No More Lupus Symptoms or Markers for New York Woman
“There were no markers. I was lupus-free basically.”
– Karen
In her mid-20s, Karen Quiros was exceptionally active, often sandwiching intense workouts with biking to and from the gym.
When she suddenly began experiencing tachycardia – a racing heart rate – she knew something was off. But her doctor simply advised her to stop drinking coffee.
Soon, joint pain began, along with burning elbow pain. The discomfort then moved to other parts of her body, and was accompanied by stiffness, fevers, fatigue and rashes – including a butterfly-shaped rash on her face.
Doctors originally suspected fibromyalgia or Lyme disease and put her on medications for the latter. But finally, after months of searching for answers, a skin biopsy confirmed that Karen had the autoimmune condition, lupus.
“At the time, they gave me a very grim five to seven years to live. This was 34 years ago,” she says.
Trying Conventional Medicine for Lupus, Endometriosis
Today, Karen no longer has any lupus symptoms or markers. But it took time and experimentation to get there.
Following her diagnosis, Karen’s doctors initially put her on muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory medications, steroids and anti-depressants. And yet, she was still in and out of the hospital with severe pain and fever.
“There was no cure and all they could offer me was physical therapy and a lupus patient support group,” she recalls.
Along with lupus, Karen struggled with endometriosis and the associated adhesions. She approached it via the conventional route by surgically removing the endometriosis adhesions about every 16 to 18 months.
Endometriosis surgeries helped, but only for a while. And it didn’t improve her prospects of conceiving; doctors gave her a slim chance of getting pregnant naturally.
“I’d heal. I’d feel really good,” she says. “And then a couple of weeks after surgery, I’d be back to step one again with the joint pain, the aches, the nausea.”
Between lupus and endometriosis, she just wasn’t making progress.
“I was getting sicker,” she says. “I decided to stop the medications and try to heal myself. I just had a determination. I say it was divinely given to me that I could heal my body and I should give it a try. What did I have to lose?”
Serrapeptase for Lupus, Candida, Endometriosis and Lyme Disease
Karen began researching natural and Eastern medicines. She started IV vitamin and mineral therapy, along with taking omega-3 fatty acids to help with joint pain. She also dropped sugar from her diet.
Allergy testing uncovered that Karen was allergic or sensitive to many of the foods she ate regularly. In response, she began a rotation diet so that she wasn’t eating the same foods every day. And with those steps, she did feel a bit better.
But a natural enzyme ultimately took her healing to the next level. Her research turned up serrapeptase (also known as serratiopeptidase) as a powerful anti-inflammatory. Secreted by silkworms to dissolve their cocoons, the enzyme has been shown to reduce inflammation and cardiovascular plaque.
After getting approval from her doctor, she moved forward with trying it. It’s important to ask your practitioner about serrapeptase because it can lead to bleeding issues, or difficulty with clotting, in some people.
Surprisingly, serrapeptase worked better than she ever expected for lupus, Candida and endometriosis.
“I believe that the serrapeptase was actually a blessing in disguise for the lupus, or shall I say for the Candida?” she says. “Because of the (Candida) biofilm, when I started taking the serrapeptase, I noticed I wasn’t getting that anymore. And eventually I didn’t need to have surgery anymore either.”
She and her husband had begun the process of adopting a child, but in the midst of it, she delightedly learned that she had gotten pregnant naturally.
Later, Karen did confirm that she had Lyme disease as well. Again, she tried serrapeptase, in combination with frequency medicine, to heal Lyme.
Supporting Healing
Beyond the serrapeptase, Karen took a number of other steps to support her body’s healing: acupuncture, plenty of sleep, drinking filtered water, eating organic food, switching to nontoxic personal care products, moving her body, detoxing via sauna sweats and other measures, and removing mold from her home.
Karen also stresses the pivotal role of mindset in her healing.
“I kind of locked it in and said that no matter what, I’m staying positive, I’m going to focus on what is working,” she says. “I remember saying, ‘I am healthy. I am healed. I am whole.’ I would repeat that over and over and over again as I was healing.”
She also turned to the Reiki ideals as mantras:
- Just for today, I will not worry
- Just for today, I will not be angry
- Just for today, I will be grateful
- Just for today, I will do my work honestly
- Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing
No More Lupus
Over time, Karen felt increasingly better and she saw her lupus markers decrease. Then, lab testing turned up zero traces of lupus.
“There were no markers,” she says. “I was lupus-free basically. They kept saying, it could come back. You’re in remission.”
And since then, it hasn’t returned. Karen considers it healed entirely, not just in remission.
Karen’s powerful health transformation altered the course of her career and life. She went on to study natural medicine, nutrition, frequency healing and health coaching – and is on a mission to heal herself and others. She’s certified in Gemmotherapy, Reiki, Marconics, Craniosacral Therapy, plant medicine, sound healing and other healing modalities.
She is the Happiness Compass© Mindset Coach, the CEO of Balanced Wellness Consulting and leads wellness workshops. And she’s one of the authors of the bestselling book, “She is Magic, Yes!” And keep an eye out for her upcoming book, “Lupus Starving the Wolf,” which details her lupus healing journey.
Her advice for others struggling with health setbacks:
“If you really want to heal, you must change how you think about the illness,” she says. “And like attracts like, so if you believe you’re going to stay sick, you’ll stay sick and the same with healing. If you believe you’re going to heal, I believe that you will heal.”
If you enjoyed this story, you might also like: After a Lupus Nephritis Diagnosis, Diet, Lifestyle are Key to Stopping Pain, Fatigue.
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