LYME Voice

Tricia Soderstrom is a wife and mom of four. Tricia and her husband Scott have been married for 30 years and live in Maryland. She is a career homeschool mom, a writer, speaker, virtual assistant and is the creator of Abounding in Hope with Lyme. She and her family suffered from chronic Lyme disease for over ten years. Tricia is passionate about health, nutrition, gardening, and helping women walk with Jesus through the uncertainty and difficulty of living with Lyme!  Key Takeaways: After being bedridden for 2 years, Tricia finally got a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Explaining the deep fatigue, loss of memory, loss of cognitive function, and pain.  After getting diagnosed, Tricia began to see that one of her children was also showing symptoms. Over the next few years, each person in the house was diagnosed with Lyme. Some of the crazy symptoms included: finger tapping, facial ticks, OCD, anxiety, panic attacks, rage, PANS, oppositional defiance disorder. She rocked our world. It took 3 years to get the Lyme doctor to also test for Babesia. The medicines we were on, weren’t helping our household heal. So we turned to homeopathy.  How much strength did it take for you to continually insist that something was wrong, and that your pain and fatigue wasn’t stemming from poor lifestyle choices?  I had to do an immense amount of research, with brain fog when we weren’t getting better.  Am I crazy? Doctors thought I was trying to get attention for myself and my kids. “I prided myself on taking really good care of my family, eating whole foods, exercising...and it was heartbreaking dealing with doctors who thought I was a Munchhousen-Mom.” Tricia I talk to so many moms who are juggling the chaos of trying to keep their kids healthy enough and up on their feet.  “Having a daughter with PANS rocked our world. For so long we weren’t sure what was going on. But she kinda ruled our world for a while. ” Tricia The OCD battle was me trying to help her, and her fighting me. “I try not to think about those times because I don’t like to go back there.” Tricia “Someone was always complaining about something else that is hurting.” Tricia “It was so immense, all I ever did was try and negate the chaos that was coming from one kid.”-Sarah Explaining to the other kids in the house that this wasn’t normal behavior, this wasn’t acceptable behavior, was an all-consuming task. Rage, OCD and constant fighting We had to continually tell our daughter how much we loved her.  Tag-team parenting: A MUST (we are on the same team and we must continually try and not turn on each other) Medical PTSD impacts us more than you want to believe. What does it mean to be a Lyme-Mom?  Homeopathy, diet, and nutrition are super big in the recovery game. Treating Lyme on a budget (if that’s even possible) “Your whole world is not what you wanted it to be.”-Tricia Resources Mentioned: AboundinginHopewithLyme.com Abounding in Hope Talks Podcast   Contact [email protected] Contact Tricia: AboundinginHopewithLyme.com Abounding in Hope Talks Podcast   Abounding in Hope Academy Facebook.com/AboundingInHopeWithLyme Instagram.com/AboundinginHopeWithLyme Twitter.com/AboundingInHope 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

Ep.106 While studying to become a nurse practitioner at the University of Colorado, Elizabeth Kirt was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, tick-borne illness, multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue syndrome, and toxic mold exposure.   The lack of relief Kirt received from conventional medicine changed the way she viewed disease and medicine.  As she began to heal from her illness, she discovered the healing power of herbs, homeopathic, lymphatic drainage, cellular drainage, ozone therapy, and other alternative modalities.  Armed with my knowledge and personal experience of healing chronic illness within her own body, she is ready to help lead others down the path of wellness and health. Key Takeaways: Elizabeth walks us through the initial phase of treatment at Integrative Health Colorado which includes testing from Igenex.  Mycotoxin panel from Real-Time labs. Mold and Lyme often go hand and hand.  Patients are offered a discount off of supplements through Fullscript.com. Payment plans are available for some patients who cannot afford treatment. Call 907-457-4481 0r 720-470-9124 for details. Disulfiram- Is having good benefits with patients and minimizing the use of antibiotics. Detox-Coffee enemas, saunas, detox baths, binders, glutathione.  Studies show that it takes about 10 years to off-gas a new home. “I just want to go on the record and say that life should not be this complicated.”-Sarah   Connect with my guest:  Phone: 970-457-4481 or 720-470-9124 [email protected]   Contact [email protected]   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

