Mindful Chat with Margaret Romero Femme Med Lupus to Living

Margaret A. Romero NP is a Columbia- trained board-certified nurse practitioner. She utilizes functional medicine to treat chronic illness, autoimmune conditions, and women’s health issues. She has been a clinical instructor and taught functional/integrative medicine at Columbia University. 

She is the host of the Sacred Medicine Podcast and author of From Flare to Fabulous: 25 Things You Must Do to Avoid Your Next Lupus Flare

7 Day Lupus Challenge
https://www.margaretromero.com/challenge/

Website
www.margaretromero.com

Instagram
instagram.com/margaretromero

Podcast: margaretromero.com/podcast

Book: Flare Up to Fabulous 
amazon link: https://amzn.to/3ltoh28

Transcript

Damaris Grossmann: 0:51

Welcome to mindfully integrative podcast with your host, Dr. Damaris G. Mindfully integrative is a podcast discussing ways toward mindfully incorporating integrative health into our lives. This podcast will have informative resources, fun topics, interviews, and discussions relatable for today with a true mindful perspective in a mind body Holistic Life approach. Hi, how are you? This is Damaris Maria Grossman and this is the mindfully integrative shell. And today we have a mindful chat with Margaret Romero, she's a functional medicine nurse practitioner, and I cannot wait for you guys to meet her. She has written a book and many things to tell you about her story, and her lupus to living. And I just have I read her book. And I've also known that she has so much information, and I follow her for many years now. So I'm so excited that you've been on the show, and you had some time. I know that your time is precious. So thanks for coming on.

Margaret Romero: 1:53

Thank you so much for having me.

Damaris Grossmann: 1:54

I appreciate it. So as I kind of start out, I just ask people, you know, what's a little fun fact that people may not know about you?

Margaret Romero: 2:04

Well, if you're not following me on Instagram, I'd love to cook. That is the one thing it's it just it nourishes my soul on many levels to cook. And I'm the type of cook that I really don't measure anything. Ideas come into my mind I just created. I don't necessarily need a recipe. So that's, that's a little fact about me. You like to cook? Oh, gosh, I can cook. Really? Almost anything. I make this crispy chicken that I love. It's so good. It's crispy chicken and then I'll make it with. I mean, I love cooking veggies. I love cooking like stir fries with tons of edge. So that those are probably my two biggest go to but I can certainly cook like Italian or Thai. Almost anything.

Damaris Grossmann: 2:59

Totally random. What's your favorite spice?

Margaret Romero: 3:07

Okay, well, I get my spices, typically from st updates called savory spice. And I learned about them when I was living in Boulder, Colorado, and they have a particular blend that I put on almost everything. Oh, nice. Okay, so yeah, sorry. Savory spice. Yeah, it says it's, um, oh my gosh, it's escaping me the name if you have

Damaris Grossmann: 3:27

a link for it. On our website, I'll tell they'll tell people

Margaret Romero: 3:32

that or. And it's got rosemary in it. So it has, you know, some antiviral properties to it as well.

Damaris Grossmann: 3:39

Love it. Okay, so just just like, I love spices. So just was wondering if you had this particular

Margaret Romero: 3:45

one you had it? Well, if I had to pick like one thing, it would probably be rosemary.

Damaris Grossmann: 3:49

Rosemary is yours. Like, that's a good one. Yeah. My husband likes time. I like turmeric, pumpkin spice. Right now. And depends. Okay. So tell us a little bit about your story. I was excited when I got to read your book a few years ago, and I went actually kind of went back and looked over some items because I my my functional medicine journey as I'm learning. And I know that you had years of experience with lupus and and I'd love for those to talk to you to talk more about that, or whatever you like to share for the audience too. Because I know that someone needs to hear your story and how you're an and also you're a nurse practitioner, so you're providing and a functional mass medicine provider. So you're doing all the work, you know.

