Decades of pain—then an autoimmunity test changed everything
He lived with pain for decades. Then an autoimmunity test changed everything.
For years, Chris struggled with pain, fatigue, and symptoms that no one could explain. Results available through Function helped him learn about a potential source: autoimmunity.
At a glance
- Function member: Chris
- Function focus: Autoimmunity
- Discovery: Positive autoimmune markers, including ANA
A lifetime of questions
Chris doesn't remember the last day he woke up without pain.
Some mornings it's his neck. Stiff enough that he can't turn his head. Other days it's his lower back, his joints, or his muscles.
Before he can do anything else, he has to work through it. Stretching. And slow, deliberate movement until his body loosens enough to function.
And then there was the extreme sensitivity to sunlight that started when he was a kid.
If I go outside on a bright day and I don't have sunglasses on, my eyes immediately start watering.
On the playground, he learned to look down. At home, adults told him to push through it.
After a while, I just got tired of complaining and learned to deal with it.
Looking for answers
As the years passed, Chris saw doctor after doctor.
Some blamed his job. He'd spent most of his career as a software developer, sitting at a desk. Others recommended pain pills, muscle relaxers, even surgery.
Each doctor treated his symptoms in isolation. Nobody connected the pieces.
In his 40s, things got worse. He was approaching 300 pounds, on a long list of medications, and still couldn't get a clear answer for why his body felt the way it did.
So he worked to drop more than 130 pounds. Overhauled his diet. And followed several doctors online to try and understand his health.
He started feeling better, but many symptoms remained.
He needed to know why.
Chris before and after his health changes
The test that changed everything
After hearing Mark Hyman, M.D. mention Function in a video, Chris decided to join. He was excited by the possibility of finally getting a deeper look at his body.
When the results came back, the autoimmunity section got his attention.
His Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) Screen came back positive, along with other markers associated with autoimmunity. The Clinician Notes suggested that some patterns in the data could raise the possibility of certain autoimmune conditions. For example, lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect multiple systems in the body.
For the first time, the symptoms he'd been experiencing for decades seemed connected.
Photosensitivity. Rashes. Joint pain. Muscle aches. Chronic stiffness.
Now I can stop thinking it's just in my head.
In need of an advocate
The grief was real. So was the relief. But having more information about his body mattered more than he could fully explain.
No single marker can identify lupus, so healthcare professionals use lab tests, symptoms, history, and exam to make a diagnosis.
But it was only the beginning.
Chris brought his results to his doctor. He said she refused to look at them.
She actually made me cry. I was begging her to at least look at the results.
He even drove hours to see another physician who also dismissed his results.
And his symptoms, while consistently present, weren't considered severe enough for a referral.
His own protocol
Without a specialist, Chris has built his own protocol informed by his lab results, by the practitioners he follows online, and by years of trial and error.
I still try to stay active. When I'm feeling good. I'll go outside and play basketball.
His diet looks nothing like it did when he was nearly 300 pounds. Some foods have been studied for their ability to influence inflammation and certain autoimmune diseases. As a part of his thoughtful lifestyle changes, fermented foods are now a daily staple: sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, pickles.
And his insights through Function have helped him think about his supplementation, giving him a better understanding of what his body needs rather than guessing.
These changes haven't eliminated his symptoms. But something has shifted.
I feel better now than I have since probably my mid-20s.
For most of his life, Chris thought pain was simply something he had to live with.
Now he has a framework for understanding it.
And when he speaks to anyone about his experience, he has a clear message:
Order your own tests. Learn how your body works. Take control of your own health.
Chris' diet focuses on nutrition today
End notes