Ok...whatever...Melanie....

I've had some talks with people today about what Lyme's Disease is and it inspired me to write a little post. It is for sure not a main stream, talked about disease as in people suffering from it, so, I thought I'd try to explain it simply.

When most people hear of Lyme's Disease, they think of a Tick bite. That is totally correct. The last statistic I heard and I'm not sure its totally accurate, but they say that 80% of our country has been bitten by a Tick. That also makes sense, especially in the Midwest and East coast where they are EVERYWHERE. So 80% of people have 'lyme'.
So if 80% of the country has it then why am I saying I am SO sick?

Ok I'm going to try my best.
About three years ago, Mark and I were going through a VERY stressful time. It felt like everything was falling apart. I was eating all comfort foods and of course drinking all the caffeine possible to keep me going.(this for many years naive to what that can do) I didn't think a second that I could be doing something that was harming my body. To this day, I wonder how I couldn't even think one minute that Soda, Chia tea, starbucks and blueberry bagels with strawberry cream cheese (yum) could nourish a body..I have no clue that it didn't cross my mind. I just didn't think about it...just like most of society doesn't. ESPECIALLY when we are stressed.
My body was handling everything just fine (and for years before that also!), all the stress etc, except for the signs of exhaustion that I just fixed with caffeine, I felt anxious all the time, felt I had a knot in my stomach that I just thought was 'me'. Years before trying to go to college, I thought I just wasn't smart enough because I couldn't retain information like everyone else. But I thought that was 'me'. Because my bodies immune system was getting weaker and weaker, it finally crashed in 2007.
Imagine a scale. In the beginning of a healthy child's life, the scale has one side with the Immune system and the other with all the illnesses that a body carries. (We carry quite a bit just because we are human) The immune system is so strong at that time that it is at the top of the scale and able to handle 'dealing' with these illnesses, toxins that come into our bodies etc... The immune system keeps fighting to keep them under control. The lighter end of the scale are the illnesses. As we go through life, the problem becomes when we start not nourishing our immune systems (which the typical American diet, stress and toxic environment DOES NOT ), and at the same time more and more illness and toxins come into our body and our immune system starts getting more and more burdens as it is less and less strong. This, then, is when the scale starts to shift, the illnesses get more as the immune system gets weaker..and then boom, this is when chronic, severe illness happens. In between that time, as the immune system and illnesses are 'even' on the scale, that's when we already see symptoms happening...allergies, anxiety, depression, pain, tmj,skin problems, hormone deficiencies to name a few.
Also, sometimes the shift happens so quick (cancer often) that the symptoms don't even have time to appear slowly, but the scale shifts even in a day.

So what does this have to do with Lyme.
Well, 80% of the population (estimate) who has Lyme (bitten by a tick), has these pathogens in their 'illness' bucket. In there are also various virus' Esten Barr for example, and many others. MOST people with Lyme are still doing ok and their immune systems are still fighting enough for the Lyme to not become a problem that is life altering (its under control). They ARE seeing slowly, that many depression, anxiety, neurological problems that people deal with have the underlying cause of lyme. More advanced stages of Lyme's disease are of course called Chronic Fatigue and Fybromyalgia. Our standard Doctors have not been trained in Lyme and are having a problem with knowing how to diagnose it so are calling it the 'generic' names. Chronic fatigue and fybro...often translates to an overly 'toxic body' and a majorly suppressed immune system...from my education anyways.

Most likely somewhere in early Junior High I was bitten by a tick. My mom remembers taking me to the Dr. and them saying it was ring worm. Now looking back she remembers it looking like a bulls eye...the way a tick bite looks. Even if this wasn't the case, Lyme has been said to be transmitted by mosquito's also, from one Lyme infected person to another. But I have a gut feeling it was the bite.

So I had Lyme in me for years upon years. I had symptoms of anxiety, blood sugar (if I didn't eat I'd struggle a lot), a swollen lymph node, poor self esteem, exhaustion, hard time learning, PAINFUL periods, the need for caffeine...all kinda 'normal'. But now that I understand what I do now...that was all signs of a weak immune system and 'Lyme'. Then as I got older I took less care of my body, fed it a typical high sugar, caffeine, processed food diet, added into it stress stress and more stress...even good stress(babies)....and finally my body's 'scale' switched and that's when my adrenal glands (directly effected by the immune system regulation), got super tired and it allowed the Lyme to become Lyme's 'disease'.

To make matters a little more complicated..and not to much because its too complex, when Lyme becomes a disease (or illness), it also opens the door to not allow your body to detox, parasites to multiply (ps. we all have them), and virus' that were under control also, to take hold.

In order to treat Lyme's disease, mine, we are attacking like an army full force at all the things that show in my body...Viruses, molds, parasites etc...to try and kill them. Think we are smart?, nope...often those 'bugs' as we call them are much smarter than us and find other ways to live and places to live where a drug can't touch them (tissues such as the gums, scar tissue, and many more). It makes the disease complicated and most doctors simply find it too hard and don't treat it except with trying to cover up symptoms or only build the immune system which often doesn't work aby itself because its being taxed over and over with the illness' going haywire.

One other thing, if someone gets bit by a tick whether or not they get the red bulls eye ring they should immediately take a course of antibiotics. This usually kills the Lyme and it won't go into the illness 'bucket'. 27 years ago they had no idea of this yet.

Lyme is being said to be one of the next epidemics. In my heart its because we are not taking care of our immune systems. We eat and drink totally empty foods, and on the other side we are living in a world that is getting more toxic all the time. The scales of people are switching more and more all the time. Babies are being born more toxic than ever. Their immune systems already aren't strong enough to be at the top of the scale.