Margaret Romero: 4:40

Yeah, so, and to end of 2006 I started to have some symptoms, it started really small, just joint pain, like a wrist would her and then a week or two would pass and then the knee would bother me and then it started to progressively get worse. And then it would be more joints and it would last longer. And it just progressed to this full blown thing really, really quickly. And so I was diagnosed with lupus nephritis at the time, I was living in New Mexico, and you know, hospitalized and all of that I was I it progressed so rapidly. That you know I had painful mentally painful joints but muscles. It was hard for me to walk and because it became so hard to walk finally I mean it like everything kind of like hit the fan one day and I was taken to the hospital. I my boyfriend at the time took me to the hospital wasn't like an ambulance thing. And that was a whole That's a whole like, it could be made into like, a good Docu series. So from there it was, you know, it was actually many flighted from one hospital to another and then flown back to the east coast to Boston where I was hospitalized again. And then, you know, kidney biopsy and tons of prednisone and all of these meds and 20 Melt meds a day. At the same time, I'm still like, in so much pain gained so much weight from the prednisone, just like, like 30 pounds. Hair was just like, you know, you would do this and it would just come out, I would wake up in the morning it was there would be hair all over my pillowcase. And I ended up having multi organ involvement. So I had pleurisy and my heart was enlarged, my liver functions were elevated, you know, lung, muscles, joints, all everything. And so from that, I decided, you know, I was that was a crisis. Right? I was in crisis.

Damaris Grossmann: 6:59

That would be crisis almost near? Almost Yes.

Margaret Romero: 7:04

I mean, it was, like, I don't know, would have happened to me if I wasn't taken to the hospital that day, like, I don't know, probably, who knows. But from there, I was on meds for about a year or less, and of the heavy duty ones. But about one to two weeks after my hospitalization, I started to notice or even sooner, I started to notice that my joints would get swollen and red and painful after each meal. And so from there, I was like, Maybe I had celiac disease, like what's going on? So I went to my rheumatologist, I asked her I was like, Look, I want to get a DNA test, I want to find out if I have celiac. And she's like, you know, save your money. Don't worry about it, just like take your medicine. And after that, that pissed me off so much that I went ahead I did my own DNA test comes back to non celiac gluten sensitive beings, and then became gluten free. Like almost immediately learned everything. I could got books out, bought books, read everything online. And then I literally seven to 10 days after being gluten free, I started to notice a decline in my pain decline in my joint pain. And I was like, oh my god, this is amazing. I'm going to figure this out. Because no one can ever answer. Why? Why did this happen to me? I don't I don't understand. I mean, I was working a lot at the time, like 70 hour weeks, working through weekends working seven days a week for really no reason. So I worked a ton. And from that point on, I also learned to like not work that much. Not because I need to because my body will break down if I do now I if I needed to let's just say I could but I choose not to work that hard anymore. Because, because why? Because we all need rest. We all need sleep, we all need downtime. So from there, I completely started testing for every single thing did my own blood work for check my hormones, nutrient levels, did soil testing everything. I did all the functional tests. And now at this point, I will tell you that I was not at all like 100% in functional medicine. I was not I was doing more holistic, more integrative holistic. Yeah. And so

Damaris Grossmann: 9:44

I was like teeter tottering. I'm liking that. Like now a couple years in but yeah, I mean, you're saying now Yeah, really? And yeah, yeah,

Margaret Romero: 9:50

yeah. And so this was not my focus, autoimmune was on my focus, and now is, but so I did all the tests, I uncovered so much stuff. It was unbelievable the things that they never considered or thought of doing. And I didn't, I did it all. I was taking supplements, I got rid of, you know, any pathogens that were in my gut, I balanced my gut microbiome as much as I could. There was a lot that went into it. And, and lo and behold, you know, after all these years, you know, there are no longer traces of DNA or anti DNA. In my body, if you tested it come, everything comes back negative. So I have zero symptoms of lupus anymore. And that's

Damaris Grossmann: 10:42

profound. I mean, I want people to hear that, you know what I mean? I I, as I talk more and more to other functional medicine providers, and those that are really getting what you put in your body. That's profound. I mean, how many people just say that lupus is not curable at all? Or at least not

Margaret Romero: 11:00

manageable? Oh my gosh.

