The Silver Lyming

Lorrie experienced many strange symptoms over the course of a few months that ultimately led to her, losing the ability to walk. Doctors kept telling her that it was stress or menopause, and then they did not have Lyme in the state she lives in, but once she lost the ability to walk, they knew something was very wrong. She made a full recovery gratefully, and her story is rather inspirational. She also overcame mold poisoning, and a toxic and abusive relationship in her journey to regain her life. Take a listen to her full story on any podcast streaming station, as well as on my YouTube channel. Link in bio. Please like and share this so that others who need to hear this inspirational story can be helped on their healing journey as well.

All you avid outdoorsmen and hunters, take extra note of this week's episode with Jeremy Wawrzonek. He is just like you and loves to be outside. He knows about ticks and to take preventative measures when outside. Unfortunately, eight years ago, he came into contact with the wrong tick in a bit of a different way at an outdoor wedding. Not all ticks are sick, but Jeremy remembers very well being bitten at this particular time and getting sick. He did get treatment right away, but sadly his symptoms came back after that ended. Jeremy became very sick and started having neurological symptoms, and heart issues, but the doctors chose not to run another Lyme test. They tested him for almost everything else, but not tick-borne illness. Ultimately, he was referred to a family doctor, which he had to find a new one as he had only recently moved to the area. This took time in which he was becoming sicker. He found someone to help him, but she really did not know how to treat Lyme. It is important to get yourself to a Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD) as they are specialists in the tick-borne illness families. She did what she could for him but he was still sick. He was then sent to a rheumatologist to help him as they were now telling him he had reactionary arthritis. He was really not getting anywhere there and was told about the support group I run and he came to the meetings. This is where he learned about co-infections and LLMDs and he was able to get to a specialist to help him. This has been a hard struggle, not just because of the sickness, but because of the stress it places on him and his relationship with his family. He feels terrible about being sick and not being able to be with his family as much as he wanted. But gratefully over the last few years, Jeremy has been steadily improving with his health. He has taken many steps toward regaining his full health. He is almost there. This illness takes so many forms and Jeremy's story highlights many of the challenges faced by individuals stricken with Lyme: how to get a proper diagnosis, how to get proper treatment, how to become your own best advocate. I am honored to be his friend and to watch his transformation in this journey with Lyme and tick-borne illness. Please like, subscribe, and share this episode to help others find it. These stories are incredibly important to those healing. www.thesilverlyming.com #thesilverlyming #lyme #lymedisease #healing #healed #getwell #believe #strength #perseverance #annedesjardins

Susan's symptoms started, but she was unaware of ticks or the diseases they carry at the time. Her family had just moved and she was enjoying their new environment surrounded by nature. She would happily run after her children in the woods without a second thought. Her symptoms progressed and after about a year, she started googling them and was pretty sure she had found the culprit, Lyme disease. She asked to be tested for Lyme and tick-borne illness and the test came back negative, a far too common false negative test. The doctor had prescribed her doxycycline however, before knowing the test results, as the doctor told her to wait for the results before taking it, but she opted to take it anyway. Susan began herxing right away, so she got herself to a Lyme-literate physician to get screened properly. She finally got an accurate diagnosis, which led her down a path of learning how to fix herself. She made up her mind after that, that she was going to win and not let the tiny microorganisms get her. She started studying about herbs and became very passionate about using them to heal her body through teas. Ultimately Susan built her own tea company to help others heal as well. She is very knowledgeable about herbs now and she continues to support herself with a healthy lifestyle now that she is in remission. I hope her story inspires you as much as it did me because I had been introduced to Susan when I was in the height of my sickness and I found much strength in her journey. Please like and subscribe to my channel if you have found this helpful so I can be found by others who need to hear these words as well. www.thesilverlyming.com

Bill's story is another great one as it helps to highlight the differences in how tick-borne illnesses can affect us. Like many people, Bill is not fully sure where he was bitten by a tick but does vividly remember driving home from a golf outing and starting to feel like he contracted the flu. He woke up the next day with a fever of 103.9. He immediately ruled out the flu and Covid, and was basically told to ride it out. Gratefully his daughter and wife took him to the ER when his symptoms did not subside, and he was ultimately diagnosed with Babesia, a parasite transmitted through tick bites. He spent five nights in the hospital because he became so sick so fast. He was given heavy antiparasitic medications and later found out he had two additional tick-borne illnesses that required additional treatment. Bill is incredibly grateful he was able to receive the right treatment in the end and is back to himself for the most part a year later. But the initial diagnosis from his medical provider almost cost him dearly as many doctors sadly are not educated well enough about tick-borne infections and how they manifest. Do your best to know the signs and symptoms and get to a doctor willing to help you ASAP to treat because it really is a time-sensitive issue. The longer it goes without treatment, the more damage it can potentially do. Please like and follow me here to help spread the word. You never know who needs to hear this. www.thesilverlyming.com #thesilverlyming #lyme #lymedisease #healing #healed #getwell #believe #strength #perseverance #annedesjardins