Since this is such a long post anyways, I might as well make it a little longer.
I have seen so many kids recently diagnosed with cancer...different kinds.
Praise God through Chemo they will be helped and the cancer will be killed.
I personally believe an answer to this is what I'm talking about. Not THE answer, but an answer. Babies are born with weaker immune systems and already toxic.
Then if they are breast fed, who knows the nutrient status of the mother...(mine was probably not the best!). If not then they are put on formula which is also often sweetened with sugar. (Sugar weakens the immune system and feeds bad cells!)As they grow older they are introduced to the processed world of foods, sugars, electrosmog, heavy metals,etc etc.... What happens?, this 'scale' switches. Illness takes place...Cancer cells appear often in tumors. Our world then uses chemo and radiation to get rid of these cells, but then what happens is it wipes many of the good cells too! They often ,praise the Lord, get rid of the cancer cells in the kids (and adults), but then as they are recovering, they are fed sugars and completely unnutritious foods in their hospital beds and then soon are sent on their way. NEVER are they explained HOW to boost their immune systems so that it is at the top of the scale again. Diet, avoidance of processed and sugared foods, vitamins, minerals, avoiding wireless phones, cell phones etc etc etc... Often the week childs body then gets sick again. Perhaps the scale stays even until they are adults. This is all NOT perfect and there are so many things I don't understand. But this is always on my heart. No one teaches people how to help their bodies FIGHT! How to help eat so their bodies can stay strong! How to get the nutrients and help build good cells after chemo has wiped them out...I don't understand why. But I pray that someday this will shift. Too many people and children are suffering. And we are always trying to find a cure for disease which is great...but what about helping people not get sick in the first place?
The best thing you can do is build you and your families immune system in everything you do. I'm building mine strongly with supplements, diet and more, while treating my disease and you know what, I believe my body will be back, scale shifted, my immune system handling the Lyme and my body stronger than ever. I'm NEVER going back.
I know I'm not totally right with this post, I'm not God, a doctor or whatever else.
But I'm a student of my body and illness. I'm experiencing it so I hope its worth something.
Expecting the best- Melanie

Dont' judge a book by its cover...

Imagine for a minute.
Your in a waiting room full of people coming from all over the world...but these people aren't your everyday people...its a room of radiant people. People glowing. Glowing and radiant. The picture of health. As they chat with each other they sound like they have it all together.Smiling, laughing, joking...all super positive about the things most important in their lives..family, kids, God... all at the same time each internally yearning to be able to enjoy all these things to their fullest again. Each sharing how hard this journey is and the hope they have in the drs they are about to see. People from the outside would think every one of these patients are perfectly healthy and have it 'all together'. This includes your every day Drs, parents, friends, family, co-workers. And inside every one of these patients is suffering with symptoms and feelings that burden their every day life, some in wheelchairs because they aren't able to even walk. Most having fatigue and the most scary symptoms undescribable. Most feeling like their bodies are going crazy. Don't judge a patient by their outside.
I get the pleasure of being in this waiting room. It's a true pleasure because I have met some of the strongest, smartest, courageous, loving, compassionate and joyful people I have ever met in this waiting room. Finally we are all in a Dr's office where they don't just tell us to sleep more or stress less because they don't understand this disease. Or 'its all in your head, honey...go home and relax.' These words when we think of them bring so much pain to our soul because all along we have known something is just not right. Yes we rejoice because finally we sit amongst others who get it...and have been told 'you look great', how can you feel sick?
Someday friends, the world will shift in a way that many that are suffering and don't know why, will finally be educated about what a toxic body: heavy metals, viruses, molds, parasites including Lyme's disease can do in our bodies. Until that day I will educate myself, take care of myself and my family, get well and pray that the U.S. will someday become a place of healthy vibrant people, feeling well because their bodies are well, not just because a drug that makes them 'feel' well until it runs out and they must pop another. Unfortunately most often these habits turn into worse toxic bodies in the end resulting in diseases later in life, unexpected, such as cancer. Soon, too many people will be suffering and drugs won't work to make people feel better anymore and people will look to the 'cause' of disease. My disclaimer here is that I am not anti-drug...I am on 4 drugs right now but only to KILL what doesn't belong in my body...they have a place. But only when they are used as tools. Not to cover up and be taken forever.
Toxic bodies. I can't wait until we hear on mainstream news about why people are so sick. Not every other commercial being a drug commercial on how to cover up symptoms by having side effects a mile long. What about educating people on what to do to hold on to their health when they have it? Ah...we have a long way. Not sure if it will ever come. There isn't much money in health.
Lyme's disease is a hard battle. It's my battle. I'm blessed to be able to suffer through it. It has changed my life in ways I couldn't have imagined. And NOW I will fight against it...100+ pills a day, shots, some drugs, coffee enemas, iv's, detox detox detox...someone tell me this doesn't sound exciting? LOL..honestly, it sucks. Feeling like I'm in the world but not of it. It's unreal. And for now the treatment is going to be brutal. BUT in my heart I shout for joy because I am taking care of this beautiful body my God has blessed me with. I finally VALUE and TREASURE this body. The bible says that my body is my Temple....so beautiful. I've come to realize that you must take care of a temple and our world promotes the opposite. Food(a spiritual battle in itself), everyday toxins, spiritual warfare...we have to be in battle against these things and shield our Temples.
And everyone must carry their cross. It's heavy. It hurts. But it's my job and the JOY found in PAIN is the most beautiful JOY I've ever met! And.... I've been so blessed by the people I've met in the waiting room. Thanks to all who try to understand. I love you.