Unfortunately, none of the doctors could explain why I was so sick and simply suggested I manage my symptoms with generous amounts of medication.
I was incredibly disappointed with the traditional medicine approach, which was not focused on root cause, and made reversing my autoimmune disorder my top priority. As a Ph.D. scientist, I immersed myself in learning all things “autoimmune”.
For the next 4 years, I continued to focus on my new “hobby” of trying to manage my health crisis, so as not to miss too many days of work or family events.
Despite all of my efforts, by the Fall of 2016, things had gone from bad to worse. My angioedema reactions had morphed from swelling of my face to swelling of my throat. At 36 years old, I realized that she was literally “staring death in the face". Utterly lost and confused, I had run out of things to try.
Fast forward a few months, and I came across the book, “The Last Best Cure”. This book describes the author’s journey to regain her health following her own experience with an autoimmune disorder.
Convinced that the trauma and chronic illness connection was something I should explore, I started working with a therapist in July of 2017. As I “did the work” in therapy, and allowed myself to grieve, I began to notice an improvement in my overall health. Suddenly, I wasn’t SO reactive to SO many foods, and the prevalence of my angioedema reactions began to decrease.
Cautiously optimistic, I continued to work with a trauma-informed therapist for the next year or so. As I did the hard work in therapy, I also made continued progress in my overall health.
I feel very fortunate to be alive, and wanted to share my story of healing to help others navigate their own healing path. In 2019, I founded Live Bravely to help others regain their health from chronic illness.
As you peruse the website, you will find five areas of focus which were crucial to my healing:
Gut Love: The role of eating a low inflammatory, nutrient dense diet to support a healthy Gut.
Brain Love: The importance of addressing mental health and mindset, specifically in regards to trauma and relationships.
Brave Science: How ensuring the body feels “safe” - through vagus nerve support, is a crucial part of healing.
Self Care: Showing compassion and care for ourselves, is important for both overall health and brain neuroplasticity.
Mindset: Learning to say "no" by setting boundaries and letting go of control and perfectionism is key!
Now, I help others on the path to recovery through The Autoimmune Reset Course and coaching. Let's get started!
Elisha earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Genetics from Indiana University, Bloomington. After Graduate School, she completed a Postdoctoral fellowship in Salmonella Pathogenesis at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Following time in academia, she spent the next six years working in Biotech - first at a Startup, and then eventually at a large Medical Device company as an R&D Scientist and Project Lead developing blood diagnostic tests.
After achieving remission from her autoimmune disorder, she felt compelled to quit her job and share her story of healing with others. Having found that most alternative approaches to managing autoimmune disorders focus solely on diet, Elisha wanted to share what is rarely mentioned in the autoimmune community: the link between unresolved grief and trauma and chronic health conditions.
In July 2019, Live Bravely was founded.
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