Mike grew up on ranches and was exposed to various animals constantly. He was also constantly exposed to ticks and can remember finding them on him and pulling them off. His issues really did not start to be severe until college, however, possibly triggered by the added stress of school. He started sleeping for 15 hours a day and his roommate was becoming more and more concerned for him. But Mike did not know what was going on and pushed forward. Something else that was happening was that he began experiencing a lot of aches and pains in his body, but he was actively participating in jiu-jitsu, so he thought it was from that until he asked some of his classmates if they had issues like that and they said no. Mike did not get a true diagnosis until he was 41, at which point, he feels the illness had gone unchecked for years. He has gone through many different treatments and was able to attain remission. He unfortunately had a relapse when he had an allergic reaction to some cookware, as he was put on steroids to deal with that, which potentially can be detrimental to someone with Lyme and tick-borne illness because is suppresses the immune system, which is already compromised. He felt he was able to bring himself back to remission much faster this time however, versus it taking 2+ years like it had the first time. Mike has also survived a stabbing and says that given the choice of being stabbed or having Lyme, he would pick the stabbing again any day over Lyme. Take note of that, Lyme and tick-borne illness are nothing to take lightly. I feel we can underestimate the outcome of what a tick bite can do. If you do come in contact with a tick, I recommend you send it in to be tested to see if it is carrying any illnesses. Ticks can be tested more accurately and easily than people. Feel free to reach out for more info and please like and follow if you find this useful to help spread the good word. I lived this illness for years and want to encourage others to know that you can heal. Visit my webpage to learn more about my journey and services offered to help you heal: www.thesilverlyming.com

Imagine having 38 surgeries and your doctor telling you he cannot operate on you anymore because you have had so many surgeries, but you still had health issues, and that they now really need to get to the root cause of her issues!?! This is what happened to Nancy. She has had 38 surgeries over three decades to combat issues in her body and she finally got to a neurosurgeon who finally told her they cannot operate anymore without understanding what was really happening to her body. He ultimately diagnosed her with Lyme, mold poisoning, and three co-infections. He suspected that is why she had to have so many surgeries because the tick-borne illness was attacking her body. Nancy is so grateful she wound up seeing that neurosurgeon, as he is also a Lyme survivor, and he was able to help her fix herself. She was a competitive athlete and was in good shape her whole life, until the early 90s, when things started failing her in her body and the surgeries began. She tried various treatments once she received her diagnosis through the guidance of her neurosurgeon, but nothing helped. Her doctor finally prescribed disulfiram that she took for six months, which was very hard on her body, but she achieved remission after this cycle. After the disulfiram, she was able to start working out again and get her life back. She had not been able to work out for the four years prior to this time and that was very hard for her given how much of a staple working out was to her life. She is now even able to do cardio again, which took a bit more time for her to regain the capacity to do. Leading up to her diagnosis, she even had to stop driving because her brain was not working well, and she was not comfortable with the potential outcomes. As Nancy began coming back to "life" and healing, she realized how important it is to celebrate every win we get while healing, even if they are "small" and the healthy world cannot understand, because these victories help push us forward on our journey and they can become some of the biggest victories of our lives. Her faith in God and the love of her husband also helped her get through this battle. Nancy is now well and living her life to the fullest. She is grateful to still be here and has been so impacted by her journey to heal from Lyme and tick-borne illness that she volunteers with the Global Lyme Alliance (www.globallymealliance.org) as a mentor for those still going through the struggle. This is a great program available for FREE to help give you a person to turn to in your fight. Please reach out to GLA and Nancy if you are wanting to participate in this program. Check out my channel for other episodes and please like and follow if you feel this can help someone on their Lyme healing journey. Visit my webpage to learn more about my journey and services offered to help you heal: www.thesilverlyming.com #thesilverlyming #lyme #lymedisease #healing #healed #getwell #believe #strength #perseverance #annedesjardins

My guest this week knows the challenges of #lymedisease and #tickbornedisease all too well. Ryan struggled initially with mold poisoning which ultimately ended with Lyme over a 7 year stretch of time. He was often told there was nothing wrong with him, intil he finally found a doctor who ran specialized testing to get the true cause of Ryan's symptoms. He was so changed by his experience, he know owns Sublyme Life (www.yoursublymelife.com) to help others heal. Take a listen to the full episode on my youtube channel or website: www.thesilverlyming.com

This is an extra special episode as this is the story of my cousin, Saha, who has struggled with Lyme and tick-borne illness possibly from birth. She had bad colic as a baby and had a ton of digestive issues. So many of her symptoms were digestive related in nature, which may be a bit of a different presentation symptom-wise than most people experience. It unfortunately took her a VERY long time to get a diagnosis. She had been successful at getting herself to a more stable point until she moved into a moldy house in Nashville. This is when many of her symptoms began appearing and it was a downward spiral from here. An interesting point Saha makes it the link between mold and her spiritual health, as mold grows in darkness, so was it a reflection of herself showing that she had to focus on shining the "light" internally to help address some deep stuff spiritually? Saha has done a lot of "deeper dive work with herself" and it has helped immensely. She also uses nutrition, which is something she has had to evolve with because she has had so many gastric and digestive issues. Take a listen as Saha shares some of her healing practices and how she got better, including her experience with #Kambo, which is something I have never tried but have heard a bit more about in recent years from the Lyme community to assist with healing. Please leave a comment below if this is something that has helped you. Check out my channel for other episodes and please like and follow if you feel this can help someone on their Lyme healing journey. Visit my webpage to learn more about my journey and services offered to help you heal: www.thesilverlyming.com #thesilverlyming #lyme #lymedisease #healing #healed #getwell #believe #strength #perseverance #annedesjardins

