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Coffee? Tea? What is that?

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I think that one of the hardest things to get over right now is the fact that I usually spend about 4 hours in the kitchen each day preparing all of our meals from scratch.  At the moment, and for the last 7 months that has not happened.  I am finding myself getting tired of the same things to eat each week.  My brother and sister in law used to say that their dinners were on a rotation with specific things on specific nights.  Well, they would be pleased to know that we are hitting a rotation menu.  Although, not by choice, and honestly, in our house we are all getting a bit bored.

This morning I almost didn’t even eat because I just did not want scrambled eggs… again!  ( I know… you’ve heard this before right?  Just a few days ago?)

So, out came the cookbook and creativity followed.  Almond flour Cheddar and herb muffins.  The kids and I really enjoyed them and honestly, they weren’t difficult to make.

What I did next however, made them look at me like I had 10 eyes.  In fact, my son exclaimed, “What, are you done with coffee now too?  Didn’t you have any?  You just made a whole pot!  What are you doing with all of those things.  That looks disgusting, and if I did that you’d tell me I was going to throw up.”  (Point made, point taken, now go get your school work done!)

I have been reading so much about Turmeric and it’s health benefits, along with it’s ability to help with inflammation and killing parasites etc.  My husband just sent me another article from the Wall Street Journal discussing Turmeric and colds.  Since I’ve been congested the last few days and have been feeling punk, I decided to come up with my own “tea” concoction.  It’s surprisingly good and amazingly healthy.  (By the way, I’ve been doing this for a few days now, I guess the child just hadn’t seen me actually make it.)  🙂

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What’s That? (per mug)

1 TBS Coconut Milk/Cream

1/8 tsp. Turmeric

1/8 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 – 1 tsp.  Fresh grated Ginger

1 TBS Raw Honey (or a 1/4 dropper of Liquid Vanilla Stevia)

Hot water

Put all of the above in a mug, preferably in the order listed, stir and drink hot.

Yummm….

Why?

Breakfast and Ramblings…

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Disclaimer:  I wasn’t going to post this until my son encouraged me to as a social experiment for his study of Anthropolgy.  He is curious as to how much trouble I will be in with comments.

After 5 days of not eating dairy, limited beef, no sugar and of course limited gluten free carbs, you could say I needed something that would satisfy.  So, this morning our son once again made his famous “egg tortilla” and just the thought made me nauseous.  I am almost sick of eggs.  Almost…

I looked in the cupboard and decided that Quinoa hot cereal with fresh fruit sounded wonderful.  So, as I pulled out all of the things I wanted to add to it, I was reminded of the last time I added Hemp Hearts to my breakfast.  My son usually makes his jokes about moms “pot stash”.  Now, for those of you who know me, you know this has got to be a joke.  After all, most comments or nicknames I get are more along the lines of the “bible thumper”, “tree hugger”, or “prude”.   Where would he come up with such a joke?  Well, apparently he watched some documentary on an educational channel about Hemp Hearts and their usage in growing marijuana.  Who would have thought.  I mean, when I read about the health benefits of nuts and seeds I guess I assume you can safely buy them without a stigma attached.   Although, as I mentioned to one friend, I wonder if the Hemp Hearts will have the same medicinal benefit as smoking the plant, without the side affects.  NOT likely…

Can I just add… I understand medicinal usage for some, however, legalizing it?  Really?  Just goes to show you how influential Hollywood is.  I have teenagers that have enjoyed some of the zombi apocolypse movies and we laugh over the unrealistic characteristics of humanity.  Well, I now admit that it’s a very real possibility.  Unlike the recent statement that it’s no worse than alcohol, experts have declared that smoking up to 8 in a month actually can alter one’s DNA that will affect even their grandchildren.  I mean, think about it.  Legalizing it, creating a society that in 20 years will be reflective of human zombies walking around who collect entitlements because they are too stoned and lazy to work.  Then you throw in the push for healthy eating and minimally processed foods (which I agree with).  What does that have to do with the zombi apocolypse?  Have you ever heard of munchies?  Well, the way I figure it, there will be human zombies  with constant munchie syndrom looking for food not easily found to cure the crave, so just maybe they will start eating those of us who are the healthy , motivated go getters.  I mean, would they be able to recognize or conceive the wisdom to understand it’s the go getters that provide the funding for those entitlements?    Of course, if all the Lymies were to be eaten by the zombies then it would be like War of the Worlds and our spirochetes would kill them.   Ahhhhh, there is a plus to having Lymes.  I knew God would not disappoint and that there was purpose!  I don’t know, maybe I have too much time on my hands to think and watched too many movies in the last 6 months of “doing nothing”.

