January 18, 2009~It’s been one year since I started writing Peaceful Acres and 1 year on Dr Zhang’s protocol. I am more than happy to tell you that I am nearly 100% healed of Chronic Lyme Disease and co-infections. I continue to use food as medicine, and supp’s to assist my body in staying healed. I’ve learned a lot and hope that I can offer to you some nuggets that will help you to heal also. What was written below was written 1 year ago and now that I am on the other side I would probably alter it some. But this is where I was when I wrote it. To find out more you can visit me at Hope To Heal.
~~~~~
The reason I even started this blog was to offer others suffering with Lyme Disease & Co-infections HOPE! Without hope we parish. I’m not a doctor and nothing I say is anything more than my own experiences and beliefs. This disease is merciless. It has many victims, many of which are still looking for answers as I did for 34 yrs. In 1971, when I was 13 I first became sick with this mystery disease. I went from doctor to doctor…..no one knew what it was. There were many guesses; leukemia, kidney disease, mono, mental illness….and on and on it went. This was my story until 2005.
In 2005 I became so deathly sick that I prayed daily for God to either heal me or take me. As you can see from my blog and my postings, I am an energetic 50 yr old woman. I love life! I love my family! I love my Saviour! But in 2005 I was lifeless; a living dead. I then requested a Lyme Western Blot test from Igenex and not to my surprise it came back positive, with a positive Ehrlichiosis also. On top of that through clinical diagnosis I was also infected with the “American Malaria”; Babesia and also with “Cat Scratch Fever”; Bartonella.
As I’ve said in some posts, I’d rather be playing with a pit viper than these infectious diseases. They are no respecter of person or age. They would just as soon kill an infant than a teenager. They are considered “Stealth” bacteria and protozoa. The Babesia is the protozoa.
In the past three years I have educated myself and had an open mind about this disease. Most people think a simple dose of an antibiotic (ABX) will cure it, but it won’t. This disease is not recognized as a disease. There is no diagnostic code. Insurance companies will not cover long term treatment. The CDC has it’s information in the dark ages. There are few knowledgeable doctors to treat. So, we took matters into our own hands as anyone does facing an incurable life threatening disease.
My first trial was with following Dr Lee Cowden’s protocol using “Samento”. I had some good results and it did give me some relief, but it wasn’t complete…at least not what he published before 2005. I followed this protocol for 1 yr. Early on we bought two pieces of equipment that we knew were going to be invaluable. A Rife Machine and an Infrared Sauna. The Rife Machine is a electro magnetic machine that emits frequencies. Every living thing has a frequency or vibration to it. It’s like when an opera singer shatters a glass. It’s like when an earth quake shatters a bridge. Lyme Disease and it’s co-infections also have life frequencies. There have been many researchers who have put together frequency lists of just about any bacteria or disease you can imagine.
I believe there is one way to live with Lyme Disease & Co. and that is with it being DEAD! During 2006 I played around with the Rife Machine but really didn’t like the side effects. You see when the bacteria is dead (any bacteria) it causes horrible symptoms, including brain fog, joint pain, muscle pain, chronic bone pain, visual disturbance, encephalitis, itching, hives, mysterious swelling, deafness, blindness, palsy…. and on and on and on it goes. So, the way most people like to live with Lyme & Co is to live in harmony. NOT ME! I will never live in harmony with this disease. So, in 2006 I played around with a few other remedies to find none of them helping. We found a wonderful Lyme Literate Doctor in August of 2006. He supported whatever alternative treatment I was willing to try.
Most of my improvement began in Jan 2007 when I was prescribed Armour Thyroid. I came alive. In addition I used the sauna everyday for 20 min’s at 125 F. I began consuming raw dairy which I’ll describe below. I began experimenting with doses of Cod Liver Oil. I used coffee enemas for pain and to cleanse my liver. I mostly rife weekly or bi weekly and experimented with food and supplements and did a lot of detoxing which if vital.