As we have learned in previous episodes, Lyme can affect more than one family member. This is what happened to Carol and her family. Carol, her husband, and her daughter, were all impacted by Lyme/TBD. None of them are certain where they contracted it, but they are all certain that they had it. Carol and her husband did not suffer tremendously and gratefully were able to recover with minimal effort, but their daughter was not so lucky. One day, it appeared as though she had a stroke, and they did not understand what was happening to her. Prior to this, she had a lot of sinus infections and tonsilitis, but nothing like this. They had her tonsils and adenoids removed. She also had become incredibly moody and gained a lot of weight. Nothing made sense. Carol was trying to get her daughter in with a holistic doctor, but he was struggling with Lyme/TBD himself, so it made getting an appointment challenging. He was finally able to see her and the testing from Igenex came back negative. I want to highlight this as I have never heard that the Igenex testing was not 100% accurate but evidently it is possible to still not test accurately even with their specialized testing equipment. Her daughter then was diagnosed with asthma which was a shock as she never had breathing issues before. This takes us to when she had the episode that mimicked a stroke, and they rushed her to a doctor that told her she was simply seeking attention. After further testing, they ruled out things like a brain tumor or cancer and turned back to the holistic doctor for help with healing her. Her daughter is doing so much better now and they are all grateful to have made it back to wellness. Currently they still maintain a healthy lifestyle, but that was something they were already doing before the Lyme and tick-borne illnesses. Having had their experiences, it just makes staying in that lifestyle easier. When Carol feels her body start to feel off, she gives herself a round of herbs to regain "control". Take a listen as Carol shares many of the healing protocols they participated in and some to consider staying away from. Check out my channel for other episodes and please like and follow if you feel this can help someone on their Lyme healing journey. Visit my webpage to learn more about my journey and services offered to help you heal: www.thesilverlyming.com

Chris was a terrific athlete as a young child until about the age of 10. He can remember a day where he had a burning sensation on the back of his neck, and when his mom looked, she saw what potentially may have been an insect bite. It actually turned out to be a bullseye rash, but at the time, it was not quickly recognized as such. After that experience, when he returned to school and sports, he was no longer the same child. He could no longer play ball well and had developed a fear of the ball almost overnight. He began to suffer from a lot of bruising and nose bleeds which no one could explain. Chris ultimately had his spleen removed because he was having issues with it, and that seemed to help for a bit, but after a few years, the issues with his platelets returned. His mother finally found an amazing doctor through a TV show that was able to help Chris heal. He was doing great until he had a traumatic life event that caused him to revert back into sickness. He also was re-infected by another tick and had to go through the whole healing process again. Gratefully he has pulled through and is mostly mended again. Listen to his story and to how he healed himself, not once, but twice, as it may help you with a golden nugget on your own healing journey. You can contact Chris at [email protected] or 570-606-1551. He offers card readings, theta healing sessions, and guided meditations. Follow me and like this episode so more people can find my show. These stories may help save someone's life.

Carrie's story is a little bit unique in that she herself does not have Lyme or tick-borne illness, but two of her daughters have contracted it, one of them contracted it twice. In supporting her daughters in the recoveries, she learned all too well how expensive and difficult it is to treat these infections. When her daughter Sam began experiencing symptoms, Carrie did not know what was wrong with her. She took Sam from doctor to doctor trying to get answers to what her daughter was experiencing. It took 8 months to get a diagnosis, which at that time seemed like forever, but Carrie has come to learn, that really is nothing in the Lyme world. Sadly, many go years and decades with no answers. Carrie ultimately got Sam to a functional medicine doctor that really was able to start making progress with Sam's healing. Because of how Sam is as a human, she was able to navigate through school and get through high school but it was a challenge. Carrie's younger daughter, Shay, struggled quite a bit more than Sam because they are different people and Shay was younger when she first got sick. It was a struggle for Shay to get through school and Carrie herself was really struggling with not feeling angry because it was harder to get her better and people just don't understand. They gratefully did get Shay well again but unfortunately, she was re-infected with a whole new strain of Lyme and Bartonella a few years later. Shay was devastated she was going to have to go through healing again and developed an eating disorder, which is another sign of bartonella. Currently Shay has been able to get rid of the Lyme, but the Bartonella was being a bit more persistent, and they are working on getting that completely into remission. Through her girls' journey, Carrie has seen first-hand what this does to people and how expensive it is to fix it since the treatment is generally not covered by insurance. She started Sam's Spoons Foundation @samsspoonsfoundation863 to help others offset the cost of treatment. Visit www.samsspoonsfoundation.org to learn more and make a donation if possible. If you are interested to share your healing story with Lyme/tick-borne illness, please contact me. I would love to have you as part of the healing hope we can provide to the world. Visit my website, www.thesilverlyming.com to learn more and to contact me.

If you don't already believe in miracles, you will after hearing Ricky's story of healing from Lyme and tick-borne illness. Ricky's started with a light bull's-eye rash on his chest (that alone is rather miraculous since only about 35% of people get a bull's-eye rash) in 2017. His Lyme test initially was positive but then another test only showed him positive to one band. He was still referred to an infectious disease doctor who told him he did not have an active case of Lyme but had only been exposed to is at some point in his past. That began a two-year search for him to figure out what was actually happening to his body. Ricky had hundreds of tests trying to determine what was causing his symptoms including muscle biopsies and was bounced from doctor to doctor, like so many in the Lyme world. He had severe insomnia, depression, anxiety, and picked up all kinds of addictions to help him feel a little better. Doctors attempted to give him all kinds of diagnoses including ALS, and his cholesterol was super high. He FINALLY got to a Lyme-literate doctor and was properly diagnosed, but by this time it had disseminated through his whole body. Life got very hard for him because it was a chore just to be normal and function, which put a strain on his relationships at home and work. His daughter asked one day if her daddy would ever be happy again and that was his breaking point. He made up his mind he was going to heal form that point on and had a long conversation with God, and he says in that instant, he was healed. That experience was rather profound for Ricky and it showed him the process of what needs to happen in order to heal. He has learned so much from his experience and is now helping others find health. He looks back at his journey and appreciates the importance of having faith that you will heal, and the Universe will bring you everything you need to do so. It is better to surrender to the dis-ease, not give up, but surrender to it. Do not fight against it. Go with it. When you are able to do this, the healing becomes so much easier. Check out Ricky on Instagram or at his website: www.thepowerofyou.coach He has a lot of great insight and teachings to offer.

