This is episode 72 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

Historic Moment for Lyme Advocacy. RFK Jr. Roundtable Reactions & What Comes Next

In this special episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast, host Fred Diamond, author of Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know, convenes a powerful panel of Lyme advocates, researchers, and survivors to reflect on a pivotal week for the Lyme community.

Just days after the RFK Jr. Lyme Disease Roundtables in Washington, D.C., this episode captures real-time reactions to what many are calling a historic turning point when federal leadership publicly acknowledged chronic Lyme disease, condemned medical gaslighting, and outlined tangible steps toward research, funding, and accountability.

🎙️ Featured Panelists

Ali Moresco – Founder of Moresco PR, Board Chair of Project Lyme, longtime advocate and communications leader in the tick-borne illness space

Nikki Schultek – Research leader, founder of multiple pathobiome initiatives, Lyme survivor, and board member of ILADEF

Meghan Bradshaw – Executive Director of the Center for Lyme Action, leading federal policy and funding advocacy efforts Together, they discuss:

💚 What made this week's HHS and White House engagement different from past hearings

💚 Why statements like "Lyme patients will no longer be gaslit" matter—and what must follow

💚 Federal funding, diagnostics, Medicare coverage, and clinical trials

💚 The urgent need for collaboration between government, clinicians, researchers, and advocates

💚 How patients, caregivers, and supporters can turn momentum into lasting change

This conversation is both hopeful and grounded celebrating progress while emphasizing that advocacy, accountability, and action must continue.

This is episode 71 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

In this episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast, host Fred Diamond sits down with Olivia Abrams, founder of TiKK MiTT and a Lyme disease survivor who turned prevention into purpose.

Olivia shares her personal Lyme story beginning with arthritis symptoms at age seven and how growing up in a tick-endemic area inspired her to create TiKK MiTT, a chemical-free, reusable glove designed to help people and pets detect ticks before they embed.

The conversation explores prevention, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and what it was like pitching TiKK MiTT on Shark Tank, where Olivia famously received and declined two offers.

Beyond the product, this episode dives deep into:

💚 Why tick checks and prevention are still overlooked

💚 The growing need for Lyme disease awareness and advocacy

💚 Olivia's work with organizations like Project Lyme and the Center for Lyme Action

💚 How passion projects can bring hope and purpose during and after chronic illness

This conversation is especially meaningful for Lyme survivors, caregivers, and anyone looking for practical prevention tools and real hope.

🎧 Listen if you care about Lyme prevention, patient advocacy, mission-driven entrepreneurship, and turning personal experience into impact.

🔗 Learn more about TiKK MiTT: https://tikkmitt.com

💚 The e-version of "Love, Hope, Lyme" is always free for Lyme survivors.

This is episode 70 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

Why do so many people with chronic Lyme and other persistent infections do everything right… yet still not get better?

In this episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, host Fred Diamond sits down with Dr. Melanie Stein a naturopathic physician, author, and expert in identifying the underlying drivers of chronic illness.

Dr. Stein explains why some patients stall, how trauma and nervous system dysregulation contribute to persistent symptoms, and the holistic steps that can restart healing.

If you've felt stuck despite antibiotics, herbs, treatments, and lifestyle changes this conversation offers hope, clarity, and a roadmap to rebuild resilience and progress again.

✨ What You'll Learn

💚 The most overlooked root causes behind stalled recovery

💚 Why nervous system healing must come first

💚 The role of environmental toxins, chronic stress, and stealth infections

💚 How to re-establish communication between the brain and body

💚 Steps patients can take today to support deeper healing

📘 About Dr. Melanie Stein Dr. Stein helps patients with chronic Lyme, mold illness, and long-haul infections uncover the blockages preventing recovery. She's based in Portland, Oregon and is the author of "Breaking Through Chronic Illness: The Science of Cellular Repair and the Path to Lasting Recovery" (2025).

🎧 Listen to More Love, Hope, Lyme Episodes Stories, solutions, and support for Lyme warriors and their loved ones.

In this powerful episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, Fred Diamond sits down with singer-songwriter and Lyme advocate Jesse Ruben for a deep, honest, and emotional breakdown of his song "Monster."

Jesse opens up about the terrifying return of his Lyme and Babesiosis, the years of misdiagnosis, the isolation, the brain fog, the burning pain, and the desperate search for answers that so many Lyme survivors know all too well.

