A 30-yr journey thru autoimmune & motherhood and the faith, hope and resilience that got her through

Ali: Hello everybody, welcome back to the autoimmune podcast, the autoimmune mom podcast. my name's Allie, and today I have a special guest with us, Misty. Misty is what's your tagline on socials? The evidence of more? Evidence of more. Evidence

misty landry: Evidence of war, uh-huh.

Ali: of more. and that's how we met on Instagram, and she's here to share her story of autoimmune disease, motherhood, and all the in-between. So welcome, Misty. Thank you so much for being here. Awesome.

misty landry: I'm excited to be here.

Ali: So let us let's talk about who you were kind of prior to all of your health issues. When when did this start from you? We have a gamut of responses to that question. Some it's as a baby and other or young child children and others, it was a year ago. So let's start with that. Okay. well I was dying dose when I was twenty

misty landry: Yeah. Okay. well, I was diagnosed when I was twenty three.

Ali: three. But okay, so who were you prior to diagnosis? What age were you, and leading up to the diagnosis, what was your situation?

misty landry: Okay. well I was twenty three. I'm gonna be fifty three, next month. So three decades. Long time.

Ali: Wow. Well you look fabulous. You don't look fifty three at all.

misty landry: well thank you. yeah, so twenty-three, I had had my wisdom teeth out and got a bad infection. And my belief is that's what triggered the autoimmune response. And within a week or two, I was just my joint pain was so bad. Now no doctor has ever told me that that was the was the trigger, but just my all of my research and reading. that's what I believe is and I think I did have some subtle signs of it in college prior to that, but I think that was the big trigger for me and it just

Ali: Interesting that you say that because I've seen before a lot of research about like root canals and infections in the mouth that lead to certain cancers and and autoimmune diseases. So I I always say that there's probably not one thing that like triggered everything, but like

misty landry: Mm-hmm.

Ali: our genetics, our lifestyle, our situation at the thing. But there is one thing that kinda like pushes it over the edge. So it's interesting that you

misty landry: It did. Yeah, that's

Ali: think that too.

misty landry: I mean, that's what I believe. I definitely had some things in college and even in high school. I had braces, four teeth pulled, and because my mouth is small, and it wasn't long after that I started having jaw pain. So I had TMJ. I had I was diagnosed with that in high school and I did steroid injections, chiropractic, trying to fix that. And then in college I did start to have some hand pain. but just not not anything that I was trying to get a diagnosis over. You know, it just felt like it was, you know, use. Yeah. And then

Ali: it's just kind of one thing after the other. Like

misty landry: that but that at twenty three when I had those teeth pulled, it just the infection just seemed to put it over the edge. So was really, you know, when I was Finally diagnosed. I mean it took a while of t of course to figure it out.

Ali: And what was your official diagnosis?

misty landry: rheumatoid arthritis. Yeah.

Ali: so you're twenty years old. Are you married?

misty landry: Twenty three. Mm-hmm.

Ali: Are you dating? Are you like where are you in your life with that?

misty landry: I I actually was out of college for a couple of years and I had moved back home to a small town in northwest Oklahoma and opened a floral and gift shop. So it was a tough time because I was using my hands all the time and like a lot every day all the time. And so it was difficult those first few years and managing it and finding the right treatment, I did all the things. I did all the things. mean I did naturopath, acupuncture, went to Mexico, which was the most ridiculous mistake, really, because all they did was put me on a load of steroids and I didn't know what it was. Until I stopped taking it and you don't just stop taking steroids. So that threw me in a whole nother big

Ali: I'm sorry, you w you said you went to Mexico for that? wow.

misty landry: I did, yes. Yeah. A doc a client of my mom, she was a hairdresser and a client of my mom's had gone and had such great results and all of this. And so we went, but they also gave you the medication. So I really didn't know what it was. did just give you bundles of it, you know. And I decided that I wasn't gonna go back. And so when I ran out of medication, it just stopped and So when I went to a family doctor and he actually looked looked raised up my shirt and looked at my stomach and he was just like I had stria, which is steroids. Like I was so puffed up. My face was so round and I had gained a ton of weight. and not knowing, like I didn't know I was on steroids, you know. I just took out of trust medication they gave. So that was a mistake. to go do that. after that I got with a rheumatologist. and then still went down all the other roads of acupuncture, naturopath and all of that. So

Ali: I I've done all that stuff too. So what was the big takeaway from that experience with Me in Mexico? Did you change

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: the way you started listening to doctors or advocating for yourself?

misty landry: I think that took a long time. I mean, I still, you know, trusted. I have some trust issues at this point in my life with doctors, to be frank. I guess I think I can figure it out better. I know I know my body best, and at this point in my life, I wish that in my twenties I knew that I should advocate for myself. I knew that I should deep dive if I needed to to listen to my body really and yeah so which I think it's easier to do that now because of because of social media because of just online I mean in my thirty years ago we didn't have that so yeah

Ali: No, we definitely didn't. It's interesting that you say that because about not trusting doctors and having doc like you know your body better. Well, you've also lived with this for thirty years. So I don't know your doctor or whoever, but I wonder if they have thirty years in the practice of rheumatoid arthritis or i you know, like you actually probably have more experience than most of the people that you're sitting with and you definitely know your body better. and

misty landry: Right.