Can you imagine eating your lunch and suddenly losing the ability to chew your food? This is exactly what happened to Patrick one day. He was eating food with his wife and lost the ability to finish chewing. All he really could do was fall face first into bed hoping it would pass since he did not have health insurance at the time. Sadly, it did not pass, and he went to the walk-in clinic the next day. When he removed his shirt, the doctor exclaimed that he has Lyme. This worried Patrick because it is a disease which he thought meant permanent. This put Patrick on a course to regain his health over the next two years. One night, he was watching TV and saw something about Gerson therapy which involved juicing. The story he saw was about Max Gerson's daughter who saved her eyesight with juicing, so Patrick felt compelled to start juicing. He began noticing improvements in his body and felt a lot younger almost overnight. Patrick started adding glyconutrients, which he expands on, and now actually sells because of how much they helped him and the people he shared them with. His company is Herbastat (herbastat.com) where he sells other herbs for a variety of uses such as running. Patrick now competes in triathlons after his bout with Lyme and being forced to heal himself. He started his own company and became the "Lyme Healer" (lymehealer.com) after Lyme and tick-borne illness forced him to stop working at his financial planning with the elderly that he was very passionate about. Gratefully, he has been able to find another way to support himself and his family. Lyme can take EVERYTHING from people so pay attention and do your best to prevent contact with ticks in the first place. Patrick has been infected more than once which sadly is not uncommon. Ticks are most prevalent in the area he lives, but are found EVERYWHERE. Your best bet is to check yourself, your kids, and your pets daily. Use repellent and protect your property to the best of your ability. For more info on keeping your property and self safe, visit palyme.org. Follow me here or any of the podcast channels (Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, etc) to hear all episodes. Your support is greatly appreciated. It helps these stories find more people that need to hear them.

This week's episode is well-timed with it being six years since my diagnosis with Lyme/TBI which is a moment that has completely changed my life for the better (and for those of you who know me, you know 17 is my Angel number so I could not resist using it for my episode). I remember thinking about dying so many times in the months leading up to August 4, 2017, and FINALLY had an answer that I could target to heal versus just throwing everything against the wall and hoping something sticks. This journey was hard to walk but I am so grateful it happened because it has given me a much deeper understanding of life and has forced me to change in ways I do not think I would have embraced otherwise, that are so much better for me in the long run. I have learned so much and expanded tremendously as a soul through this journey and that is worth its weight in gold. And ultimately, I have HEALED. All good things in the end but... There are things I wish I could change as I know they affect others like the time it took to get a diagnosis, the amount of money and effort it took to fix myself, and the Standard testing that is available is at best 65% accurate. I am grateful I could find a way, but we should be further along with this disease than we are. There are a lot of issues surrounding this disease from physical to political, and people are unfortunately caught in the middle. Please take the time to reach out to your local elected officials and let them know that something needs to change with how we handle the treatment of Lyme disease/TBI. In the state of PA where I live, insurance companies currently do not have to help cover the costs of treatment and I can speak from my own experience that it cost me THOUSANDS of dollars a month to treat myself adequately over an extended period of time. I acknowledge that some people can heal almost instantaneously, but there are a good number of individuals who do not and are left to either suffer because they cannot afford treatment or to figure out how to pay for things. We need a better understanding of this disease from the Western medical community, and I pray that I will see that in my lifetime. People should not be left to suffer because we do not understand it well enough. If you come are struggling with Lyme/TBI, feel free to contact me. I work with individuals to help them heal. I am starting to post educational videos on my website at TheSilverLyming.com specific to healing with Lyme using a blend of Ayurvedic teaches and those I have learned reading and researching in my years of dealing with this sickness. I am also intuitively gifted to be able to help suss out the root cause of disfunction in the soul to help facilitate more rapid healing. You can schedule an appointment through my website.

The timing to release this week's episode couldn't be much better! This weeks's guest has alpha-gal syndrome. That's the one being talked about in the news so much the last few days that gives you an allergy to red meat and other animal products. What's even crazier is we know that it comes from a tick bite, but the doctor that found his alpha-gal REFUSED to test for additional tick-borne infections. How can someone have a tick-borne illness but we refuse to look for any other infection, while there is a HUMAN suffering with unanswered health challenges??? Good reminder how we MUST be our own best advocates when we do not feel right. Ethan's symptoms started when he was 8 with a random panic attack. He didn't get help till he was in his 20s. That's a long time to suffer. Check out his story and symptoms, and how he's HEALING his body💚

Dr. Sue Eisen is a functional medicine doctor and holistic chiropractor. She gratefully had a medical background to guide her to a diagnosis of Lyme and tickborne illness potentially sooner than the average person. She feels she was bit in the winter of 2008 when she started with a general fatigue and possible bulls' eye rash (Erythema migrans) and in the back of her brain she kept hearing "Lyme disease" and was able to get treatment. Her story did not end there because even though she is a physician, she had trouble getting enough antibiotics from one practitioner. She had to go to a couple doctors to try to get enough and wound up with a bad case of neurological Lyme. She started with increased OCD, and once she was able to get enough treatment, she says that resolved itself and has not returned. Dr. Eisen was infected again in 2015 when a spider bit her...I hope you are reading this to understand that ticks are not the only insects that can transmit Lyme. She thinks she may actually have contracted bartonella from it, which is another infection similar to Lyme that both ticks and spiders, and potentially other insects, can transmit so please take the time for preventative measures before going outdoors. This is a great segue into what Dr. Eisen has found to be one of the greatest gifts her duration with Lyme and tickborne/spiderborne illnesses gave her, her company that make natural, organic repellent called Tick Tock Naturals. (www.ticktocknaturals.com) which I can say from personal use smells amazing. Dr. Eisen is super passionate about preventing bites in the first place because she understands how much easier that is for people to do than to fix what happens to people after an infected bite occurs. You can hear in our interview that Dr. Eisen is currently practicing and you are able to work with her either in person or remotely, depending on your proximity to her. You can connect with her on social media by looking for Dr. Sue Eisen. She shares useful info on health-related topics so check her out.