In the fall of 2006 we began to eat raw dairy. We had always eaten a pretty healthy diet, but we became very strict with our diet….no sugar, no wheat, no coffee, no fruit, no nothin! I was at that time “allergic” to eggs and dairy, which was proven by an IGg blood test. Upon starting raw dairy, I found that I couldn’t eat it either. Then I realized more specifically I was allergic to Casein the protein in dairy. In March 2006 I decided to try and heal my leaky gut. You see just about everyone has a leaky gut and due to my “allergies” I knew it was so. I started consuming plain raw butter and raw cream. Neither of them have much if at all any casein in them. I did this for three months. No problems. In fact my health began to improve. Then I tried Kefir. Kefir is a wonderful healing food. It’s an ancient food that the nomads drank as they lived in the desert with their camels and goats. It’s basically fermented milk with kefir grains that look very much like cauliflower.
Now the kefir. Still I had an asthma attack. So, I backed off the kefir and only took in about 1Tbsp at a time. I built it up and began to drink it with raw colostrum (the first milk). No asthma attack!!! I did this for another three months upon which I saw my doc. He was well pleased with what I had accomplished. Hippocrates said, “death begins in the gut”. I choose life….and I said, “life begins in the gut”. My doc wished that all his patients could get to this place of healing. Then in another 3 months I began to drink raw milk, which I haven’t been able to do my whole life without asthma. I’ve continued the raw dairy; homemade kefir, homemade yogurt, raw cheese. In addition we eat grassfed beef, soy free chickens, soy free everything since it’s highly GMO and allergic. We eat all organic veggies and grow most of it ourselves. We use herbs, which I’ll go into further below. We live very clean. No preservatives, no chemicals, no artificial anything.
When I also started “Rifing” in Jan 2007, I set up a schedule and I stuck to it. To this day I am still rifing and seeing great improvements. My herxing (die off) is less and less, my days of herxing are shorter. My brain began functioning again and miracles began to happen. I can’t explain it but it was happening. I could think again. My family was amazed. I still have what I like to amusingly refer to as “memory leakage”, but it’s so much less.
Due to my brain functioning again, I reread “Lyme Disease and Modern Chinese Medicine” by Dr. Qingcai Zhang. I tried to read it before but it didn’t make sense, but now it did. In Jan 2008 I started Dr Zhang’s protocol listed in the book. I ordered the products and have continued to do so for 4 months. I am seeing remarkable results. Dr Zhang and others now believe that in order to kill Lyme you must kill the co-infections first. With that, I am 99.99999999999% sure that old Bab’s is dead!!! The only other time I’ve felt this good was when I took Malaria med’s in India. Since they are sister diseases, and the same treatments are used for both Malaria and Babesia, I believe it is finally dead. Now the work of killing off all if not most of the Bb (lyme) and Bartonella and Ehrlichia. The remainder of the protocol will take a yr. When I finally did kill Bab’s I then realized that Bartonella was uncovered. The symptoms worsened and I began to rife more specifically for it.
I will continue to rife 1-2x month. I will continue to eat well and to begin to exercise again! I will embrace life and my God and my Saviour Jesus Christ. I will celebrate all the milestones in my life with JOY! And I will continue to pray for those who are suffering, including my own son.
This is my story. These are some of the tips that I’ve learned along the way.
1. Keep a diary…write everything down, what you take, when, how you felt…
2. Clean up your diet and lifestyle.
3. DETOX! Use a sauna or hot tub or hot baths w/ epsom salts & H2O2. Use coffee enemas.
4. Stick to a protocol for at least a yr.
5. Buy a Rife Machine.
6. Eat raw dairy, grassfed meat, soy free chickens and eggs, organic veggies, CLO, raw butter, no wheat.
7. Explore the world of herbs and their healing abilities.
8. Pray and meditate on the Bible. Prayer changes things. Draw near to God.
9. Learn about “Nourishing Traditions” and Weston A Price Foundation.
I pray that you will find hope. I pray that you will find a way out of this darkness and into the light. I pray that you will be brave enough to make some very hard changes in your life.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one. If you need medical help please seek it. The information offered on this blog is that of the owner and only her experience. She does not offer medical advice nor will she give it. Do the research and you too will find answers. See the links offered on the home page for further information.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Lyme Success Story with Alt Medicine
In 1998 I was given the opportunity to apply what we had learned over recent years about alternative modalities to my own tick bite experience.
When I woke on June 1st I noticed a tender, red, half-dollar sized bite on the right side of my chest. There was a small hole in the center, but no tick. By evening I was running a fever. I added Echinacea and colloidal silver (on the bite and internally) to my usual mega-dietary supplement program and drove to Morris County to keep an appointment.
