LYME Voice

"Chronic disease was a forest fire that burned my life to the ground. Once I stopped fighting the fire and let it burn away the things I had once thought valuable, I began to learn from it and accept where I was. The empty spaces gave me room for new growth and my life moved in a different direction." -- Gregg Kirk (from the book "The Gratitude Curve") Key Takeaways about Enemas:   I (Gregg Kirk) stumbled across information about the Gerson Institute and their well-known Gerson Therapy that had been developed for those suffering from cancer and chronic illnesses. While their juicing and dietary restrictions didn’t resonate with me, Dr. Max Gerson’s research on coffee enemas intrigued me a great deal. Apparently, during World War I, he was stationed in Europe in a medical unit that treated victims of the frontlines.    Gerson and the staff were using enemas to treat their patients, and when they ran out of clean water one day, the unit began using coffee as an alternative measure. Within days, the medical staff began noticing an increased improvement in their patients. There was a clear difference between water enemas and coffee enemas, so Dr. Gerson studied what exactly was taking place: According to Gerson's research, coffee enemas stimulate the body into generating glutathione, and if a patient holds the coffee in the colon for 12-15 minutes, the body’s entire blood supply passes through the liver 4-5 times, carrying poisons picked up from the tissues. In this way, a coffee enema acts as a form of dialysis of the blood across the gut wall. So not only does the enema clear out toxic debris from the intestines, but it activates the liver for further detoxing and also acts as a blood cleanser. This sounded interesting to me, so I bought an enema apparatus, some freshly-ground organic coffee from my local grocery store, and I brewed 4 cups of coffee and mixed it with cool spring water to create about a half-gallon solution. I didn’t tell a soul I was doing this. To make sure I didn’t have an accident after I allowed the solution to flow in with the enema kit, I laid down in my bathtub to make sure there were no disasters. After 12 minutes, and a great amount of will power, I sat back on the toilet and released everything. It took about 10 minutes for it all to come out. A few times I got up to leave, but more solution drained through my intestines that I needed to release. The results were the most amazing detox I’ve ever experienced. Depression that had hovered over my waking thoughts almost entirely evaporated. My vision changed. The colors were brighter and I felt more mentally clear. I actually felt lighter in my gut, and I realized that the feelings of hopelessness and low-grade depression I had felt for years of treatment were a direct result of the cytokines and toxins that were hanging around in my body. I began doing coffee enemas almost every day and never looked back. It wasn’t until about 10 years later when everyone else in the Lyme groups began talking about them that I finally came out of the closet about their effectiveness. Cistus Tea Enemas in Action In 2017, I opened a Lyme Recovery Clinic in Connecticut and began recommending coffee enemas to the patients I began coaching. We used them so frequently in a detox regimen that I developed for patients that some began to jokingly refer to them as Reverse Lattes. However, I found that a number of patients were either allergic to coffee or sensitive to caffeine. And some had such high anxiety that the small amount of caffeine “lift” you get from the enema raised their anxiety to an uncomfortable level. I began offering suggestions of baking soda and sea salt enemas as an alternative, but I wanted something that had the same power as coffee enemas. A year later, a patient introduced me to Cistus tea(Cistus Incanus), and after I tried it myself, I immediately began adding it to my patients’ treatments to address intestinal yeast, UTIs, mold, biofilms, and inflammation. By that summer, I began adding 1-2 cups of it to my own coffee enemas, and it had a dramatic effect in helping me treat intestinal parasites. Soon after, I speculated that since Cistus tea was so effective in treating yeast, mold, and biofilms at the top of the intestinal tract through drinking it, it should also have a positive effect in the lower bowel as well. It then dawned on me that Cistus tea by itself might prove to be a great alternative to coffee for patients who can’t tolerate coffee in their enemas. After working with a handful of patients to get them started on it, these patients reported vast symptom improvements, intestinal cleansing, parasite eradication and lessened inflammation as a result of doing regular Cistus tea enemas. While a Cistus tea enema does not have the exact same effects as coffee enemas -- such as opening bile ducts in the liver and helping the body to generate glutathione -- it does have as many positive effects to make it a good replacement for coffee enemas. Benefits of a Cistus Tea enema:   Removes biofilms on contact Removes bacteria from the lower bowel Removes viruses from the lower bowel Removes mold from the lower bowel Removes Candida Albicans yeast from the lower bowel Reduces inflammation   Making your Cistus Tea enema What You’ll Need:   Enema kit Glass half-gallon container Cistus tea (either tea bags or loose tea) Tea diffuser or tea ball (if you have loose tea) 6 oz. teacup Stainless steel small saucepan or glass tea kettle to boil water Clean water. Do not use tap water because of its impurities. I recommend spring water or filtered water.   