Stories of Recovery Index
AIP Stories of Recovery is a success story series about regular people from the Autoimmune Protocol community who are changing their lives using the protocol.
Each month a new person is featured and readers have the opportunity to discover all the different health challenges that are being overcome by folks just like themselves on the same path. At Autoimmune Wellness, we hope you’ll be inspired by, empathize with, and learn from these stories. If you are interested in sharing your story, please let us know by filling out our interest form.
2022
January 2022 // Mallory, PCOS, Hashimotos, Reynaud’s, eczema
Mallory was diagnosed with her first autoimmune condition — PCOS — fairly early in life, but it wasn’t until adulthood that she realized not all her symptoms could be attributed to it. Hashimoto’s and Reynaud’s diagnoses soon followed, and after discovering The Paleo Approach, Mallory’s healing really took off.
February 2022 // Ela, ulcerative colitis
Ela was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after nine months of symptoms, but just because she had a diagnosis didn’t mean she got better right away. Her doctor prescribed multiple medications but her condition only worsened. After a year, Ela discovered AIP and was eventually able to get off some of her medications.
March 2022 // Preksha, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Preksha illness is unique and rare, and the pain many folks with this condition experience is said to be higher than childbirth or amputation. Survival a significant feat. For Preksha, the severity meant she had to drop out of college for a time, but thanks to AIP and other holistic treatments, she’s now finishing up her bachelor’s degree!
April 2022 // Stephanie, Hashimoto’s, Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD), Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
In addition to her autoimmune diagnoses, Stephanie speaks of the social, emotional and mental health aspects of living chronic illness in her Story of Recovery. Ultimately, it was the decision to leave her stressful job in landscape architecture that helped reduce her stress levels, and kickstart her healing.
May 2022 // Zofia, lyme disease, chronic fatigue
Zofia dealt with health issues her whole life. But when she moved from her home country of Poland to the US, her health took a turn for the worse. At her lowest, Zofia was unable to move from her couch due to extreme fatigue and chronic pain. After only three months of eating AIP, Zofia’s chronic pain and fatigue were gone!
June 2022 // Lana, ankylosing spondylitis
Lana’s autoimmune experience involves the psychological challenge of identifying as an athlete, and learning to redefine her expectations for her body. When her college tennis career caused back pain, it took nearly three years to receive her diagnosis. Now, Lana has turned her experience into a career as a Functional Health Coach.
July 2022 // Kate, Hashimoto’s, Wegener’s Granulomatosis
Kate’s Hashimoto’s symptoms improved initially thanks to thyroid replacement therapy, but over time they just seemed to be getting worse. As a medical doctor, Kate was interested in holistic health and determined to get to the bottom of her symptoms. In 2020, she devoted herself fully to diet and lifestyle therapies and has reversed many of her symptoms as a result.
August 2022 // Laurane, ankylosing spondylitis
Despite six months of intense back pain, Laurane’s MRIs and blood markers came out normal, according to her doctors. When the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis finally came, she was relieved to know the answer but disheartened when she was told that it “could only get worse.” As you can imagine, Laurane proved those doctors wrong.
September 2022 // Kim, Graves’, Hashimoto’s, celiac disease
Kim thought the fatigue and strange symptoms she had been feeling for years were just signs of aging or the stress of her high-pressure job. It took a severe health scare and hospitalization to uncover her diagnoses of Graves’, Hashimoto’s and celiac disease. In the years since, it’s been her strong conviction in her body’s ability to heal that has gotten her into remission.
2021
January 2021 // Bonnie, hidradenitis suppurativa
Bonnie remembers spotting her first symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa as a teenager, but never talked about them. 25 years later, after seeing the condition represented on TV, she pursued more information, discovered AIP and began a steady journey to clear skin.
February 2021 // Nick, reactive arthritis
Nick never anticipated a bad case of food poisoning would lead to a lifelong joint condition. His doctor diagnosed him with reactive arthritis and after a few years of experimentation, Nick finally achieved remission thanks to diet and lifestyle approaches.
March 2021 // Ryan, uveitis
Ryan has been managing uveitis for more than 10 years with daily steroid use. This side effects caused his vision started to deteriorate, Ryan explored other options. Adrenal-balancing diets such as AIP helped him come off steroids completely.