Damaris Grossmann: 11:03

I mean, how often is that conversation? Sad? I mean, all autoimmune is not manageable. And I think that what you're, I mean, you were like, on your deathbed,

Margaret Romero: 11:11

right? And coming out of that, and to where I am today, which I go to the beach, I have some exposure. I mean, there isn't anything that I don't do. Because of my health. I'm back. I feel like I'm back to normal actually, probably even better than what I was before lupus, which was not much saying that it was, I was in bad health then. But I was definitely like, a little overweight, like, ate like, crap. You know, I just, I wasn't, I was not gluten free, which I am now. You know, I drank whenever I wanted. We went out like two three times a week. I just, it was like margaritas, you know, I lived in New Mexico. So margaritas are like a thing. And now I wouldn't I wouldn't even think about drinking that much. If, if anything, like a month could go by and if I don't go out anywhere. I don't drink at home. And so, you know, maybe a cocktail or two in a month, literally.

Damaris Grossmann: 12:13

But it's but you're even more mindful. Probably. I mean, I noticed for me when I started to shift, the different kinds of shifts, but specifically in that functional medicine change or the my food, food conversation. Even with alcohol, you probably still are like, alright, you probably are very specific on what you drink and how much and stuff so you know, the foods that you eat, I mean gluten free when I started to go gluten free. I'm not even having a Lupus situation, I just realized the benefits of it after and I said, I can do this. This isn't as hard as I thought. And then I went dairy Britain like, okay, so, um, talk a little bit more. I mean, of course, if you'd like to talk more in your book, or just your practice as a provider, because I knew that I was I mean, I say the show was integrative, but it's really kind of changing your mindset and integrating this traditional point and then trying to you know, for you it's a shift. So if you want to talk more about that.

Margaret Romero: 13:08

My shift my shift from functional, I mean, conventional from conventional to

Damaris Grossmann: 13:13

Yeah, kind of, I mean, or what, however you like to describe your story. Well,

Margaret Romero: 13:17

so I was I mean, definitely from conventional medicine trained. I was but my specialty is more emergency medicine, trauma. So there I wasn't daily, like writing scripts for Pepcid or you know, on the first call, or the door or what have you. So that was never my thing. I went from emergency to working like some family practice, but it was never it was more like an urgent care setting. So suturing and things like that. So it wasn't that hard to make that transition. But what I do now, like even on Instagram, which is where I hang out every day is I just try to show people and teach people that. Listen, you know, a biologic is not necessarily like the end all be all. It's just like rheumatologists are taught a certain way. One is that they believe that we don't know why autoimmunity happens. Number two, we don't know how to get rid of it. And these are like, Bs, because we do know what causes it and it does go away. And also, in order to handle a autoimmunity It is not about like just huge band aids and just like let's suppress everything. That's like It's craziness. It's craziness to me to think that this is what this is what currently medical schools are being taught like, every single day this rheumatologists are like graduating, they're specializing in this and this is what they're still teaching to this day when I mean, I'm not the only person that has that's gone from lupus to living, literally. And I know another newspaper,

Damaris Grossmann: 15:15

definitely not. But I think that your story is super profound, though. Like you went from like near death, you know, you're not just like going, alright, I had an autoimmune you're like you had severe I was, you know what I mean? So you're talking about this like near death experience, and it's not hairy, airy fairy. You did the work and the time and you come out and wrote about it and you work and see patients. It's, I think that it's really important for people to hear and to understand

Margaret Romero: 15:44

how I'm thinking. Yes, I mean, it's so important because we're so much Still trained to also like, give our power. You know, you give your power to your doctor because they know everything and their God and everything they say and then oh, by logic, okay, okay. More prednisone. Prednisone, right? It's like, no, no, no. How about why don't we talk about what's at the end of your fork? Number one? Why don't we talk about the Jonathan's? If you're eating? Yeah.

Damaris Grossmann: 16:16

What are you eating? Right? The water?