Ali: that's not to say we don't need doctors and that we shouldn't listen to them, but our voices

misty landry: Are you

Ali: matter.

misty landry: yeah.

Ali: And our experiences matter. And I think a lot of times we get to a point where we just feel like so awful and we're in a doctor's office and we're just looking for answers and praying for for something to work. And you just like, okay, whatever, t like I'll take it. But then as I've had this 17 years, so as I've gotten into it, it's like No, I don't want to do this. I know it's not gonna work. I've like done this road before, I've done the pretensal, I've I've been down this road, I've tried it, I've done all these things, and that matters just as much as, you know, the doctor and everything else. So I I really

misty landry: Definitely.

Ali: I can relate to that and I appreciate that part of your story.

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I think it is a lot finding a doctor that listens and that is proactive. Like I've been with rheumatologists for years and I would just get so done with them because I felt like it was just it will waste of my time to even go to the appointment. Like, so you're just you know, checking me out and renewing my my drug.

Ali: Prescription.

misty landry: not all I'm looking for. I'm looking for healing. I'm looking better than this. Just not

Ali: Right, right.

misty landry: a band-aid. So, and you know,

Ali: So

misty landry: I don't know if it's out there, but I still am hopeful that it is 30 years.

Ali: I know. Well, if you have faith in the Lord and Savior, then there's always there's always a chance. That's my that's my tunnel vision

misty landry: Yes. Right.

Ali: look. but let's go back to your you're 20 years old. I'm curious because I knew my husband when I was diagnosed. We were not married. But like I I know that there are some people in here that I've spoken to, like young mothers who, you know, are single mothers and They're very concerned about being able to find somebody who will accept them with this disease. I wonder if you

misty landry: I mean

Ali: felt that way at all, if you thought that that was.

misty landry: Hmm. I guess I didn't really have that fear. I like I said, I was 23. I owned a floral and gift shop in a small town. I was not dating anybody at that time. wasn't anybody to date in my small town. then I sold that business and moved to Oklahoma City. had that for five years. And within about a year of living in Oklahoma City, I met my husband. We only dated for five months and got married. And but I that wasn't really I don't know. I don't think I ever thought of like, gosh, is somebody gonna accept me because of this, you know? I I don't know. And I was functioning pretty well by that time, with the drugs that I was on at the time. So I guess maybe that just didn't cross my mind. I mean, maybe maybe

Ali: Good.

misty landry: early earliest on I might have. because I definitely prayed for. That person. So

Ali: Well, it's interesting too because I think even when I was diagnosed seventeen years ago, the internet was not I mean the internet was a a the internet, but it wasn't as readily medical like, you know, I think WebMD was like there and that just scared

misty landry: Right.

Ali: every everybody knew don't check Web D, you'll you're gonna be dying. But now it's just like information overload. You can get

misty landry: Yes.

Ali: it from anybody anywhere. This person has the treatment, this person is selling this and this and this, and So I would assume back when you were diagnosed, it that wasn't a thing either. So sometimes

misty landry: Right.

Ali: I think community is so great and the internet is so great and social media is so great for connecting. But sometimes it's very hard to separate from all the negativity and the disinformation and all of that kind of information. So I think we were almost blessed to not have the internet right at our fingers when we were young and diagnosed. Because I was twenty

misty landry: Mm. Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: nine and forty

misty landry: Mm-hmm.

Ali: seven.

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: So it's about 17 years. e whatever, I forget. But either way,

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: you know, I it it's very hard now when you have a a person gets diagnosed with one of these disease rheumatoid arthritis or something else, or PCOS, or whatever it is, and they go on the internet and it's like you see mangled hands and cr you know, miserable people and everybody's just so hard and negative and yes, that's all part of it. And I'm not saying we need to gloss over it all, but there's a part of me that's very grateful that we didn't have all of the information that

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: we have now.

misty landry: Right. Yeah, it it's good and bad. It can take a lot of time trying to deep dive. Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: exactly. Exactly. let's talk about family Let's talk a little bit about your family life with you and and autoimmune disease and how you managed all that.

misty landry: well the other thing that I had, so I got married at at twenty nine and then I had a huge reaction to birth control pills, which I never had started taking until a month before we got married. Gained 20 pounds immediately. so I was and I was on those probably for only about eight months because I realized it was a problem for me. And Then within a year later, I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. And

Ali: god.

misty landry: and that was kind of a huge blow. Not kind of, it was. I was putting my makeup on on the way to work. One well that's terrible. I was putting my mascara on on the way to work and noticed that my eyes were yellow and I mean we

