bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
I lived on this site about ten or twelve years ago. You guys kept me sane during a time when I had nowhere else to go. Thank you!
I just wanted to come back and say that it is possible to get your life back!
Am I 100% "cured of Lyme?" I don't know. I still get achey and tired sometimes. But no more debilitating pain, brain fog, mind numbing fatigue, or desperate hopelessness.
Currently I am training a new puppy, and I take her out on a 3-5 mile hike or back-country ski trip almost every day. I'm not the best athlete on the trails by any means, but I'm alive and feeling good!
I continue to treat for Lyme and co's on an ongoing basis, in the best ways I know how. I love to live outside, and I suspect I probably get a Lyme and/or Bartonella, Babesia, Rickettsia bite of some kind at least once a year. However, I just accept that it is a given, and I am no longer afraid of it.
Don't give up. Don't stop trying. Don't believe people when they say this disease has to be a life sentence! Don't believe people who try to make you believe that you are lazy or less than, because you are sick. Don't believe people who tell you there is only one right way to get well.
Do make your own decisions, use your head, and trust your instincts. If something seems right to you, follow that lead. If it doesn't feel right, go in another direction. Meditate or pray, as it suits you, on love, joy, compassion, and gratitude. Trust in the greater good of the planet.
One of the hardest things about being a victim to illness, or anything else for that matter, is that you are the authority on you and your own experience. You end up having to stay strong and educate others about your experience and needs and your trauma, even when what you really need is understanding and a truck load of TLC for yourself.
The illness experience makes you a better person...but I think you only get to really feel that once it is over. It is hard to keep faith in yourself and in life when it feels like everything is being taken from you.
I have said many times that I would do it all again if I had to, to become the person I have become, but I'm really glad I don't have to!!! Once in a while I still weep for my lost years, but mostly now with just the relief that and I am ok.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
Bejoy, I have always loved your screen name and glad you have joy in your life.
Can you refresh our memories on how you treated Lyme etc. to get better?
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8878 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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Brussels
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13480
posted
Hey Bejoy, nice to see you here.
I hope all is going on fine with you and congrats for your new puppy!
I'm also not afraid of ticks anymore, I think.
I know they can carry some nasty things, but they are not the only ones carrying nasty critters.
I also think instinct helps a lot, following the gut feeling.
I start to think that lyme is just a manifestation of an imbalance of the whole body.
That we are not supposed to have lyme if the body is working well.
Nice to see you here!
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
Hello Hiker! Hello Brussels! Great to see you!!
How I got better, in order of the things I tried over the course of 10 years:
1. Trusted a clinical diagnosis for Lyme, rather than accepting an "equivocal" lab test as negative, or using medications to manage a syndrome diagnosis.
2. Took Penicillin injections for one month.
3. Used a modified Buhner protocol for two years.
4. Used topical Bee Venom ointment
5. Learned muscle testing.
6. Used near infrared light with homeopathic nosodes.
7. Performed allergy elimination clearings with NIR.
8. Moved out of a house full of toxic mold.
9. Got divorced from a toxic relationship.
10. Learned to use PEMF.
11. Learned to use audio tones.
12. Treated my new house for mold.
13. Treated my body for mold.
14. Treated for dental cavitation and infections.
15. Ordered genetic testing to determine vulnerabilities.
16. Took Methylation supplements specific to my genetics.
17. Learned that Bartonella may be a major driving force in Lyme immune dysfunction, and may be harbored and reintroduced by parasites and/or mites.
18. Treated for a major systemic parasite issue.
19. Treated myself, my family, my pets and my house for mites, which can be ongoing invisible disease vectors.
20. Cleared ancestral and karmic patterns and miasms around abuse of power, and sexual use and abuse dynamics.
21. Got a dog to love and to help me keep my heart open.
22. Going outside into the mountains with my dog every day, and living my life fully, even when I'm tired, or it is not "responsible" or "practical."
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Welcome back, bejoy!! Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your knowledge with everyone!! Looks like a great list!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Bartenderbonnie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 49177
posted
Hi bejoy
How refreshing it is to read a Sucess story first thing in the morning
Thank you so much for taking the time to list all your therapies for all of us to learn from. Lymenet is a great community !
Number # 22 is scary to me . . . this is how I got introduced to the Lyme nightmare I find myself in.
So happy to hear you're living your life on your terms. . . Just fantastic. Posts: 2977 | From Florida | Registered: Nov 2016
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
Hi Lymetoo! Great to see you again!
Hello Bonnie, yes, being outside is likely where this started for me too.
I got covered with ticks during a cross country road trip when I was 22. Symptoms began soon after.
Granted, now it is winter and the mountains are snow covered.
I am quite certain I get Lyme exposure in the mountains during the summer.
I have gotten strong Lyme symptoms after obvious mosquito bites, over the last several years.
I suspect just about everyone gets Lyme exposure, but some of us are more vulnerable to the illness.
So I keep treating with the things I know work for me, especially during the summer months!
