RA stories

2020 has been a lot of things... tough, sad, stressful, weird, and challenging are things to come to mind. Businesses have failed, and people have gotten sick, lost jobs, or lost loved ones. 

With all of the stress and uncertainty that has come with this year, many of us have packed on the Quarantine 15 (or more)! If this is you, don't fret. There are safe, healthy ways to get these extra pounds off. 

We had the opportunity to interview Rhya Pachin, one of the experts in functional nutrition here in Charlotte. You may remember her from earlier in the year when she talked with us about the gut microbiome and the importance of using food and nutrition to heal the body. 

Today, she is going to talk to us more about that pesky "Quarantine 15" and how we can make a few simple lifestyle changes to get that off, and keep it off.

If you haven't heard the story of why Roses and Azalea is started, here's a really quick version.  I struggled with autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, and other illnesses for more than a decade and was finally diagnosed after hearing Dr. Amy Myers on a podcast randomly one day.  My husband was the one to catch that episode and thought told me that many of my symptoms matched the ones discussed on the podcast.

The diagnosis took a long time.  After persistence, our own personal research, seeing doctors across three different states, and being our own advocates, we finally had the diagnosis in 2018.  Although there was some relief in knowing that "it wasn't actually all in my head" like some of the healthcare professionals had told me since my early 20's (in fact, a doctor had told me that because I'm a woman who is getting old, what else should I expect), I wondered "now what?"

Some of you reading this may be wondering exactly that.  You've already been diagnosed with autoimmune disease(s) and have had very little guidance and resources.  Some of you may not have reached diagnosis yet and want some answers.  Wherever in your health journey, I want to reassure you that you aren't alone and that there ARE some resources and support out there for you!

Today, I am interviewing Anessa Powell who is very familiar with living with an autoimmune disease, Addison's Disease.  She is an amazing wife and mother of two.  Anessa is a passionate speaker and educator as well as one of the leaders of Autoimmune Sisters, the #1 online community for those living with an autoimmune disease.  In this interview, you'll find out a little more about Anessa's own health journey, some advice she has for being a modern woman juggling life with autoimmune disease, advice for caretakers, and some of the much-needed resources for those living with autoimmune disease(s).