Margaret Romero: 16:19

How much soda? Are you drinking, how much sugar you consume per day, let's talk about this stuff. Because listen, what you feed your body is what your body will produce for you. If you I mean, I don't know. It just I guess people don't really think about it. Like you cannot feed your body McDonald's for five days a week and expect it to be at its most optimal. And for you to be in your in your organs, and your labs and your blood and everything to be like, superior, it just can't happen. You're just not going to happen. And so the more people consume things that are toxin, toxic, or even use products and home that are toxic. Anything from like, for breeze like chemicals, you know, they're spraying this all over their furniture, like all over everything, like in the air. And then you have like your kid and your toddler like walking around and smelling this stuff. It's insane to me, really is I can

Damaris Grossmann: 17:24

only imagine like the how you feel on about like, well, just talking about, would you I mean, your story itself is a lot would you like to go and or discuss something further either patient or discuss more about kind of your, your key elements are not just things that you've used for yourself, like a one. One thing, you don't have to go in ever all detail because it was

Margaret Romero: 17:49

a huge thing. Yes, there is the biggest thing that no one nobody ever looks at, that I think is crucial. It is the missing one of the one out of a few missing pieces is having a stool test. Now, I will give you an example. This week, one of my patients we reviewed she had a stool test done. And she said oh, I said it's really important for you to get this tutor. She had lupus, she has lupus. And she's like, Well, my doctor, I'm doing stool testing with him. Do you know LabCorp and I was like, just know that. There's that is will not show us much. I promise you. But she already had it done. And I was like, Okay, get it done. It's fine. Whatever makes you feel good. But we need to do mine because that will it gives me six pages worth of information that no LabCorp request will ever compare or match. And so she gets it done. And let me tell you, her test was like negative, negative, negative, you know, negative parasites, negative h pylori, all of that. And it was only like maybe four or five things that were done like cryptosporidium and crypto parasites, you know, Omp you know, just like a few of the like, basics. And my test comes back positive giardia, positive h pylori. Like it just it picks it up, it picks it up. Because this listen, I can you know, even in my book, I, I'm like, you know, get soil testing. And then I think people will just kind of go to the GI and be like, completely

Damaris Grossmann: 19:38

agree with you. I completely agree with you. I don't know, but I think it's such an important conversation.

Margaret Romero: 19:45

Totally. It is. It is the thing because look, I don't care if you change your whole diet and you're gluten free and you eat kale every day. I'm sorry. But if you have a parasite, you'll never get better. Because parasites if you have one parasite, you have hundreds. And so and then and then you're gonna and then you're going to just further decline because no one looks in the gut ever, ever, ever. And then they're like, oh, so I feeling better. Let's Okay, how about this biologic? Let's just put you on 40 milligrams of prednisone or 60 milligrams of prednisone. Let's just dampen everything will just kill your immune system. And then maybe,

Damaris Grossmann: 20:29

again, and more protonix, immoral macros. All

Margaret Romero: 20:32

right, right. And then do you know what happens to the parasite? parasite that no one's discovered, and now you're weak and you're immunocompromised from all this medication that parasite flourishes because your body is not fighting it. It's not capable. Doing anything I can do, I think, against that parasite. So you were saying, more meds are given. It's like this vicious cycle. And so I'll have people come in and tell me how but you know, even on Instagram, they'll send me messages. I stopped gluten. I stopped gluten, and I didn't feel any better. Because gluten is not the only thing. There's toxins, there's heavy metals, there's so many things, how are you eating? You know, sometimes people do need to go through a detox. But not every detox is good for everybody. And also, when you do a detox is also really, really important. And you can just be very weak and very ill and try to do a detox. No, your body will not do well. And so what I do is I as I remove what I can, with supplements, like get rid of that parasite or giardia, right, builds you up, builds up your reserves, put you on supplements, figure out what else is going on, very slowly, depending on the person's condition, of course. And then, when you're up when you're just up, you know, more stable, then we can start talking about detox. So there's many steps, many factors and everyone's triggers are very different.

Damaris Grossmann: 22:18

When you're saying that they, you know, because we hear the detox thing or the cleanse thing, go on a cleanse, you'll be better. And you don't even think about that in that. Like, you're like, Oh, that'll fix it or something. Or some people will say, Oh, I went on to the client, that should be okay. And then they start eating bad again, or whatever, but then they're also American immune compromised. So that's an interesting point. Because I don't think that I think we're like, Oh, I'm just gonna juice for a couple days, I'll be okay. And you're like, Oh, God.