Step one: Purchase a sturdy and reliable enema kit that is free from BPA (cancer-causing substances present in some plastics). Here’s an inexpensive kit I recommend. Step Two: Brew some tea. I recommend using a glass tea kettle or stainless steel saucepan (try not to use aluminum equipment because impurities can leech into the enema solution). Heat 3-4 cups of spring water to a boil. Step Three: Brew at least 3 cups of tea individually, using the same tea diffuser or tea bag. According to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt who has studied the tea, certain polyphenols and micronutrients are released from the Cistus tea leaves upon multiple brewing of the same leaves. In other words, if you brew the same batch 3 times, it will continue to unlock the good stuff, so you’ll only need one tea bag or one tea diffuser to make one enema. In order to do this, brew each cup individually, steeping for at least 5 minutes and until the color of the tea is deep amber or light brown. Then pour it into your glass holding container that should already be half filled with cool spring water. Warning, if you pour boiling water into an empty glass container, it may cause it to shatter.Warning, if you pour boiling water into an empty glass container, it may cause it to shatter. Step Four: Fill your glass holding container with at least 3 cups of Cistus Tea and a good amount of cool spring water to almost fully fill the half-gallon container. Close the stopper tube of your enema kit and pour the entire solution into the holding bag of the kit. Hang your kit using the metal hook onto a shower curtain rod or sturdy hook that is over your head, preferably in your bathroom. You can lubricate the applicator end of your enema tube with some coconut or mineral oil, slide it in place and open the valve to let the solution flow into you. If this is your first time, you may want to do this while lying down in your bathtub to make any accidents less drastic. Step Five: Once the enema kit holding bag is empty, close the stopper valve and lie down for at least 10 minutes. This is a good time to do some meditating or relaxation while the solution moves around your intestinal tract and does its thing. Step Six: After at least 10 minutes, sit on the toilet and release everything. You may notice that your bowel movement is loose and diarrhea-like. This is normal. You may also notice things that might look like worms or parasites in your stool, and if that’s the case, you may want to adjust this solution to include a parasite-fighting agent (see recipe below). Make sure you get all of the solution out. If you don’t, it may actually cause a mild herx reaction, and the way to fight this is to immediately follow up this enema with a water enema if you start to have a headache or bad feeling in your stomach immediately following the Cistus tea enema. It will get easier over time and overall symptoms will start to reduce as well. It is perfectly healthy to do one of these a day if you have a large amount of toxin build-up from treatments you may be employing. Other Enema Recipes The 50/50: Brew 2 cups of Cistus tea and 2 cups of organic coffee. Add this to cool spring water to create a half-gallon solution that includes the benefits of both Cistus tea and coffee. Parasite Fighter Brew: Brew a combination of Cistus tea and Antiparasitos Tea (a Peruvian tea that gently kills parasites and inhibits their ability to lay eggs). Either brew 2 cups of Cistus tea and 2 cups of Antiparasitos tea separately, or fill a tea diffuser with 50% Cistus tea and 50% Antiparasitos tea to create 4 cups of mixed tea. Individual brewing of the teas will create a stronger solution. Add the 4 cups of tea solution to cool spring water to create a half-gallon solution. The above material is provided for informational purposes only. The material is not nor should be considered a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.   Connect with my guest: https://greggkirk.com/ Say “Hello” to Gregg: https://greggkirk.com/contact/ The Gratitude Curve Book:https://greggkirk.com/the-gratitude-curve/ Contact [email protected] Sponsors: Envita Medical –Envita Medical Center Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com Lyme Voice Facebook  The Lyme Voice Podcast- Lymevoice.com Lyme Documentary-Disappearing From Society, Life with chronic Lyme in 14 minutes…Documentary Little Bite, BIG TROUBLE, available on Amazon –Children’s book about Lyme disease Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com Tick Warriors “Insect Repellent”  https://tickwarriors.com/ Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com     ____________________________________________________________________________