Like many of us, Gigi Thibodeau is not sure how she contracted Lyme/TBI. She started to feel unwell about 5 years ago, July 4, 2018. She experienced what she will call a "tipping point" (I have thought about this many times with my own story and with others I have interviewed, is there a tipping point in which we get bit so many times, it is overload for our bodies or is it already in us and a major life stressor occurs and activates it?). She got incredibly sick right away after that event and experienced a lot of vestibular challenges, which ultimately forced her to have to give up her job that she loved incredibly. She was a writer and a teacher and could no longer make her brain work for her to perform her job. It took her 2.5 years to get a diagnosis. She finally found a doctor who was able to tell her what was going on with her because she could not even stay awake anymore. He explained to her the faultiness of the traditional testing that is available, the Western Blot and ELISA tests, and talked to her about co-infections like Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, etc. She was so grateful to finally have a diagnosis, although she had a TON of TBI so it was bittersweet knowing what is wrong but realizing how sick she really was. Her practitioner let her know that it would not be the fastest fix. I do my best to be mindful when talking about this with people because I believe in miracles, I have experienced many, but this usually is not an overnight fix, especially in those who have long-term/undiagnosed infection. He warned her that this is more of a journey to try to prepare her for what was/is to come. What he told her after that was slightly disturbing to her in that he said she should not talk about it openly because she would turn people off to her. Take a listen to hear her talk about this experience and her healing process. I have known Gigi for a long time, and she has gone from completely bedridden with the room spinning out of control to being UPRIGHT and able to hold a long conversation with me on her own. She has been able to return to writing and is finding a completely new style since her bout with Lyme an TBI. She went to Mexico for treatment most recently which has helped her tremendously. Please leave a comment to let me know what you enjoyed most about this episode. I think for me it is the entire thing:) I appreciate all your love and support and remember, HEALING IS POSSIBLE. I know it gets dark and lonely, but we are with you.

Sandy and her husband Maurice are no strangers to the diseases ticks can infect us with. They were both infected with Lyme/TBI, and like so many others, are not particularly sure where they contracted it. Sandy thinks they may have been bit when they would take long strolls int he woods and grassy fields where they used to live but they never became acutely ill, it was more of a gradual onset of illness. Maurice wound up getting a pacemaker in 2015 for an incredibly low heart rate. He would literally fall asleep while doing activities. Sandy had both knees replaced. Looking back at these health events, she feels it was most likely from the Lyme/TBI, but they have no proof of this. Through talking to other people, she has learned the very same thing happened to others and they were able to point her in the right direction for holistic treatment. They understood that the standard testing is very unreliable, and it failed Sandy, but she was able to get help from her holistic practitioner. They both treated for a year and were able to eliminate the Lyme from their bodies. They both have made vast improvements with their health. Sandy is still healing digestive issues. She has made adjustments to her nutritional intake plan and that has made a world of difference. She also values exercise and moving her body and she embraces various methods to meditate. These combined with holistic medicine have worked much better for her than Western medicine. I applaud Sandy for always asking questions, learning new ways to support her body, and trying new things to make adjustments. She has always been very good about that since the day I met her in the in-person Lyme support group I used to run. That is one lesson this illness has taught me (and I think almost everyone else who has it) that we MUST BE OUR OWN BEST ADVOCATES. No one else is going to do it for you. YOU MUST TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE. We have so much power we are not aware of to heal ourselves. It is POSSIBLE.

Patrick's story started with him finding a "bruise" on his chest and he did not think twice about it. Shortly thereafter, he began having health issues and he began trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He saw between 30-35 doctors and had NO answers for the that started going wrong in his body. They kept telling him it was "stress" which worried him because he is an airline pilot, and those types of challenges make one ineligible to fly. Finally, someone pointed him in the direction of Lyme/TBI. He had already begun missing a lot of work, and once he started treating his Lyme and coinfections, he began herxing and ultimately had to stop working. For the next five years, he tried working with doctors, but turned to self-research. (I would like to mention that many Lyme patients are forced into becoming their own best advocate and research person because the traditional medical treatments do not always work.) Patrick realized that the antibiotics were not working for him so he looked at other contributing factors to his immune system not functioning properly such as exposure to heavy metals and mold, but these were dead ends. He did have a cavitation that the dentist kept telling him was not bad until he forced the issue by saying he would pay for surgery himself to have it done. (Patrick is the third guest I have had talk about cavitations so please take this seriously. Given this is only episode 11, that is a relatively high percentage of people. I never even heard of them before, so I am glad they are talking about them.) Once the dentist got in there, he realized it was much worse than what the Xray had been showing. That did help him with his healing but was not the final thing to get him better. He used disulphiram which is very hard on the body, and he does not necessarily recommend it without fully understanding the ramifications of its use. Even after that, he was still not 100%. Then he came across brain retraining again as someone introduced him to it a number of years earlier but did not explain it well which left an unfavorable impression on him. He began listening to Joe Dispenza and made drastic improvements with his health once he started practicing his techniques. Patrick has made a full recovery and is back to flying in the skies. He feels strongly about finding a doctor who is willing to get to the root of your illness, getting rid of fear, and protecting your energy, He made some tough choices during his healing journey such as removing toxic people from his life. This is never easy but can be imperative to your healing. Take a listen to his full story and leave a comment if it resonates with you.