Ep.105 In 2015, Wendi’s life drastically changed when she was diagnosed with Lyme disease and other life-threatening infections.  Each chapter of her new book  “Dear Lyme Disease” takes you from theory to practice so you can start learning alternative healing tools and engaging in experiential exercises to start implementing a new way of thinking, living, finding your “new normal” and HOPE.  Key Takeaways:   “I discovered how strong I was when my body was at it’s weakest.”   No one teaches you how to live within a weak and broken body. I went from going on a 100-mile bike ride to having to crawl to the bathroom. (16:00) We live in a Go-Go-Go society, no one teaches how to live in slow motion. “I am not an authority on treating, diagnosing, and/or any other chronic disease and illness. I am however an authority on living with chronic pain and the symptoms of this disease and my other related diagnoses.”  Michael J Fox “This message is so simple and yet gets forgotten. The people living with the conditions are the experts.”   Writing this letter to Lyme disease allowed me to let go of so much anger.    I knew I needed to forgive (Lyme) in order to heal. My brain feels like it was reprogrammed. (38:00) Do you think the anger comes from the illness, or from the grief? BOTH How close to divorce are we?  “You should consider getting a counselor. Your marriage now has a 3rd party in it (illness). -Sarah Learning to live simply allows me to live. “You are the superhero in your own healing journey.”   What does worthiness have to do with healing your body? EVERYTHING…(50:00)   Giving yourself PERMISSION is such a huge part of healing. You have permission to feel the way that you do. It’s ok if it’s noon and you just got out of bed. You have permission to just be.  “It’s ok to flounder in the insanity of Lyme” (You’ll find your way, don’t give up) (54:00)-Sarah “My perspectives, my daily habits, the  limiting beliefs I wrestle with have all changed as I’ve dug into the recovery process.”-Sarah “I know after facing the reality of my own limitations, a certain freedom followed.” (1:00) Connect with my guest:  HealingForwardWithWendi.com   [email protected] [email protected]   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

Josey Buzby was just starting high school when ongoing health issues and ANXIETY forced her to do homebound (online) schooling.  Key Takeaways: “I wanted the normalcy of seeing my friends every day.”  I wanted to be in school. But I couldn’t stay awake, let alone remember anything.  The fluorescent lights hurt my eyes. The short term memory loss and not being able to speak the right words (word loss) and the right time made school almost impossible. (4:00) Lyme turned my life upside-down.  Anxiety and “weird pains” were my first symptoms. “I know something is wrong” After being fired by my physician who didn’t believe I had Lyme. I was sent on an incredibly weird, awful but exciting journey to find out what was wrong. (7:00) My moods were out of control. (The anti-hulk medication) My mom really fought to figure out what was going on.   “I did a 180-degree turn as a human.” “Lyme is horrible. It’s this thing you can’t see. You can’t see Lyme.”   Even if I don’t get better, I can still watch people grow. (17:00) I never thought I could be a functional member of society. You can laugh or you can cry, when situations are out of your control. We choose to laugh. Comedy was a way to cope with what was going on. You give people in your life “select information” because you don’t want to freak them out.  My friends had to make a choice to “stay with me” and I had to make a choice to “let them stay” in my life. (I didn’t want people to see me if I hadn’t showered in days) We shut a lot of people out, because they don’t understand what is going on. I didn’t want to know anything about Lyme disease. I didn’t want to watch the movies or read any of the books. My mom went into research mode, I didn’t want to know anything. “To LIVE would be an awfully big adventure”= my survival TATTOO  (I couldn’t get it until I was done with treatment)   “My Mom is the whole reason I lived.”   After being homebound for years. Reengaging with society was hard. I kept wondering if I could make friends again.   What if I can’t make friends anymore?   Training to be an EMT forced me to interact.  You feel like you have been robbed.  What would you say to other teens battling Lyme during highschool?  “I’m sorry you have no control. But you’ll get it back. Take the small wins as they come.” You can be a human again! It felt unreal to have normal worries.  “This is what normal people do.”  When you want to give up, you have to find something to look forward too.”   Connect with us:  [email protected] [email protected]   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/

Ep.103 Dr. Armin Alaedini is a professor at Columbia University, where he leads a research laboratory focused on studying the role of the immune system, host-microbe interaction, and diet in complex disorders. His team’s research on Lyme disease in the past 15 years has focused on the chronic and post-treatment manifestations of the infection, leading to seminal findings that provide molecular evidence of a biological basis for the patient’s symptoms. He is currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Global Lyme Alliance and a Working Group Member of the NIH Advisory Council on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Key Takeaways:   How does inflammation become permanent?  Could there be abnormalities in the immune response system because of Lyme disease? Could there be a biological basis for persistent inflammation? There is a biological basis for the symptoms Lyme patients are facing. This is not trivial, because there wasn’t scientific evidence to say it wasn’t psychosomatic.  The infection causes inflammation. Inflammation then becomes chronic.  