Sorry, just a rambling thought…. or maybe I am feeling the side affects… either way,  here was breakfast!

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Quinoa Flakes cooked as box directed, 2 TBS Coconut Milk, 2 TBS Hemp Hearts, 2 TBS Pumpkin seeds, 1 TBS coconut, dash of salt…. topped off with sliced banana, blueberries, and rasberries!

Yummmm!!!

(I have to admit, I had about 5 good hours of almost normal after eating it.  Hmmmmm.)

Why?

Contentment?

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Ordinarily I do not ride on the tails of others, however, I felt that this mornings devotional reading by C.H. Spurgeon was worth sharing.  How often do we flit here and flit there looking for things to make us happy?  Is the insanity of looking for contentment elsewhere a cost worthy investment when we are currently rich with possibilities?  When we are afflicted with uncontrollable and unforeseen circumstances, are we willing to sit back and accept God’s will for us at that moment in time?  Are we content?  If the answer is no, how do we find contentment in our time of great need?  It’s not through the ability of our own, it’s through the Lord Jesus Christ, our faith in Him and our trust in His sovereign grace that we can learn how to sow flowers of contentment.  From Morning and Evening Daily Reading by C.H. Spurgeon:

“I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. “Ill weeds grow apace.” Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, “I have learned … to be content;” as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave–a poor prisoner shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented without learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.

On this sabbath day, my prayer is for all those afflicted with physical challenges and those afflicted with the challenges of life to look beyond their current disabilities and to seek sowing a field of contentment.  Even being shut up in a home because of ailments can bring out contentment if you look hard enough.  After all, we are warm, we have food, we have clean clothes and we are not sitting in a cold dungeon of persecution.   Be blessed in the education and discipline of learning contentment.

Lymes, Why?

Why was I a guest?

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So many days sitting, waiting, healing and praying.  Praying for the return of the healthy, strong, fearless body that did not often sit idle.  I have not asked God “why pain? or why illness? or why me?” in this journey.  I guess I look at the adversity of life and know that it’s not about climbing the mountain to be close to Him, it’s about the nourishment in the valley.  After all, the top of the mountain is usually quite cold, brown and lonely.  The valley is warm, and green with lush grass and flowing streams.  It’s a place where the Lord can meet you where you are at, providing comfort, company and substance for healing not just for the body yet also the soul.  If I question Him and ask “why me” then I am not trusting His will for me.  What I have asked is “why has he chosen me out of so many”.  Chosen me to be a part of His kingdom.  I am a sinner whose sins are no less than anyone else, yet He has chosen me to be a part of an eternal plan.

As we sang in service yesterday, I considered the words in one of the hymns.  It’s a beautiful hymn whose words and musical components made my inner being stir. To not embarrass myself nor my family by falling down on my knees, I sat quietly praising Him in my thoughts as the words streamed out of my mouth.  How can I ask for any more than that which I am already blessed with.  After all, this life is only a warm up to an eternity!

Isaac Watts, 1707                                                                                                                        “How sweet and awful is the place, With Christ within the doors, While ever lasting love displays The choicest of her stores.                                          
While all our hearts and all our songs Join to admire the feast, Each of us cry, with thankful tongues, “Lord, why was I a guest?”                                    
“Why was I made to hear thy voice And enter while there’s room, When thousands make a wretched choice, And rather starve than come?”                                  
‘Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in; Else we had still refused to taste, and perished in our sin.                                        
Pity the nations, O our God Constrain the earth to come; Send they victorious Word abroad, And bring the strangers home.                                              
We long to see thy churches full, That all the chosen race May, with one voice and heart and soul, Sing thy redeeming grace.  Amen”

Matthew 7:13  “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

Lymes

I will be in the 8% !

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I do not usually make New Years Resolutions, as I cannot understand the purpose.  Usually I see people making them while they are intoxicated and they think that the next morning they will remember.  I read yesterday that of the 45% of Americans making resolutions, only 8%  are successful in follow through and achievement.  (I wonder if the  55% not making resolutions are like me and see no purpose, or are they the ones that were so completely inebriated that they forgot!)