I am excited to release this milestone episode #10! These are so much fun for me to make, and this episode is no different. I have known Allyssa for quite some time now. She and I met back when I was first diagnosed with Lyme and worked on a few things together. She gave a talk on nutrition to my support group when I ran it in-person AND we had kicked around the idea of doing this podcast together. Timing was just not quite right but we remained friends and I have SO enjoyed watching her grow her business, Biohacking Bombshell in the meantime. Allyssa has learned so much about healing and helping others and is such a great resource of information if you are not familiar with her. I always remember her story and applaud her for her bravery in healing. She went so far as to have her breast implants removed to regain her health and I want that to be known by other women who are potentially struggling to regain their health. If you have breast implants and Lyme/TBI and are not getting well no matter what you try, consider an explant. Allyssa's began growing mold, which is supposed to not happen, but it contributed to her health issues. She now runs a clinic to help those struggling with chronic health challenges having regained her health. If you are interested in contacting her, you can find you on any of the social media channels under her name Allyssa LaScala and the Biohacking Bombshell. Her website is biohackingbombshell.com. Allyssa will have her patients work on getting their drainage pathways open, removing parasites and environmental toxins, and nervous system regulation. We discuss the importance of giving yourself a good foundation, clean air, food, and water, and a good night sleep. One of the things I appreciate most about Allyssa's healing journey is her committed connection to God. She makes it very clear that she would not be here without God's love and grace. I couldn't agree more. Surviving and healing from Lyme definitely takes God's strength. Please like and share this episode so that others may find comfort in these healing stories.

Amber Gordon is the host of The Sacred Leadership Podcast (which is fantastic so please take a listen) and is no stranger to healing her body. She has overcome a lot of physical adversity starting from birth and is flourishing with not only her health, but with her purpose in life. This may be in fact her Silver Lyming from her decades long journey with Lyme/TBI, that she has found her life purpose. What a beautiful gift. Because of her experience with Lyme/TBI, Amber's career path was greatly shaped towards helping those with chronic illness and is now evolving to be a coach and resource to those looking to follow their soul's passions and use their chronic illness to potentially help them with their business. She is SO knowledgeable as her background is in family and medical therapy, as well as her own experience with chronic illness, to help develop these challenges into something incredibly beautiful. I love this episode because Amber touches on some really important issues like what it was like being a teenager with undiagnosed Lyme/TBI and how it affected her mood, making her much more depressed, anxious, and extremely tired...she was not just a moody teenager:/, some of the losses people with Lyme endure like not being able to work or get out of bed or drive, not being able to finish school, how antibiotics did not work for her, , her bad experience with Gardasil, and how her apartment was infested with ticks! My absolute worst nightmare, save being dropped in the middle of a field. Her major shift came when she had a change in her thoughts, like many other guests I have had. I cannot stress enough the importance of the need to go deep within and contend with the spiritual and emotional aspects of dis-ease to truly heal. It is not just physical, and she is another amazing example of this. Amber's story is certainly one that will stick with me forever. I am incredibly grateful to be able to share it with you. If you are interested in checking out Amber further, you can find her on ig at letgo.and.lead, FB under Amber Gordon, and you can schedule a session with her at bit.ly/AmberLinks

Louis is not exactly sure when he contracted Lyme/TBI, but he suspects it was when he was at a picnic and wondered off the trail. He was laying on the ground enjoying the outdoors and feels that is when he was bit. His symptoms started about a week later with flu-like symptoms and muscle pain in his back. (I wonder if the pain in his back was the area where he got bit, but clearly, we will never know:/) His symptoms progressed so rapidly he was hospitalized for 4-5 days. Gratefully he has made a full recovery with the exception of ongoing joint pain, but hearing his story is a reminder that Lyme/TBI comes in many forms, some drastic enough to hospitalize someone and even result in death. We cover some of the basics of Lyme and the challenges encountered by those struggling with Lyme/TBI. Louis has a great suggestion: if you are struggling with unanswered health challenges, get tested for Lyme/TBI. I will add in that the standard two-tier testing is only about 50-65% accurate so do not rely solely on the Western Blot and ELISA results. Igenex.com is a trusted lab in the Lyme community. *Louis is sadly not available via video for this interview, but his story is important to share.

In this episode, I am lucky enough to interview my friend Kelly Lewis. Kelly knows very well what Lyme/TBI do to someone after his own first-hand encounter with it. He was able to figure out somewhat early on that he had Lyme, although it took a little effort, especially because he did not get the standard rash right away. To remind you, only 35% of people get the standard bullseye rash so that is not a failsafe way to determine if you've been bitten. If you do get a bullseye rash however, you do not need blood work to confirm you have Lyme as the rash is proof positive. Gratefully he began treatment right away and was starting to feel better, when he got hit with Covid. That really did a number on him and shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with cancer. In his own words, the symptoms from Lyme were far worse than the symptoms from cancer. If he had not gotten the cancer diagnosis, he would be advocating more for Lyme, but since his is now healing from cancer, his focus is in that space. Kelly acknowledges that the Lyme potentially masked his symptoms of cancer and delayed his diagnosis. Because the Lyme made him so tired, and not feeling right, he ignored some other symptoms which ultimately became hard to ignore, causing him to get additional testing leading to his cancer diagnosis. He encourages people who aren't feeling well to keep going to their doctors until you get the right answer. "Survive and thrive" has become his new motto as well as telling people he loves them frequently, as you never know when your last moment will be. His company is doing better than ever which he attributes to this attitude. Kelly is not letting any sickness slow him down. He is using it to push him to go faster because he, like us all, doesn't know how much time he has left. He has written one book, "Rheingold: Born Fatima", and is journaling his experience with cancer to turn into gis second book. Currently Kelly is undergoing stem cell treatment which should hopefully fix everything. You can follow him on and cheer him on during his fight on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kellylewis25... In his free time, super hero Kelly also does his best to raise awareness around the violence that takes place against women such as rape, incest, FGM, and trafficking. Please check out his site, mydaughtersteam.com, to learn more about how you can help him on this mission. Thank you Kelly for all you do. I wish you health, wealth, peace, and abundance. The world needs more people like you. Thank you for your bravery!