April 2021 // Darlene, Hashimoto’s, syncope
After suffering without a correct diagnosis for more than 20 years, Darlene felt broken. Out of desperation, she began experimenting with diet and lifestyle shifts and discovered that AIP worked wonders for her. Five years later, her new doctor didn’t even believe she had AI disease!
May 2021 // Camrey, Hashimoto’s, antiphospholipid syndrome, adenomyosis
At her lowest, Camrey had hardly enough energy to take a shower and didn’t know if she’d live to see her sons grow up. It was 6 months of AIP and an effective thyroid replacement medication that finally made her feel like herself again.
June 2021 // Lee, anxiety, hyperacusis, lichen sclerosis, endometriosis, arthritis
Many of Lee’s health issues felt sensitive to talk about, which made it even harder for them to seek medical advice and created an added burden. Their story of recovery involves both physical healing and mental health approaches.
July 2021 // Parker, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis
When Parker was 28, he remembers asking himself if his constant exhaustion and mobility challenges would be his new normal. SAD to AIP helped him fully transition to AIP, and he has since started his own AIP-friendly convenience food company, LoveBird Foods.
August 2021 // Beth, endometriosis, eczema, leaky gut, food sensitivities, hypothyroidism, candida, SIBO
Initially, Beth’s wide-ranging symptoms led doctors to believe she might have cancer. Beth knows was it means to feel hopeless about healing, so she’s got wonderful wisdom to share around keeping a positive mindset.
September 2021 // Grace, celiac disease
Grace spent years with symptoms that doctors told her these were just physical manifestations of poor mental health. She took the medication they prescribed, only to find out later that a lot of it actually hurt her health and celiac disease was the real culprit.
October 2021 // Sandy, Hashimoto’s
In addition to managing symptoms of Hashimoto’s for years without a diagnosis, Sandy has also dealt with crushing infertility. In fact, it was her disillusionment over her inability to conceive that led her to her diagnosis with Hashimoto’s.
2020
January 2020 // Jennifer, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Jennifer’s symptoms came on quickly and without warning. A handful of medical treatments that caused unbearable side effects prompted her to look for alternative approaches to wellness. That’s when she found AIP.
February 2020 // Michelle, palmoplantar pustulosis
Michelle’s diagnosis affected only her hands and feet, but digestive symptoms and mental health were a significant part of her journey. Today, she is grateful to AIP for bringing her the most peace and emotional stability she’s felt in her life.
March 2020 // Phoebe. postural tachycardia syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis
Phoebe’s road to recovery has been winding. Her symptoms ranged from numbness and pain to migraines and a racing heart. Food was a big part of Phoebe’s recovery, but it wasn’t the only part.
April 2020 // Brooke, celiac refractory disease
Brooke had convinced herself that frequent cross contamination was the cause of her continued celiac symptoms. It wasn’t until a doctor diagnosed her with celiac refractory disease and introduced her to AIP that she realized going gluten-free was just the first step.
May 2020 // Siri, rheumatoid arthritis
Beginning in high school, Siri dealt with joint pain, swelling and digestive issues on a regular basis. After beginning her biochemistry degree, she saw parallels between what she was learning and her own illness experience.
June 2020 // Carissa, Hashimoto’s, chronic pain
Carissa’s story began in her teens when doctors explained away her laundry list of symptoms. After pregnancies sent her body into total overwhelm, Carissa found a practitioner who finally helped her get to the bottom of her pain.
July 2020 // Katie, mixed connective tissue disease, lupus, dermatomyositis, Raynaud’s, celiac disease
Katie doesn’t shy away from describing the amount of darkness she felt when her health was at rock bottom. It was this very website that introduced Katie to someone who had recovered from one of her rare AI diseases.
August 2020 // Jillian, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia
Jillian’s story begins the way many of ours do: debilitating symptoms with frustratingly few options for treatment. But the way her story unfolds gives us a striking glimpse into the ways trauma can impact our physical bodies.
