From Disability to Dance: How Krista Rowan learned to Love Herself Moving

In January 2000, Krista was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis; a debilitating autoimmune disease affecting her joints, tissues, skin and organs. Having experienced chronic pain, disability, stress, depression, isolation and hopelessness for years, she relates deeply to the fear and impact to all facets of life when health is deteriorated.

In 2015, Krista began addressing root cause drivers of her inflammation and disease, which not only dramatically improved her quality of life, but led her to become a speaker and certified coach. Today, Krista is on a reMISSION to inspire and empower others to improve their own health and quality of life.

Cheryl Crow is an occupational therapist who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for seventeen years. Her life passion is helping others with rheumatoid arthritis figure out how to live a full life despite arthritis, by developing tools to navigate physical, emotional and social challenges. She formed the educational company Arthritis Life in 2019 after seeing a huge need for more engaging, accessible, and (dare I say) FUN patient education and self-management resources.

Links to things discussed in the podcast episode:

• Krista’s Instagram: @kickra18
• Tiktok: @kickra18
• Krista's Website: alivetoliving.com
• Cheryl’s Facebook group: Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Positive, Realistic Support
• Cheryl’s Free Handout: Cheryl’s Master Checklist for Managing RA
• This episode is brought to you by the Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap, an online education and support program Cheryl created to guide people with RA step by step through how to confidently manage their social, emotional and physical life with rheumatoid arthritis.

Episode Breakdown:

• 01:00 - Krista’s introduction and diagnosis story at age 29
• 05:15 - Krista’s initial fears about what life with RA would be like
• 7:00 - How Krista’s diagnosis affected her relationship with her fiance, wedding planning, family planning and all aspects of life
• 9:20 - Living in “fear, shame, anger and doom” for the first fifteen years of her journey, without revealing her diagnosis at work or publicly
• 10:52 - Isolating herself from fear of being perceived as weak
• 13:45 - Krista’s experience on prednisone, feeling “not broken”
• 14:50 – Pregnancy challenges due to RA flare
• 17:19 - Krista’s wedding - home made Keds
• 19:14 - Krista hits “rock bottom” after 15 years and leaves her 20 year corporate career and decides not to apply for disability.
• 21:05 - Krista encounters Teri Wahl’s diet and lifestyle journey with MS and the “Wahl’s Protocol”
• 22:10 – Krista learns about “root cause medicine,” finds hope and goes back to school to become a “holistic nutritionist.”
• 26:25 - Krista learns to pay attention to her inflammation triggers (stress, foods, fragrances, sleep)
• 29:33 - Krist and Cheryl reflect on the importance of hope and mindset
• 31:23 - The importance of avoiding the “positive thinking” trap and how it’s good to validate your feelings.
• 32:35 - Learning to mentally reframe what was actually happening in her life and address perceptions to stop her stress response.
• 35:20 - How Cheryl & Krista both learned to curb the urge to be people-pleasers.
• 36:00 – Krista and Cheryl discuss learning to set boundaries, say no & protect energy.
• 40:27– Krista joins TikTok in June 2020, makes “I can’t shuffle but I can Shakira” viral video showing belly dance style moves
• 44:02 - Krista is surprised by the positive responses to her dance videos
• 47:50 - Inspiring people to move however you can, “love yourself moving”
• 51:20 - Krista starts showing some of her physical limitations in her videos, and realizes that she doesn’t have to hide her RA anymore.
• 56:00 - Krista reflects on going from very private to public about her diagnosis
• 58:20 - How Krista responds to unsolicited advice from people who don’t have a chronic illness
• 1:00:10 – Krista’s words of wisdom for newly diagnosed patients.
• 1:03:07 - Krista’s final thoughts: being 50 and being in the best place she’s been in 21 years, learning how to live in the moment even if it’s uncomfortable.

Medical disclaimer: All content found on the Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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