Ali: my gosh.

misty landry: knew something was wrong. And so got with the doctor he thought I had anxiety. He didn't well I take that back. A few weeks before this happened, I went to a family my family doctor at the time and he just thought I had anxiety. I told him something was off, something was wrong. And we we were no longer patient doctor after I left that appointment because he just was totally he he thought I had anxiety. And at that time,

Ali: Writing you off.

misty landry: anxiety was not okay. You know, it was There was a stigma around it at that point, you know, it twenty years ago. And so I was very unhappy. And then within a week later, that was the yellow. And so I called my rheumatologist at the time, and she's the one who actually diagnosed me and figured out what was wrong. so then I had all that happen. So I was about four years into our marriage at the time, and so that was It was a lot and I was starting real estate business and just a lot, a lot going on at that time. but we got it managed. you know, my doctor, he was young, he was probably close to my age, so it was like a really good relationship with the that doctor and you know he basically was like, you know, a lot of people who have autoimmune hepatitis end up having to have a liver. transplant. And so I was very fortunate because I didn't, but I also was on a lot of drugs. Again, prednisome that I hate. I hate that drug so much. But it also serves a purpose.

Ali: Mm-hmm.

misty landry: but it was just too long for me. but we did finally find

Ali: Well it is poison. It's not it's not I mean, yes,

misty landry: Healing.

Ali: you need it when you need it. Like I'm taking two and a half milligrams a day right now. which is

misty landry: Yeah. And that's manageable. the maximum and then coming down all I mean, yeah.

Ali: It's so bad. It's so bad. I don't think people realize it jacks your immune system way, way, way, way, way, way up. And then when you come off of it, you're like, it's like an

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: Good. Not good. but anyway.

misty landry: Yeah, those big megadoses can I mean I remember putting Christmas up in October and just being the energizer bunny, but I was

Ali: Yes.

misty landry: also huge. You know, I was like very round, you know, the moon face and the things like gained so much weight and so it was it was a lot. But we finally find found, you know, got it under control and managed and I was on such a low dose finally and I had lost some weight and I really felt confident from the Lord that I could possibly get pregnant. I also in the meantime, let me back up, had also been been diagnosed with PCOS as well. So this is all it between 30 and 35. And so my husband didn't really know, but I was gonna try to get pregnant. He happened to be

Ali: No basis.

misty landry: yeah, he happened to be in between jobs. And so we got pregnant. And he had a little extra time. And I had a mission. we did get pregnant. they immediately took me off a couple of drugs that probably I shouldn't have been on to be that mission bound, but I know that the Lord gave me a piece that. it was time and that I would be able to because, you know, the gynecologist said I probably would need help or wouldn't get pregnant. And so we got pregnant and I had her when I was 35 and had a high risk pregnancy because of all of the stuff. But it went well and I've probably felt better than I had when I was pregnant. And but within about forty-five days after I had her, whoosh, you know, all of it was back. really the rheumatoid during all of the autoimmune hepatitis was I was good. I felt good physically because I was on so much remisome and other drugs. So I mean at least I physically felt decent, but and yet in other physical ways I did not. So yeah. The

Ali: You didn't have the pain you have with rheumatoid is what I'm kind of reading the line.

misty landry: crippling, hand, elbow, shoulder, you know, all of that. So so anyway, got my got my girl and that was the you know, that was the goal. So you know, there's a lot of things that I would love for it to have been different as she grew up. But that's one thing is she's a senior right now that I'm just praying that you know that scripture that says that he'll redeem the years the locusts have eaten. And I mean, we've had a good life, but she's had a good childhood. So God gives grace and a covering for that. And my husband and I make a pretty good team, I think. And he was able when I wasn't, and I've been an energizer bunny the last few years and I think made up for it a lot in a lot of ways when she's really needed me and known she's needed me, you know. So

Ali: One of the things I think to be the truth, because I've had those days where I'm just like, I'm not a good mother. Like because I'm not the mother I thought I was going to be, that doesn't mean that I'm a bad mother. It doesn't make their life worse. In fact, I think our kids are better off for it. They're more empathetic. They're more aware of their bodies because their loved one, their mother, is can't ignore her body.

misty landry: You mentioned. Yeah.

Ali: Did it well more like like if you're like me, you ignored your body for a long time and it got you into a big mess. And like my kids are not like that. They so I think the f the biggest takeaway for me is like I just needed to forgive myself that I wasn't gonna give the kids the life that I thought I was gonna give them. And like that's okay. They're getting a good life, they have a good childhood. You know, I didn't do all the things I thought I was gonna do. but I have faith that there's a reason for it all. And we may not see it on this side, but hopefully it all becomes crystal clear at some point on the other side. So I I really

misty landry: Yeah, I think

Ali: understand that and that the emotion behind that. It took it takes a long time to get there. I mean, my girls are four fourteen and thirteen, so they're lit when they're little and it's so hands-on, you're so physically needed that it's really hard.

misty landry: Mm-hmm.

