Grand Cayman is home to Lauren, her husband Jason, and their daughter Ava. After getting married, while living in Toronto, they made the decision to move there for a secondment through Jason’s work. It would be an adventure! That adventure kept rolling until they loved their island life so much, they didn’t plan to leave anytime soon. So, they made their situation more permanent, recently buying a home there. Hosting many visitors means they are very busy, but they appreciate that time with family and friends is quality time – quality over quantity. Though they don’t see them as often, when they do, they get to spend special times visiting with those who matter most to them.
At first the move was difficult for Lauren, career-wise, as she gave up a great position in Marketing at Warner Bros. Entertainment. Her career was important to her and she had recently been promoted. When they were living in Toronto, life was all about career and working toward an upward trajectory. They were comfortable in their big city life, but the idea of spending time in the Caribbean was appealing. Once she arrived on the island, it took some time to find her groove with respect to her career. Lauren enjoyed painting on the beach and showcasing some of her art in a local gallery and exploring what her new home had to offer. She is currently working at Regenexx Cayman, handling many facets of the business; Marketing, Operations, HR etc. Her bosses are amazing and very supportive of family life. They allowed her an extended maternity leave and gradual return to work. Maternity leave in Cayman is only 12 weeks, so the ability to extend was very appreciated by Lauren and her family.
“Regenexx Cayman offers the most advanced orthopedic stem cell treatment in the world for individuals who may suffer with joint injury, arthritis, or degenerative diseases. They envision a future, where empowered patients harness their body’s natural healing power. Where regenerative treatment is the norm, not the exception.” Working for a company focused on this type of health care became very ironic for Lauren when she received her own life changing diagnosis.
“Every mom in my mom group was complaining about their achy bodies, so I thought it was normal.” It wasn’t until Lauren was going to physio for unrelated issues that she discovered her disease. She was mentioning random symptoms to her physiotherapist in each session, and when she told the therapist about her stiffness in the morning and mirrored symptoms on both sides of her body, this caused alarm. Her physiotherapist suggested, just to rule things out, she should go get checked out. Lauren went for blood tests with an optimistic outlook, feeling she was just being over cautious. On December 6, 2016 Lauren received a call from her doctor. It’s a moment she will vividly remember for the rest of her life. She was headed outdoors for a walk with her new baby, Ava. As she pushed the stroller out the door of her home, Lauren stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the news that her tests had come back positive, indicating she had Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is not the arthritis you might have in your mind. “Rheumatoid Arthritis is a long-term autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints and tissues of the body. The immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses, mistakenly attacks the joints. Because RA can affect body systems, such as the cardiovascular or respiratory systems, it is called a systemic disease (meaning entire body)” – (arthritis.org). The symptoms can often be debilitating. This diagnosis left Lauren feeling unsure and anxious. She recalls breastfeeding in the middle of the night and worrying if she was even going to be there for her daughter. As a new mom, Lauren feared she was going to be crippled or dead in the foreseeable future. The first few days after her diagnosis were the darkest of her life. Lauren’s anxiety stooped to a new low and she could barely get out of bed – both physically and mentally. The symptoms she was experiencing were achy joints, weakness and stiffness in her hands, swollen fingers, tingling limbs, extreme exhaustion, shortness of breath, and the list goes on. Knowing this could continue to get worse was very overwhelming. At first, she felt disbelief, denial, and sadness, but then came the anger, and that anger ignited her fight. Once she could muster up the courage, she decided she needed to face RA head on. Her parents and husband provided ongoing support and encouragement, and Lauren’s confidence came flooding back. She went to see her Rheumatologist and told her “I’m going to be the poster child for RA”. Her doctor was skeptical, but this did not sway Lauren. The drugs they wanted to put her on were intense. One was a low-dose chemotherapy drug, with a long list of side effects, and the thought of being on such medication for the rest of her life was just unacceptable for Lauren.
