MaKenzie has received a slew of chronic pain and chronic illness diagnoses over the years, including Chiari malformation, lupus, Sjogren's disease and Hashimoto's syndrome, but she isn't focused on her diagnoses. She's focused on managing the daily impact of her symptoms and the emotional toll this journey has taken. She says, "The damage of living a life like that for the better part of 15 years takes a toll on you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, it's been a long, long road."

In this episode of the Major Pain podcast, MaKenzie walks us through her journey and the recent changes that have allowed her to begin healing. She tells us about receiving brain surgery at 21 years old for a severe Chiari malformation that was pushing her cerebellum down 32mm. She also discusses the rheumatologist who didn't read her chart to realize she'd tested positive for lupus, and how her faith and parenting has been tested by this journey. Thankfully, MaKenzie is now in the hands of a functional medicine team that is finally helping her to heal. Her experiences have pushed her to become a social media advocate for other chronic illness and chronic pain patients.

Connect with MaKenzie online here: https://stan.store/hopeforhealingwithmakenzie