Ali: It's really, really and no one sees it.

misty landry: Yeah. I feel like there's one time I just remember my mom and I were gonna take her to the zoo and on the way I just looked at her and was like, I just can't. I just don't feel like it, you know, and I didn't want to disappoint her. but all we had to do was stay positive and we took her to the park. And that was just that was what I could handle that day, know? And she was

Ali: I should probably be the best thing ever.

misty landry: She was happy as could be, you know. It wasn't a disappointment to her. It was about how we position positioned it, I think, you know. and when they're little you can kind of do that a little bit better than other times. But I don't know. For some reason that memory just has been on my mind lately that it it's it was okay, you know.

Ali: Okay. It was and she's gonna be great. I mean, I have a memory of taking my my kids are 14 months apart. So we went to this little preschool, library school thing, and parents would stay, and everybody was sitting down on the rug for like reading a book and I could not get down on the rug. Like I had to, I would had a hard enough time getting into the kids' little seats. Like I pulled one of their chairs over and sat in that, but everybody else is on the rug and everyone's playing with it. And like kids are in their lap and I'm like, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to get out of this chair. And it's like those little moments that stick in your head because you don't

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: want I didn't want to be embarrassed in front of everybody all these people I knew because most of them had no idea what I was living with. but

misty landry: I think that's the hard thing too with I don't know with rheumatoid, you know, speaking from that perspective is people you don't see it. You don't they don't know, you know, they don't know what your pain is, they don't have any idea. And I have a same memory like that too. Like I would help with the kids on Wednesday nights at church and we had no chairs. Like the The people who are helping were to get in the floor with kids. And I'm like, so every Wednesday I dreaded it. Like, it's embarrassing to get up out of the floor the way I get up out of the floor. Like, my ankles and knees and everything don't work like yours do. You know? And it was it's embarrassing, you know?

Ali: And you don't want people to feel bad for you and like offer to help you and do all the you don't want that either. You don't want the looks that you get. But

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: you want you just want to be normal, really. That's really all you want. You just want to feed into the background and be normal and enjoy your kids the way that they are. And

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: sometimes that's just it can't be done. I actually

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: shared that story with my kids recently and I I don't know that that was a good idea. They were like, they were so upset. They felt so bad. but now that they're now they're like it it it was good that I shared it because they have a different perspective of like what I actually did go through when they were little and the the little sacrifices that I make that they don't see and it gives them more empathy for other people. So

misty landry: Yeah. Right. Yeah. good.

Ali: So your daughter is a senior. Was she planning

misty landry: Yes, yes.

Ali: on going off to school?

misty landry: She actually wants to stay home. I mean sh go to school, but

Ali: But live at home.

misty landry: stay home. She was her idea. It would save money and we were all about that of course. Now that's a year away, so we'll see. I'm not like counting on it, but I it it's definitely calm me down about this being senior year. So I mean at at the very least, she does plan to stay local, so here in Oklahoma City. So it will at least be close by. But she's gonna stay home. So that's kind of it's it's definitely made me not quite as emotional this year, but still, you know, all those memories come up, on Facebook where you posted all the pictures and stuff that I can't believe. Yes, I cannot here. But

Ali: your senior senior Sunday pictures or all that stuff. It happens so fast. My daughter's a freshman and I'm even now sh we're doing homecoming. I'm like, what? What? We were just at preschool yesterday. How is this happening?

misty landry: Yes, yep. Right. Yeah.

Ali: So I'm curious what your treatment plan is now. Are you what do you are you what are you d what are you doing for treatments?

misty landry: Well, I mean, so the last three years I've been on a weight loss journey. so

Ali: Same.

misty landry: yeah, and I've lost about a hundred and fifty pounds. And

Ali: You go, girl.

misty landry: I've realized the progression that I went through when I did this because I did a a non invasive endoscopic sleeve and that was just the only weight loss procedure that ever I felt like would be something for me because of the autoimmune stuff. Because

Ali: Mm-hmm.

misty landry: of everything else my body had going on. I just never was comfortable with doing anything like that. You know, my even my liver doctor for the autoimmune hepatitis would tell me like you really should consider it, you know, and I just felt like all of the other procedures were too evasive for me. And I just didn't want any other issues to come up or, you know, since especially since I think the the root canal, yeah. So it was it was just a great thing. But the progression of adding food back in really made me realize I believe for me that sugar is the culprit of a lot of inflammation for me. And it probably is for a lot of people because I believe that, you know, I mean insulin resistance and it causes all these other autoimmune things.