Fever began to develop so I left the appointment early and I stopped at the home of a healer friend since I was not sure I could drive the entire distance home. She suggested I use her ozone generator and rest a while. This device generates O3 for infusion into drinking water or for use in a dermal infuser. So, I slept for about 2 hours in this gray plastic sack (covered me up to the neck) into which O3 was flowing. When I woke I felt well enough to drive home. A few hours later -- my immune system O3 charged -- was when the fever started surging. This type of fever, if it does not go so high as to kill you, is the body's best defense for ridding itself of pathogens. By the next day I was experiencing fever surging to 103o.
I saw our family physician, Dr. Vasquez, that afternoon. His associate thought it might be a spider bite, but Dr. V., who practiced in the deer-filled hills of Sussex County, saw a lot of tick bites. He said that it was definitely a tick bite and would show the typical red ring in a day or two (he was right -- the ring showed up the next day). We discussed my preferences in dealing with the condition and he recommended two powerful antibiotics for one week, then one antibiotic for three weeks thereafter. We talked about side-effects and I was urged to use the antibiotics to stop the Borelli bacterium, the pathogen involved, from getting into the nervous system. Knowing my concerns, we did discuss strategies for detoxifying from the antibiotics, with the use of herbs such as milk thistle discussed.
I took the antibiotics and my fever surged to 104.9o. I continued taking Echinacea and colloidal silver (actually, the more advanced form, Ionic Silver (www.silver100.com). After a cold bath the fever diminished, but I continued to experience nausea and dizziness with mental numbness. When I related these symptoms to Dr. V. he acknowledged them as side-effects of the one antibiotic which was "designed" to pass the blood-brain barrier. These symptoms went away when that antibiotic's course was completed. "Side-effect" is a misnomer -- drugs have effects (that's what distinguishes drugs from nutrients: nutrients nourish normal form and function, while drugs are designed to change normal form or function to attack a pathogen or suppress symptoms) -- if the effect is desired, it is "treatment" if not, "side-effect."
As the two courses of antibiotics ended, I continued with my mega-supplement program. That daily program usually included: 4 gr. of Vitamin C daily, 30 mg. Q-10, 3-4 gr. MSM, 400 IU Vitamin E, a broad B capsule and good multi-vitamin and mineral supplements, with Echinacea and silver. In addition to this physical nutrition, I also sought energetic nutrition as well. I made sure I exposed myself to sunlight (not advisable while actually taking certain antibiotics). I used several energetic devices, including two micro-amp stimulation devices and the violet ray. The use of energetic devices is, to my mind, as important as any other form of nourishment, especially during the healing process. As usual, Voll meter measurements before and after energetic nourishment showed improved energetic balance. See: BioEnergetic Nutrition.
We used Human BioAcoustic testing, using three primary bio-vocal evaluation programs and applying harmonizing frequencies. Frequencies typically out-of-balance during the stress of the healing process were noted, and this form of BioEnergetics supported the process. The evaluation programs, as used under the direction of Sharry Edwards' Human BioAcoustic research, measure change in frequency and total frequency representation. The third program, BioGenesisä program, provides the data base to analyze stressed frequencies (see: www.soundhealthresearch.org).
Oxygen was also used, as a nutrient, to support normal function. We kept our Panda and Alpine ozone devices going continuously (we have one in our entranceway, at the AC air return). Since we live in the country, the air we normally breathe is several percentage points higher in O2 than city air and our home pool and Jacuzzi have ozone generators built in -- its wonderful!
To further de-stress, I went to Dr. David Shuch, a Dentist in Augusta, NJ, who endorses a holistic approach. When you enter his office you immediately notice two things: natural or incandescent light sources only... and Mozart. When you sit in his chair, the Shree Yantra Mandala is on the ceiling and Rescue Remedy is under the tongue. Thirty+ years ago, I had three metallic fillings -- Dr. S found that I had three infections in my mouth, one under each filling! Other than that, he said, you have another half dozen cavities which have re-mineralized (filled-in naturally). This, he says, can occur if you have enough minerals in the diet and sufficient life force. The metal fillings were removed, one at a time, with masks and mouth dams, and this particular stressor was alleviated.
