Kara's story.
My name is Kara Weske and I am a RN Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor. I am passionate about providing holistic care and finding solutions that include lifestyle modifications to improve health. This passion stemmed from my personal experiences with a childhood and young adult life filled with pain and symptoms that I would not find out until my early adult years, could be attributed to autoimmunity. After a long struggle with joint pain and arthritis at a young age, allergies and asthma from childhood to young adulthood, food sensitivities and digestive problems, thyroid problems, and later a diagnosis of breast cancer, I was completely invested in continuing my journey to educate myself and to share my knowledge with others. I began my gluten free journey in 2009 along with my 2 and 4 year old, which was an incredible challenge. I was not officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease until 2022, which put me on the path to discovering how my story and individuality has likely impacted the development of symptoms and diagnoses of my past.
My journey for answers seemed like a never ending quest to solve my healthcare concerns. I became my own advocate and educator and felt burdened to convince my health care providers why I desired to find answers that did not include endless expensive or invasive tests, procedures, and medications. My experience with our healthcare system while navigating a diagnosis of cancer was overwhelming and often confusing. 9 years later, I am still navigating the after effects of my journey and looking for ways to improve my health, naturally. During this very stressful time in my life, I had a team of individuals who were assigned to my care. While they were knowledgeable on first line treatments, I felt pressured into making quick decisions without being given an opportunity to learn about ways to support myself naturally while enduring these treatments. I felt undermined while I was just going through the motions and individualized treatment was dismissed. Sitting with the treatment team, I was faced with decisions of surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, physical therapy, and more surgeries. I often felt disconnected as if outside looking in. Years later, I continue to question my decisions and think about how my body may have responded differently if I would have been working on positive lifestyle choices and supporting my immune system, in ways I was not already doing. It is nearly a decade later and I believe that my drive to make those lifestyle changes after treatment, and those that were in effect before treatment, has led me to remain cancer free and given me the courage to make some choices I may not have otherwise made.
In the past couple years I have continued to explore improvements in sleep and breathing quality. I made the decision to undergo a maxillary expansion in 2023, leading to multiple improvements in my quality of life.
I eventually sought out a nutritionist and a trustworthy doctor who understood I was a partner in my own healthcare and truly listened to what I had to say. Working with people who took time to understand the purpose of my questions and further need for answers was a relief but I soon found there were still gaps in my healthcare as my providers had limitations with time and resources. This led me to an interest in functional medicine and more specifically, nutrition. I have long been a believer in using food as medicine and striving to eat an organic, clean and wholesome diet. I have found it even more fascinating to make the connection of where food meets physiology. My passion and countless hours of self education and research has led me to pursue a Certification as a Functional Nutrition Counselor through the Functional Nutrition Alliance. As a Functional Nutrition Counselor, I will work with individuals to help fill the gaps in their healthcare, advocate for changes in lifestyle modifications, and educate on shifting the terrain in which our symptoms and diagnoses take root. I will take into consideration each person’s individuality and story that led them to their current state of health, realizing small changes can create immediate impact that can lead to long term sustainable outcomes. When not spending time focusing on healthcare, I enjoy spending time with my husband, two children, and my senior dog. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking and camping, traveling, gardening, community service events, and spending time listening to music and crocheting. Join the Storm and Harmony community to start your wellness journey and discover your best self. I will work toward your “why” and help assist you in accomplishing your wellness goals. Please contact me to get started. I look forward to our time together.