Why do some patients recover and others don’t? Remove the infection, and then you still have to remove the inflammation. Borrelia components could remain.  Even after treatment with antibiotics, you can still have Borrelia in the body. (Animal studies) The inflammation that patients have early on in the infection is different than the persistent inflammation that patients have in the later stages of infection. (12:00) Biological markers to demonstrate that patients have chronic persistence of inflammation. This is really important because it gives us a handle to study these patients. There is basically no federal funding for Lyme disease. The NIH gives out a minuscule amount of funding for Lyme disease. Lack of funding is a major reason we haven’t made strides. We know a lot about Borrelia (about the infection itself) but the chronic symptoms that persist after having Lyme disease haven’t been properly studied.  We need more support from the NIH and other federal agencies. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (working group that counsels the NIH) NIH is slowly starting to be more supportive of research around CFS. CFS is a heterogeneous condition. It’s a spectrum disorder, making it very hard to study.  There is now a study section at the NIH dedicated to studying CFS. We need funding to entice new researchers in these underfunded areas. Testing for Lyme that is “accepted” as mainstream relies on the immune response to the infection itself.  We need to be able to find biomarkers in patients early on in the infection and later post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. (30:00) We are still at the early stages of understanding (funding, research, clinical trials) these persistent symptoms.  We can’t focus only on antibiotics and antibacterial agents. (We need to think more broadly about treatment strategies)  Borrelia moves out of the bloodstream very quickly. From the blood, it goes to joints, nervous system and organs.  Clinicians and researchers process the information that they have differently. There is a very real psychological toll of unresolved symptoms on the patients.  The GUT has its own immune system and nervous system. (53:00) Neuroimmunology-The role of the immune system in neurologic and psychiatric symptoms. The gut interacts heavily with the brain. “I was initially interested in Lyme disease because the laboratory I was working in became interested in patients who were basically experiencing symptoms in response to vaccination from Lyme disease back in the 90’s.” LYMErix There is currently no vaccine for Lyme disease.  The early research that I did indicated that there may be some cross-reactivity of the immune response to the vaccine, against the nervous system. That was early research that we did, that we didn’t continue with for lack of funding.  What will treatment look like in the year 2040 for Lyme disease? Quick diagnosis, treatment, and resolution of symptoms. Better diagnostics and treatment for various symptoms.  The microbiome is a huge factor in health and recovery. (a.k.a diet) Patients are trying everything because that is what they have to do. “60%-70% of chronic fatigue syndrome patients also have gastrin intestinal symptoms. Which is significantly higher than the general population.” (1:02)   Connect with my guest: Dr. Armin Alaedini   Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition-  630 West 168 Street PH1512E, New York, NY 10032 212-305-4808 https://www.ihn.cumc.columbia.edu/profile/armin-alaedini-phd Connect with Sarah or Aaron:   [email protected] [email protected]   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

During Lyme awareness month, we want to provide FREE adverting for Lyme related products or services. This offer will end on June 30th, 2020   Why? Not only has our world been rocked by Covid-19. We are also experiencing an economic disaster that has never been seen in history. We want to support businesses that are Lyme literate and Lyme friendly.    Who Qualifies?  Basically any product, person, or service that can help people to heal. Products, counseling, clinics, practitioners, etc. (Sorry, no MLM’s) *This would apply to new advertisers only.     What We Need!   A source code (or some way of tracking referrals) We broadcast on many platforms so a source code will be a great way to offer special discounts. (If discounts apply or are available) *Many of our advertisers simply use the code: Lyme Voice   A written description of your company’s products or services.  Give us your elevator pitch! 60 words or less describing your business and what you offer. These will be featured on-air and on various social media platforms. Lyme Voice reaches about 7,000 potential customers or clients a month!!!    Working links and contact info!   Give us all your info! Links, contact numbers, and social media info!    Please click on the link below to fill out our information form: CLICK HERE