Ali: Mm-hmm.

misty landry: a lot of disease actually and from what I've learned. And so I try to not, you know, have the whole sugar a lot of sugar. I probably have a lot of sugar free stuff that probably you know, they've always said was a problem. But I also learned through that that it wasn't a problem. It was the sugar, you know, during that progression. So I don't know, that was helpful. I think I had a lot of guilt, like I always drank too much Diet Coke. Like, I think people made you feel like it was your fault. somehow the rheumatoid was my fault somehow. I should lose weight. I should not drink Diet Coke. I you know, and I'm like, wait, so I should lose p weight but not drink just the guilt, I've let go a lot of that just in the whole process these last three years, and I think that's helped. but getting my weight off has definitely helped the rheumatoid. I am still on a couple of medications that I don't want to be on and I've tried to get off of them this year and I had to go back on one. plaquanil is I tried to cut that one down a little bit, but I had to it wasn't working for me. So had to add it back in and so I'm not on a lot at this time. I think my inflammation is really low. It's barely there. but the damage is. I think that's what I can't get in my brain that I'm probably gonna have to be on some of these drugs because of the damage. And that's frustrating 'cause I I was going for all the healing, you know? So

Ali: I it I it's interesting because the culture like in the early two thousands was very much just don't eat like do the AIP diet and make sure you're doing this and doing that and like don't have any chemicals and don't you have clean pro it was very you have the power to heal yourself with food and eliminating

misty landry: Mm-hmm.

Ali: toxins. I think we're starting to get away from that a little bit. Like it's Yes, the having a clean and healthy diet is is good for you. Yes, you know, probably slathering toxins all over your biggest organ, your skin is not the most beneficial thing. However, it's not going to heal you to stop all of that and to like i at one point it was I literally almost had an eating disorder because I like, Well, I can't eat this, I can't eat that, I can't do this, I c and then had fear if I did try something did sneak in by accident that

misty landry: Right.

Ali: you know it was very I don't the culture was just not great in the early 2000s. I don't know if you experienced

misty landry: Mm-hmm.

Ali: that too, but like you as you were saying, like this is your fault. And if you just would stop eating and drinking Diet Coke, you would be healed. Well, actually no. And I think we're learning that more with the GLP1 journey. It's like for the first time ever, people who are taking that are saying, like, food noise is gone in my brain. And the skinny people, and not that they're super healthy either, but the skinny people have never once had food noise constantly in the back of their heads. And you know, and actually some people can handle a little bit of sugar and some people really cannot. It's like very everybody's body is very different. And I think maybe we're slowly getting to that. Like, don't judge me because you don't know me and my body is very different than yours. maybe I'm wrong.

misty landry: Yeah. Everybody's different. Like it it's not a one size fits all with any health thing. Any health Yeah.

Ali: to say look we can all agree that peanut butter kills some people and is a good source of protein for others. So like

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: that's an that's a peanuts are like you know grow out of the plant the the ground or offer wherever the hell they grow up. And we're talking

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: medications and food like fake foods and things like that. Like why can we all see that this can be good for some people and bad for others but not like a blanket statement. So I agree with you on that one.

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah, I think I don't know, maybe that was partly my own mind telling me that, you know, about the the guilt of all of that. But it's not like I had some family member or some friend that was saying, you could fix this, you know. But I just think it was the general

Ali: No. I think it's in the media.

misty landry: feeling in the world at that time, like you said.

Ali: I do too.

misty landry: So

Ali: Well, the other thing I've always learned too is like what works for you today may not work for you next year. So be let's be grateful that this medication is now working, but like also let's be aware that this is more than likely not gonna last till the day you die. There will be highs and lows and and hills and valleys and and and all of that. and I think it's easier for me to like get through the harder times knowing that there are better times coming. It's just not it's not gonna be like

misty landry: yes. And it's it's it is hard to not get down when you are down, when you're

Ali: Yes.

misty landry: not feeling well. It's hard to keep your mind In a good space because you can get really down and discouraged and just stay stuck in that. Just did a video about that because it just is, you know. I mean, you just have to constantly be like, Okay, I'm better today than I was twenty years ago or whatever you have to do to keep your spirit fed and up. But

Ali: So what is your tricks for for that? It's a g I some days I'm good at it and some days I'm terrible at it. So maybe they

misty landry: My best days are when I get up, at least in the first hour of sunrise, and I get on my patio with my coffee and spend some time with the Lord and just yeah, praise and worship. I mean that's just if I don't start my day like that, it just I don't know, just doesn't go as well. So

Ali: Think I think a lot of that has to do with getting outside of us and getting into a better you know, a better person a better place, a better spa you know, just focusing on s on the Lord takes it away, takes less about you and more about him. And ultimately

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: that's what he wants anyways. But other if you don't do that, what what what would you be doing? Sitting on your couch, drinking your coffee, watching the news, which is like negative, miserable, awful, terrible

misty landry: Yeah. Or rushing out the door, you know, whatever it is. Like I don't make that space. It just things don't go as the day doesn't go as well, you know. also, like you said, especially if you've been feeling bad and you're constantly focusing on that. the distraction, I mean, it is, it's it's shifting your focus and not inward, but you know, outward, upward, whatever, you not

Ali: Right.

misty landry: just oneself. I think. Yeah, just the focus on wha what is going bad is gets us down, keeps us down. Yeah.