Margaret Romero: 22:48

Right, right. And so the, there's so many levels to this.

Damaris Grossmann: 22:54

So you can just we can talk a little bit more, you know, however you like

Margaret Romero: 22:59

to know, from what you just said about the detox. So yes, first of all, there's many detoxes. But the thing is that people don't realize when they just sort of randomly go on this detox or that detox is how open are your detox pathways? You won't know that unless you get tested. And if you're constipated, forget it. Do not do a detox, because you will only get worse. Because all those toxins will just recirculate. And you will not get better. You'll get worse. So don't even do that. So the thing is, if someone is constipated, get a stool test, we need to resolve that you need to be going to the bathroom like once or twice a day. Minimum.

Damaris Grossmann: 23:44

Yeah, yeah. How? Well, how can those reach you? But first off, you know, do you have anything that you'd like to share additional that's coming up? Or that because I know you've done so much you have your own podcast? Would you like to talk about that also?

Margaret Romero: 24:05

Yeah, so I have a podcast called The sacred medicine podcast, I come out with one every week, roughly. Sometimes I'll you know, over the holiday, I won't do one or something. But I have that. Let's see, that's been about three years that I've had that.

Damaris Grossmann: 24:22

Right. Three years. That's a lot. I've only been doing this for about a year. So

Margaret Romero: 24:26

yeah. Was or is it going to be four years? So I think it's almost four years actually. So dedicated. Excellent. I, it's, there's so much work that goes into it. Oh, my goodness. And so learning that learning that we talk about functional medicine. It's primarily for women. And we'll talk about women's health issues. But I find that my audience tends to be around 30 to 50, roughly, on the ages. And so everything is natural approaches to everything, any illness or what have you. We're talking about it. So I've got some, you know, got someone coming on about depression and how to deal with it, you know, naturally, nothing on the podcast is about what medication is the best to take for this. It's not about that. It's all about how to heal with functional medicine. And also dealing with trauma is really important as well, I have to include that in there.

Damaris Grossmann: 25:34

Such a great point. I mean, so necessary. I was listening to a few of your podcasts. I really want people to follow you and and listen to your podcasts in addition to reading your book, but I really that's how I Found You was from your podcast. And then also we're nurse practitioners and it's like She's a nurse practitioner. Oh. So it was like all well, we resonate. And then and then when I found out you were a functional medicine provider to us, like, wow, this is amazing. So I was like I was at one point, I put the intention out a few years back that I was going to meet you. But I didn't know when. So I was like, I don't know, into intention. But about a few years back as like, when I read your book is like, I'm hoping to, you know, touch base with her at some point. It'll unfold at one point. So, so glad to finally get to have you on the show. And I mean, just the podcast, but to actually meet you in. So I guess in person as how they is not how life is now. But maybe in person at 1.0?

Margaret Romero: 26:30

Of course. Yeah, I think you're right over the bridge. Right.

Damaris Grossmann: 26:34

Exactly. Exactly. So, um, no, I really, I think that's like, really important, because I think women's health in general needs to be discussed anything in the natural area. People need to talk more about it. I mean, and then that's when I kind of started this, this podcast, because I just wanted people to start having a conversation of like, what are you doing differently? Like, let's start, you know, doing something different? Yeah. And how can those get a hold of you and reach out to you? Or do you have one little takeaway, right, before? You know, we go into that, so I'll have all your information in the show notes.

Margaret Romero: 27:12

Okay, so I have my regular website, Margaret romero.com. I've got the podcast, I have the book, which is on Amazon. And there's a Kindle version as well. And I hang out on Instagram, every single day. And most likely you will catch me you know, cooking. I love to cook I love. You know, the topic food as medicine. I think that rings true for me for sure. I mean being gluten, like a couple of probably eventually. Yes. I guess that's yeah, I already have like a book this thick of like my recipes. And so I don't think it'll be that hard to just kind of gather them, put them in a book. So

Damaris Grossmann: 27:57

looking forward to it.