For the first time, Jesse walks through Monster line by line — how the lyrics came to him during the darkest hours of his illness, why he nearly kept the song off the album, and why he ultimately decided the Lyme community needed to hear it.

We talk about:

• How Lyme changed Jesse's life, relationships, identity, and career

• The emotional toll of not being believed by doctors, family, and friends

• The fear of losing the "young and healthy" version of yourself

• Why Monster resonates so deeply with people living with chronic illness

• Jesse's new album, his return to performing, and what comes next

If you've ever felt dismissed, misunderstood, or alone in your Lyme journey, this conversation will speak directly to you.

🎵 Get Jesse's album (vinyl or CD): jesseruben.com 🎧 Follow Jesse Ruben: @jesseruben 💚 Learn more about Generation Lyme: generationlyme.org

If this episode moves you, please like, subscribe, and share. It helps more Lyme survivors find the support they deserve.

This is episode 68 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

What does it really mean to be a Lyme Warrior?

💚 In this powerful episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, host Fred Diamond talks with Lauren Lovejoy, founder of Lyme Warrior, about her 12-year journey from losing her health and career to leading one of the most passionate advocacy communities in the Lyme world.

Lauren shares how she went from seeing over 60 doctors with most dismissing her symptoms as "stress" to finally receiving a clinical Lyme diagnosis and re uilding her life through alternative healing methods. Her honesty about the emotional toll, financial burden, and daily fight for recognition will move and inspire you.

🌿 You'll hear Lauren discuss:

💚 Why antibiotics aren't always the answer and what helped her heal

💚 How Lyme Warrior empowers survivors through awareness, 5Ks, and "Kid's Smile Boxes"

💚 The unseen emotional struggle of advocates and caregivers

💚Why believing Lyme patients is the first and most powerful act of care

💚The hope for accurate testing and meaningful medical progress ahead

💪 "Being a Lyme Warrior doesn't mean running a 5K. It means not giving up today." – Lauren Lovejoy

🎧 Listen. Learn. Believe. Share. Because together, we are all Lyme Warriors.

🔗 Connect with Lyme Warrior: [lymewarrior.us]

📘 Learn more about Fred's book: Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know"

#LymeWarrior #LoveHopeLyme #ChronicLyme #LymeAwareness #LymeDisease #LymeCommunity #HealingJourney #LymeSupport

In this episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, Fred Diamond speaks with Dr. Korine Kolivras, professor of geography at Virginia Tech, whose groundbreaking research challenges the long-held belief that "we don't have Lyme here."

Dr. Kolivras, author of a chapter in Appalachian Epidemics: From Smallpox to COVID, shares how geography, land use, and even bird migration contribute to the spread of Lyme disease across Virginia, Appalachia, and beyond.

She explains why the maps we rely on underestimate the true reach of Lyme, how land development and resource extraction may accelerate tick expansion, and what needs to change in medical education and public awareness.

🎧 Topics include:

• How geography and land use shape Lyme's spread

• Why "reported cases" don't reflect reality

• The role of birds, deer, and mice in tick migration

• How Appalachia's land changes may drive new Lyme hotspots

• What healthcare providers need to ask every patient

💬 Dr. Kolivras's message is clear — Lyme disease exists far beyond the maps, and awareness must rise everywhere.

📘 Learn more about her work in Appalachian Epidemics: From Smallpox to COVID (University of Kentucky Press).

🎙️ Love, Hope, Lyme is the podcast that brings together Lyme survivors, doctors, and advocates to share truth, research, and hope.

#LymeDisease #VirginiaTech #Appalachia #TickBorneDiseases #LymeAwareness #LoveHopeLyme

This is episode 66 of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast.

In this special Love, Hope, Lyme podcast with Fred Diamond, Athena Brownson shares how she went from the heights of professional skiing to the depths of chronic illness.

After years of competing around the world, a Lyme diagnosis forced her to rebuild her life from the ground up.

In this heartfelt conversation, Athena shares how she faced unimaginable physical and emotional challenges from misdiagnoses and loss of identity to rebuilding her health, career, and sense of purpose.

Her story is one of courage, reinvention, and hope.

Through Lyme, she discovered a new calling: helping others find meaning, resilience, and light in their own healing journeys.

