If we haven’t met yet, Hi, I’m Dr. Krista Coombs and I have Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism too! Gratefully, I’ve learned to manage my condition well and reduce my risks for progressive autoimmunity. You can too with appropriate guidance and consistent effort.
If we haven’t met yet, Hi, I’m Dr. Krista Coombs and I have Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism too! Gratefully, I’ve learned to manage my condition well and reduce my risks for progressive autoimmunity. You can too with appropriate guidance and consistent effort.
“I thought my life and career were over before I figured out what was going on. Once I figured it out and applied my knowledge consistently, I created a life I wish I’d always had!”
For many years, I use to look back on my life with sadness that I’d wasted so much of my potential because I’d suffered perhaps needlessly with so many emotional highs and extreme lows, weight fluctuations that didn’t seem to make sense, issues with mood stability, infertility and more.
It wasn’t until my early 40’s that I learned the true reasons underlying those experiences – I had developed Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis that had been unmanaged for much of my life.
Hashimoto’s can be in play up to 7-10 years causing destruction BEFORE you develop hypothyroidism! In that timeframe, you can suffer many debilitating symptoms because of the autoimmune process. Unfortunately, like for me, this early diagnosis is very often missed in conventional care.
I used to be angry with my conventional doctors who had regularly dismissed my symptoms without investigating WHY they were manifesting. In my early 40’s, because I had already learned a little about Hashimoto’s when working with several infertility patients, I saw some parallels with my own health decline, and as a result, I asked for help from a physician who I ended up having to force to test for Hashimoto’ s. He hadn’t wanted to test because in his opinion, if indeed I did have Hashimoto’s, there would be nothing I could do to slow decline and my only treatment would be progressively increasing hormone medications as my thyroid was destroyed.
The morning I got my test results, May 2, 2016, I had a short cry mostly out of relief because I finally confirmed the nature of my health decline, and then quickly made the firm decision to do whatever it took to get well again. I knew some of the basics of lifestyle change I needed to make to improve my health, part of which required a significant change in my diet. I committed to making those changes – namely gluten and dairy free eating – and within one week I was a new person! I do not exaggerate here. I went from experiencing daily crying, sadness, extreme body fatigue and pain, and most disconcerting to me, not being able to confidently put a sentence together without difficulty, to again thinking clearly, recovering much of my energy, having almost no body pain and wanting to get up each morning to see what else I could do to improve the life of myself and others!
It took making myself a PASSION PROJECT, then deciding I could do anything I chose to get well, and then committing to doing those things, day after day after day. I’ve rarely looked back since then and no longer have any anger or sadness about my past life journey because it brought me to this place of understanding and mission.
Of course there are short episodes of grieving my old life that still pop up occasionally. I allow myself to feel both the grace and rage of my healing journey; the pain and the peace; the broken and the beautiful; the Yin and the Yang. Because it is all of that! I wouldn’t have consciously chosen the experience of Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism, but its presence has been an amazing teacher and made me into the health care professional and human being I am today.
Flares of autoimmunity still happen from occasional environmental triggers, some of which I’ve had little to no control over. But I have learned how to work through flares quickly to reduce potential for damage and creation of other autoimmune conditions. You can learn how to do that for your unique body too.
“I sincerely love medicine, but it is only as good as its application and the enthusiasm of the patient to do the work.”
Along with some other amazing clinicians in my field, including three of my heroes, Dr. Izabella Wentz, Dr. Datis Kharrazian, and Dr. Terry Wahls, I’ve become a champion for helping create more awareness for women suffering as I did so they can learn to interrupt the decline and start thriving again!
I believe that every woman with early signs of thyroid dysfunction should have access to a proper diagnosis and then education about how to medicate appropriately, when needed, and what lifestyle interventions are ideal to help manage their condition.
I’ve combined the amazing ideals of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the science of Functional Medicine into what I like to view as personalized, Integrative Lifestyle Medicine.
I help ladies get their lives back by figuring out why their health is declining and teaching them how to reverse as much damage as possible, slowing progression of the autoimmunity.