In July, Dr. Gonzalez (http://www.medicinanatural.com/), the Naturpath I work with, suggested a course of injected ozone (recently legalized in New York). Five time over two months my wife and I drove into Manhattan for ozone injections. The place is the Oxygen Station directed by Dr. Howard Robins. A large syringe is filled with O3 which is injected directly into a vein. The only thing I noticed after was a tendency to cough a few times a few minutes after. "Doc O3" is quite knowledgeable about the use of oxygen as a nutrient to support the healing process. (See: http://www.oxytherapy.com/doctors/ny.html.)
The morning after my fifth O3 infusion I woke with fever which surged to 102o. The fever broke on its own within a day. I interpret this as a healing crisis in which the immune system finally overcame the attack of the pathogen upon overcoming the immune depressing "side effects" of the antibiotics. I have been free of symptoms since then. I continue my supplement regime and the use of energetic nutrition and have recently begun a series of noble gas tube lymph massages to detoxify any remaining antibiotic stressors.
My experience shows how alternative modalities and allopathic approaches can cooperate from the start of a disease process, to the benefit of the patient. My charged immune system immediately responded to the attack; the emergency antibiotics bought time for the alternatives to trigger true healing.
April 7, 1999
Top
Update: Summer 2003
Open Letter to Electronic Research Alliance
www.zappera.com
Gentlepeople,
Kathy and I have used several versions of the micro-amp stimulator ("Zapper") over the years in personal experimentation and the ERA version appears to be as useful, if not more so, than the others we've tried.
But, what I want to especially relate is what I perceive as the benefit of using the ZappEra with Plate Zapper attachment, which I've used with the bottle copy marked "lymph." Since the ERA makes no claims and offers no directions, I used it as I would any other subtle energetic device -- I put myself and the device in a "circuit." In 1998 I was bit by a Lyme tick. I've written about my Lyme experience, using standard treatment and alternative modalities in a complementary approach, at http://www.lifespirit.org/lymenote.html.
Since then, other than some age 50+ aches and pains, I've done fine. Earlier during the Summer of 2003, though, I began to have discomfort in my upper arms and arm pits. A healer I know told me I had Lyme still lurking in my lymph nodes and she would send subtle energy to clear them. Sure enough, the next day the nodes swelled noticeably (the left side was quite red) and I experienced some rather extreme discomfort, inability to raise especially my left arm even to shoulder level. My neck, on the left side, began to ache. This continued for couple months, despite various energetic and detox procedures (I don't need much urging to "do" the hot tub and infrared sauna).
Within a couple days of receiving the Plate Zapper, I put the "lymph" bottle copy on the device and strapped it on my wrists for 7 minutes. I began quickly to notice a decrease in discomfort in both my upper arm and neck. The next morning, instead of waking to pain, as I had in recent weeks, the discomfort was nearly gone. Three further 7 minute applications of the Plate Zapper over the subsequent four days and I feel nearly as good as before this episode started. The lymph node swelling, which had begun to reduce itself before the use of the Plate Zapper, has nearly disappeared. I've also been using an infrared sauna and other techniques, but the improvement from the use of the Plate Zapper is certainly predominant.
I attribute this to feeding my system just the static-charge energetic nourishment it needed to rebalance, thereby allowing me to achieve and maintain a status of greater wellness. Of course, my results are not typical and I do not advocate that anyone forego medical diagnosis or treatment to experiment as I have, but, certainly, my thanks to the ideas of Dr. Hulda Clark and to the experimental devices available through ERA.
October 10, 2003
Top
ã 1999, 2001, 2003
When I woke on June 1st I noticed a tender, red, half-dollar sized bite on the right side of my chest. There was a small hole in the center, but no tick. By evening I was running a fever. I added Echinacea and colloidal silver (on the bite and internally) to my usual mega-dietary supplement program and drove to Morris County to keep an appointment.
Fever began to develop so I left the appointment early and I stopped at the home of a healer friend since I was not sure I could drive the entire distance home. She suggested I use her ozone generator and rest a while. This device generates O3 for infusion into drinking water or for use in a dermal infuser. So, I slept for about 2 hours in this gray plastic sack (covered me up to the neck) into which O3 was flowing. When I woke I felt well enough to drive home. A few hours later -- my immune system O3 charged -- was when the fever started surging. This type of fever, if it does not go so high as to kill you, is the body's best defense for ridding itself of pathogens. By the next day I was experiencing fever surging to 103o.