Margaret Romero: 27:59

Yeah. And so and also, you know, people DM me and so I love when people DM me, and I always I answer my own DMS I don't have I don't pay anyone to like answer my DMs. So if anyone has any questions, or if they're, you know, anything, they can totally reach out and DM me on Instagram. I mean, then you could have like a few years ago, too.

Damaris Grossmann: 28:22

And you're taking on new clients too, because you're a nurse practitioner, family medicine practitioner, so not only with you, but you are taking on new clients at this time too. So that

Margaret Romero: 28:31

yes, yes. So women with chronic illness, thyroid issues, lupus, any autoimmune condition, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, things like that things where you've been told there is no cure. That's the type of woman that I see. Yeah.

Damaris Grossmann: 28:52

Only told the go to one specialist that'll give you a bandage effects.

Margaret Romero: 28:57

Exactly. And if you're tired, because you know what I was on 20 pills a day. And I still like horrible at that time. Like way back away when in the day. 20 pills every day and just you would I mean, I couldn't even look myself in the mirror. literally sitting there. Hair is like so I mean, I went from like, like this to, to almost nothing. And I had to cut my hair pixie pixie cut. Like, you know, Pixie got like, totally?

Damaris Grossmann: 29:29

Yeah. Oh my god, I'm so not good. I just have to put my hair up. But if I have to shirt, my curls will just be a mess.

Margaret Romero: 29:35

Oh. So well, I don't even know what I was getting at there. You're saying

Damaris Grossmann: 29:41

like your hair. Like you were saying like you had so much medication. You had to cut your hair. You were just a mess and that you? Sick not like negative but you want it you needed to change your life. You would think I mean, here there. Here's

Margaret Romero: 29:54

20 pills to take Okay, well, it didn't do anything. It did nothing. I could barely walk up and down stairs because I just hurt like even walking like every single joint in my feet. I could feel like just stepping out of bed and just putting my feet on the ground. I was like, Oh, it was so it was just such a bad time in my life, my God. And I know what that feels like. And the fact that women still continue to feel that way at bothers me so much. Which is why I do the work I do because I'm like, I want to give hope to people like hey, Alright, hold on a second. Like, we can reverse this. So yeah, that's what I want people to know.

Damaris Grossmann: 30:40

I can't wait for those to reach out to you because I think that you have such a wealth of knowledge just such beyond, you know, from your own personal experience, but how many people you've helped and how and how you're changing the medical field and that, that just a new mindset, it's a different way of thinking. And we need to think like this more often. And so more and more people that I can have on like you, and others, I, it's, it's very passionate for me and very inspiring. So I just really appreciate you taking the time. And, you know, I just want to verify again, it's and just reiterate, it's Margaret romero.com. And what are the other websites how that can reach you and your book.

Margaret Romero: 31:22

So, once you go on to my website, you can access the podcast from there, but on iTunes, on iTunes, and Google Play, and all the places, Spotify. And that's the sacred medicine, podcast, and then Instagram, it's under my name, Margaret Romero, and your book and the name of your book is from flair to fabulous 25 things you must do to avoid your next lupus flare.

Damaris Grossmann: 31:47

Awesome. I loved it. So I want people to take a thank you. Yeah, it was it's, it's really well written, and just a lot of just direct information to exactly what people need. So thank you so much for your time.

Margaret Romero: 32:00

Thank you.

Damaris Grossmann: 32:02

It was a pleasure. Yeah, I look forward to you know, bringing more people to you. And then, you know, some of my patients to you and, and us working at some point together. So thank you so much for your attention, and those listening. Thanks again. Thanks for listening to mindfully integrative with Dr. Damaris G. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode. If you enjoyed our show, support us by leaving a mindful review on Apple podcast or your favorite streaming site. If you would like to be a guest of our show or interview, email us at info at Damaris maria.com. If you want to learn more about the resources mentioned in the podcast, you can find those in the show notes to connect mindfully with Dr. Damaris G reacher@www.de Maris, maria.com or connect via social media links. We appreciate your time connecting here with us. May your strength and peace within bring you more balance every day. No Ma stay