As we rang in 2014, I admit that I decided to go ahead and make a resolution for the first time since I can remember.   Not just for myself, yet also for my family.  (And this thought was with a very clear coherent mind.)

What did I resolute to do?   I would continue to fight the battle against the spirochete. That I will win the battle against the co-inhabitants of my body.  I will not give up when there is pain, and I will not give up when there is loneliness or when the flesh is weak.  I will focus on the only One who can give me hope and encouragement.   The only One who can strengthen me in my distress.   I will not be defeated.  Neither the body, the soul, nor the spirit!  By the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2014 will be a year of perseverance.  I will be included in the successful 8%!

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How am I going to accomplish this?

Eph. 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  (spirochete)

Eph. 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayers and supplication.

Psalm 18:1-3  I love you, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.  (the spirochetes)

Happy New Years Everyone!  And for all the Lymies, I pray that you too will persevere during 2014, that your battle against the spirochete will be won and that 2014 will be a year of successful healing.

memories

We All Have A Mary Poppins And A Mr. Banks

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Saving Mr. Banks…The name of a movie, that until I saw it, I couldn’t understand it.  I mean, for months as we saw the advertisements I would consider the name and wonder why.  As we sat in the theater yesterday and watched the story of the making of the movie Mary Poppins, emotions stirred within that changed my view of the movie I’ve loved since childhood.  I understood the title and also understood as I never have before, everyone has a Mary Poppins in their life and also a Mr. Banks.

Let me explain the best I can.  As a child  looking around at the world one fantasizes about the unknown,  dreaming about what the world is like beyond the front yard, and considering what is yet to come as one grows older.  Dreams of  homes,  spouses,  education, and careers.

There are adults in our younger years that help to fuel those fantasies and they are admired for their enthusiasm.  There are also those in life that teach about looking beyond the rose colored glasses, to see that in life, there is joy and laughter combined with responsibility…contentment.   As an adult,  grasping the fact that responsibility out weighs fantasy is not always looked upon favorably.  What sometimes is not as transparent, is that through those responsibilities come laughter and blessings that  cannot compare to fantasy.

If, as an adult, one sets aside responsibilities and attempts to live out unrealistic fantasies,  illness and loneliness can and usually do end up taking the vibrant life that was once admired.  Money and time doing the meaningless in hopes of catching a glimpse of that which was dreamt about as a child seems to be what our western culture strives for, bringing forth death and destruction.

Another year older, I looked at the movie as an opportunity to understand my own childhood dreams and fantasies.  An opportunity to also understand adulthood. Considering the difference in my own life of fantasy vs. reality and where I am truly content and joyful.  I saw my own childhood, my own Mr. Banks, and my own Mary Poppins.  I thought about where I’d be today if I had followed fantasy rather than reality.  As I looked at my husband, my children and my mom, I realized that my childhood fantasies could not compare to the blessings that the Lord has bestowed.

Saving Mr. Banks could be the story of many families in our western culture.  With the New Year, it is with great hope and prayer that families will walk out of theaters after seeing the beloved story of Mary Poppins, critiquing their own lives, their own blessings, and learn how to balance joy, happiness, contentment and responsibility.   I also pray for those who try to spend their lives living out fantasy, that they will look around at what they have accomplished, the admiration that once was directed toward them and that they will be able to seek healing for their cultural illness.  As we see in the movie, healing not only for the ill, yet also for those that have felt the effects of loved ones that prefer fantasy rather than reality.

Did I forget to mention that unlike P.L. Traverse, we love as adults, the playfulness of everything Disney!

Lymes

Like a Crocodile…Silent, swift and deadly! (What I’ve learned about Lyme Part 2)

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(Like a Crocodile…Silent, swift and deadly!)

Lyme dis·ease

noun
an inflammatory disease characterized at first by a rash, headache, fever, and chills, and later by possible arthritis and neurological and cardiac disorders, caused by bacteria that are transmitted by ticks.

