and flares;
inspiring stories to uplift the community; and
practical advice for daily living with lupus.
I am so glad you are here.
I am looking forward to share this journey with you. Stay tuned for new posts and resources in 2024 so that you can take control of your lupus journey.
P.S., check out this article feature of me in mindbodygreen where I share my story on healing with a chronic disease, entitled "How I’ve Learned To Live With A Chronic Illness That Has No Cure".
Feel free to say hi in the comments!
If you were ready like yesterday to take control of your health, and could use some coaching and support, book a free 15-minute clarity call today. Â I am slowly accepting clients again :)
Warmly,
Genny Mack
Glad to see you rocking and rolling again Genny! What a blessing that you bounced back and I’m sure have gained even more insight! Sending you a hug friend !