Saturday, December 3, 2016

Its Not Just About the Lyme


It may sound crazy to you but there is no one in this world praying harder that they will be sicker than sick - than me.  Who would wish that on themselves...well, me for one.  But for a very good reason and future health being the main one.  Let me explain.

I finally have a Canadian doctor working with me that is part of the ILADS group.  That stand for International Lyme of Associated Diseases Society.  ILADS who promotes understanding of Lyme and its associated diseases and strongly supports physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the standard of care for Lyme and its associated diseases.  They hold conferences and share cutting edge research and information among themselves to treat Lyme but also similar illnesses.


I guess I'm not sure why every general doctor would not want to be involved in this if Lyme is becoming and epidemic?  Regardless, I have finally been accepted by a medical doctor in Canada who is part of this Lyme literate group.  It is the same group that my doctor in NY is involved with and the naturopath in Ottawa.  So everyone is on the same page.  But the Ontario doctor gives me access to the Ontario Health System and is obviously much more accessible geographically.  However, the wait has been a year and she is so booked up it is 4 months between appointments, so I still need to get my family GP on board, who hopefully returns next month (fingers crossed - she has been away for a year and a half of this journey).


So, in my second visit, I learned that there was new research being shared.  It was not published yet but had been presented at the last ILADS conference.  The finding was that there is a parasite wreaking havoc on the babesia strain (one of the co-infections I am still battling with).  You may remember it being referred to early on as "that bastard".  It affects you neurologically, overtakes your blood and nervous system and is very, very hard to attack.  You may recall the thick/double walled cells it develops and the biofilm that surrounds it that makes it hard for the antibiotics to penetrate the cell.

Well, the finding is that the biofilm is actually created by a parasite that infiltrates the same cells as the babesia.  I was actually shown a picture of the cells with the parasite within (microscopic pictures of course). Pretty cool when a doctor involves you enough to show you that.  So what this requires is a medication added to my existing protocol and a few more supplements.  The protocol I am on is exactly what both the US and Canadian doctor recommend for me.  So, the addition of an antibiotic  that I rotate with the existing one, should attack the parasite.

Its been interesting to me, because I am part of a forum where a Lyme literate doctor, in Calgary has been one of the leading experts in Lyme but seems to specialize in many chronic illnesses and mysteries.  He often refers to many parasites and how they are the problem or add to the problem.  It has shocked me how many parasites are out there and can wreak havoc with our health.  It seems to me if that is a major cause of many of our mysterious illnesses, we are actually doing worse than 3rd world countries who seem to have a handle on common parasites and treat accordingly when they can.  The trouble is sometimes they dont have the means to.  We can - yet we dont go there????  Anyway, I would recommend to anyone in the west with a strange or chronic illness to check him out.  I think his wait time was three years but might be closer to 1 now.  He seems to be amazing at investigating the multitude of reasons why an illness is going under the radar.  He has been known to direct many people in the forum in the right direction.  He has an incredible sense and understanding for the struggles of thousands. He has a lot to offer if more doctors would listen.

I am told as I add this med, I will get quite sick from the die off.  But in one sense the sicker I get the better it is working.  So like I said, "no one is wanting to be sick more than me."  It seems silly to wish that but continues to be a pattern, in this recovery.  It is interesting this recovery.  Its a long road and no joke when they say the recovery is almost worse than the disease.  I really thought by this point life would be back to normal.  I am so happy it's not where it was 10 months ago.  I just became so consumed with healing and life being normal that I have dont nothing but since then.  But I guess I still have a piece to go, so my be my time to reflect and adjust my mindset.

I am trying to let go of controlling this outcome.  I need to live despite where this illness finally takes me.  I heard a speaker once when speaking about her cancer remission say she does not say she overcame cancer, she says she lives with cancer.  She said that way there is no fear if it "comes back" or what it is doing to her.  She chooses to live a happy, healthy and successful life with cancer.  I didn't like that thought process at the time but now understand it.  When I said earlier that I was going to win the war with these bastards, it meant I was going to be Lyme free some day.  I realize now the war is not won when I am Lyme free, the war is won when I live a happy, fruitful, successful and quality life.  And that I am going to do.

So here's to much sickness ahead and much healing further ahead.  I still am on route to win the war...those bastards are not going to get me down.




4 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for your continued sharing, it could have been me writing this blog as I can relate to so many of your experiences. Can you please share the name of the forum and the doctor in Calgary? I am in Saskatchewan and have a family doctor working with me but he acknowledges he has no idea what to do next!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, its Dr. Ralph Hawkins
    I believe it is a long wait to get to see him, but I hear he has been a blessing to many. Good luck!

    https://canlyme.com/2016/05/21/medical-community-failing-lyme-patients-calgary-doctor-says/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi. I just found your blog and love the way you write about it as well. I am wondering if you would provide information on your treatment protocol (antibiotics + others) as shown in the photo. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A few of the treatment protocols I believe have helped me are:
    - Hyperthermy
    - Pulse Electromagnetic Therapy
    - antibiotics of course
    - several Lyme homeopathic treatments for Lyme, bartonella and babesia (by lyme literate Naturopath)
    - High doses of vitamins - many through IV injection
    - Detox - Homeopathic, charcoal, apple cider vinegar, dandelion, epsom salts, hydration, etc.
    - Exercise - immune boosting, short interval, high intensity for 15-20 sec x 3
    - Vegetable. fruit, herbs & supplement minerals smoothie daily
    - hormone therapy
    - I am not on a heavy antiviral and parasite protocol & continuing most of the above

    ReplyDelete

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