🎧 Listen as she explores:

⛷️ The mindset of a professional athlete facing chronic illness

🤞🏻 How she found purpose and healing through adversity

💚 Why self-compassion, community, and small daily wins matter most

If you're searching for strength or inspiration in your Lyme journey, Athena's story will remind you that healing begins with hope.

Fred Diamond offers the e-version of his popular book "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" for free to Lyme survivors.

Reach out the him on social media for your copy. The print copy of the book is on Amazon.

#LoveHopeLyme #LymeDisease #LymeAwareness #HealingJourney #ChronicIllness #Resilience #Inspiration #AthenaBrownson

This is episode 65 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

In this powerful conversation, Fred Diamond welcomes back Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski, the first female Thunderbird pilot and a leading Lyme advocate, alongside Dr. Kent Kester, infectious disease physician and executive director at CEPI.

Together, they unpack the groundbreaking NASEM Report (Charting a Path Toward New Treatments for Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses) and what it means for patients.

🔹 Nicole shares how her life was changed by a tick bite, why she's dedicated herself to patient advocacy, and what serving on the NASEM committee taught her.

🔹 Dr. Kester explains why this report is a historic moment: the U.S. government is officially recognizing Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses as real—and why patient-centered research and treatments can't wait.

🔹 Together, they discuss the six key recommendations of the report, the role of patient voices, and the urgent need for science, funding, and compassion to align.

✨ "For the first time ever, the United States of America is saying Lyme IACI is real." Nicole Malachowski If you or someone you love has battled Lyme disease, this episode offers validation, hope, and a roadmap for change.

📖 Fred Diamond's book: Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" is available on Amazon. The pdf is always free for Lyme survivors.

#LymeDisease #LoveHopeLyme #ChronicIllness #LymeAwareness #PatientAdvocacy #Hope

This is episode 64 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.]

🎙️ In this powerful episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, Fred Diamond sits down with Kristen Harris, Education and Grants Manager at the Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), to explore the vital role of mentoring in the Lyme disease community.

Kristen shares her deeply personal Lyme journey beginning with a tick bite at just 8 years old in New York and how decades of struggle with fatigue, neurological issues, chronic pain, and misdiagnosis ultimately led her to remission, relapse, and finally to a place of giving back.

At GLA, Kristen now helps lead the Peer-to-Peer Mentor Program, connecting Lyme survivors, caregivers, and family members with mentors who have walked this difficult path before them. These mentors don't provide medical treatment but they do offer something just as powerful: understanding, compassion, and emotional support.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

💚 Why Lyme survivors seek mentors while other illnesses rarely do

💚 How the GLA mentorship program supports both patients and caregivers

💚 The rigorous process mentors go through to prepare for this role

💚 The unique challenges of the Lyme journey, from misdiagnosis to isolation

💚 Kristen's insights on why community support is more needed than ever

✨ Whether you're a patient, caregiver, or advocate, this conversation is a reminder that no one should walk the Lyme journey alone.

🔗 Learn more about GLA's resources and mentorship program: https://www.gla.org

This is episode 63 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

To get your free pdf of "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," reach out to Fred Diamond on social media.

[NOTE: This podcast does not replace medical treatment. If you struggle with Lyme care, please see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.}

In this powerful episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast, host Fred Diamond talks with Nikki Schultek, founder of Intracell Research Group and co-founder of the Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI). Nikki shares her personal journey with chronic infections and how it led her to uncover critical connections between Lyme disease, other infections, and neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

You'll learn:

• How chronic infections like Lyme, co-infections, viruses, and even fungi may impact brain health

• Why physicians often miss infections as a root cause of cognitive decline

• The concept of the "pathobiome" and why it matters for understanding Alzheimer's disease

• Hopeful research showing some cases of dementia may improve with targeted infection treatment

• How Nikki and her global research team are bridging silos to uncover answers

If you or a loved one are living with Lyme disease—or worried about its long-term effects—this episode offers both hope and cutting-edge insight.

🔗 Learn more about Nikki's work: alzpi.org 📖 Learn more about Fred's book: Love, Hope, Lyme

👉 Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more conversations bringing hope and answers to the Lyme community.

#LymeDisease #Alzheimers #Dementia #ChronicIllness #Hope #LoveHopeLyme