Hello everyone! It has been almost a year since I have posted. I have used so much of the information you all have provided, and especially at the beginning, it was incredibly powerful and helpful resource to me!
I just wanted to share some of my story and let those who are devastated and hopeless know that healing is possible.
My background: I had a misdiagnosed case of lyme (symptoms going back 5+ years) that came to a head from stress at work. I quit the job to seek healing, and after two years, seeing 15 doctors, and trying physical therapy, a chiropractor, and anything we could think of, my husband wanted me to go to a Naturopathic doctor. Now, I was pretty sure that was the same as Homeopathic... after some research I began to understand the difference, and agreed to go. She was not the first person to consider lyme, but she kept it on the table. At that time, my main symptoms were: knee pain, arm pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and while I was fatigued, I thought I was just not sleeping well from all the pain! No doctor before her talked about
all the problems together... each specialist just looked at my arm, or my shoulder etc. She had my CD levels tested and they were borderline indicative of lyme. So, with my doctor's suggestion, I decided to start taking the natural herbs to treat lyme and see if I had a reaction.
I started right after the Thanksgiving holiday (my first time hosting!!) in 2015 with Samento and Banderol. My husband began researching on here and got me on a full detox of green tea, body brushing, foot baths (was too sick to get in and out of the bath tub), extra water, leafy green smoothies, and anything else we could get our hands on. I taught myself to swim at the Y... there were days I could hardly drive there, much less swim, so I walked in the water. (For anyone with joint issues, I HIGHLY recommend water exercise. It was the one time in the day I was hardly in pain!).
One drop of Banderol after breakfast and I would hurry to clean up dishes... I had 25-30 minutes before I would be unable to stand. The herx was that strong for me. An hour later, I would hobble to the bathroom and take 1 drop of samento, and burrow into bed and fall into a restless sleep.
I think the most terrible and beautiful thing is I can hardly remember those days now... quite a coping mechanism the brain has! I kept increasing the doses slowly and detoxing as much as possible. My symptoms were a mile long... I lost that year of my life. BUT, I have gone from 1-2 OK hours a day to 1-2 bad hours a week... I believe my herxing was so bad because I was misdiagnosed for so long.
I have used Buhner's book Healing Lyme for specific treatments... I am on a cocktail of 15 or so supplements (2 types of samento, japanese knotweed, ashwaganda, baicul skullcap, red sage, bidens... to name a few) it is all about
finding what works for you. Since Jan. 2017 I have been treating Bartonella as well. Some of my symptoms have finally resolved and I am on my way back to 'normal'ish. I still deal with brain fog and pain, but am much more with it than I was. If anyone has questions about
my protocol, please ask. I am still healing, but am able to work part time and do a lot of the hobbies I love again. I had lost the use of my arm for over a year, and now I am back to drawing and painting. These are huge successes for me!
What I have learned:
-Always advocate for your health. Don't let anyone else tell you how you feel.
-Keep seeking healing! Maybe not every day, but do not put your own health on hold. You are worth the effort and your life is valuable. Don't give up on yourself.
-Herbal medicines are wildly misunderstood. Don't take other's skepticism to heart.
-Lyme is wildly misunderstood. What you are going through is real. While not many people in your life will ever understand, we understand here.
-It's ok to be sad. When I first got sick, I kept telling myself I needed to be positive. While having a positive outlook will help you heal, it's important not to bury your despair, but work through it.
Through this whole process, it's been 7 years. 1.5 of them I have been taking medicine. It is a long journey... There is no silver lining or hidden sage advice, but I will say I appreciate every good thing that happens to me now. I appreciate walking up not in pain. I appreciate being able to sit on the floor and being able to drive and be independent. Keep your chin up and never stop looking for answers. Thanks for your community here and the major support it has been to me.
Resources:
/rawlsmd.com/health-articles/my-chronic-lyme-disease-journeybuhnerhealinglyme.com/