This substance is found in mother’s milk only for those first few hours but, is so powerful! It supercharges the immune system, fires up metabolism, and boosts tissue regeneration and repair. It is a superfood advantage. Our Colostrum6 product allows you to have the colostrum advantage every day. It’s an all-natural, animal-friendly product that can be part of any optimal health plan.   Beth A. Ober has been a natural health enthusiast for the last 15 years after a long struggle with Chronic Lyme disease! She and her husband Dave have 5 children and 9 grandchildren! They have been self-employed for more than 31 years! Beth loves helping others to build their immune system and achieved a better quality of life as she did through the Anovité products!.   Key Takeaways:   The symptoms started slowly, gut issues, inability to swallow, heart palpitations. “It felt like something was attacking my body. That is when we started chasing symptoms.”-Beth Ober Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, and other co-infections were impacting joints. Tachycardia- Air hunger Lyme carditis is seen in 4% to 10% of all patients with Lyme borreliosis After 4 years of being on and off of antibiotics, she felt her system shutting down. Searching for a better quality of life lead Beth to Colostrum, which is designed to heal the gut. Colostrum can cross the blood-brain barrier. The fat is a carrier protein that makes it more bioavailable. Colostrum6 is a “cornerstone” whole food with over 700 constituents that naturally balance and regenerate the body. It contains the following: the IGF-1 superfamily for anti-aging and tissue support; over 95 immune factors for health and wellness; all of your essential amino acids, fatty acids, and glyconutrients; along with metabolic factors, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. In nature, every newborn is given a special advantage to help it survive those first critical hours. Some newborns survive through camouflage, others through cunning… but for mammals, the advantage is a superfood known as Colostrum. This substance is found in mother’s milk only for those first few hours but, is so powerful! It supercharges the immune system, fires up metabolism, and boosts tissue regeneration and repair. It is a superfood advantage. U   First Milk Diet Book by Dr. Anthony Kleinsmithr Colo True 6-hour colostrum that is validated by a 3rd party. Connect With My Guest: Beth Ober   717-821-0951 [email protected]     Bethober.anovite.com For more on colostrum science For more information: healthylivingmagazine.us/Articles/15263/ **For free samples bethober.anovitenow.com Links 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 [email protected] [email protected]

Ep.101 The first step to change is accepting your reality right now. Honoring the reality of what is going on in your life is an immense task, especially when combined with the complexities of battling a longterm chronic illness. Aaron and Sarah talk over the first 100 episodes of Lyme Voice and the tenacity it takes to keep pushing towards healing and wholeness. Key Takeaways:   Honor the reality of what it takes to fight this illness. Careers have had to change. Parenting children with mental health issues. Selfcare. Recognizing the reality of life as a caregiver. New normal, finding peace when there is so much you can’t control. Connect With My Guest: [email protected] [email protected] Links 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

What is really going on? How does the COVID 19 pandemic impact people with Chronic Lyme? Should you be worried, how will this impact ongoing care, and how to cope with the panic...Dr. Darin Ingels shares his experiences.  Key Takeaways:   The overwhelming majority of cases are in 3 states.    Lockdown vs. shelter in place The media is focused on panic...however the mortality rate is still very low at 1.5%-1.7%.  If you get exposed you have a 98% chance of recovering. What do we do know to keep ourselves safe? Washing your hands reduces your risk by 50%! Lyme patients who are already boosting their immune systems could be at an advantage, over the general public. Horizontal vs. verticle patients, you can’t compare the two different types of patients. There is so much that you can do...eat an alkaline diet! Hydroxychloroquine is being used as a treatment for this virus. The mechanism behind it really alters cellular PH to become more alkaline. Since that is the case, eat an alkaline diet.  “Keep-Herb” it kills everything except people. Cats claw, artemisia, and garlic.  From all the patients who are battling life with a chronic illness “welcome to the party.” Inaccurate testing Don’t wait for a pandemic to be proactive with your health. HIPPA rules have been suspended allowing MD’s to practice telemedicine via online appointments.  Connect With My Guest: As a naturopathic physician, I recognize that our bodies have the innate capacity to heal. We just need the right tools to tap into our body’s natural intelligence, which is why I use natural therapies to work with your body instead of treating symptoms.  In my new book, The Lyme Solution, I take you step-by-step through how to fix your digestion and heal your gut, eat food that nourishes your body and reduces inflammation, treat your infection(s) naturally, identify and remove toxins that affect your immune system and ensure you get the best sleep and exercise possible to allow your body to heal.   So, I invite you to start on your road to recovery by making a renewed commitment to your health and your life by joining our community. As a member of our community, you’ll learn novel ways to naturally help modulate your immune system and reduce stress. I’d like to encourage you to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media to get my latest tips for living a Lyme-free life. Consider me your online coach and partner.I look forward to helping you lead a happier, healthier life! ~ Dr. Darin Ingels For more information or an appointment: https://dariningelsnd.com/dr-ingels/ (949) 551-8751  [email protected] Resources Mentioned: Affordable Lyme disease testing that is covered by many insurance companies...http://www.mdlab.com/   Links Kangen Water- http://www.lymewater.com/ Envita Medical –Envita Medical 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 Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com

