My Story

I was 10 years old when I walked into a dermatologist office thinking I needed a cream for a rash or worse case a shot.  I was told I had psoriasis and it was a disease that had no cure.  My first thought when hearing the word “disease” was that I was going to die.  I was so young it was hard to comprehend what it meant.  

The news? It wasn’t great.  And yes it runs in my family and yes in my family it often it progresses to Psoriatic Arthritis as early as 40. This was in fact my genetic destiny, or so I was told at the time. Later my condition worsened and like so many others it was torture living with PSO through my adolescence and teen years.  I gave up so many things I loved and basically went into hiding and became depressed. I quit swimming as it was just terrible watching mothers take their children out of the pool because I literally looked like I had an infectious disease.

I promised myself when I started this blog I wasn’t going to make the content about me.  I wanted to make it about YOU the reader.  I know someone out there needs me. Someone newly diagnosed who feels lost and scared.  I know someone out there is struggling with compromised health or some life struggle and you feel stuck.  You just don’t know how to take that first step to make a change.  I am going to stay the course and keep working hard to get all the proper training so that when the time comes and you are ready to reach out, I will be ready to take you by the hand and help you move forward with better health+happiness.

In college I wanted desperately to lose weight, be healthier and hopefully clear my skin. It was so terrible …having any kind of a love life just didn’t seem possible for me. I wanted desperately to wear shorts and tank tops and go swimming and have a love life. To be normal. I became very good at hiding. I wanted to study nutrition, I was confident I could crack the code by living a healthier lifestyle. I wanted to feel more in control of my health, diagnosis and my future self. I have always been convinced that what we put into our bodies mattered. How could it not? Fuel runs your car. You wouldn’t put anything in your car but gas, would you? I mean we don’t just put random things in our gas tanks and hope for the best. I always felt the medications that were available to me were just a band-aid with some nasty side-effects. I was convinced I could fix myself through living a healthier life, eating healthfully and exhaustive research on all things PSO/PSA. I went down the path of restriction and obsession which ultimately got me into a dysfunctional relationship with food, an unsustainable restrictive lifestyle, and feeling less in control of my life then before. 

Here’s what I learned at that time of my life about psoriatic management: you can be eating every single healthful meal at home, saying no to the activities with friends because you know the cocktails and fried foods will be too tempting. You can restrict carbs, eat very low to no fat, and exercise constantly trying to get in hours and hours of cardio in FEAR of not being enough. You can strive for perfection, and proving your worth to others.  Thinking I have to be BETTER in every way for someone to accept me, love me, want me, when I have this obvious DEFECT.

I realized at my rock bottom that seeing the Dermatologist every 3-6 months and depending on her for a “one stop psoriatic shop” wasn’t going to help me holistically move into the WHOLE life I wanted. I need to have more peace of mind and confidence in myself. I needed to be stronger mentally and physically, more energized, empowered, a good friend/daughter/ girlfriend, and simply the best, awesome version of myself…Just BE ME. I needed to accept myself “warts and all” as they say.

I eventually found the answer. I needed to overhaul my MINDSET in what I was thinking and doing. I needed to really evaluate what did and did not serve me. I needed to build a new, stronger relationship with myself, my PSORIASIS, exercise, food, stress…everything. 

I understand how it feels to be frustrated by lack of results and trying to figure out what the “right answer” is to feeling your best balanced self. Trust me, I’ve tried it all, I get it. But the truth is, when you prioritize your self care -Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, AND Nutrition- you don’t have to choose between freedom, good health and clear skin ( or whatever it is for YOU). You can have what you desire. You can have Wellness and Health and still have a full, fun, joyful life and ENJOY FOOD. We now know our genes are not our destiny. Our Lifestyle choices matter. We need to invest in our own IRA-for HEALTH. We need to take charge of our own health destiny and the choices we make matter.

I decided to become a health coach. I realized I wanted to empower and guide others to see a better way of doing things for themselves. Specifically, I wanted to help Psoriatic Sufferers and anyone struggling to get and stay healthy.

 
I want You to feel the freedom I’ve felt physically, mentally, and emotionally, removing the burden of hiding so you too can enjoy life without Psoriasis and Psoriatic pain getting in the way.

Getting Educated and Certified to Help:

I trained and worked for awhile as a certified personal trainer to be able to motivate and coach people.  It was to be my second act in life as they say.   I have 20 plus years of nutritional interest, passion and personal study.   I find personal training limited to movement and to be honest total body health involves so much more.  I also think it is important to always be who you are, utilize your talents and gifts to the best of your ability to serve others and by doing so you GET more than you GIVE.   MY health means everything to me.  I know first hand how it feels to not have it and to feel hopeless.  I want people to know it is never too late to make a change in your lifestyle and LIVE your very best life.

Great resource for PSO/PSA patients all over the world: https://www.psoriasis.org/home

Great FREE resource for Tracking Your Health Journey and Education https://myfitnesspal.com

I was limited by being a Personal Trainer and not able to help others with basic nutrition practices.

I found myself frustrated by the fact that as Personal Trainers we are not qualified to coach our clients on nutritional health as well.  In fact the studio I was working in forbid us to even mention nutrition. But health is not a one sided coin, it is not just about movement.  Like everything in life we need balance.  Nutrition is such a huge piece of the puzzle and I needed more training to be able to effectively and legitimately counsel others on nutrition and other aspects of wellness.  

Enter Dr. Sears Health Coaching Certification and Master Health Coach Certification Training. I have chosen to specialize in Chronic Disease Prevention and Psoriatic Patients – it is my passion and purpose to help others newly diagnosed and currently living with PSO and PSA to live their very best lives. While not everyone with psoriatic disease or battling a chronic health condition
is emotionally impacted, there are several ways that it can affect the body and brain. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are lifelong diseases of the immune system that result in systemic inflammation. We typically think of this inflammation showing up on the skin with psoriasis or in the joints with psoriatic arthritis, but this inflammation can also impact other parts of the body, including our brain’s chemistry. Studies have shown that psoriatic patients have a higher risk of developing other chronic inflammatory conditions as we age.
This systemic inflammation means that people
with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis are at
a higher risk for developing other conditions
(comorbidities). Among people with psoriasis, about 24 percent have anxiety and about 10 percent have clinical depression. Studies show that people with psoriatic arthritis have an even higher risk, as about 33 percent have anxiety and about 22 percent have depression. Keep in mind these number are statistical averages, but you don’t have to accept average, be above average. We now know LIFESTYLE choices have a bigger impact on overall health outcomes more so than genetics. Work with me and your health care provider to beat the odds.

Coach Gerryl received her Master Health+Wellness Coach Certification from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute.  The Institute is a leader in science-based health and wellness education that focuses on the four pillars of health: Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude and Nutrition. She nows works full time as a practicing health coach teaching Healthy Lifestyle Workshops in and around the Frisco Area and works as a remote Health Coach Provider for VIDA Healthcare where she specializes as a Diabetes Prevention Program Coach.  She also holds additional certifications in personal training, Adults and Seniors Primetime Health and LEAN Start Nutrition for Families with Young Children.  She lives in Frisco TX with her Husband, son and big dog Maddie.  She enjoys all things outdoors and crafting healthy home meals.   She stays active by training and participating in the sport of triathlon.  She did her very first Sprint Triathlon in 2001 on a borrowed mountain bike and never looked back.  The experience inspired her to make MOVEMENT a fun part of her life and lifestyle.