September 2020 // Joan Claire, undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, hypothyroidism, autoimmune uveitis, pyroluria
Joan Claire’s story is a beautiful illustration of the way following our intuition and personal values plays a big role in long-term wellness. Mindset and emotional work have been central to her recovery, especially at points when she was at a “plateau”.
October 2020 // Dana, gluten ataxia, eosinophilic esophagitis, IBS-D, SIBO, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism
By the time Dana was in grad school, her health had deteriorated so much she was afraid she wouldn’t make it to her 30th birthday. Instead of joining an architecture firm, she spent two determined years getting to the bottom of her health issues. Her turnaround is miraculous.
2019
January 2019 // Jodi, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lyme, chronic inflammatory response syndrome
Jodi had one of the most miraculous recoveries we’ve ever seen! For almost a year, she attempted to end her rapid weight gain with diet and exercise, but it wasn’t until she discovered a Hashimoto’s Facebook group that her life changed forever.
February 2019 // Jennifer, mixed connective tissue disease
Before Jennifer was diagnosed, her symptoms had gotten so severe she could hardly open a bottle of water. When her doctors wanted to increase her medication dosage, she knew there had to be a better way.
March 2019 // Shanna, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Just days after receiving her diagnosis and being told that a lifetime on medication was her only option, she discovered AIP and began the protocol immediately. Shanna’s story is proof that the tide is turning!
April 2019 // Jarrett, primary sclerosing cholangitis
Jarrett’s story is nothing short of miraculous. After being diagnosed with a autoimmune disease whose only conventional treatment is organ transplant, Jarrett spent years withering away. AIP brought him from near-death to 95% recovery.
May 2019 // Sabrina, Hashimoto’s
Sabrina received her diagnosis at age 15, which meant that she could hardly remember life without exhaustion and brain fog. Six weeks after discovering AIP, Sabrina reduced her synthetic thyroid dosage for the first time in her life.
June 2019 // Maureen, psoriatic arthritis, chronic urticaria, infertility, IBS, eczema
Even though Maureen’s primary symptom was joint pain, her flares coincided with many other issues from itchy skin to infertility. Luckily, Maureen found AIP when her prescriptions were failing and has experienced an incredible turnaround.
July 2019 // Megan, narcolepsy, hypothyroidism, severe adrenal fatigue
After being diagnosed with severe adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism, it was clear that the Adderall (an addictive amphetamine) Megan was taking to treat her narcolepsy was either causing her other illnesses or making them worse.
August 2019 // Shona, Lyme disease
It took Shona three years to receive the correct diagnosis (Lyme disease) for what felt like a never-ending flu. Within days of starting AIP, her persistent lung congestion cleared and she knew she was finally on the right track.
September 2019 // Jessa, Reynaud’s and Lupus
Facing a lifetime on steroids after her diagnosis with Reynaud’s and likely Lupus, Jessa leaned on Google for alternative treatments. She has made an amazing turnaround thanks to AIP.
October 2019 // Sierra, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
After the pain from an ankle sprain spread and spiraled into brain fog and depression, Sierra knew she had something bigger going on. An integrative medicine group program introduced her the approaches to healing that finally worked.
2018
January 2018 // Janel, lupus, polymyalgia rheumatica, Raynaud’s syndrome, arthritis
Janel’s fast-paced life kept her from acknowledging the bone-crushing pain that was slowly becoming severe. A 180-degree shift in Janel’s lifestyle brought her to the medication-free relief she was seeking.
February 2018 // Jennifer, eczema, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Jennifer had always suffered from allergies, but a dental procedure threw her body into an autoimmune flare that became so unbearable, she considered ending her own life. Her determination to climb back to health makes this story unforgettable.
March 2018 // Megan, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
For Megan, eating healthy and exercising were never an issue. It wasn’t until her energy took a nosedive that she realized her attachment to “health” may not have been healthy.
April 2018 // Kirstin, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Kirstin’s diagnosis journey began with slow, gradual loss of muscle control and motor skills. Coupled with a devastating breakup, Kirstin’s “rock-bottom” moment was one we can only imagine. This story reads like fiction, but it’s anything but.