Being a new mother makes us vulnerable enough; adding on an incurable disease can make daily life a struggle. She had to take matters into her own hands and control any aspect of this situation that she could. Lauren recognized that she didn’t have the healthiest habits. Leisurely activities in Cayman, including boating, beach days, and pool parties led to a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle choices. The choices she had made in the past could be fueling her autoimmune disease. Her mother was the catalyst toward the possibility of using functional medicine to heal herself. Functional medicine is a holistic approach that looks at the underlying cause of disease and a preventative approach. It is patient centered and felt right for Lauren. The book her mother gave her, “The Immune System Recovery Plan,” started the journey of self-healing through lifestyle choices. “My disease felt like a complicated puzzle, and I wanted to find the root cause.”
Through an elimination diet, Lauren discovered that cutting out many foods such as gluten, dairy, soy, and corn, were great ways to control her inflammation. Working out in ways that strengthened her body, also helped to ease some of the pain she was in, but it was important she learn her limits. The whole experience was like an awakening to what her body needs.
We often think we are invincible until we are faced with a health problem that forces us to re-evaluate. She was going to do everything she could to heal her immune system. Lauren is a confident woman. It comes across immediately when you meet her. This disease threatens that confidence but at her core it is there; that and support from her family is what gets her through. Her dad has been a cheerleader for her; keeping her positive through it all, and she will forever be grateful for her mother’s encouragement toward functional medicine.
Jason and Ava have adapted their lifestyles and eating habits to Lauren’s. Jason jumped on board, shopping and cooking the way Lauren needs, in order to feel healthy and stay off meds. The outcome is he is healthier as well. Ava has more balance, a bit of her parent’s diet as well as some wiggle room. Lauren believes their new lifestyle is likely preventing other unwanted health issues for their family. Ava will need to be aware as she grows up that she is predisposed to RA. It is genetic. Lauren’s great grandmother had it, and other autoimmune diseases run in her family.
The choice to make these changes and stick with them meant that Lauren was able to go off her medication two years ago and stay off! Her inflammation markers and blood tests continue to show that she can kick RA’s ass! She has started seeing a new Rheumatologist and he is supportive of her methods. Her original doctor was sceptical of functional medicine and preferred a conventional approach. This taught Lauren to advocate for herself and follow her instincts on what was right for her body. She will never be cured, but she is managing extremely well and feeling great. Before deciding to make massive lifestyle changes, Lauren’s RA antibodies (both Rheumatoid Factor and Anti-CCP) were off the charts, and her inflammation markers were high. Although her antibodies will probably never change, she can get them to lay dormant and currently, without medication, her inflammation markers are in the normal range. Pretty fascinating!
When Jason and Lauren were younger, they made up a saying, ALBAO, a love beyond all other. An indescribable love. “One of the biggest reasons I wake up every day and fight is because of my daughter. I must be healthy and happy, so I can continue to be an amazing mother to her. She has taught me patience, gratitude, and helped mold me into a woman and mother I never thought was possible.”
Lauren hoped to have more children and give Ava a sibling. Unfortunately, they have recently experienced three miscarriages. It has been an incredibly difficult journey, but they believe everything happens for a reason.
A bright spot in this experience is that when she is pregnant, Lauren feels the healthiest she will for the rest of her life because her RA goes into remission. I asked Lauren if she saw the pregnancies as little gifts to her and she agreed that they were. My hope for Lauren, Jason and Ava is that they get their rainbow baby. Just as we sometimes get to see rainbows after a storm; sometimes we get our silver lining.
Lauren’s view on success has drastically shifted. Working around the clock for a big corporation is no longer what she strives for. Being happy, healthy, and achieving balance is what matters. Working for a company she believes in, helps her feel fulfilled in her career. The lifestyle that she has created for herself and her family, sparked by her diagnosis with RA, has been a positive change for them all. There is no going back.
Lauren doesn’t wish to have Rheumatoid Arthritis, but it has caused her to take better care of herself than ever before and made her stronger than she knew was possible.
Thank you for sharing your incredible strength and story of healing with us Lauren.
Story written by Jenn DiRaddo Jefferson of Career Pump
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