About My Guest: Julie Parker gets the complexities of Lyme and counseling. Too many times, Lyme patients have been told their symptoms are imaginary. They've been referred to multiple specialists, had more tests run than they can count, and are told to seek psychiatric help because nothing is really wrong physically. Then, when a Lyme diagnosis is made, family and friends don't understand the disease or why treatment can make you feel worse before you get better. You can end up isolated and with minimal support. Julie Parker understands what you're going through.  Not only is she Lyme Literate (trained to help those with Lyme and other chronic illnesses), but she and family members have Lyme disease and personally know the trials of diagnosis and treatment.  Key Takeaways: Getting a diagnosis of Lyme disease is at first a relief, because you get some validation that you aren’t crazy. (2:00) Very quickly you begin to understand the reality that treating Lyme disease is a HUGE monster of a task. The treatment process with Lyme is often a miserable and expensive process. The complexities of treating Lyme will completely change the way you view mental health. It will change everything about your practice. What I had been taught in grad school about the body and brain connection was completely different than what my patients were saying.  In grad school, we were taught that the brain is very powerful and can manifest physical symptoms, as a result of psychological conditions. Now when a client comes to see me with an acute and chronic mental health condition, I’m looking for an organic cause behind what’s happening.  What is your brain causing your body to do=old style of counseling? Now I think what is happening in your body, that is impacting your mental health?  Throw in the ridiculous aspects that come with Lyme disease-like extreme anxiety, isolation, debilitating fatigue, and the overwhelmingness of finding good treatment.  The organic and the psychological are inextricably intertwined.  Mainstream therapists routinely fail to realize that the psychological is being “driven” by something organic in the body like an underlying infection. (This isn’t something that most people get)  As a Lyme patient, you come to realize the intimate connections between body, mind, and spirit. But you aren’t treated as a whole person within our medical system or our mental health system. Especially when no one knows what is wrong. Or the people in your life don’t know how to support you. Therefore we are often only dealing with a fraction of what is going on within the body. Two realities play out as you try to find answers. One is that the majority of your symptoms are blamed on psychological problems like anxiety or depression. The other is that you are passed from physician to physician without effective psychological support.  Chronic pain isn’t just a symptom, it can also be a syndrome. (9:00) I had lived with extreme and chronic pain for years before discovering the fact that “pain clinics” even existed. -Sarah (10:00) There is a disconnect between getting medical, emotional and psychological care. The people who can find the tiniest reason to hold onto HOPE. Sometimes you need someone to Hope-For-You.  Mindset: HOPE + Proactive Action (13:00) There is some kind of emotional freedom in coming to the place where you are ok with not surviving.  There is also a sense of freedom in choosing to FIGHT for other people when you are ok with dying.  Caregiver burnout is a very real thing.  Caregivers can feel guilty about taking time for themselves or that time simply doesn’t exist. (17:00) Teens and adult children who are disabled and living at home because of their illness can feel stalled out in life. It is important to talk about what has been lost, the immense grief and helps them to focus on something they “can” do. The spiral of hopelessness can be fueled by other patients who are sick and miserable. You can’t get stuck within the trauma and negativity on social media.  Emotional and physical energy is at a premium, use what you have consciously. (21:00) “Be spiritually grounded. Know your beliefs and live them. We are hardwired to be engaged in spiritual life.” It is normal to question your thoughts and beliefs when everything is going wrong. When people are working toward being spiritually grounded in their beliefs, it changes their focus.  Religiosity is different than being spiritually grounded. We can go through different emotions (some of which are beneficial) but that is different from digging down and evaluating your beliefs, thoughts, and actions. You can find HOPE in honestly and consciously trying to evaluate where you are at and why. Become aware of what your limiting thoughts and beliefs are. Question them, dig in, is that belief pushing you towards your goals? If not, time for a rewrite.  