Let’s start with the definition:

1. It says transmitted by ticks, yet what it doesn’t say is that the bacteria can also be transmitted by sand fleas, mites, mosquitos and spiders. Not all of these carry the bacteria, just as all ticks do not carry the bacteria, however, there is research that has shown that these other biting insects can carry the bacteria that will make you sick. You do not have to be in the woods to get a tick bite either. If you have birds, bunnies, squirrels in your yard, you could get a tick bite. Ticks can hitch a ride on one of these delightful creatures and end up in your back yard. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/05/dr-dietrich-klinghardt-on-lyme-disease.aspx)

Also, if you find a tick on your body, you have to be extremely careful on how it is extracted. Once removed the tick can be tested by a lab or the health department to see if it contains the Lyme bacteria.

2. The bacteria is called Borrelia burgdorferi. Named after the scientist that discovered the bacteria in 1982. Bb as it’s called is a bacteria found in the spirochete class of the genus Borellia. A spirochete is the cork screw shaped bacteria that literally drills itself into it’s hosts cells taking it over and proliferating until the cell is destroyed. Once the spirochete is attacked by treatment it will release a biofilm protecting the DNA makeup and proteins which can make eradication very difficult.

3. The definition says “first by a rash”. Only about 60% of the patients with Lyme disease have had a rash and many (like myself) cannot recall a time of being bitten by a tick or of having had a rash.

4. “Later possible arthritis, neurological and cardiac disorder”. Unless of course you are like me, who started having chills, fever, limb numbness, fatigue, nausea, brain fog, and stabbing pains at the onset. If my doctor was not aware of my lifestyle and was not up to date with Lyme, then she could have looked at my personal blood tests and diagnosed me with Lupus or MS. As it was, she tested twice for Rheumatoid due to the high inflammatory markers showing up in my blood tests and my family history. At the same time, she started me on Lyme treatment and we ordered the IGeniX lab test to confirm.

Why IGeniX rather than the ELISA or Western Blot tests alone? “Two primary antibody tests are used to diagnose Lyme disease, the ELISA and the western blot. Doctors commonly order an ELISA first to screen for the disease and then confirm the disease with a western blot. However, current ELISA tests are not sensitive enough for screening and may miss over half the true cases. Because of this, the best antibody test to use for diagnosis is the western blot.” (http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/lyme_disease/lyme_diagnosis.html)

The most accurate test is the IGeniX tests. It takes several weeks and is not covered by insurance. Because the ELISA is most used as the first test and it’s accuracy is less than ideal, many cases go undiagnosed causing frustration on the part of the patient and the doctor.

Now let’s dig into what the definition does NOT say:

5. There are many co-infections that are equally as debilitating and difficult to diagnose. A few are:

a. Bartonella (one of mine)
b. Babesia (one of mine)
c. Rickettsia
d. Ehrlichia
e. Mycoplasma (one of mine)
f. Colorado Tick Fever
g. Powassan Virus
h. Q Fever
i. Tick Paralysis
j. Tickborne Relapsing Fever
k. Tularemia

The list goes on, you get the point. (For more information about any of these, just google the name and read away.)

6. Lyme Spirochetes have a 9 month life cycle, have 3 different stages of life, are difficult to kill, and unlike other bacteria that use the hosts iron supply, a Lyme spirochete has recently been found to utilize manganese.

“Scientists have confirmed that the pathogen that causes Lyme disease—unlike any other known organism—can exist without iron, a metal that all other life needs to make proteins and enzymes. Instead of iron, the bacteria substitute manganese to make an essential enzyme, thus eluding immune system defenses that protect the body by starving pathogens of iron.” (http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=164849)

7. Conventional medicine recommends the use of antibiotics for treatment concluding that with their use Lyme can be cured. However, the spirochetes are difficult to kill completely due to their 3 stage life cycle and biofilms. Personally, everything I have read and researched on the matter clearly shows there is no conclusive proof that Lyme can be eradicated completely. (As my uncle said, who by the way runs a medical lab, “Get on the antibiotics to control the colony.” Notice he didn’t say to “cure” the lyme.) Most doctors recommend and insurance companies usually will only cover one month of antibiotics. With a 9 months life cycle is that enough?

I have one friend that found the tick on her, had it removed by the doctor, had the tick tested and was put on antibiotics immediately. Eight years later she is still dealing with the effects of Lyme. Once you begin learning more about Lyme disease, you realize that more and more people are suffering from the disease long after their doctor has claimed that they are “cured”.