In this episode, I interview my friend Jim Lannom. We met on Facebook because of Lyme and I am grateful for his friendship and support. Like many of us, Jim is not 100% certain when he contracted Lyme/TBI, but he suspects it may have been when he was clearing land for a friend in TX a number of years ago. In the spring of 2017, symptoms really began to intensify for Jim after starting to work third shift. That can take a toll on someone's health, especially because it is bypassing the body's natural circadian rhythm and detoxification schedule. Jim kept getting sick with flu like symptoms over and over again to the point where his doctor was getting concerned because he was sick so many times. He got tested for mono and got over that, and then two days later, he got a horrible strep infection. This continued for some time until he finally was diagnosed with Lyme. He was given a short course of antibiotics, but ultimately was taken off of them by his infectious disease doctor, because he was supposedly on them for too long. During this time period, I would also like to make mention that Jim healed himself from Type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise. That alone is a HUGE victory, let alone fixing himself from Lyme/TBI. Jim ultimately was forced into treating himself with the helpnof an FDNP because he was not getting anywhere with western medicine and the financial cost was getting to be too much. He has had a lot of spiritual awakenings and insight to help him heal. I appreciate his outlook on "having fun with healing" which is important in not letting things get too heavy. I know that can be hard when you don't feel well though. This episode is packed with healing nuggets like playing a military game against it and like me, Jim was successful in seeing the organism inside him and talking to it. When you are healing, it is important to try things that may sound crazy to healthy people like talking to your sickness. But remember, it is a living organism too. Sickness is evil, and it is our responsibility to get it out of us and replace it with good according to Jim. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Don't forget to like and subscribe if you find this episode valuable so others can find it too. Hope gives others the courage to heal💚🙏🏼 #thesilverlyming #lymedisease #healed #healing #tickbornediseases #lymediseaseawareness #Lyme #annedesjardins

Episode 5, another beautiful story of healing🙏🏼💚 Josh and I connected initially in 2021 through social media. I was well into my healing process and Josh was still very sick. I can remember Josh reaching out for help or with questions about how to get better, and me feeling awful after because I could not make him better and he was struggling terribly. Now Josh and I are both healthy and living our lives again. Josh started The Healing Dudes with his friend and business partner, Joe Cusamano, after they began to heal together. I love their story about how they encouraged each other to "get busy living or get busy dying" (quote from Shawshank Redemption). Josh and Joe use 4 pillars to help facilitate healing: 1. Nutrition 2. Movement 3. Meditation/neuroplasticity 4. Facing fears Josh also discusses the importance of connecting with others (which seems to be a recurring theme in these interviews). In their classes on healing, they connect participants with partners to help with accountability and not feeling so alone, which I think is brilliant. Josh's story is slightly different from others in that he SAW the tick that bit him and infected him with Lyme and TBI. He began experiencing multiple symptoms but was never properly diagnosed/treated for early-stage Lyme. He ultimately lost the ability to work. He wound up in a wheelchair and lost the ability to use anything from the waist down due to neuropathy. If we are able to catch and diagnose Lyme early, 70% of people will have no lingering effects. Those of us who go a long time, usually become very sick as the infections disseminate throughout our entire being. He has overcome a lot and has also done a lot of advocacy work along the way. Josh has a family and his children never really knew what it was like to have a father that was not sick, which was hard for Josh to accept. His wife took on a lot more than she should have to help support them and this was also hard for him to accept. He feels so much better now that he can contribute to his family and participate in their activities. He has done his past to disassociate from sickness at all, and now is struggling to not over, commit himself, because he feels well enough to do things again. Josh truly values the importance of showing up for yourself consistently and getting better. There are so many things we can do along the way and each little piece helps to put the whole thing back in place. He will always be a healing being on a healing journey which is beautiful, because we always make ourselves the priority if that is the attitude we embrace. I am so grateful to have met Josh and to be WITNESSING his healing and return from Zombie Land. Drop a comment below to let me know what you think of his story and don't forget to like and follow of you find this helpful. If you are interested in contacting Josh, check him out on ig at The Healing Dudes or on Facebook under Josh Cutler💚