Ali: For sure. And that's not an easy thing to you know, I I it's a struggle every day and seventeen years later I I still have days where I just want to be miserable and feel bad for myself. And you really it's a muscle you have to flex to to focus outward. what can I do? You know, like you said, getting into scripture, spending time with the Lord. Those those are all I don't know how people do this life without the Lord, to be honest.

misty landry: I don't either.

Ali: it's kind of it's I would be depressed, I think. but

misty landry: Yeah, for sure.

Ali: so

misty landry: One thing I was going to mention on the autoimmune hepatitis, I was after nine years, I would they did say that I had I was in remission. And so like I mentioned earlier, the rheumatoid really was not not causing me issues during that time physically, but as soon as they took me off the tiny bit of drug that I was still on, I immediately flared. And it took me six months to get into a rheumatologist because I was not seeing one during that time. I was seeing the autoimmune doc you know, the hepatitis doctor. And so of course my family doctor just gave me a whole bunch of steroids so that I would not be, you know, but during that time I like gained more weight because the prednisone because I also was not feeling like moving. my

Ali: Mm-hmm.

misty landry: shoulders were in such bad pain that I would sit, you know, I would wake up and I'd move to the recliner. You know, I mean it was a terrible cycle for six months, you know, and to finally get into a rheumatologist. But I don't know. I'm thankful for where I'm at today. And I'm but I've had some bad days and so this summer and I don't know if I've got carpal tunnel. I d I'm waiting to see the doctor again. But something different's going on and I don't know. It's always something sometimes and that's that's what we're talking about. It's hard to

Ali: It is hard. It's hard

misty landry: But now

Ali: to balance life and work. And you can get like I I completely relate to you didn't see the rheumatologist while you were dealing with the hepatitis because I haven't had my thyroid checked for my thyroid disease in forever because I don't it's so and I and not to diminish anyone who has a thyroid issue, but it's secondary to the rheumatoid and I just kind of don't I don't have the capacity for another doctor, another appointment, another blood drop. What's that? Yes,

misty landry: Well so is that hypo. Is it hypothyroidism? Okay, let me speak to that. That also was the thing for me too. And I never gave it any credit. I never gave I never did. I was not consistent with the medication. I never had it checked hardly. until probably the last ten years or so. and I still don't give it a lot of credit for myself. But then I saw my daughter going through it. About I I I immediately knew something changed in her when she was six, five, five or six. And I started I've been on the path trying to get her straightened out. I mean it was like an instant instant change. And I just think hormones Are so not handled and it causes other disease. I don't know that that caused rheumatoid. I don't know. That's not what I'm saying, but I do think it has an effect. And because of her and me seeing inflammation on her and seeing and freaking out, you know, I mean, I finally set her down a year ago. I mean, it took me five years to get anybody to do anything about her thyroid. Because the pediatric was like, Yeah, it's okay. It was high whatever it needs to be. It hypo. but they didn't want to do anything. And it took me about five years to finally get a doctor to be like, my gosh, you should have been, you know. And then it's taken the last five, other five years to get her on something that seems to be helping. So it's But I saw information and I you know, when you see it.

Ali: Actually, it's it's a big deal. And I had a doctor, the thyroid doctor. I never had to take a medication, it was always we caught it early enough that I could do supplements, and that has worked well for me. So I just take the

misty landry: Mm-hmm. That's good.

Ali: supplements. But my doctor who is works at it, I went to the thyroid center. This was like a thyroid doctor, no no one else. she basically said, You need to get your kids tested and meet like now they're in middle school, you should have them tested because sometimes hypothyro thyroid disease. presents in young children as ADD, sometimes it's anxiety, sometimes and she listed all of these things. She's like, if you ever see any of that stuff in your daughters, then you need to have them checked. And I she actually recommended because I have it, my mother has it, they be checked yearly for it. so it is a big deal. I re I know it's

misty landry: It is. And that's exactly those are the exact thing the the exact exact symptoms that pushed me over the edge of being like, I am gonna fix her. I'm always trying to fix, but am

Ali: Advocating.

misty landry: gonna make sure. Like we would go through times where I couldn't get her to be consistent with taking her medication. And so I would just kind of give up for a while. And we were in a really bad cycle several years ago. And several, then we went through about a year and a half of her just she would crash. She would go to her room and just crash. And, you know, at on a Friday night, she was sleeping. Just Friday evening after school, she would sleep till the next morning. And felt like there was some anxiety and maybe almost depression. And and then that's when I just said, no, we're not doing this. We are low vitamin D, low iron, like all those things. It was all together. And I don't know. There's so many of those things that I think play into all of this. And I just wish somebody had figure out like

Ali: Well, I think the problem is the way that our medical system is set up because you they don't look at you as a whole person. So the rheumatologist is doesn't give two you know what's about your thyroid. And the thyroid doctor, like, unless you can find somebody that's like more holistic minded and they can but then at that, like a thyroid doctor can't prescribe rheumatoid medicine. So like it the whole system just like it's not there for

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: your entire body. It's just there for whatever piece of you is broken and then you gotta go find someone else for the other piece that's not working right or

misty landry: Right.