8. Lyme is a bacteria. Bacteria love sugar. I am learning that the people that do the best are those that follow a strict diet change that includes low natural sugars, zero processed sugars and foods and those who are also strict about a gluten free diet. They also eat fermented foods and drinks along with herbs or foods that break down biofilms. They also work very hard at eating only organic and limiting their intake of toxins that could make them feel worse. Raw garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon water and grapefruit extract also can help break down the biofilm aiding in killing the bacteria.

9. There are many treatment plans out there. There are many herbs that can also help with treatment, even alongside conventional antibiotic treatment. I have also learned that those who do better on antibiotic treatment are those whose doctors work with them to also boost up their immunity before and during treatment. (Currently, building my immunity, my adrenal functions and cleaning out my “gut” are the start of my personal protocol. I am also on microbial herbs strong enough that my doctor considers them to be like an”herbal chemotherapy.” )

Not all treatment plans are alike and people need to work with their doctors to find the right treatment plan that works for them and for their individual treatment. Some people do better with a treatment plan that someone else may not do well on. Because Lyme is complicated and the co-infections vary, people need to seek out the best option that works for them.

10. Many people with Lyme do not have the ability to detox. The “die off” of the Lyme bacteria and various other co-infection bacteria can build up in the body and cause what is called a Herxheimer reaction. This makes the body extremely sick, almost sicker than the disease itself. Many Lyme patients are unable to detox naturally. When a detoxing agent is added to the protocol many lyme sufferers will be able to clear out of their bodies the toxins that are being killed off. I was actually worse until the doctor added in Bentonite Clay, activated charcoal, and psyllium husk to my protocol. I alternate these, however, I find that the Clay works the best for my body.

11. The CDC has estimated that there are over 300,000 new cases of Lyme each year. In comparison, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 22,048 flu cases from Sept. 30 through the end of 2012.” (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/01/10/flu-season-2012-13-by-the-numbers-how-bad-is-it/) I’d say Lyme disease needs more attention by our medical community.

12. Chronic Lyme is REAL! I am a very living and breathing example of the disastrous affect of Lyme Disease. At the beginning of the summer I was tilling and weeding a garden that was the size of my house, weeding the flower beds around my house and my own personal garden, running circles around my kids and my family getting ready for camping trips and Highland Games. By the end of the summer, I couldn’t even pick my harvest of the season, nor stand long enough to grocery shop, or stay awake later than 8:00 at night. I had difficulty making meals for my kids and doing laundry for my husband. In fact, last February I was snorkeling in the Keys of Florida and lost 12 lbs. walking around the Walt Disney World parks. This past week I struggled to stay awake and to keep smiling at 5:00 in the afternoon while being wheeled around in a wheel chair at the Disney World parks. Disney is my all time favorite place to be and running to the rides and staying up late for the Extra Magic hours is what our family lives for. We enjoy the fireworks so much that we usually sit in our favorite spot for up to an hour just to see them. This trip, I have struggled to even stay awake to be able to see them and I’m not sure I’ve enjoyed them as I usually do.

Brain fog is another issue that is difficult to deal with. Yesterday I asked my husband if he was going to ride Mt. Everest with our daughter. Completely forgetting that he doesn’t ride rides, never has ridden that one and likely never will due to his own issue with vertigo. To say the least it did not bode well for either of us when he was frustrated with me for forgetting he had the vertigo and that he wasn’t going to be riding anything that swirled, twirled or sped around. What made it worse was that 2 hours previous I guess we already had the conversation with the kids and I didn’t even remember it. Ooops!

It is with great hope that if you know someone with Lyme or if you are recently diagnosed, you will find this information helpful and maybe even a starting place to help to understand Lyme.

This disease is real and needs to be taken seriously!

Please note: I am not a doctor, nor am I a licensed medical health care provider. I am only sharing some of what I have learned through months of research on a very real disease that I am currently suffering from. Work with your health care professional to find the best plan that works for your health and healing. I am not suggesting any specific treatment plan nor am I dissuading anyone from using what their doctor recommends.

Lymes, Why?

Why should I care? (Part 1)

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Educating myself as well as my children has been something I have enjoyed since I began my journey of living a healthy lifestyle. Anything I did with my children when they were little was an adventure into the “why” zone. With the information now present on the internet it’s even more fun and sometimes can be a bit daunting. Whenever the kids ask me a question about something I’m completely unsure about, we research it and look for answers.

