On this episode, I interview Dr. Cristina McMullen, a naturopathic doctor and wellness coach, who shares her background in alternative medicine and her extensive experience treating patients with tick-borne infections. Dr. McMullen explains how she became passionate about this field after witnessing the positive results of holistic treatments at Longevity Health Center, where she has worked for nearly 20 years. We discuss the complexities of PANS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders) and its relation to Lyme disease, with Dr. McMullen highlighting the need for individualized treatment approaches.

Dr. McMullen discusses the importance of building immune resilience in children, emphasizing that despite potential exposure to pathogens like Lyme disease, children can be protected and empowered to lead healthy lives. She shares success stories of patients who recover from chronic health conditions and thrive academically. Dr. McMullen stresses the need for education and preparation rather than fear, encouraging outdoor activities while teaching practical measures to handle potential infections.

This is an important episode as children are the hardest hit population when it comes to Lyme and tick-borne illness, and they experience a litany of symptoms related to their cognitive abilities which could derail their academic life, as well as their physical health permanently if left undiagnosed and untreated. PANS/PANDAS is something that often accompanies tick-borne illness so being informed and aware is crucial.

On this week's episode, my guest Arden shares her experience with Lyme disease, which began after a dental procedure that led to severe neurological issues, anxiety, and depression. She was fortunate to have a Lyme literate doctor who diagnosed her and recommended treatment. Arden tried various treatments but found them ineffective, leading her to seek alternative therapies in Mexico. After undergoing hyperthermia and oxidative therapies, Arden experienced a significant improvement in her condition. She emphasized the importance of hormone optimization during treatment, as it helped alleviate her symptoms. Arden also discussed the challenges of managing Lyme disease, including the difficulty of finding effective treatments and the impact on mental health.

I hope this episode gives you some ideas on treatment options especially if you are struggling to find one that works. As you can tell from Arden's experience, she really had to figure out some alternative options to regain her health but was successful with her efforts.

Feedback is always welcomed. Leave a comment below and like and follow this channel if this was helpful and useful information.

Are you aware that ticks can spread more than Lyme? Sadly, they also possess the power to transmit a number of co-infections, one being babesiosis. This week's guest, Dr. Geoffrey Dow, is no stranger to understanding the wrath of this infection. He studies it extensively alongside malaria and dengue fever. After his daughter struggled with Lyme and tick-borne illnesses, Dr. Dow was compelled to co-found 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals. His company has developed a drug to combat babesia called Arakoda, which kills all lifecycle stages of the parasite, similar to malaria treatment, and targets persistent forms to prevent relapse.

Take a listen as Dr. Dow discusses the challenges in diagnosing babesiosis, noting that while acute cases can be detected through blood smears, standard PCR tests become ineffective soon after symptoms subside. Dr. Dow estimates that there are up to 900,000 cases of babesiosis a year, making better testing and treatment imperative.

Dr. Dow will also be needing participants for 60 Degrees chronic babesiosis study once it opens for enrollment so keep your eyes peeled for this to happen soon if you are interested in helping.

This episode will stick with me forever. Nicole has quite the story to share. I know this is a podcast about hope and this particular story is not all pleasant. Nicole unfortunately lost her partner to tick-borne illness, but she has turned some of that pain into helping others get a more timely and accurate diagnosis as a result of it. Nicole has become the CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics which is one of the labs I used while trying to regain my health. I am forever grateful to this lab for helping me get an accurate test and diagnosis.

Please pay attention to Nicole's story so you can hopefully avoid having to experience the same thing that she and her husband did. The more we know and understand about Lyme and co-infections the better we can stay healthy and protected.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback after listening to this episode. Leave a like and comment below to help others find us. Stories like Nicole's are educational and also inspirational knowing what she has done to try to fix the system. Thank you, Nicole, for being such an amazing human and giving back so graciously to the Lyme community. The work you are doing is incredibly important.

Do you ever wonder about the similarities between Lyme and long Covid? I know I certainly have. This week's guest, Dr. Keith Ellis, has spent a good portion of his research on understanding how long Covid works and potential therapies including developing a natural alternative to triple anticoagulant therapy. Dr. Ellis acknowledges the similarities between long Covid and Lyme, and we discuss whether the two overlap. I have often wondered if people who get long Covid may have Lyme that is already tapping their immune system and therefore the Covid is able to really set in. Take a listen as Dr. Ellis explains about some of his research, some of the challenges he faces looking at more natural remedies such as being very labor-intensive and a longer timeline, and what he hopes to achieve.

If you find this episode useful and insightful, please be sure to like and subscribe, so I can continue to grow my viewer-base and add more thought-provoking guests like Dr. Keith Ellis. Recently I found out my show is ranking #34 for alternative health podcasts in Sweden, highlighting the fact that Lyme and tick-borne illness is something affecting the whole world, not just the US. We all can benefit from this information.

Talk about a powerhouse! Dani was referred to me by another show guest, Kara Truong, and I am incredibly grateful for the connection. Dani is a woman after my own heart with her recovery from mold and tick-borne illness, and her affinity for entrepreneurial work. She is a successful business owner and author of "The Brilliant Businesswoman: Your Guide to Entrepreneurial Success".