I saw our family physician, Dr. Vasquez, that afternoon. His associate thought it might be a spider bite, but Dr. V., who practiced in the deer-filled hills of Sussex County, saw a lot of tick bites. He said that it was definitely a tick bite and would show the typical red ring in a day or two (he was right -- the ring showed up the next day). We discussed my preferences in dealing with the condition and he recommended two powerful antibiotics for one week, then one antibiotic for three weeks thereafter. We talked about side-effects and I was urged to use the antibiotics to stop the Borelli bacterium, the pathogen involved, from getting into the nervous system. Knowing my concerns, we did discuss strategies for detoxifying from the antibiotics, with the use of herbs such as milk thistle discussed.
I took the antibiotics and my fever surged to 104.9o. I continued taking Echinacea and colloidal silver (actually, the more advanced form, Ionic Silver (www.silver100.com). After a cold bath the fever diminished, but I continued to experience nausea and dizziness with mental numbness. When I related these symptoms to Dr. V. he acknowledged them as side-effects of the one antibiotic which was "designed" to pass the blood-brain barrier. These symptoms went away when that antibiotic's course was completed. "Side-effect" is a misnomer -- drugs have effects (that's what distinguishes drugs from nutrients: nutrients nourish normal form and function, while drugs are designed to change normal form or function to attack a pathogen or suppress symptoms) -- if the effect is desired, it is "treatment" if not, "side-effect."
As the two courses of antibiotics ended, I continued with my mega-supplement program. That daily program usually included: 4 gr. of Vitamin C daily, 30 mg. Q-10, 3-4 gr. MSM, 400 IU Vitamin E, a broad B capsule and good multi-vitamin and mineral supplements, with Echinacea and silver. In addition to this physical nutrition, I also sought energetic nutrition as well. I made sure I exposed myself to sunlight (not advisable while actually taking certain antibiotics). I used several energetic devices, including two micro-amp stimulation devices and the violet ray. The use of energetic devices is, to my mind, as important as any other form of nourishment, especially during the healing process. As usual, Voll meter measurements before and after energetic nourishment showed improved energetic balance. See: BioEnergetic Nutrition.
We used Human BioAcoustic testing, using three primary bio-vocal evaluation programs and applying harmonizing frequencies. Frequencies typically out-of-balance during the stress of the healing process were noted, and this form of BioEnergetics supported the process. The evaluation programs, as used under the direction of Sharry Edwards' Human BioAcoustic research, measure change in frequency and total frequency representation. The third program, BioGenesisä program, provides the data base to analyze stressed frequencies (see: www.soundhealthresearch.org).
Oxygen was also used, as a nutrient, to support normal function. We kept our Panda and Alpine ozone devices going continuously (we have one in our entranceway, at the AC air return). Since we live in the country, the air we normally breathe is several percentage points higher in O2 than city air and our home pool and Jacuzzi have ozone generators built in -- its wonderful!
To further de-stress, I went to Dr. David Shuch, a Dentist in Augusta, NJ, who endorses a holistic approach. When you enter his office you immediately notice two things: natural or incandescent light sources only... and Mozart. When you sit in his chair, the Shree Yantra Mandala is on the ceiling and Rescue Remedy is under the tongue. Thirty+ years ago, I had three metallic fillings -- Dr. S found that I had three infections in my mouth, one under each filling! Other than that, he said, you have another half dozen cavities which have re-mineralized (filled-in naturally). This, he says, can occur if you have enough minerals in the diet and sufficient life force. The metal fillings were removed, one at a time, with masks and mouth dams, and this particular stressor was alleviated.
In July, Dr. Gonzalez (http://www.medicinanatural.com/), the Naturpath I work with, suggested a course of injected ozone (recently legalized in New York). Five time over two months my wife and I drove into Manhattan for ozone injections. The place is the Oxygen Station directed by Dr. Howard Robins. A large syringe is filled with O3 which is injected directly into a vein. The only thing I noticed after was a tendency to cough a few times a few minutes after. "Doc O3" is quite knowledgeable about the use of oxygen as a nutrient to support the healing process. (See: http://www.oxytherapy.com/doctors/ny.html.)
The morning after my fifth O3 infusion I woke with fever which surged to 102o. The fever broke on its own within a day. I interpret this as a healing crisis in which the immune system finally overcame the attack of the pathogen upon overcoming the immune depressing "side effects" of the antibiotics. I have been free of symptoms since then. I continue my supplement regime and the use of energetic nutrition and have recently begun a series of noble gas tube lymph massages to detoxify any remaining antibiotic stressors.