Ali: and I don't know how they fix that, but I hope they fix it soon.

misty landry: Yeah, that's I moved her and I over to a functional endocrinologist this spring and because for for perimenopause for for everything but except the rheumatoid basically for me then all of that we're dealing with with her and because they do kind of specialize in thyroid and you know I mean endocrinology so but this woman was a do a endocrinologist and switched to functional endocrinology and opened her own practice because she was diagnosed with PCOS and wasn't getting anywhere. so I just identified with that a lot and wanted to go there. So we're still working on things. No. That's a

Ali: Did they cover did I take insurance at that place? And this is what like

misty landry: whole nother story you and I both have to.

Ali: my god, nightmare.

misty landry: It is.

Ali: it's not very functional if the mass population can't afford it. Like how functional is it if you can't afford and I get that they have to make they have to make like everybody has to make money. Like I'm not

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: you know, belittling that at all. I'm not saying they're overcharging or they're not worth it or anything like that, but something has got to be given.

misty landry: Right. Yeah. It's the insurance. It's insurance is the problem because why can't I go to the doctor I want to to get the care I want? You know, I mean you pay we pay sixteen hundred dollars a month for three of us, and I'm paying out of pocket that doesn't go to my copay because I want to see this certain doctor. So it's

Ali: It

misty landry: a mess.

Ali: it it really is a mess. I I don't know. I think the polit like I've had this conversation on this before, so but the po the the problem is really that politicians are the people that need to fix this and they're not motivated to fix it because they have good government insurance. So and

misty landry: I can't.

Ali: they get their pockets lined by lobbyists who you know, so I don't know. It's really hard and sad. How is your daughter doing now?

misty landry: She's better. She's definitely better mentally. I mean, she worked so hard this summer. she had a part-time job that ended up being a little bit more than we expected, plus interning at our church and she was on the go every single day, seven days a week. And there is no way she would have been able to do that a year ago. There's no way. Her energy

Ali: That's great right there.

misty landry: everything. so I'm feeling encouraged that we're on the right path, but it's gonna take a little time.

Ali: Good on you, mom, for advocating for her and not giving up. And I think sometimes we do more for our children than we will ever do for ourselves. And it's a good lesson to look back and say, look, I I I wouldn't let my kid go through this. I need to fight for myself more. You know, like I I was more organized with my my child when they were sick or whatever. And now I, you know, if we could put that kind of focus on ourselves as moms, because we are always filling our bucket last.

misty landry: Right.

Ali: I think it's a good way to reflect and look back on that. well I'm glad she's

misty landry: I think that was the that was the hard part for me was I didn't when we were inconsistent with her medication, it was I felt like I was nagging her, nagging, you know, and then I got to the point when I saw what was happening that I didn't care anymore about I of course I care about the relationship, but I care about her being healthy. And I finally just had to set her down and say, listen, I I don't I don't want you to be scared. I don't want you to be worried, but I see things in you that frighten me because I've been through stuff that I never want you to be going through. And we have to be serious. You have to take your medication when I tell you, you know. and the remindings is still happening and is still annoying between there's still friction about it some days.

Ali: Yes.

misty landry: But I'm not gonna give up.

Ali: Well, it's a very delicate balance at this age too, because you are trying to give them more autonomy and more responsibility and all of that. but your health is a non negotiable. You have to address the situations. You have to take medic it's dangerous to stop and start medications. They don't work if you do that. If you don't take you know, that you may develop antibodies depending on the medication and then they're not gonna work for you anymore. And ex most teenagers don't care to hear that or wanna hear that or you know, believe it. So it I can empathize with you on that one. That's not easy.

misty landry: Yeah. Well she's always been very mature and sometimes I have to step back and say, but she she's always been mature, but she's still a kid, you know? She doesn't care to understand that and shouldn't have to.

Ali: And she doesn't want to. She wants to be a young kid who's having fun and doing like being in high school and doesn't want to worry about medications. My daughters,

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: we have a lot of celiac in my disease, my family. And my so I took my kids off gluten at a young age because I could see things happening. And they were off dairy for a long time too, at a young age. and now they're in middle school and high school, and they need to learn what happens when they have those, because me telling them at this point. And they outgrew the dairy thing, which was good, but the the gluten thing, not so much. They still have they don't have full blown celiac, but they definitely react when they have it. And like they're they have to actually see it. I can't force that on them. I can't go to the party and make sure they put the pizza down. You know, it's like

misty landry: Right.