Dani experienced a tick bite which she dismissed initially. Over time, however, she experienced a range of symptoms including flu-like symptoms, weight gain, and mysterious pains. She eventually felt a significant improvement after being prescribed some antibiotics for an unrelated infection which made her question what was really happening in her body. The infection came from her dog, that she even questioned getting because she was unsure she could take care of a dog since she was struggling so with her health, but in the end, the dog helped save her life when it scratched her, causing an infected wound on her ankle.

Her doctor, who is also a naturopath, suggested that the tick bite could be at the source of all her issues after she had reacted to the antibiotics as she did. Dani ultimately used Lyme-N treatment and was able to regain her health. Take a listen as Dani shares her journey and many of the changes she undertook to heal her body, including eliminating mold toxicity.

You can reach out to Dani at [email protected]. If you find this episode helpful, please like and subscribe so that others in need of this information have an easier time finding it.

Justin is someone I was introduced to through the power of social media. He shares a lot of his healing journey on TikTok ("Surf the Storm") and is rather inspirational with his dedication to healing and moving forward, while maintaining a good attitude and level-headedness in his situation.

Justin had been a land surveyor and suspects that is where he contracted his tick-borne infections. He has been experiencing symptoms for over 15 years but only received a diagnosis 5 years ago. He has experienced air hunger, panic attacks, stomach issues, heart palpitations, and migraines. He was told by his doctors he had anxiety, depressions, and allergies. Unfortunately, that happens to far too many of us. I hope and pray that the narrative changes with the Western medical community to consider tick-borne illness when there are so many unanswered health challenges versus simply brushing them off as stress, depression, or anxiety.

Justin began experiencing Bell's palsy and had a "frozen" face and difficulty with blinking which ultimately led to his accurate diagnosis with Lyme disease and babesia. It was a huge relief for him to actually have a true name for what was plaguing his body for so long. He could finally begin working on repairing the damage that had been done to him.

Take a listen and please like and subscribe. This information is so important to share as I know far too many people that go through very similar stories and spend so much money and time trying to figure out what is wrong. The more people that are educated better about what tick-borne illness looks like and how to heal, the better. Don't wait till it happens to you to care.

I can't begin to tell you how exciting this interview was for me. I love all my guests, and Dr. Rawls is no exception. He was one of the very first people I listened to when I was first diagnosed, and his story gave me so much HOPE. He healed himself and has dedicated his life to helping others do the same. If you are not familiar with Dr. Rawls, you can visit his website at rawlsmd.com or follow him on social media. He is incredibly responsive and supportive. I asked so many questions when I was initially healing and had each one answered. His book "Unlocking Lyme" is something I recommend to all people that reach out to me for help because it is written in an easy-to-understand format and incredibly logical and insightful. It is also available in audio format if you are not able to read.

Thank you, Dr. Rawls, for all you do, for the hope you instill, and for finding your way back to health to teach the rest of us how to get there. I never gave up in part because of you and I pray my listeners never do either. It is a hard battle back to wellness, and some day sit seems easier to leave this earthly existence, but that is not a good choice as you never know what tomorrow brings. It took me seven years to recover, not to mention seven years to get accurately diagnosed. Had I chosen to leave, I would not be here...healthy and whole to enjoy the abundance of life. Healing is possible!

I know many of us experiencing chronic illness have had some type of trauma. The trauma itself could be the trigger for what unleashed the dis-ease in our body, so when I was asked to meet with Vanessa (https://understandingear.com/) to see if she would be a good fit for this podcast, I thought she can add a lot of value for people. I know I was experiencing a litany of betrayal issues: feeling like my body betrayed me, feeling like my partner had betrayed me, feeling like I had betrayed me, feeling like my family had betrayed me, and feeling like God had betrayed me. There was much healing to be done on a soul level, and Vanessa shares a lot of insight into how we begin healing from these types of feelings. Take a listen and let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

I pray all humans can feel well and come to a place of self-acceptance and love, as that is imperative to fully heal from the inside out. If you find this episode helpful, please like an subscribe to help others find us.

In this interview, I get to spend time talking with Anna Brennan, author of "Ultraparent Thinking". While I do not have children, the ideas and strategies Anna shares are applicable to every area of life, so I encourage everyone to read this (if possible as I know some of you are too unwell to read currently). Anna had four children and all of them struggled with health issues ranging from cognitive to neurological. She struggled tremendously with feeling like a "normal" parent and providing adequate support for her children. Anna was ultimately able to get a clearer diagnosis of what was happening with her children which included some tick-borne illnesses. I applaud Anna for finding a doctor who could help her with her children, for finding healthy ways to cope with the struggles raising four children can have let alone since they were all unwell, and for having the foresight to be able to share her system in a book that could help others in similar predicaments. She is truly an inspiration, and my life has been made better knowing her and reading her book.

For those of you not familiar with The Silver Lyming, this podcast has been created to spread hope for those who are in the thick of healing from Lyme and tick-borne illness, as well as anyone needing some overall inspiration. The guest I feature are living miracles (as we all are) and share a wealth of knowledge, not only about Lyme and tick-borne diseases, but about how we can adapt and overcome even the most harrowing health experiences. I am truly honored to bring you their stories and to have regained my own health after a seven-year struggle, simply to get an accurate diagnosis.

Please like and subscribe to this podcast as it helps others find me. Hope gives others the courage to heal and without your support, the person most needing to hear these words, may not find me.