With my diagnosis of Lymes, and recent finding of several co-infections, I am finding my days filled with trying to answer the why question. Why does it hurt so badly? Why do I feel good for a few hours and then all of a sudden I feel like I’m on deaths door? Why can’t I stand longer than 20 minutes without feeling 3+ hours of pain in my feet and body when I finally sit down? Why does my right foot not want to bend, feels numb and just doesn’t work well 90% of the time? Why do I all of a sudden have severe shooting pains that come and go throughout different parts of my body that leave me disabled until it passes? Why do I think of things I want to say but the words don’t always come out or I forget 10 seconds after I thought it? Why is there no known cure for Lymes? Why do I also have multiple co-infections? Why me when so many others don’t care about what they do to their bodies, what they eat or drink or inhale? Why? Why? Why?

The list of my questions is long and unending. The more I learn the more I ask why. Most people could look at me (some have) and say, “Just take the antibiotics, find a project, rest and wait to feel better. Let the doctor’s tell you what to do and let them take charge of your health. After all, they are educated to know the answers. Why do you care to know about it? It would just freak me out, your better off not knowing.” Key statements that make me want to run to the Library of Congress, set up camp and stay until I’ve read every published study, report, article, and book written on Lymes and their wonderful debilitating co-infections. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means anti-doctor nor anti-antibiotics. If I thought for one second that an antibiotic would heal me and actually get rid of the little buggers destroying my body I would take them. In fact, that may be part of my future protocol. For now however, I’ve done enough research, as has my doctor, to know that at this time my personal journey is difficult and weary and that my body needs more than heavy duty short term, expensive antibiotics.

When if comes to learning about the disease and it’s counterparts, I care because I am blessed to have a body that for 44 years worked well and supported me. It’s my God given, God designed body that I need to take care of. The more I know about this disease, the better off I will be to ask intelligent thought provoking questions that will help myself heal. Besides, whoever said that you needed to stop reading and learning just because you have a degree. I am an educated woman who feels that learning goes beyond the classroom door and actually begins with life skills. We teach our children memorization of dates, places, equations and names of important people, yet have we taught them to be proactive and free thinkers? Have we taught them to ask questions or to just listen to what we want them to know? Have we taught them or are we teaching them how to research everything and to be open to understanding the answers to why? If my children do not retain anything else in their school journey, they will remember that in order to help yourself in anything in life, you need to be completely informed. You need to research everything and don’t trust someone else to do it for you.

I have been asked over and over again about my illness, how I’m doing, why am I not on antibiotics yet, what is the diagnosis, how long before I feel better, etc. etc. Then, inevitably, if they are not like me and have the “doctors know all attitude”, they roll their eyes or get quiet and give me the bodily signs that they feel I’ve made every wrong decision in helping myself.

Little do they know, I have been going in to my doctors or health care professionals with questions or information that help us work together in my healing. I have the respect of my health care professionals and doctors because I care about my over all long term healing and am not just looking for the quick fix pill or idea that may help for the interim. Little do my critics know that while I sit day after day quietly waiting to feel “normal”, I spend countless hours researching every website I can find on Lymes. From Western traditional medicine to Integrative to Holistic. Oh, there are some very “quacky” ideas out there, and there are some very sad stories and videos that have scared me to tears. One even kept me up all night.

As I said before, I’m a college educated woman who does not easily fall prey to the latest and greatest. In fact, I am very aware of the effects of untreated Lymes and of the dangerous co-infections and my very low adrenals. For these reasons, I am being treated with protocols that are attacking the problems individually in hopes of long term healing. The disease may not be curable, however, the symptoms can be controlled. I love to research and will keep on researching until my journey comes to an end with this devastating disease. I look forward to sharing with you in the near future what I have learned and hope that you will find my sharing to be an inspiration for you to keep on learning.

Why?

Why “not” antibiotics?

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(Picture taken from Berkley.edu)

 

In the last few months I’ve been asked many questions regarding my recent Lymes diagnosis.  How do I know I have Lymes? How am I feeling?  What do I need?  How long will it last?  What is the prognosis?  And the most asked question prize goes to two questions which are tied together, “Are you on antibiotics” and “why not”?

