Lyme & Company...
or rather, Co-Infections
I don't think anyone likes unannounced company. These germs  take up residence for years.
Let kick them out.

This lyme tab on my website is the longest,
quick summary:
- Lyme Disease
- Symptoms
- Co-Infections
- Misdiagnosis
- Diagnosis / Diagnostic ways to find it, blood testing, western blot bands, dna testing, ART (autonaumic response testing)
- My treatment log and summary (so far) scroll...
- Latest research
After scrolling here, see the other tabs: herbs, details, protocols until you find what you need.
 

   

(I'm primarily a graphic designer, not a writer, nor a doctor; just another treating dis-ease. I will continue to edit and update.) Further down on this page, way DOWN...
my day-to-day account of my symptoms once I started treating. Be encouraged and keep going!

Lyme disease is a spirochete bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi). It generally comes with additional co-infections that are very serious. Borrelia is cork-screw like and it goes where it wants to go in the body... organs, blood, eyes, joints, and yes the brain. It's actually a leading cause of depression and suicide.

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    When you have Lyme disease, it is all-consuming, because there is no cure, though many get to a remission. For some, it takes years.

    The disease is very difficult to diagnose and treat.

It matters the least how or where you got it, but more importantly: when. Treating the active form is different from treating the chronic form. If you "miss" that you got it, it doesn't take long and will infiltrate all your body, organs, and brain.

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You get it from just about any biting insect: a tick, mosquito, spider, or a partner (it can be transmitted), through a parent congenitally, blood transfusion … you name it.
     If it was a tick, it may have been the size of a poppy seed, never seen, and no rash is required. It is being reported in every state, a growing epidemic. If you were just bit, remove the tick properly and send it off in a tick kit. They can tell you within a week or so what disease it has, this is very important. But do not wait for the results, just start antibiotic right away.

    It does not matter how long the tick was on you. It can transmit spirochetes into your bloodstream and a multitude of co-infections.

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How do you know if you have it?

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If you experience symptoms, at any time, that seem odd or difficult to diagnose or if you are being told you have an auto-immune disease (last stage lyme should be suspected). Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis, meaning that your Lyme literate doctor will know by your symptoms. Laboratory tests can be run to determine a Lyme diagnosis or co-infection, though many tests are not completely reliable.

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What kind of tests?

 

There are many tests … doctors run the Elisa or Western Blot (WB); these are most common and covered by insurance. Elisa may give you a false negative.

    Request both, or just go right to the Western Blot.

It looks for your immune response to B. burgdorferi based off protein bands of the spirochete bacteria.

    Be certain to confirm you are also testing for co-infections right off the bat, don’t waste time, just do it. The difference is, some co-infections are parasites and will not respond to antibiotics, etc.

    I feel I’m covering all my bases taking oils while I awaiting proper testing.

 

You can go to Lyme literate doctors, out of pocket, and get a more comprehensive lab to run a urine gene test ( http://www.dnaconnexions.com ) or an IgeneX ( http://www.igenex.com/ ) test and request co-infections.

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     I am indeterminate on the tests (see update below*) and later stage most likely. The later the stage, the less likely your immune will show markers on a traditional Western Blot.

     Request a copy of your Western Blot test results and google each band/"marker", there are 15 numbers that come up.
     Some are lyme specific, but if there are any marked positive it is important to follow-up. Right now the CDC will say "you do not have lyme", but you may. I was told I did not have it. 

    When you get the Western Blot results... know this:
IgG is an older marker and
igM is a "more" current active infection
     My test showed 2 old igG markers for 41 and 45. More on that in "My Story".

    Please know this: the CDC removed bands 22, 25, 31, 34 from the test because they are trying to come out with a vaccine (the old vaccine gave people lyme). My dna test showed Osp C, therefore more band would have showed up had they not been removed from my standard insurance covered Western Blot. You can pay more for iGeneX and those bands are tested.

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These were my markers, just these two and the doctors and the CDC said because I did not have more markers I was dismissed:
 - 41 flagellin protein of all spirochetes; this is usually the first to appear after a Bb infection and is specific for all Borrellia (I was told band 41 was non-specific)
- 45 cross-reactive for all Borellia (sometimes people with Lyme who have this band positive also have the co-infection Ehrlichiosis) < Big surprise, guess what I have.

And because the CDC removed this marker from the standard test I did not know I had it until OspC showed up in the private kit test:

23-25 outer surface protein C (OspC), specific Bb (Lyme)

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So... I had to take it into my own hands and ordered a private test through DNA Connexions, a urine test.   And thank the Lord, a test that tells you what you have including co-infections; not just a set of confusing numbers.
    You can get the test kit on your own, have your chiropractor sign off, or see a lyme doctor that carries them. If you suspect lyme and want the best testing; this is it. It took me April until August to not give up and get better testing. And I treated in the meantime.   
   It is also very possible that it took my treating it, prior to urine kit testing, to get the bacteria out of hiding (bio-films) for them to show up.
   So don't give up if you are symptomatic.