My experience shows how alternative modalities and allopathic approaches can cooperate from the start of a disease process, to the benefit of the patient. My charged immune system immediately responded to the attack; the emergency antibiotics bought time for the alternatives to trigger true healing.
April 7, 1999
Top
Update: Summer 2003
Open Letter to Electronic Research Alliance
www.zappera.com
Gentlepeople,
Kathy and I have used several versions of the micro-amp stimulator ("Zapper") over the years in personal experimentation and the ERA version appears to be as useful, if not more so, than the others we've tried.
But, what I want to especially relate is what I perceive as the benefit of using the ZappEra with Plate Zapper attachment, which I've used with the bottle copy marked "lymph." Since the ERA makes no claims and offers no directions, I used it as I would any other subtle energetic device -- I put myself and the device in a "circuit." In 1998 I was bit by a Lyme tick. I've written about my Lyme experience, using standard treatment and alternative modalities in a complementary approach, at http://www.lifespirit.org/lymenote.html.
Since then, other than some age 50+ aches and pains, I've done fine. Earlier during the Summer of 2003, though, I began to have discomfort in my upper arms and arm pits. A healer I know told me I had Lyme still lurking in my lymph nodes and she would send subtle energy to clear them. Sure enough, the next day the nodes swelled noticeably (the left side was quite red) and I experienced some rather extreme discomfort, inability to raise especially my left arm even to shoulder level. My neck, on the left side, began to ache. This continued for couple months, despite various energetic and detox procedures (I don't need much urging to "do" the hot tub and infrared sauna).
Within a couple days of receiving the Plate Zapper, I put the "lymph" bottle copy on the device and strapped it on my wrists for 7 minutes. I began quickly to notice a decrease in discomfort in both my upper arm and neck. The next morning, instead of waking to pain, as I had in recent weeks, the discomfort was nearly gone. Three further 7 minute applications of the Plate Zapper over the subsequent four days and I feel nearly as good as before this episode started. The lymph node swelling, which had begun to reduce itself before the use of the Plate Zapper, has nearly disappeared. I've also been using an infrared sauna and other techniques, but the improvement from the use of the Plate Zapper is certainly predominant.
I attribute this to feeding my system just the static-charge energetic nourishment it needed to rebalance, thereby allowing me to achieve and maintain a status of greater wellness. Of course, my results are not typical and I do not advocate that anyone forego medical diagnosis or treatment to experiment as I have, but, certainly, my thanks to the ideas of Dr. Hulda Clark and to the experimental devices available through ERA.
October 10, 2003
Top
ã 1999, 2001, 2003
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
My Lyme Success Story
I was trying all possible remedies I could find online! I saw some improvement, but not as much as I wished. I am really grateful I found Katrina, her coaching and encouragement gave my life back!!!
Arienna, NY
Arienna, NY
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Lyme Success Story
Another success story:
(Name left out)
I think it's time to add my story to this thread.
I've actually had to cobble together my Lyme history, based on journal entries. I had symptoms dating back to the early 1990s. Then in 1996, I had a tick bite and rash. At that time, I was treated with abx for about 18 days.
The rash went away, and I figured I was fine.
Over the next few years, I had a variety of weird symptoms, which sent me from one medical specialist to another--about 16 in all. Each one seemed convinced of what was wrong with me, with dx ranging from endometrial cancer to tendonitis to hypothyroidism. I spent a lot of money on treatments they suggested, and my health continued to worsen.
By 2002, I was exhausted all the time and only working part time. My memory was slipping, it was difficult for me to concentrate or think. I was walking with a limp and still going from doctor to doctor. I was also beating up on myself a lot, because I didn't know what was going on...so I kept trying to push myself.
Finally, in 2005, an acupucturist I was seeing suggested Lyme Disease as a strong possibility.
I went online, found this site and started reading about all the controversy surrounding the disease.
I spent a long long time trying to figure out which LLMD to see and finally decided on someone out of state. I think that's one of the best decisions I made.
I started antibiotic treatment for Lyme and Bart in June, 2005.
Initially, I got much much worse and had new, scary symptoms which included seizures, full body paralysis (which lasted more than 3 hours), chills that nothing could slake, even worse exhaustion and a slew of bizarre cognitive problems. I literally found it impossible to remember anything from one minute to the next.
