Tick Boot Camp

Ally Hilfiger is a multi-dimensional artist residing with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Hilfiger’s Lyme disease journey began when she was bitten by a tick at the age of 7. Undiagnosed Lyme disease presented various physical and emotional challenges during her childhood, but it could not contain Ms. Hilfiger’s artistic genius. She began a professional stage acting career at 13, produced an acclaimed film at 16, and created and starred in MTV’s first reality tv program at 17. Her illness did force her to pause her career at 19 when psychiatric symptoms required an involuntary institutionalization. During her hospital stay, an enlightened doctor recognized her symptoms and diagnosed her with Lyme. After her diagnosis and early treatment, Ms. Hilfiger pursued artisan painting and built a successful fashion design company. Recently, she answered a call to dedicate her life and talents to help others heal from Lyme disease. The healing mission manifested in the publication of a widely read Lyme testimonial book. Today, she is one of the most active and thoughtful figures serving the Lyme disease community. If you would like to learn more about how Ally Hilfiger is dedicating her multi-dimensional artistic talents to helping end the suffering caused by Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Maxine (Max) Janssens is a 27-year-old architect and project manager from Perth, Australia. In 2019, Ms. Janssens and her partner took a trip to explore the west coast of the United States. At the behest of an Australian friend who contracted Lyme while traveling in the US, Ms. Janssens took precautions to protect herself from ticks and Lyme, including, daily tick checks. Shortly after returning from her trip, she began to suffer undiagnosed acute Lyme symptoms and within 6 months her “bone crushing” fatigue and brain fog required her to stop working and to return home to live with her parents. Fortunately, a friend recognized her symptoms and recommended her to one of the few Lyme literate doctors in Perth Australia who diagnosed her with Lyme. If you would like to learn more about how a young woman is using her architecture and project management skill sets to design her recovery from chronic Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Sarah Hook is an Integrative Holistic Practitioner, Health Coach, Functional Diagnostic Practitioner and Reiki Master from London, England. She was bitten by a tick at the age of 25 and managed her health challenges until professional stressors caused her health and nervous systems to crash after 8 years. Fortunately, Ms. Hook’s training and experience resulted in an early diagnosis after she sought treatment at the renowned Breakspear Clinic. Her treatment plan included a diverse set of treatment protocols including herbs, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), ozone therapy and colonics. Today Ms. Hook is preparing to return to work and to creatively share more of her treatment journey on social media, including Instagram. If you would like to learn more about how a holistic health practitioner is using her training to shorten her healing journey, maintain her social relationships and validate people living with Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Dr. Alan MacDonald is an Ivy League educated medical doctor and the first Lyme Literate Pathologist. Dr. MacDonald practiced as a "Doctor's Doctor" on Long Island, New York at the onset of the Lyme disease pandemic. Dr. MacDonald pioneered the use of pathological techniques to prove that untreated Lyme disease can result in a patient's death. He also perfected direct diagnostic testing to prove seronegative chronic active Lyme disease. Additionally, Dr. MacDonald proved Lyme disease caused fetal deaths, stillbirths, and sudden infant deaths. Lastly, he was the first to link Alzheimer's disease to Lyme infections. If you would like to learn more about how America's first Lyme Literate Pathologist pioneered many of the mainstream diagnostic and treatment techniques used by medical practitioners and Lyme researchers, then tune in now!

Dr. Casey Kelley is a Lyme Literate Integrative Medical Doctor from Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Kelley shared her personal and professional journeys with Lyme disease in Episode 98 of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast. To celebrate Lyme Disease Awareness Month, Tick Boot Camp issued a challenge to Dr. Kelley to answer your questions live and in real time. This podcast is the audio of the Instagram Live broadcast. If you would like to learn more about how Lyme Literate Integrative Medical Doctor Casey Kelley took on all challengers including the rapid fire “follow-up” questions from co-hosts Rich Johannesen and Matt Sabatello, the tune in now!

Danielle Pashko is a nutritionist and author working at a clinical medical practice based in New York City, New York. After overcoming a battle and writing a book on thyroid cancer, she began to exhibit symptoms of Lyme disease. Her Lyme disease went undiagnosed for over a year despite visiting 14 doctors exhibiting classic symptoms. Ms. Pashko was finally diagnosed after her primary care doctor tested her for Lyme. She utilized a broad spectrum of spiritual, emotional, eastern and western treatment modalities over 2 years to achieve remission. In December of 2020, Ms. Pashko contracted COVID which triggered a Lyme relapse. Today, she is returning to the treatment tools she utilized to heal from Lyme. If you would like to learn more about how nutritionist Danielle Pashko is revisiting her treatment successes to attack her Lyme relapse, then tune in now!

Dr. Leslie J. Douglas is a geneticist and molecular biologist from Colorado. Currently she is the Principal Investigator and Laboratory Manager for DNA Connexions. DNA Connexions is a top US based testing company focusing on bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic molecular based detection assays. Dr. Douglas' current professional focus is the research and development of PCR (direct DNA) based Lyme and tick-borne disease co-infection testing as well as the development of various molecular based assays. If you would like to learn more about how DNA Connexions and Dr. Leslie Douglas' research and testing tools can provide you with valuable information on your treatment and diagnostic journeys, then tune in now!

Emma Pikoulas is a 22-year-old lifelong resident of tick endemic Long Island, New York. Ms. Pikoulas was bitten by ticks on numerous occasions during her childhood. She was first diagnosed with a tick infection (Mycoplasma) at the age of 16 and then Lyme disease and coinfections after a relapse at the age of 19. Ms. Pikoulas has treated with several of the top Lyme Literate Medical Doctors (LLMDs) on the east coast. One of her medical protocols required her to travel 5 hours per day, by train, for infusions. Despite chronic Lyme and the COVID epidemic, this young woman located the fortitude to grit through her symptoms and treatment to graduate from college in 4 years. Today, Ms. Pikoulas is treating with the famous LLMD and co-author of the book Chronic: Dr. Steven Phillips, MD. If you would like to learn more about how a young woman balanced treatment, an epidemic, and her college studies, then tune in now!

To honor Lyme Disease Awareness Month and all those suffering from Lyme disease, Dr. Bill Rawls, MD joined the Tick Boot Camp podcast to announce that his company is giving away free copies of the bestselling "Lyme disease healing bible:" Unlocking Lyme. Dr. Rawls also shared with the Tick Boot Camp community that his company will continue to offer free monthly Lyme disease related webinars. Finally, Dr. Rawls discussed some of the healing lessons he has learned since publishing Unlocking Lyme and that he is putting the finishing touches on his newest book. If you would like to learn more about how you can receive a free copy of the bestselling Lyme disease healing and reference guide, Unlocking Lyme, then tune in now!

Dr. Joseph Burriscano is America's first Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD). He began practicing medicine in Lyme endemic eastern Long Island, New York, a short time and distance from where the first Lyme infected ticks examined by Dr. Willy Burgdorfer were dragged. Dr. Burriscano's clinical observations resulted in the discovery and development of diagnostic and treatment protocols that were considered taboo in the 1980's and 1990's which have become gold standards for LLMDs today. He is now considered one of the world's leading experts in the treatment of Lyme disease. He has appeared on virtually every television, radio and newspaper outlet, published 16 scholarly papers in medical journals and advised governmental agencies including the NIH, CDC, armed services subcommittee and the US Senate. Currently, Dr. Burriscano works full time in the biotech arena at IGeneX (website, Instagram). If you would like to learn more about America's first Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, then tune in Now!