Our spiritual beliefs are often connected to the big “WHY” of what we are doing and who we are doing it for. Why am I doing anything? Is it for me? For a kid or friend?  Find a practitioner, coach therapist or treatment program that you can buy into. (27:00) Buy in and then implement. The people that I see who are getting better and staying better for longer are using a combination of allopathic and naturopathic medicine. This combination. Knowing what feeds you spiritually, emotionally and physically will empower you to keep moving in the direction of rejuvenation, or eating a boxed cheesecake in the parking lot. (31:00)  Ex. Brainless TV, a walk, fishing, reading, playing a game on your phone. Selfcare is about what feeds you.  “The illness intrudes on so many aspects of life, that most people can never comprehend, and then those challenging aspects compound.”-Sarah (32:00) PANS/Pandas-When you have kids with both the medical and the psychological issues. Normalizing the struggles they are going through so they know they are not the only ones dealing with this. Explaining the symptoms and validating what they are feeling and experiencing can give them a place that is safe to talk about symptoms. “That’s not the real version of you.” -Julie Parker “It was healing for me to be around other patients that had Lyme because I knew it wasn’t all in my head. They also had atrophied muscles and lost cognitive function in the middle of a story. I was no longer alone in the mystery of dysfunction.”-Sarah What is normal? If you have been sick for a long time “sick is normal.”  Local support groups serve as a way to be around other people who look like you.  Lyme Literate Therapist-A safe place for Lyme-families. “This is what normal people do.”- Sarah (Trying to relearn what it means to have fun, be social, live and not just exist).  When you have spent years trying to stay alive, you forget how to live, how to laugh and how to love.” -Sarah Guilt and terror are a normal part of the learn to “live” process-It isn’t about regaining a sense of normalcy. Living differently often consists of setting new boundaries so that you can continue to heal.(52:00) As a patient, we have to ask. What is living going to look like for me?  You have to be deliberate in choosing to live...do whatever works, whatever feels good, whatever builds you up or brings you life. (57:00) “Without boundaries, you can’t heal. I think. I don’t know. But that’s how it’s been for me.” -Sarah Make deliberate decisions to move towards health. Because there are no easy answers. (1:00) In learning how to live-I’m going to do a thing that feels weird but is normal-ish. What will be different in treating Lyme in the year 2040? Kris Newby’s book BITTEN.  It is an acknowledgment that not only the disease exists. It’s that exists and requires a lot of practitioners and that it is very complicated. We were taught to look at mental health backward.  Advocacy Wellness-how to live a normal life and be able to speak up for those who cannot. (1:06) “We started Lyme Voice because we wanted to stop the needless suffering. But it is hard to be an advocate in this broken and dysfunctional community of people who are coming together based on trauma.” “We don’t have to agree on what the answers are. There is no one right way to heal. No two patients are alike.”-Julie Parker “We are all sick. We all need help. Be deliberate. Set boundaries. Choose what is helpful.” -Julie Parker Holy SHIT...it is so much harder than what the “average person” is dealing with. -Sarah Can you help me work out a decision tree?  We are all aliens trying to figure out how to get back to healing. “The common thread in chronic illnesses is that we all need to be heard.” Definitions: PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection. Children with PANDAS may exhibit a variety of emotional and behavioral symptoms and have multiple physical and psychiatric diagnoses. See www.pandasnetwork.org for a starting point to learn about this diagnosis. Please note that the diagnostic criteria are changing and children are NOT required to have a rapid onset of symptoms in order to have PANDAS.  PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is similar to PANDAS but caused by other factors and resulting in behavioral changes. Look here for more information.   Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria and is often missed by medical providers due to faulty medical testing and inaccurate knowledge of symptom presentation. Left untreated or inadequately treated, Lyme can become chronic and evolve into a total-body illness that debilitates.  Resources Mentioned: Melanie Thurnstrum, The Pain Chronicles Kris Newby, Bitten (The secret history of Lyme disease and biological weapons) Connect With My Guest: Meet The Counseling Associates LLC Team...Call us at 901-497-6827 or visit the "Contact" page to send us an email. We'll respond quickly to answer your questions, set up appointments, and help you find the counselor and services that best meet your needs. Link:https://www.counselingassociatesllc.com/our-team Links Kangen Water- http://www.lymewater.com/ Envita Medical –Envita Medical 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 Medical billing services MedicalBillGurus.com