I love this episode, and not just because I remembered to start recording directly at the beginning. I am learning:) Ellen is someone I met through the Lyme community when people found out I was looking for people who have healed. What a beautiful person! I feel I have found another kindred spirit. Ellen was very sick with Lyme and tick-born illness and has chosen to use that experience as something good by writing and producing a musical, "Lyme Disease: The Musical" (https://lymediseasethemusical.com/) and has created a catchy song to help remind others to do a daily tick check of their body called "Pay Attention (For Lyme Disease Prevention) which won FOUR awards of Merit, two at Accolade Global Film Competition and two at Best Shorts Competition. "Lyme Disease: The Musical" premiered at the Let Live Theater in Los Angeles as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2022. It was nominated for two Robby Awards and five Broadway World Los Angeles Awards, including Best New Play or Musical. The production will be available for online viewing in early 2023. The show runs about 75 minutes and is recommended for ages 18+ due to coarse language. I had no idea about this before interviewing Ellen. I only knew she was a super star because she healed herself from Lyme and tick-born illness. Ellen grew up in central PA and is not sure when she contracted Lyme, but she had weird issues her whole life. She does know that in 2014 she had a major emotional trigger with the death of her brother-in-law that made her well-aware that something was very wrong with her medically. She searched and searched, and no one believed her that it could be Lyme because she now lives in CA, and it is much less known about there. She finally got a referral to a family doctor that was three hours away and while she was in so much pain and it was very difficult to get there, she still went because she was assured that she would leave with answers. This is where she finally got diagnosed with Lyme and she was able to get herself close to remission, when another major emotional trauma occurred when her friend passed away. She wound up in a wheelchair at one point through her sickness and had to put much on hold to contend with the Lyme and tick-born illness. She went to some very dark places like many of us do with chronic Lyme and acknowledges that this illness has one of the highest suicide rates. Ellen (and I) ask that you do not consider this as an option. Your life can completely change and you can get better. Do NOT give up! She is living proof you can heal. Do your best to connect with others with chronic illness so you have a support system that understands what you are going through. Ellen has accomplished so much in her life, and I know she is incredibly grateful to be healthy again. I am incredibly grateful she is healthy and whole and here to share her story, that she can create and produce award winning plays and songs, and that she can simply ENJOY her life again. She has found the Silver Lyming from her experience and we know it is possible for others to do the same. YOU CAN HEAL. #thesilverlyming #healed #healing #lymedisease #tickbornedisease #findthegood #lyme #annedesjardins #ellenthompson #lymediseasethemusical

In this episode, I am joined by one of the brightest lights I know. Debbie has overcome multiple health challenges, which is nothing unfamiliar to those in the Lyme world, such as a brain tumor, cervical and ovarian cancer. Whether the other ailments stem from Lyme or not is what can be hard to say with Lyme. In my opinion, our immune systems are rendered next to useless, so I feel it leaves us susceptible to other issues popping up more readily. At any rate, Debbie has overcome so much and is a true inspiration to know and I always smile when I see her posts pop up on Facebook. Debbie was incapacitated by Lyme/TBI for ten years after three years of seeking answers, and has tried many things over the years to heal herself, ultimately understanding the value in nutrition and food to help her body. She also had her breasts implants removed and found a lot of relief in her symptoms once they were out. She struggled with the "disease to please" and talks much more about that and the negative impact that can have on your health. Listen as she dives deep into this and other topics like urine therapy and the need to love yourself. Book recommendation mentioned: Eat Dirt by Dr. Josh Axe #thesilverlyming #healed #healing #lymedisease #tickbornedisease #findthegood #lyme #annedesjardins #debbiehorstmanlinguanti

I had the chance to interview Dr. Morgan Camp, a functional and integrative medicine expert who is a better doctor because of his own personal experience with Lyme, not once, but twice and has healed himself and leads a full and active life. This episode is full of insight and wisdom into how to heal the body, mind, and spirit, as Dr. Camp realizes the way to heal is not one simple fix. I think one of the biggest aha moments is when he touches on #lymedisease being related to parasitic behavior in self. Dr. Camp calls this "the hero's journey" and hearing his story, you will understand why. Please like and share this episode so others can hear it and be inspired too💚 If you are interested in contacting Dr. Camp, please visit his website at drmorgancamp.com. He believes in getting to the root cause of peoples' ailments to truly help them heal. Doctors like him are invaluable because he gets the body, mind, and spirit connection and is willing to look at all sides to help guide his patients to their optimal health. #thesilverlyming #healed #healing #lymedisease #tickbornedisease #findthegood #lyme #annedesjardins #drmorgancamp #hope

I am thrilled to be launching this podcast featuring survivors of Lyme Disease and Tick-born Illness. Being sick is no fun, but for those of us who have experienced chronic illness, we learn that it can be a blessing in disguise or tackling fuel for something greater. We often find the silver lining of Lyme Disease, hence the title The Silver Lyming. My hope is that these stories will help those who are still healing find greater hope that they will heal too. Jessica is someone I have met through Lyme Disease. She founded a nonprofit in March of 2020 called "Partner in Lyme" to help support those going through healing emotionally and to be able to give some financial assistance to those trying to pay for treatment in the state of CT. She became involved with Lyme advocacy because her daughter contracted Lyme, but unfortunately, Jessica has now also contracted Lyme and TBI. I enjoyed this episode because Jessica touches on so many great ideas like how fatigue and sickness can be normalized so how many people are actually sick and do not realize it? She also discusses the importance of truly believing you are healing/healed, which seems to be a core component of getting better that I am noticing in the multiple interviews I have conducted thus far. We give each other hope and it is immensely important to connect with others who are going through this. Partner in Lyme is a 501c3 that serves CT residents; they gift $1,000 to help provide the extra money necessary to heal in body, mind, and spirit. Jessica hosts an event called "Art with Heart" to raise funds for her organization. This year it is May 18, 2023 from 6-730pm EST. Please visit her website, partnerinlyme.org or call 203-650-7380 for more info. The mission of the organization is: To carry the burden of Lyme. The vision is: To be an organization that cares for its people beyond the cashing of a check and their values are: Service--Compassion--Integrity Aside from financial assistance, the organization also sends monthly greeting cards for gift recipients to encourage them on their way, holiday hope bags, discounts to local businesses, tick testing reimbursement, and weekly support groups. If you are able, please donate to her group. They are providing an invaluable service to those afflicted with Lyme/TBI. #thesilverlyming #healed #healing #lymedisease #tickbornedisease #findthegood #lyme #annedesjardins #partnerinlyme #radicalremission Book recommendation from Jessica which I devoured in about three days: Radical Remission by Kelly A Turner: https://radicalremission

Join me as I interview others who have healed from Lyme and tick-borne illness. Hope gives others the courage to heal. It is possible to get well.