Initially, I look for ‘low hanging fruit’ which I describe as the easier, foundational things to change in their environment and thinking to create longer lasting change. Once someone understands they have so much power to influence their wellness, and they prove to themselves that those interventions bring about positive change, it is rare for someone to stop doing those things. Some investigative testing is always essential to understanding how to direct care. But it is the strategic, consistent application of the best treatment options to their unique cases along with a deep desire to be well that truly ‘move the needle’.
Hashimoto’s is the MOST COMMON autoimmune condition in the world and the majority of those affected are women! Imagine how powerful that large number of ladies would be if they regained their health and learned how to THRIVE!! I want to be part of that revolution please! I’m passionate about showing you how to do that.
You are your most valuable asset and worth any investment of time, effort and money to keep well. Aim high and you can’t help but live greatly! I’m here to help you when you’re ready.
MARIPOSA is Spanish for butterfly which is one of nature’s most spectacular examples of true TRANSFORMATION. The thyroid is often compared to the butterfly in part because it shares a similar shape, but also because as an essential endocrine organ, it is responsible for many transformative actions in our bodies.
A MAVEN is defined as a SUPERSTAR and EXPERT.
So, the ladies who work with me to learn how to successfully manage the autoimmune decline and lead spectacular lives, are transformative superstars in my eyes – magnificent MARIPOSA MAVENS!
“Making myself my own PASSION PROJECT truly helped me commit to consistently applying the foundational keys to wellness. My WHY for being well is so powerful I never waiver from my healing journey for long.”
When I started reversing a lot of the damage done to my body, I learned to appreciate my life in ways I never had before. I had renewed interest in being present in nature, watching, feeding and helping injured birds (especially Crows who are my favorite), spending quality time with my cats, hanging out with horses, painting rocks, kayaking, cooking creative meals, dancing around my house to fun music, and enjoying more quality time with my wonderful partner.
I became my own PASSION PROJECT!
I hope you’re ready to step into your personal power, make yourself a
PASSION PROJECT and learn how to manage your complex
health condition with confidence and ease, becoming a
Mariposa Maven too!
I can help you go from DAILY SUFFERING to
EMPOWERED WELLNESS if you’re ready to participate
in your own healing.
There is always HOPE. I’m ready for the challenge! Are you?
If you are ready, Apply for a free Discovery Call and let’s
see how we can make your life spectacular together!
“Making myself my own PASSION PROJECT truly helped me commit to consistently applying the foundational keys to wellness. My WHY for being well is so powerful I never waiver from my healing journey for long.”
When I started reversing a lot of the damage done to my body, I learned to appreciate my life in ways I never had before. I had renewed interest in being present in nature, watching, feeding and helping injured birds (especially Crows who are my favorite), spending quality time with my cats, hanging out with horses, painting rocks, kayaking, cooking creative meals, dancing around my house to fun music, and enjoying more quality time with my wonderful partner.
I became my own PASSION PROJECT!
I hope you’re ready to step into your personal power, make yourself a PASSION PROJECT and learn how to manage your complex health
condition with confidence and ease, becoming a Mariposa Maven too!
I can help you go from DAILY SUFFERING to EMPOWERED WELLNESS if you’re ready to participate in your own healing.
There is always HOPE.
I’m ready for the challenge! Are you?
If you are ready, Apply for a free Discovery Call and let’s see how we can make your life spectacular together!
When I started becoming very ill in 2014, I began the intense journey of uncovering what I was suffering from and why. That lead me to Functional Medicine, as inspired by the writings of the esteemed Dr.Chris Kresser. By 2016, when my health was at rock bottom, I took what I learned about Hashimoto’s and applied it very successfully to my own health, and that inspired me to fast track my training in one year at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) – the world gold standard instruction for Functional Medicine.
Once I became more aware of the phenomenon of Functional Medicine, and how it fit so smoothly with the holistic Chinese medicine training I already had, the rest is history. I’ve studied with some of the greats, most notably Dr. Datis Kharrazian, and remain ravenous to this day for the latest research studies and courses that apply to autoimmunity and its management.
Today, I combine my 20+ years of experience with Chinese medicine with my eager race for knowledge about Functional medicine to provide myself and my hundreds of autoimmune patients the latest in self management of complex autoimmune conditions. I believe there is always hope to feel better. We simply need to expand our awareness of what’s possible and consistently apply what we learn to manifest great change.