I held on to a thread of work, just to stay busy, and I refused to go to bed for more than a day here and there. I kept holding out hope that I would beat this. I prayed a lot and struggled against awful depression.
I augmented my antibiotic treatment with herbs, supplements and some alternative things. I was fortunate enough to have weekly acupuncture, which I think helped me a LOT, as did Chinese herbs my acupuncturist gave me. But I never stopped taking antibiotics.
It took about 9 months before I noticed discernible improvement. At that point, my LLMD started me on tindimax, to address the cystic form of the disease. It was a rough antibiotic, but I began to notice even more improvement.
After being in treatment for about 14 months, I was able to walk more than a few blocks. I pushed myself to walk until I was up to a mile. Sometimes, though, my foot would just go numb or I'd develop searing pain in my hip. Those had been very early symptoms, and I never knew when they would happen again.
Around 14 months, I was hired to do some consulting work for a national company. After a few contract months, they asked me to come on full time. I talked with my LLMD, my acupuncturist, my SO (who's been a rock through all this hell). The health insurance alone made the whole thing too tempting to refuse. Prior to this, I'd been paying BCBS out of pocket, which was a fortune!
I started working in January, 2007 and have been there ever since. Although I told my bosses about my condition prior to them hiring me, I doubt my co-workers have any idea I've been sick.
I'm still on abx but am weaning them down. I now walk regularly--one to two miles at a time three or four days a week-- and only occasionally have the numbness return. My thinking has vastly improved, the stuttering I had is gone. I no longer have the sensory distortion I did. My social life is back.
This past summer, we vacationed in Canada, and I drove the whole 9 hours to get there with no problems.
I have a good friend who's a nurse and saw me at my very worst. She told me just recently that she never imagined i would ever survive this. I was drooling and seizing and shaking with chills.
I'm definitely not there anymore.
I feel incredibly grateful to have so much of my life back, and I hope anyone who reads this feels the hope it holds.
(Name left out)
I think it's time to add my story to this thread.
I've actually had to cobble together my Lyme history, based on journal entries. I had symptoms dating back to the early 1990s. Then in 1996, I had a tick bite and rash. At that time, I was treated with abx for about 18 days.
The rash went away, and I figured I was fine.
Over the next few years, I had a variety of weird symptoms, which sent me from one medical specialist to another--about 16 in all. Each one seemed convinced of what was wrong with me, with dx ranging from endometrial cancer to tendonitis to hypothyroidism. I spent a lot of money on treatments they suggested, and my health continued to worsen.
By 2002, I was exhausted all the time and only working part time. My memory was slipping, it was difficult for me to concentrate or think. I was walking with a limp and still going from doctor to doctor. I was also beating up on myself a lot, because I didn't know what was going on...so I kept trying to push myself.
Finally, in 2005, an acupucturist I was seeing suggested Lyme Disease as a strong possibility.
I went online, found this site and started reading about all the controversy surrounding the disease.
I spent a long long time trying to figure out which LLMD to see and finally decided on someone out of state. I think that's one of the best decisions I made.
I started antibiotic treatment for Lyme and Bart in June, 2005.
Initially, I got much much worse and had new, scary symptoms which included seizures, full body paralysis (which lasted more than 3 hours), chills that nothing could slake, even worse exhaustion and a slew of bizarre cognitive problems. I literally found it impossible to remember anything from one minute to the next.
I held on to a thread of work, just to stay busy, and I refused to go to bed for more than a day here and there. I kept holding out hope that I would beat this. I prayed a lot and struggled against awful depression.
I augmented my antibiotic treatment with herbs, supplements and some alternative things. I was fortunate enough to have weekly acupuncture, which I think helped me a LOT, as did Chinese herbs my acupuncturist gave me. But I never stopped taking antibiotics.
It took about 9 months before I noticed discernible improvement. At that point, my LLMD started me on tindimax, to address the cystic form of the disease. It was a rough antibiotic, but I began to notice even more improvement.
After being in treatment for about 14 months, I was able to walk more than a few blocks. I pushed myself to walk until I was up to a mile. Sometimes, though, my foot would just go numb or I'd develop searing pain in my hip. Those had been very early symptoms, and I never knew when they would happen again.