I requested the Lyme test in April (2017). It was negative. I starting taking oils internally in July, after much research. A private kit finally confirmed Lyme and co-infection in August. By that time, thankfully I was already treating (not guided by doctor) and getting some improvement.

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*UPDATE: MY TESTS FINALLY CONFIRM (Aug. 2017)

– Borrelia burgdorferi F7 -NSA,
– B. burgdorferi Osp C -NSA,

– Borrelia recurrentis -NSA,

   (all Lyme ^)
Co-Infections:
• Bartonella henselae -NSA
• Ehrlichia chaffeensis

In summary: I have Lyme, Bartonella, & Ehrlichia
The NSA is a designation that I have a lower count and/or points to a more chronic or mutated form, a longer-term infection.

 

Do this:

• Watch 2 documentaries: Under Our Skin
  and Under Our Skin: Emergence. You can see previews at this link: http://underourskin.com/
      (I got these free through my paid Amazon Prime Membership.)  

• Join Lyme groups on Facebook, tons of timely information and support

• Get a LLMD, Lyme Literate Doctor

• Read just about anything about treatment at this link: http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1606610

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What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

There are three stages, each with their own varied and increasing set of symptoms. In my experience the symptoms can move around in no set pattern.

      (I lifted these symptoms below from another site, someone shared these from a recent Lyme convention.)

     I’d straight-up ignore the stages and just look at any (and all) symptoms. If you have a handful, just request the Western Blot test. I requested it based off of “air hunger” alone.

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Stage 1 - early...  did you just have the flu? ... or a bug bite? If you miss getting Antibiotics at this stage, you have a big battle ahead to beat entrenched lyme.

• Bulls eye rash (less than 40% have one, or see it)

• Flu-like symptoms

• Lack of energy

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Muscle and joint pain

• Stiff neck

• Swollen lymph nodes

Stage 2 - spreading... you may have just one... I only had slight blurry eyes... skin sensitivity, fatigue...

• Extreme fatigue

• Rashes

• Migrating pain

• Weakness and/or numbness in the arms of legs

• Twitching muscles

• Severe or recurring headaches

• Fainting

• Poor Memory and concentration problems

• Irritability

• Vision problems

• Internal buzzing feeling

• Heart palpitations

• Panic attacks

• Mood disorders

Stage 3 – later stage. Did you pass off the flu and now you just have shortness of breath? Or perhaps only your hands, feet, or neck hurt? I have shortness of breath on this list, "air hunger". I did not have other things on this list until I started treating. It's complicated, but the lyme bacteria can be in 'cyst' form and not active.

• Swelling and pain in the joints (this can happen within a few short weeks!)

• Numbness and tingling in the extremities

• Severe fatigue

• Insomnia

• Bells Palsy (partial paralysis of the face)

• Getting lost in common places

• Problems speaking, word retrieval problems, word block

• Migrating pain and symptoms

• Heart damage, pericarditis

• Meningitis

• Depression

• Panic Attacks

• Bladder problems

• Tinnitus, ear ringing or feeling of fullness

• Poor balance

• Shortness of breath (“air hunger”)

• Rib and sternum soreness

• Fevers/sweats

• Vertigo

• Upset stomach and GI problems

• Burning and stabbing pains
  (Not a comprehensive list)

 

If left untreated, Stage 3 Lyme can progress past the blood brain barrier, into the tissue of your central nervous system and wreak all kinds of havoc with your brain. This can be called Neuro-Psychiatric Lyme or, to get more technical, Lyme Neuro-borreliosis or Lyme Encephalopathy. Symptoms of this stage:

• Simple and complex attention

• Slow processing-visual and auditory

• Visual-spatial difficulties-e.g. trouble finding things, getting lost

• Auditory processing disorders

• Visual processing disorders

• Sensory integration disorders

• Short-term and working memory difficulties

• Word-finding, word generation and communication difficulties

• Decline in executive functions-planning and organization

• Confusion, decline in overall intellectual performance

• Anxiety, often with panic attacks

• Depression

• Irritability/rage attacks/impulse dyscontrol/violent behavior/oppositional defiance disorder

• sleep disorders

• Rapid mood swings that may mimic bipolarity (mania/depression)

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Hyperactivity

• Autism Spectrum-like disorders

• Antisocial disorders

• Eating disorders

 

And more severe Neurological symptoms associated with late-stage Lyme:

• Progressive dementias

• Seizure disorders

• Strokes

• Motor neuron disease, similar to ALS

• Gullain-Barre-like syndrome

• Multiple sclerosis-like syndrome

• Other extrapyramidal disorders

• Visual disturbances or loss

 

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What are the potential co-infections?

