Below is the full transcript of Episode 64 of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast.
This transcript is provided for accessibility and reference.

Title: From Flare to Flow: Lynn on Staying Grounded While Healing Takes Time | (Ep 064)

Mickey Trescott: Often when we hear stories about healing with autoimmune disease, they’re told once everything is over and when everything makes sense. After the flare has passed, once the lesson is clear, and the path forward is easier to explain.

But that’s not usually how it feels when you’re living in the middle of it. Most of the time, you’re making small adjustments, just trying to get by, day-by-day, supporting your body and figuring things out as you go, often without knowing yet how it’s all going to unfold.

Welcome back to the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast. I’m your host, Mickey Trescott. And before we get started, just a quick reminder that this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice.

Today I’m introducing a new series called From Flare to Flow. These conversations are about what it actually looks like to navigate autoimmune life in real time. Not once everything is resolved, but while somebody is actively moving through a challenge and learning how to support themselves along the way.

My hope is that these episodes feel comforting and familiar, that you will hear pieces of your own experiences reflected back and a little more supported in whatever season you’re in right now.

[00:01:20] Introducing Lynn Rester

Mickey Trescott: For our first conversation, I’m joined by Lynn Rester.

Lynn is an AIP Certified Coach and somebody who has lived with autoimmune disease for a very long time. She knows her body well, she understands all of the AIP framework and the tools, and has spent years supporting others on their own healing journeys.

And like so many of us, she is currently navigating a new layer of challenge, one that’s required her to slow down, take a step back, and really listen to what her body needs right now.

Hi Lynn. Thank you so much for being here.

Lynn Rester: Hi Mickey Thank you so much for having me.

[00:01:57] The Challenge – Balance and Recurring Infections

Mickey Trescott: So to start us off, can you share a little bit about what this season has been like for you and what first signaled that your body needed something different in this moment?

Lynn Rester: Well, it’s been challenging because coaches wear many hats and have many responsibilities and we also must balance our work life responsibilities just like everybody does. And women especially, being nurturers, have others that we care for and we have to remember to care for ourselves. And the biggest challenge is balance, but not to become too stressed out about my health issues and my self-care routine which seems to get longer and longer dealing with different things.

It’s challenging trying to figure out a routine that doesn’t cause inflammation and more fatigue than you’re already dealing with. My issue’s been dealing with recurrent UTIs and I had to reflect back on my lifestyle habits to see what was missing or not getting enough attention. I came up with sleep and stress management being the two areas where I wasn’t having or making the time to address.

Mickey Trescott: I think a lot of people can probably relate to having an autoimmune background and then struggling with something like a chronic infection, like you’ve got these UTIs, that is related, but also can flare your autoimmune stuff up, but needs a different approach.

[00:03:20] How to Navigate Challenges That Don’t Resolve Quickly

Mickey Trescott: When you realized this wasn’t something that was going to resolve quickly for you, what was the hardest thing about being in that in between space? You know all the things that you’re supposed to be doing, but you’re still needing to kind of navigate that?

Lynn Rester: The first thing I like to do is figure out okay, what is causing this what’s that root cause? We found out a particular bacteria that’s causing it, but it is beyond that. It’s what led into this? The lack of rest, getting my immune system run down, just like somebody might get run down and catch a cold, I got an infection. Most of us can clear little infections on our own but this was bigger than that. So after several rounds of antibiotics and doing all the preventative measures, knowing how important sleep is, that was a big factor for me.

I had uncorrected sleep apnea for two years which contributed to my fatigue and my immune system getting run down. The issue was my insurance wouldn’t cover for a new appliance, I wore a tap appliance in my mouth rather than a CPAP. So I had to go two years with it not fitting properly and not getting good sleep.

Now if I were not doing anything and could take naps to compensate for it I probably wouldn’t have gotten so sick, but I kept going, cause I had things to do and just hung in there and pushed through the pain. That led to me just not being able to fight it, just out of exhaustion. Now that this is getting addressed, next week I can finally get my new appliance, but I had to wait that long and it was tough to be exhausted all the time.

And not able to really meditate without falling asleep, because meditation is my big go-to for stress management. So that was hurting me too. I usually asleep before I could finish my prayers at night, so I switched to doing morning prayers. And I knew deep down inside I had to start taking things off my schedule to cut back my work hours so I could fit these things back in slowly, so my body could get outta the sympathetic nervous system in order to heal.

It didn’t take a whole lot of figuring out, waiting and wondering and figuring out. I knew what was lacking and I just kept ignoring that little voice telling me to slow down.

Mickey Trescott: I think a lot of people listening probably can relate to sleep being like a linchpin of autoimmune health. And I think when we really aren’t getting enough sleep, we know that we’re more susceptible to infection. I’m sorry to hear of your struggles, especially with something like a sleep disorder, having sleep apnea and having that being unresolved definitely can lead to our immune systems not functioning properly.

[00:05:54] Staying Mentally Grounded and Steady During a Flare

Mickey Trescott: When we have these symptoms that are just ongoing, I think it can be really easy to slip into that feeling like I need to fix something right now, or feeling so frustrated. Can you share with everybody what has helped you stay mentally grounded and steady during this time?

