About This Episode

Weight stigma in healthcare is real, and it can delay a diagnosis for years. Catisha lost more than 200 pounds, and she was still in pain every day. When she finally got a referral to a rheumatologist, she was told her pain was about her weight. On this episode of Invisible Strength, Catisha shares how she kept advocating until she got answers, what losing her hair to lupus meant to her as a beauty creator, and how she’s learning to give herself grace.

Key Takeaways

• Catisha’s pain was dismissed as a weight issue, even after she had lost more than 200 pounds.
• She kept pushing for labs and testing, and that persistence led to her lupus diagnosis.
• Losing more than half her hair was devastating, because her hair was a big part of how she saw herself.
• She started over without speaking English, and later moved from culinary teacher to content creator.
• For her, invisible strength includes resting without apologizing, and she’s still working on that.

“Lose 50 more pounds”

When Catisha finally saw a rheumatologist, she hoped for answers. Instead, she heard this: “You seem fine to me. I just think that your pain is related to obesity. I recommend you lose 50 more pounds.”

“I was shocked,” she told Karin. “How do you tell that to someone that has lost 200 pounds?” She was proud of what she had accomplished, and she loved being able to look in the mirror and like herself. “But my pain was real. And I just kept advocating for myself and told him, I want labs done.”

If you’ve ever had your symptoms explained away by your size, your age or your stress level, you’re not imagining it, and you’re allowed to ask for more.

Losing her hair as a beauty creator

Hair loss is a common lupus symptom, and for Catisha it hit hard. “Losing more than half of my hair has been extremely emotional, because hair is such a big part of how I see myself,” she said. Her hair used to be long and full. Now, seeing new growth has become something more. “To me it’s not just hair, it’s hope.”

She also shared what a doctor recently told her: give yourself grace, because with everything your body is going through, it could be much worse. Catisha shares the hair care routine she uses in the episode.

Grief, consistency and pain days

Catisha has been in pain every day since February, and she talks honestly about the grief of not remembering what her body used to feel like. She’s someone who is used to “go, go, go,” so the days she has to stay in bed feel terrible. She’s learning that rest is part of getting up the next day.

Starting over, again and again

This isn’t Catisha’s first reinvention. She started over without speaking English, and she moved from teaching culinary arts to creating content. That resilience shows up in how she talks about her illness, too: slowing down, watching the sunset, and doing the things she loves “just at a different pace.”

What invisible strength means to Catisha

“Invisible strength can be getting up and trying again when nobody knows how hard yesterday was,” she said. “It’s smiling while you’re hurting. It’s asking for help when you’re used to being so independent. It’s advocating for myself. It’s resting without apologizing.”

Follow Catisha at @catishadaneylix.

Your turn: Have you ever had to fight for a diagnosis? Tell us in the YouTube comments. And grab the free RESET workbook, the same first step we walk clients through before coaching: https://invigorateyourjourney.com/reset-workbook/