May 2018 // Kerri and Brenda, multiple sclerosis and lichen sclerosis
A special Mother’s Day edition of Stories of Recovery in which Kerri and her mother, Brenda, describe the process of discovering and beginning to manage their autoimmune conditions within weeks of each other.
June 2018 // Kerry Jeffrey, Hashimoto’s, antiphospholipid syndrome, celiac disease
Though the experimented with conventional treatments, it was Kerry’s own resourcefulness and determination that got her back to health. Regardless of your diagnosis, Kerry’s story will be a great inspiration and template for your own recovery.
July 2018 // Jan Steele, celiac disease
Despite being diagnosed with Celiac disease at age four, it wasn’t until adulthood that Jan understood what full-on autoimmune healing meant. As a new mother, it wasn’t just her own needs she had to attend to but her growing family’s.
August 2018 // Kirstie Muttitt, Hashimoto’s, endometriosis
Kirstie had convinced herself that her brain fog, crippling exhaustion and intensely painful periods were normal. Medication brought some relief, but it was the diet and lifestyle shifts she made that had the biggest impact.
September 2018 // Anna Korbel, celiac disease, scleroderma, Raynaud’s
Anna doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenging social and emotional aspects of living with three chronic illnesses. She’s constantly grateful to have reached a place of balance thanks to medication and lifestyle changes.
October 2018 // Indira Shyju, rheumatoid arthritis
Despite the very active lifestyle, it only took a matter of weeks for pain and inflammation to completely sideline Indira. As you’ll read, impact of the AIP on Indira’s health has been remarkable.
November 2018 // Astrid Fox, ulcerative colitis
Despite receiving a diagnosis relatively fast, Astrid was not spared the severe pain and discomfort that ulcerative colitis can bring. Astrid knew from the beginning that she wanted to avoid pharmaceuticals, which is how she stumbled upon AIP.
2017
January 2017 // Lyndsey, polyarteritis nodosa
When Lyndsey’s doctors couldn’t make sense of her disparate symptoms, she cycled through incorrect diagnoses. Her recovery has been slow going, which makes her turnaround even more inspirational.
February 2017 // Vickie, myasthenia gravis, epilepsy
Vickie’s wellness journey began more than 40 years ago when, at age 14, she was diagnosed with epilepsy. It wasn’t until 2015 that she finally found her perfect balance of conventional, natural and self-led treatments.
March 2017 // Sarah, lichen sclerosis, hypothyroidism, eczema, psoriasis
It was the stress of labor that brought about a cascade of seemingly unrelated symptoms for Sarah. A Google search pointed her to Autoimmune Wellness and thirty days later, the symptoms she’d been battling for years had completely disappeared.
June 2017 // Madi, lupus, Sjögren’s Syndrome, colitis, Raynaud’s, celiac disease
When Madi, an active student and avid traveler, was bedridden for two months in immobilizing pain, she wondered if her spirit would ever recover. After just a year on the AIP, Madi’s biggest comeback has been in her mental and emotional life.
July 2017 // Christina, Adult-onset Still’s disease
In order to get her life back, Christina needed to become her own wellness advocate — at just 18 years old. It wasn’t until she learned and found the confidence to seek the therapies that were right for her that she got her life back.
August 2017 // Cindy, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid removal
Cindy’s medical education taught her more about what doesn’t work than what does. It took seeking multiple alternative therapies for Cindy to find the healing routine that works for her.
September 2017 // Katie, hypothyroidism
Katie’s autoimmune journey begins with trauma in her early life, leading to weight loss, weight gain, falling “off the wagon” and getting “back on” for many years.
October 2017 // Emily, Celiac disease, collagenous colitis
Sugar and junk food were a big part of Emily’s diet until May 2016 when her health crashed seemingly overnight. It wasn’t until she attempted a Whole 30 and her symptoms worsened that the words “autoimmune disease” entered her life.
November 2017 // Emma, glomerulonephritis, Hashimoto’s, lichen simplex
Emma’s biggest allies in recovery have been community and plants. Finding roommates who were healing autoimmune disease like she was, along with the wisdom of her herbalist background, have ushered a remarkable return to health.