Lynn Rester: Without a doubt for me it’s spiritual connection. Connections of all types are so important. I think you made a post, Instagram post recently, I might have seen it even this morning about the connections. I’ve got friends, family, a husband, my cat, clients, and people that I run into in my neighborhood. It’s beyond just those connections, it’s having a connection to something that’s bigger than we are. In a time like this when you’re doing all the right things and you’re struggling and you need to know that it’s going to be okay. It’s really driven me back to a deeper spiritual connection. I’ve been consistently back into a daily prayer and meditation routine and it’s really made a difference.

Mickey Trescott: Thanks for sharing that because I think a lot of us feel like we need to be doing something that is very tangible and expends a lot of energy, and I think really connecting with higher power, connecting with the people that we love in our life and the environment and nature.

I think all of these things are just so supportive and they’re really accessible even when you are not feeling well, so that is a really powerful thing to share. Thank you.

[00:07:25] Lifestyle Changes That Are Feeling Supportive Now

Mickey Trescott: Are there any lifestyle shifts that you have made recently? I know you talked a little bit about some sleep and your meditation practice, but is there anything else you’d like to share that you feel are especially supporting this phase while you’re in an active flare?

Lynn Rester: I have managed to stick with the diet and the exercise routine that I have to stay with. The AIP diet and some exercises that I can tolerate. I have a bad ankle and a bad knee and a bad back, a couple things that that prevent me from doing certain workouts, but I do what I can and I’m consistent with it. That’s important, so I’ve kept those, and I’ve really focused in on the stress management and the sleep.

And I’ve tried also some healing frequency music and I just go on YouTube and there’s tons of them there. And it’s just very relaxing and calming what your immune system needs is to be calm and get rid of stress and be able to sleep better.

Mickey Trescott: Thank you for sharing. I’m actually struck by how much you’re leaning into the lifestyle pieces. I think a lot of people listening who might know we are AIP Certified Coaches and nutrition professionals. They might assume that it always starts with diet and food, but I think the longer that we do this, you realize a lot of the vulnerability with autoimmune disease comes with protecting your sleep and those lifestyle routines.

It’s really interesting to hear that you’re really digging into that as the primary area while you’re going through this flare instead of making yourself try harder in the diet. Which, once you learn how to do some of these diet pieces, they become not super hard. But I really enjoy hearing about that, ’cause that’s what happens to me too, when I’m not feeling my best.

[00:09:15] Lynn’s Advice For Feeling Stuck With Persistent Issues

Mickey Trescott: For anybody listening who is dealing with a chronic or recurring issue and just feeling stuck in the middle, what advice do you have for them? What do you want them to know right now?

Lynn Rester: First not to ever give up. Hope is something that we have to have, It’s the bridge that leads us through our suffering. Never give up hope, and to never give up looking for your root causes. They’re different for everybody. To make sure to find a way to fit in all of the lifestyle components. Not just the diet, the exercise but the sleep, the stress management and the connections of all types. And when you do these things your body does respond.

If you’ve got a good healthcare team in place, that’s great, If you don’t, work on putting that in place cause you’ll need that too for support. There’ll be some things that they can help that you can’t do on your own. Learn to be your own health advocate, you know your body better than anybody else does, live your life with intention, let your choices be in alignment with your health goals and just to know that it’s going to be okay!

[00:10:17] Gratitude and Takeaways From Lynn’s Journey

Mickey Trescott: So much wisdom there. Thank you so much, Lynn. I really want to express gratitude for sharing this season of your journey with us. I think we can all appreciate your honesty and the care that you bring to the way that you’re listening and supporting your body, especially while this is unfolding for you.

And for anybody listening, finding yourself nodding along, I want you to know that being in the middle of something without clear answers isn’t a sign that you’re doing anything wrong. It’s often where the real work of healing happens, even when it doesn’t look dramatic from the outside. I hope that today our conversation offered a little bit of steadiness or permission, maybe even just a reminder that you’re not alone in navigating these quieter or harder seasons.

[00:11:03] Share Your Flare to Flow Story

Mickey Trescott: And if you’re somebody who is currently moving through a flare, a transition, or a challenging chapter. If you feel called to share your experience, I would definitely love to hear from you. You can reach out by emailing me at [email protected], let me know a little bit about what you’re navigating right now, maybe we can feature you in a future Flare to Flow conversation about real life in real time, and your story might be exactly what somebody else needs to hear.

[00:11:29] Connect With Lynn

Mickey Trescott: And Lynn, thanks again. I would love to give you the opportunity to let everybody know, where can they find you online in case they want to connect with you?

Lynn Rester: My website is HealthyEatingAndLifePlans.com. I’m on Facebook, I have Healthy Eating and Life Plans Facebook business page, and then I have my personal Facebook page and my Instagram is Lynn Watson Rester.

Mickey Trescott: Thank you so much, Lynn. We’re really grateful for your sharing today and I hope you guys can check out some of Lynn’s work and join me in sending her some healing vibes for what she’s navigating right now.

And thank you guys so much for listening and we’ll see you in the next episode.

Lynn Rester: Oh thank you for having me Mickey I appreciate it.