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Happy to hear a success story. It really helps bring hope. I like what you say about following your gut. It tends to lead us in the direction that we need for our own bodies.
Posts: 798 | From Cincinnati, OH | Registered: Jul 2016
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
I'd like to share a few things that have made the biggest difference for me in my health recovery.
Rage, Depression and Migraines:
I have learned that when Lyme, Molds, and Parasites (and other organisms) die rapidly, the protein breakdown can result in high levels of ammonia.
High ammonia can cause extreme headaches, spine pain, and rage. Some people say they can actually smell ammonia when it is high.
Ammonia gets removed from the body by the same biochemicals that produce Serotonin.
Some people have certain genes that make it more difficult for their bodies to remove ammonia. Those people may also be more prone to depression.
The brain will give priority to removing the neurotoxin Ammonia first, so Serotonin and Melotonin can get very low when ammonia is high.
Low serotonin can cause serious depression. Low melatonin can cause difficulty sleeping.
BH4 Tetrahydrobiopterin removes ammonia and increases Serotonin.
BH4 used to be available over the counter. Now it is only available by prescription, to people with an epilepsy diagnosis.
Manganese allows the body to produce more BH4 Tetrahydrobiopterin. (Read carefully, the above doesn't say Magnesium.)
When Manganese raises Serotonin and Melatonin, it may also raise Adrenalin, Cortisol, and Acetylcholine. High stress neurotransmitters can cause severe anxiety.
People with the MAO-A gene, also known as the warrior gene, do not make enough of the enzymes needed to reduce or normalize high neurotransmitters.
L-Methionine allows people with the MAO-A gene to produce the enzymes needed to break down excess neurotransmitters, and reduce anxiety.
People with the MTHFR genes do not break down L-Methioinine. It can produce inflammation. They need L-Methylfolate L-5-MTHF to break it down.
This has been my personal combination, taken together, to get through high ammonia and migraine episodes caused by rapid die-off from effective treatment:
Manganese (can reduce ammonia migraines and combat depression)
L-Methionine (can reduces anxiety)
L-Methylfolate (can reduce inflammation)
These items usually are not available in health food and supplement stores, but can be ordered online. I found that when they work, they tend to work right away. Otherwise, the problem is likely to be a different issue.
I hope my experience with this can help someone else.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I am so inspired to read your story that I had to write to you. I was just diagnosed with lyme and babesia duncani and had severe anxiety/depression for the past year, not knowing what was wrong with me. How do I rid this terrible anxiety/air hunger?? What would you suggest? I am currently taking mepron and ababs as my doctor wants to go slow. She does, however want to me start taking an antidepressant wellbutrin or a mood stabilizer called lamictal which I am very afraid to do. Could you please give me your advice. Your story is amazing. I had a daughter 14 years ago that fought lyme and bart and is now fully recovered. However I am a 63 year old widow, by myself, doing this all on my own and I get panic attacks a lot.
Posts: 468 | From boston, ma | Registered: Feb 2018
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posted
|I am currently on Ativan for the past year, trying to wean down from this horrible drug., so I also suffer memory issues so please excuse me if I cannot follow your post. It is a big issue for me.
Posts: 468 | From boston, ma | Registered: Feb 2018
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
Hello Linda,
Everyone's situation is so different, and I wouldn't want to try to give medical advice. However, I can tell you what I did that helped me, and what I would do.
I would ask my doctor to see if I have Bartonella. It often comes with Lyme and co-infections, and makes it hard to get well from everything else.
I am also aware that Beta Streptococcus can cause severe anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD in some people. That condition is known as PANDAS. I would ask my doctor if that might be an issue.
I used emotional dynamics audio files for Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella and Strep Beta.
For depression I took Wellbutrin (Bupropion.)
For additional mood stabilization I also took Manganese (different from Magnesium) for depression, and I took took L-Methionine and Methylfolate for anxiety. You can order these online from several suppliers, including Amazon.
I think its a good idea to let your doctor know when you have changed something in your plan.
I also think its a good idea to keep a diary of what you took, and your mood, so you can be more clear about what is helping.
Hang in there! I'm glad to hear the good news about your daughter!
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
thank you so much for your reply. I just picked up Wellbutrin but am somewhat afraid to take it, I have never been on an antidepressant and don't think it helps with anxiety, does it? did you do well on it? I will look into the other options and she told me I did not have bartonella according to the igenex results.
Posts: 468 | From boston, ma | Registered: Feb 2018
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
Linda, Wellbutrin by itself makes me anxious. If I take L-Methionine with it, anxiety is not a problem for me.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
thank you again bejoy. Where do I get L-Methionine and what is it? a power, a pill? A supplement? thanks again. I am going to try it and see if it helps me out.
Posts: 468 | From boston, ma | Registered: Feb 2018
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
L-Methionine is an amino acid, which is a protein. You can get it in a powder, tablet or capsule. You can just Google it, or look for it on Amazon.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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