With empathy at the forefront of our daily mission, Medical Bill Gurus is dedicated to being in the trenches with patients and raise awareness for the daily challenges facing them. From medical billing errors to raising awareness for their diagnosis, Medical Bill Gurus takes pride in speaking with patients every day and helping them find guidance on how to navigate our broken healthcare system Daniel Lynch is originally from Sunrise, Florida and currently lives in Denver, CO. He is passionate about advocating for the rights of patients and redefining the role of medical billing in healthcare. Originally a structural engineer turned self-taught digital marketing full stack developer, Daniel is passionate about leveraging technology to help streamline processes and create innovative solutions to take on the financial complexities surrounding healthcare each day for patients and medical professionals of all backgrounds. Relying on his family's experience with chronic illness and the importance of empathy, Daniel takes pride in helping every patient he can and working to solve the financial complexities of being sick in a broken healthcare system. As technology takes on a greater role in healthcare with the advancement of machine learning and application programming interfaces, Daniel is looking forward to redefining the role of medical billing and help bring down the skyrocketing costs of medicine in our country.     1-800-674-7836 Web site https://www.medicalbillgurus.com/ Email: [email protected]  Instagram Sponsors: Envita Medical –Envita Medical Center Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com Lyme Voice Facebook  The Lyme Voice Podcast- Lymevoice.com Lyme Documentary-Disappearing From Society, Life with chronic Lyme in 14 minutes…Documentary Little Bite, BIG TROUBLE, available on Amazon –Children’s book about Lyme disease Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com Tick Warriors “Insect Repellent”  https://tickwarriors.com/ Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com

From farm town girl to Olympic Swimmer, to bedridden and beyond, therapist Katrina Radke uses her inspirational story, professional experiences, and powerful yet simple tools to help you find what drives you to be your best while feeling deeply satisfied in all areas of your life. Key Takeaways: Chronic fatigue, insomnia, and 15 doctors later is when I finally found a practitioner that was helping. I went on a HUGE spiritual journey, as my titles and roles shifted. I had to look at life very differently. I had to ask “who am I really.” Having my mind not work and realizing this wasn’t going to be over in a day were some of the hardest parts. Having been a person who liked and went after goals, Radke states “I had to learn to be ok with whatever showed up in the moment.” My biggest lesson during that time was “To TRUST, and to know that I am ok, no matter what happens. Even if I’m bedridden.” (10:00) When my Doctor suggested at the age of 21 that I should get a disabled parking sticker, I was in shock because I was used to pretending that I wasn’t really sick. “The wildest part was not being able to explain to people why I was disabled.” I learned that I could trust my voice, my intuition, I get to know that I’m not making stuff up, I didn’t need anyone else’s approval, I just need my own. If I’m ok with me, the rest doesn’t matter so much. (12:00) (I was this far into finishing the show notes when I had a concussion, more details in the episodes to come) **I’m better, I think, who knows. Life with Lyme is continually changing. We will be talking all about change, loss, medical PTSD, grief, and new treatment options here in November 2020. The only way out is through-Sarah Connect with my guest: http://www.katrinaradke.com Contact [email protected] Sponsors: Envita Medical –Envita Medical Center Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com Lyme Voice Facebook  The Lyme Voice Podcast- Lymevoice.com Lyme Documentary-Disappearing From Society, Life with chronic Lyme in 14 minutes…Documentary Little Bite, BIG TROUBLE, available on Amazon –Children’s book about Lyme disease Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com Tick Warriors “Insect Repellent”  https://tickwarriors.com/ Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com

Treating patients with Ketamine for 5 years now, almost 2 years at his own clinic, Jonathan Evertsen and the staff of Urbane Medical, are dedicated to serving the Lyme community and have seen some of the most amazing stories of healing, fortitude, love, and strength and have seen some miraculous improvements from IV Ketamine Therapy. Key Takeaways: Ketamine promotes a sense of mental well-being! Ketamine treatments are helping those who suffer from chronic symptoms. Helps to alleviate chronic regional pain. ~It can restore a sense of vigor ~Increases neuro elasticity. ~Less anxiety ~Less depression ~Less OCD ~Less PTSD ~Increases concentration ~Renewed sense of self ~Can help people with mobility and gait. ~Reduces brain fog ~Migraine relief After my first Ketamine treatment...“I’m not drunk, and I’m not high, but I’m not sober.”Sarah   Reestablishes interrupted nerve connections that are necessary to recover from traumatic memories.   “We have to stop the suffering”-Sarah “Lyme hasn’t had the attention it deserves”-Jonathan Evertsen “The lunacy that you have to go through to find adequate care with this illness. The amount of courage you have to have to continue to self-advocate. The amount of resources (time, energy, money) that you have to be willing to commit to your healing journey, is off the charts.”-Sarah Fantastic definition of traditional western medicine... If a pill doesn’t solve the problem, I’ve got nothing.” One of the best gifts you can give someone EVER, in their entire lives, is to eliminate their pain.”-Sarah The most important thing about a practitioner at this point in my journey is how I “feel”, if they “hear me” and if they believe me.   “The relationships that we have with our patients in extremely moving and we want to be reachable”-Jonathan     Resources Mentioned: Yale Medicine Article https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/ketamine-the-new-miracle-drug/ Connect with my guest:    Jonathan Evertsen 480-327-7160 833-887-2263 Jonathan@UrbaneMedical   Contact [email protected] Sponsors: Envita Medical –Envita Medical Center Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com Lyme Voice Facebook  The Lyme Voice Podcast- Lymevoice.com Lyme Documentary-Disappearing From Society, Life with chronic Lyme in 14 minutes…Documentary Little Bite, BIG TROUBLE, available on Amazon –Children’s book about Lyme disease Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com Tick Warriors “Insect Repellent”  https://tickwarriors.com/ Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com

Bio-From Grad Student and workaholic to bed-bound Lyme patient, Lauren started Lyme Warrior four years ago when she learned the struggle of Lyme first hand and knew she had to help. Lauren holds a Masters in Analytics and has years of experience in promotion and the legal field. She is working to empower those with Lyme Disease and help others to join together to make a change while still fighting her personal battle with Lyme Disease.  To date, Lyme Warrior has given over $70,000 to Lyme research, Lyme patients in need, and shipped over 300 Kid's Smile boxes to children suffering from Lyme Disease. Lauren lives in Virginia with her best friend and teammate Eric where they run an Airbnb and regenerative agriculture farm.    Key Takeaways: Loving someone with Lyme is complicated. Seemingly overnight,  Lauren began dealing with anxiety and panic attacks and became bed-bound while searching for answers. (10:00) Self-advocacy is so important when you are being dismissed by practitioners. If you can learn anything from this episode, learn that you must be driving your own healthcare journey. (12:00) “Yeah, after two years...I finally found a diagnosis.” followed by the crushing reality that recovering from Lyme is, in fact, awful, and it didn’t work. I turned to the Lyme Facebook groups for answers on how to heal. A crash landing can happen when you are close to healing. Our 4th date consisted of moving across the country for treatment. Dating while going through the unknowns of being in treatment. Tapping into your intuition...keep doing what is working.  Accepting care as a vulnerable patient can be very difficult. When you do find people who can help you heal, you must let them into your world. Try and stay open to the possibilities around you, even when you are suffering.  “If you focus on the problems, you will miss the opportunities. If you focus on opportunities, you’ll see past your problems.” Who we are, is different than who we will inevitably become. 2 for 1 deal: Healing the Lyme often exposes other areas that need to be healed.(22:00) “It’s ok to be scared as you face the unknown of battling chronic Lyme.” Brene Brown says “Do it afraid.” “Let go of being scared of becoming someone else.”-Lauren Lovejoy (32:00) “I choose to let gratitude smack me in the face.”-Lauren Lovejoy A big misconception is that your friends and families will see and understand what you are battling. But they often don’t understand. And you may need to put boundaries around the relationships that are draining or taking away energy from you. Be open to new friends, they could be your next best resource. If you need answers, the FB groups can be really helpful to talk to strangers who ‘get it.”  Lyme Warrior was born out of wanting to help people get access to treatments. Areas of impact provided by the Lyme Warrior Organization Research Funding for patients Smile boxes that get mailed to kids battling Lyme LymeWarrior.com  Instagram @LymeWarriorUS   Resources Mentioned: Herbalist-Please contact Lauren directly to get access to the herbalist who is helping to save her life! Instagram @LymeWarriorUS Connect with my guest:  Contact [email protected] Contact Suzanne- Sponsors: Kangen Water- http://www.lymewater.com/ Envita Medical –Envita Medical Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com Lyme Voice Facebook  The Lyme Voice Podcast- Lymevoice.com Lyme Documentary-Disappearing From Society, Life with chronic Lyme in 14 minutes…Documentary Little Bite, BIG TROUBLE, available on Amazon –Children’s book about Lyme disease Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com Tick Warriors “Insect Repellent”  https://tickwarriors.com/ Organic coffee!  https://www.ovaldogs.com