From Diagnosis to Métier

Or, how a life-changing diagnosis became the foundation of my life’s work.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” — Socrates

Métier. It doesn’t just mean a job or profession — it means your calling, your craft, the thing you’re uniquely shaped to do in the world. For some people, their métier is obvious from the start. For others, it’s something life reveals to them — often in unexpected, uncomfortable ways. For me, it began with a diagnosis.

Around twelve years ago, I began feeling generally unwell — low mood, aching joints, and worsening Raynaud’s (the condition where your fingers go white and lose blood supply in the cold or in stressful situations). It was late winter when I saw a very young, newly qualified GP. She agreed I might be low in vitamin D — hardly surprising after the dark winter — and ordered blood tests. Being thorough, she also checked for certain inflammatory markers.

When I returned, she confirmed that I was indeed low in vitamin D, but she’d also found something else: possible Systemic Sclerosis, or Scleroderma. She referred me to a rheumatologist for further tests.

Sclerosis. It even sounds bad. Of course, I did what most people do — I Googled it — and was horrified. Systemic Sclerosis is a connective tissue disorder and a form of arthritis. Raynaud’s is a key feature, but it can also affect the skin, joints, heart, and lungs.

The rheumatologist did more tests and confirmed I was antibody positive for Scleroderma, though he said we’d have to wait and see if my symptoms worsened. I left feeling confused but cautiously hopeful. Over the next six months, my symptoms did progress — more joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, and difficulty swallowing at times.

When I went back to see him — alone (something I wouldn’t recommend when you’re expecting bad news) — he confirmed that I did indeed have the condition. He referred me to his colleague at the Royal Free Hospital in London, where they specialise in Scleroderma research and treatment.

That appointment opened a whole new world: professors, specialist nurses, researchers — all highly knowledgeable, but somewhat bemused when I asked whether diet could change the course of this disease. The general consensus was that my symptoms would worsen and I would eventually decline.

However, I had already started reading about autoimmunity and inflammation. The research was emerging, and I figured — why not give it a go? Food was something I could influence. So, I began an anti-inflammatory autoimmune paleo diet and started removing other toxins from my life.

At first, I treated it as an experiment — something worth trying, though I didn’t quite believe it could make a lasting difference. Everyone around me, including other people with Scleroderma, told me decline was inevitable. I eventually stopped going to support groups because I noticed many lovely people there had what I call a ‘disease mindset’ — something I didn’t want for myself. And because of a background in positive psychology, I was holding onto hope.

Over time, I didn’t decline. My symptoms stabilised. Some even improved. When I told the specialist team, they said things like, “Well, we never know what the body can do.” Still, they kept monitoring me — blood tests, physical exams, even capillary studies for research — and I kept quietly doing what I hoped would continue to work.

As the years went on, I realised nutrition had fundamentally changed my trajectory. Despite the occasional health issue, normal ageing, and menopause, I remained well. I then decided I wanted to understand the science properly in order that I could help others, so in 2018 I enrolled in a Master’s in Nutritional Science and Practice in York.

Fast-forward twelve years: I’m still here, I’m a qualified Nutritionist, still eating anti-inflammatory foods, still practising the habits that help me thrive — and now sharing that knowledge with others through community cooking, education, and behaviour change work.

I’m still learning, still striving, still building the new.

More on that next time...