Posted 4/29/2020 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
My Lyme Story, one that ends with remission.
I fell ill during a home construction project in Apr 2018. First, I noticed balance issues and thought this is strange. I could not manage more than two steps up a ladder. This was followed by hand pain which made using tools difficult. My finger joints were warm and swollen. Next, spasms, twitching, odd skin sensations and trigger fingers set in. Pins and needles progressed up from my feet. Frequent leg and foot cramps. Body temp regulation went haywire and I could not keep warn. Insomnia, night sweats and an overall body / head buzzing sensation. Vision and coordination degraded and my tinnitus got real bad. Prostate infection elevated PSA, UTI’s with bladder retention problems were added to the growing symptom list. Stomach bloating and digestion problems were constant. I was losing weight, in pain with low energy and brain fog. Other symptoms emerged but I stopped counting. The neurological involvement was truly scary. Lyme erodes away one’s life, mental capacity and self-confidence. The impact of this disease is major. I had to make my life very small just to get by. I trusted my body would heal itself, but it didn’t. I am sure most on this board will identify with all this.
Before Lyme hit, by all metrics I was a very healthy 67 year old male. In fact, I had not been sick, not even a cold for over 25 years. My personal health approach: “I manage or more exactly engineer my health”. In other words, I take extremely good care of myself. This includes but is not limited to diet and exercise. This pro-active approach has worked well for me. I have been doing this since being hit with a serious health crisis at age 39. One that the medical community seemingly had no answers for. It was only by me taking 100% ownership of my health that I got well. To this day I continue to do so.
Aug 2018, post various tests, the Dr. informed me I had Lyme (Western Blot based). He put me on 28 days of doxy. I was grateful he ran the Lyme panel and it came back positive. I now know this is not always the case. Within two weeks I improved. I like metrics, so let’s say I went from 25% to 75% over the 28 days of antibiotics. At the time, I was optimistic. Unfortunately, I plateaued at 75%. The Dr. wanted to give my immune system the opportunity to work through things and did not prescribe more antibiotics. Over the next month I went downhill and back to 25%. Physically and mentally exhausted, every day was a challenge.
Sept of 2018 I started researching Lyme, its co-infections, along with treatment options. It was clear to me I had chronic Lyme. No surprise considering I lived next to a forest, had a dog, spent lots of time hiking in the woods and averaged 25 tick bites per year for 30 years. I paid the ticks no mind. I believed my healthy lifestyle and strong immune system protected me. Well, reality set in, a tipping point was reached and I came to truly understand how destructive Lyme can be.
I was fascinated by Stephen Buhner’s book Healing Lyme. It made sense to me. I decided to go the herbal route instead of antibiotics. From my previous health crises at age 39 (CFS, Panic disorder, severe depression and a plethora of physical problems that made me lose 40 lbs. and turn into a skeleton) I learned a lot about healing oneself and the effort it takes to get over a serious illness. Many of the healthy protocols I learned back then had to be re-integrated into my Lyme life. As I did during my CFS chapter I did for my Lyme decline. Again, I took full ownership and management of my Lyme disease. I was guided only by my inner wisdom, the knowledge gained from the many subject matter experts on this Lyme forum and internet searches on the condition. No additional doctor visits or antibiotics. I am now 95% recovered from Lyme and its co-infections. The active Lyme infection phase is over or at least at a very low level. I feel good physically and mentally. I am restriction free with my normal energy level restored. Life is wonderful again! For both the CFS and Lyme, it took two years to recover. Now, I am focused on healing the residual Lyme damage (PN in my feet, leg cramps, longer recovery times after strenuous activities, depleted collagen, etc). Over the next year, I believe these remnants will be gone as they have been slowly but steadily improving. My plan is to continue the herbal part of my protocols, perhaps at the 50% dose rate for another 6 months followed by a maintenance dose for an indefinite period.
In essence, the engineered health approach that worked for me consisted of two macro steps: 1) Remove any and all obstacles that impede healing. 2) Provide the body and mind with what is needed to encourage healing. Over time, this combination freed up the internal energy needed to allow my body to do what it was designed to do, heal. Clearly, we are all both the same and different in many ways. What worked for me may not for others. What I can say is that in my case, it was not the medical establishment that returned me to health. It was my body. What it needed to get over the hurdle was a 100% commitment to a healthy lifestyle, a deep dive into the mind body connections and the herbal protocols. Wishing everyone best healing outcomes! It is attainable, have no doubt!