2016
January 2016 // Nick, psoriatic arthritis, ankolysing spondylitis, and enthesitis
Even after the AIP helped Nick regain his health, knee surgery sent him into a flare and required him to rethink his relationship with medication, his doctors and his body.
February 2016 // Meg, celiac, chronic fatigue, IBS
Meg had been living with severe symptoms for as long as she could remember but doctors continued to tell her they were “all in her head.” That’s when she took healing into her own hands.
March 2016 // Jacqueline, mixed connective tissue disease
Jacqueline was an eager college student when she found herself bedridden. An outstanding practitioner helped her understand her body’s signals and regain the spark she thought she’d lost forever.
April 2016 // Andrea, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia syndrome
In her 20s, Andrea exercised regularly and was baffled when her energy began to decline and her joint pain increased. Soon she was almost completely sedentary. SAD to AIP in SIX was the relief she’d been seeking for nearly two decades.
May 2016 // Daniella, PCOS, hypothyroidism
Daniella spent years trying every natural remedy under the sun, but it wasn’t until she embraced the AIP’s lifestyle components that her health finally improved — and she became pregnant.
June 2016 // Matthew, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, chronic nausea
Matthew’s research background meant he couldn’t help but take a scientific approach to his recovery. But while finding the “answer” was his goal, his greatest lesson has been that healing is not linear.
July 2016 // Stella, Crohn’s, alopecia areata
Stella’s transformation to health is nothing short of remarkable. Not only had she lost nearly 50% of her hair, but undiagnosed Crohn’s disease left her colon nearly completely obstructed.
August 2016 // Sarah, Graves’ disease
Sarah had zero cooking experience when she began, and it took serious dedication (and help from her family) to get over the learning curve. Judging by her most recent blood tests, the hard work was well worth it.
October 2016 // Vivek, Hashimoto’s, IBS
Not only is Vivek one of the few men to have grown up with a diagnosed autoimmune disease, but he’s also using his experience to design an app that will connect the community in an entirely new way.
2015
January 2015 // David, lupus
In two months, David went from playing guitar in his church band to being unable to push the call button for his hospital nurse. The AIP not only helped him become pain-free, but also lose over 70 pounds.
February 2015 // Cherene, Hashimoto’s
Cherene’s symptoms of weight gain, hair loss, night sweats, and extreme mood swings responded to the Levothroid her endocrinologist prescribed, but it wasn’t until she started the AIP that her fatigue finally went away.
March 2015 // Jolaine, ankylosing spondylitis and hypothyroidism
Jolaine’s struggle with multiple autoimmune disease involved years of painful, 100% disability. Her psychological journey is just as inspiring as her physical one.
April 2015 // Nona, Hashimoto’s, eczema, blepharitis, and asthma
Nona was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s fairly early, but even with medication, her fatigue, weight gain and hair loss persisted. Diet made all the difference.
May 2015 // Julie, chronic idiopathic urticaria and angioedema
Julie literally woke up one day with hives and swelling so severe that they left her unrecognizable. Her recovery is particularly dramatic, because it is visible.
June 2015 // Laura, rheumatoid arthritis
Laura’s life turned upside down when a swollen knee turned out to be rheumatoid arthritis. After years on medication, followed by the changes of motherhood, she found her symptoms getting more severe. Until she changed her diet.
July 2015 // Mitch, Hashimoto’s, celiac, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis
Mitch’s path includes some of the deepest forms of transformation a person can explore on their way to wellness. They haven’t stopped him from seeking not only healing, but also his truest self.
August 2015 // Brandi, Crohn’s disease
Brandi didn’t talk to anyone about her crippling digestive symptoms; she thought they were “normal.” It wasn’t until she began healing from Crohn’s Disease and three simultaneous infections that she realized what “normal” really feels like.
September 2015 // Adina, hypogammaglobulinemia, colitis
Adina spent more than a decade visiting every kind of healer, but her rare condition baffled them all. Learn how she went from distrust and frustration with her body, to acceptance and grace.
October 2015 // Ryan, Hashimoto’s
Allergies, lethargy, low body temperature, skin legions — Ryan’s seemingly unrelated symptoms baffled doctors for years. It was at his darkest hour that Ryan’s research finally led him toward autoimmunity.