Ali: they I want I hope I taught them right and I hope they make the right decision, but I know they're not gonna be perfect angels and like

misty landry: Right.

Ali: They're gonna make mistakes. And when you live with an autoimmune disease like what we have, you see, and this goes back to this is my fault. I'm in this position because it's my fault. And then you see, like, don't make the mistakes I made, don't make the mistakes I made. Because I don't want you to end up like me. And I've said those words like I don't want you to end up like me. But they need to make their mistakes. They need to grow, and we need to support them and show them, like, point out. Well, did you take your medication? Is maybe that's why you're not feeling that great? Cause you didn't take it. And like it's not an easy balance.

misty landry: Yeah. It's not

Ali: Well, I hope she feels great and I hope when she if she does decide to go to college, which I know will break your heart, but she figures it out quickly, whatever the best route is for her, as far as

misty landry: Yeah. Yeah.

Ali: medications and all of that.

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: well we're gonna wrap this up here soon, but one question I have for you is what is something that you if if you were talking to a young mother who was newly diagnosed or in this similar situation to you when you 30 years ago. What is something that you would say, what piece of advice would you give to her as she starts this process?

misty landry: Mm-hmm. probably just give yourself grace. I mean, every day. and give them grace too. They're gonna be kids and they're gonna be they're gonna want you to do all the things and some days you're not gonna feel like it and it's gonna be okay. They're not gonna remember that, you know. As long as you love them and There's just such a covering that God gives you. I believe that, you know, that's not gonna be what they remember. They're gonna remember that you created a home that was loving, not just that you were sick or the that not the bad days, you know, just trust that that's gonna be okay. Yeah.

Ali: I love that. I love that. And any piece of advice to your younger self? Would it just be the same thing?

misty landry: I think just questioning, questioning the doctors, not just trusting that this what they said. Not that that we can't trust them, but being informed

Ali: Being informed, be an informed patient.

misty landry: even about the medications, what are the side effects? Like I just took it and any side effects that I'm sure I had, I just thought was something else going wrong with my body. You know, and I'm sure a lot of it was side effects and like hair. Hair is a thing for me. Like I've had a lot of hair loss in the last ten years and I believe it's a lot from drugs. and probably perimenopause too. But Just question things and be informed about your prescriptions and things too. Like so you know if that's something you should take to your doctor or too. having these side effects, not it's just something else wrong.

Ali: Think when you're young too, you don't think about you don't think to say, Well, like I I can remember my doctor saying, How how how's it going on? I think it Enbril or whatever medication I was taking at the time. I'm like, I guess I'm fine. And then she was like examining me and I had like an injection site reaction, and I didn't know that I should say something about that. I was like 29. I didn't know. And she was like, No, we can't you that that's not okay. You can't live like like we need to change the medication. That's so

misty landry: Right.

Ali: It sounds crazy, but no one ever told me anything to look out for on any of the medications I've ever been on. So you really have to be advocating for yourself at all times and looking for like

misty landry: Yeah, you too.

Ali: the weird things when you're starting a new med.

misty landry: Right. mean and you know, make them spend time with you. Don't let them just come into the room and say check, check, check, and leave. Like question them, ask them about things that and I probably still don't even do that enough. I probably rely on the internet too much for that. if you are relying on the internet, when you're in the doctor's office, ask the questions that you've deep dived, you get their perspective on it. Don't just trust something you read either. You know, so

Ali: Right. It's gotta be a three pronged or four pronged approach. It can't just be do what the doctor says all the time. And

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: I don't do what your doctor says, yes. Like there's that blanket statement. Like I'm yes.

misty landry: Yes. Yeah.

Ali: But it's okay to question too. It's okay to ask questions. It's okay to say, I don't like this medication, I wanna try something else or

misty landry: Right.

Ali: you know, and ultimately you hired them.

misty landry: Right. Yeah. They can be fired. You can say next.

Ali: And you can hire someone. Exactly. Yes. And that's fine. I did a whole episode with an author of a book called The Prepared Patient and How to Be a More Prepared Patient and How to Advocate for Yourself in a System That's not Designed For It And it was pretty interesting. I don't know if her book is out because

misty landry: Can we make that one?

Ali: it just I d I don't I think the book was coming out in September or October, so this like a pre interview, but it

misty landry: Yeah.

Ali: was interesting to see what she had to say 'cause she been in the she was an ER emergency room doctor for like twenty five years or something. So

misty landry: Wow.

Ali: Well, Misty, I really enjoyed our conversation. I think you brought a lot to the table for moms out there. I know I related to a lot of it.

misty landry: Sorry. That was mine. Things are picking up around here.

Ali: Is that my house? but thank you so much for being here. I really, really appreciate it.

misty landry: Thank you for having me. It's been it's been good to get to know you too.