Around 14 months, I was hired to do some consulting work for a national company. After a few contract months, they asked me to come on full time. I talked with my LLMD, my acupuncturist, my SO (who's been a rock through all this hell). The health insurance alone made the whole thing too tempting to refuse. Prior to this, I'd been paying BCBS out of pocket, which was a fortune!
I started working in January, 2007 and have been there ever since. Although I told my bosses about my condition prior to them hiring me, I doubt my co-workers have any idea I've been sick.
I'm still on abx but am weaning them down. I now walk regularly--one to two miles at a time three or four days a week-- and only occasionally have the numbness return. My thinking has vastly improved, the stuttering I had is gone. I no longer have the sensory distortion I did. My social life is back.
This past summer, we vacationed in Canada, and I drove the whole 9 hours to get there with no problems.
I have a good friend who's a nurse and saw me at my very worst. She told me just recently that she never imagined i would ever survive this. I was drooling and seizing and shaking with chills.
I'm definitely not there anymore.
I feel incredibly grateful to have so much of my life back, and I hope anyone who reads this feels the hope it holds.
Another Lyme Success story
Here is just one of the MANY success stories about 'beating' Lyme to balance the articles that (correctly) state bald facts about the difficulty of 'beating' Lyme.
Rejoice----- and I'll post more.
My [name not posted here] success can be attributed to:
1 yr of doxycycline / Flagyl
3 months of IV rocephin
3 years of Bicillin shots
99% of all of my symptoms cleared up, except numbness in the face and insomnia, but I now lead a normal life and have had no relapses [Smile] .
A little background:
I was sick for six months and had many hospital visits before I was diagnosed, so I had serious neurological problems including insomnia, memory loss, facial numbness, vertigo, etc. including an inflamed heart and many other issues.
I was 22 years old when I was bitten and their was no rash. My roommate did get bitten as well and he did have a rash, that is the ONLY reason I new to ask for a lyme test. I was lucky, because there was no rash or visible tick.
I first went to a general practitioner that put me on low dose doxycycline after I tested positive for lyme two times. He stopped treating me and said he didn't know why the doxy wasn't working.
I then took it upon myself to find a lyme specialist who put me on high dose doxy, penecillin, and flagyl.
That helped a little bit, but wasn't a cure. I then looked for a doctor that would prescribe IV antibiotics and thankfully found an infectious disease specialist that did prescribe them for me.
Because I tested positive so many times I had no problem getting the IV antibiotics. That helped a little bit as well, and finally I went to a lyme specialist who is a neurologist and they put me on bicillin shots twice a week.
Over a 3 year period this helped the most, but it was a very long road. My suggestion: excercise when you can and stay positive even though it is hard.
[cave note: remember, not everyone will get better by following that protocol. I've yet to see any two that are the same but most share one commonality long term and aggressive antibiotics. And the knowledge and the will to 'stick it out'.]
Rejoice----- and I'll post more.
My [name not posted here] success can be attributed to:
1 yr of doxycycline / Flagyl
3 months of IV rocephin
3 years of Bicillin shots
99% of all of my symptoms cleared up, except numbness in the face and insomnia, but I now lead a normal life and have had no relapses [Smile] .
A little background:
I was sick for six months and had many hospital visits before I was diagnosed, so I had serious neurological problems including insomnia, memory loss, facial numbness, vertigo, etc. including an inflamed heart and many other issues.
I was 22 years old when I was bitten and their was no rash. My roommate did get bitten as well and he did have a rash, that is the ONLY reason I new to ask for a lyme test. I was lucky, because there was no rash or visible tick.
I first went to a general practitioner that put me on low dose doxycycline after I tested positive for lyme two times. He stopped treating me and said he didn't know why the doxy wasn't working.
I then took it upon myself to find a lyme specialist who put me on high dose doxy, penecillin, and flagyl.
That helped a little bit, but wasn't a cure. I then looked for a doctor that would prescribe IV antibiotics and thankfully found an infectious disease specialist that did prescribe them for me.
Because I tested positive so many times I had no problem getting the IV antibiotics. That helped a little bit as well, and finally I went to a lyme specialist who is a neurologist and they put me on bicillin shots twice a week.
Over a 3 year period this helped the most, but it was a very long road. My suggestion: excercise when you can and stay positive even though it is hard.
[cave note: remember, not everyone will get better by following that protocol. I've yet to see any two that are the same but most share one commonality long term and aggressive antibiotics. And the knowledge and the will to 'stick it out'.]
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