Well, let’s begin with the fact that I know I have Lymes as my Lymes titer came back positive and further testing from IGENIX tested positive for the little bugger you see at the top of the screen.  This is called a Lymes spirochete.  It’s the famous Lymes bacteria.  The picture alone makes my skin crawl and actually creeps me out more than a diagnosis of cancer or a tumor.  To know that the little buggers are inside of me reeking havoc on my body is a bit unnerving.  

How did I know to be tested for it?  I have a great medical professional that I work with for overall health that heard my complaints and decided to run a titer test.  My symptoms were easily recognizable to all who know me and know my busy lifestyle.  One day I hit a wall and just didn’t feel good.  I was flu achy, was so tired I could hardly stay awake, I had absolutely zero energy and I felt like I was dragging my foot.  After two weeks of feeling miserable, I called my healthcare professional and she immediate recommended blood work.  It came back about two weeks later positive and we began an herbal treatment until we got back my IGENIX test 3 weeks later.  

Now on the to the big question… Why not antibiotics?  Well, I believe that antibiotics help when there is no other option and when your life is in danger of being compromised.  Isn’t Lymes a life changer?  Yes it is, however, with Lymes there is no guarantee that you can kill off the spirochetes.  In fact, in my personal research and longing for information I have found that studies have shown that most people diagnosed with Lymes have long lasting symptoms later on in their lifetime even if they’ve been told they were cured.  You see, the spirochetes actually go into your organs, tissues and muscles and hide out when they are attacked.   They can wait until the environment is right and they come out and proliferate until you once again are sick.  Another issue, again from the research I have done,  is that study after study shows long term antibiotic usage and antibiotics in our food sources all contribute to an antibiotic resistant outcome.  Due to Lymes being so difficult to treat and cure, long term antibiotic use is recommended, creating a perfect environment for co-infections, which is attributed to chronic Lymes and further damage to the body.  The spirochetes hide and the gut flora is damaged therefore allowing for the host to contract other infections that can be even more serious than the Lymes itself. 

Lymes has recently shown to be difficult to kill off due to it’s usage of manganese rather than iron.  Most bacteria utilize iron, and this one does not.  It also enjoys Flax and Magnesium.  So much for my wonderful flax seed crackers.  Ugggg!!!

Again, this has been what I have learned after hours upon hours of reading.  So, back to the treatment plan.  Well, I have once again changed my diet to no carbs (other than vegetables)  and no sugar (other than natural fruits).  I have gone back to adding in at least one or two fermented foods in a day.   I found that a combination of essential oils gives me relief and  I am taking A-L Complex which is a form of microbial components that have shown to  break down the spirochetes.  I take some of the Boiron products in combination to work with my body in helping  with the inflammation going on in my joints and muscles.  And I drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins.  I have also added in a probiotic (for my gut), Krill oil, Berberine and Axtaxanthin (for my brain), CoQ10 and a Methylating Multi with enzymes to help my overall body and to boost my B’s.  You see, apparently my body does not utilize the vitamins or supplements due to a gene link that is missing. Or, according to one doctor, this could also be a symptom of Lymes.  

After about a month of this protocol, my energy level dropped again and I was having severe pains throughout my body.  I will admit that this did causing me to question my decision, I just wanted immediate relief and I knew that antibiotics would give me that.  I added in two more things that have brought me relief from the latest symptoms and once again I am on the upswing.  Bentonite clay or Activated Charcoal, both of which I had in the house.  Taking them once a day usually in the middle of the night has helped me to rid my body of the dead toxins the herbs are killing off.  I also needed an adrenal and liver support so I have a cream that I rub in my skin once a day.  I will be on this protocol for many months, yet I am confident that for me, this is the right path.  

What is my prognosis?  No one knows… however, I am hopeful that my energy level and fatigue will soon subside.  I am prayerful that there will not be any long lasting affects or disabilities and that I will be back to myself with few limitations within the next 6 months.  I know that God has prepared me with the desire for knowledge, the ability and avenues to find the studies I need to help me battle this disease, and He has prepared my heart to trust His will for my life.  Every day is a new day, every day is a new challenge and every day I praise God I woke up to a new day with my family by my side helping to support me in this journey of wellness and healing.  

As Jeremiah 29:11 says,  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
 
Amen!