Nside1 8 - Austin MD Magazine

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story
Taking the Sexy Back
Meet Gena Lee Nolin, former actress and model who
has battled against thyroid disease and came out
as a strong advocate. Writer: Ariel Min
G
ena Lee Nolin, as famous as she is
for her identity as a strong and sexy
model, suffered greatly from undiagnosed thyroid disease that left her
feeling anything but beautiful. The former Baywatch
star and model has been sharing her struggles with
the disease and her ongoing treatment. Gena now
encourages others through her advocacy.
Nolin has come out as a survivor and a strong advocate for regular thyroid gland checks and blood
tests. She created a Facebook page called “Thyroid
Sexy” in July 2011 for people to “share struggles and
triumphs, knowledge and hope.” Since then, the page
has received over 27,000 likes and has been acting as
a good source of information and encouragement
for those who are suffering from thyroid disease.
Nolin has written a book titled “Beautiful Inside
& Out” with a New York Times bestseller Mary J.
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A u s t i n MD m a g a z i n e . c o m
Shomon, about conquering thyroid disease with a new lifestyle, to be released
in early October 2013. It includes unpublished photos of Nolin at the height of
her illness, honest accounts of her fight
with the disease, and advice from
experts. These stories and illustrations are meant to inspire and help
her readers to proactively check
for symptoms, and seek treatment
to restore balanced hormones and
solve beauty challenges.
In our next issue, we will dive deeper into her battle with the disease,
and what brought her to advocate
so actively for thyroid awareness in
an Austin M.D. exclusive interview
with Todd Johnston.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s
& Hypothyroidism in 2009!
What a journey it’s been
Photos by Jessica Attie St. Edward’s University Marketing