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When I requested the doctor pull labs for co-infections they only checked for four on the list below. The regular lab tests are not comprehensive. I had two of these co-infections that did not show up on a blood test. They only showed up halfway into treatment through a dna urine test.

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Co-Infection (short list):

• Babesiosis - (I may have this, suspecting in 2018, it does not show up in tests easily.) This parasite, lives in red blood cells.
  *UPDATE: MY ART TEST (Klinghart) FINALLY CONFIRM BABESIA (January 2020)

• Bartonellosis – my siblings have this. My brothers knees & ankles were extremely painful within a month of a tick bite.

  • Update: I'm starting to match more symptoms of Bartonella and Babesia as I treat with oils.

  • Update #2: I have Bartonella, confirmed.

  • There are multiple strains. I have a different strain than my brother and sister.

• Ehrlichiosis — I have this, did not expect it. I think I knocked it out first while treating.
  *UPDATE: MY ART TEST (Klinghart) CONFIRMS EHRLICHIA (January 2020). I am still fighting this.

• Borrelia Miyamotoi

• Anaplasmosis

• Colorado Tick Fever

• Powassan Encephalitis

• Q Fever

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

• STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness)

• Tick paralysis

• Tularemia

• Rickettsiosis

Find out which co-infections may be common in your area. Look closely at what types of testing is done. Some docs, who are not llmd's, may test for co-infections and not pull all proper blood panel/strains. Or rather the testing that is available to them is limited. You need a broad panel test.

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Viral load:

   This illness is so complex, because it can also build on any underlying viruses.
     I also had my lower ribs taped after a bad cold (Fall 2016), perhaps due to the Coxsackie virus — which I got after my child had HFM (Hand, Foot, Mouth). Coxsackie Virus is common in kids prior to age 5 and highly contagious. There is very little information for you as an adult.  
    I finally pushed the doc to test for this and I was right on the control line for exposure, so I have antibodies in my body for it, therefore I had it and it is not active. But as I break bio-films, to kill Lyme, it may expose any viruses hanging around in my body.
    Just like chicken pox or EBV (Epstein Barr Mono) 95% of people had exposure. Chicken pox will come back as Shingles. So when you get a little patch of itchy red painful blistering bumps showing on one side of your body... go get an anti-viral medicine. If you use oils — melaleuca is anti-viral.

     You may just start seeing flags with routine blood testing. I was showing up with chronic low Vitamin D, low iron (first time ever), and low iodine...  these abnormalities do not flag the doctors for lyme, or they may brush off as a basic deficiency, or thyroid issue, or aging, or something else, etc.
    Thyroid issues run in my family, or perhaps we were exposed to these pathogens long ago. My father had thyroid and blood pressure issues and died young (age 43); he traveled with the Navy.
   Everyone presents the symptoms differently and has different family histories — and that is the big challenge.

   More on viruses at this link, the focus on EBV, but mostly how viral issues line up with auto-immune disease:  
   https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/epstein-barr-virus-a-key-player-in-chronic-illness
   Also, Dr. Rawls is good; he created an entire herbal program to treat lyme after he got it and wasn't getting better. He has comprehensive articles on all subjects "lyme".

 

 

The replication life cycle of Borrelia (lyme) is persistent. It takes on 3 forms, active spiral, cyst hibernation, and L-form cell wall deficient.

     Treatment can be long unless caught immediately after transmission. Most people have chronic lyme, or what the CDC is referring to as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.

"Borrelia burgdorferi has an in-vitro replication cycle of about seven days, one of the longest of any known bacteria. Antibiotics are most effective during bacterial replication, so the more cycles during a treatment, the better. Since the life cycle of Streptococcus pyogenes (the bacterium that causes strep throat) is about eight hours, antibiotic treatment for a standard 10 days would cover 30 life cycles. To treat Lyme disease for a comparable number of life cycles, treatment would need to last 30 weeks."

 

Lyme die-off:
Treating with Oils, Herbs, & Diet

With Lyme treatment, it WILL get worse before better.

    After a day or so your body may start feeling creepy crawly, and it's tempting to stop treatment. In a sense it is neurological tricks. Or bio-film, proteins releasing, or the bugs trying to mutate ... keep going.

      I asked my acupuncturist her thoughts on the twinges and I love her answer.

     In Chinese medicine, it is referred to as "wind". If there is something "in the way" within the body, or a pathogen is present, it creates a feeling, a twinge, a squiggle, a sensation that energy is blocked ... "wind".     

     When I refer to the "bugs moving", it just means I'm having some internal sensations. I found that after days (or weeks) of this type of feeling, in certain areas, that I eventually see improvements. Or something that was numb now has feeling. Or an area that hurt, no longer hurts.

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The symptoms of die-off and treatment are so very strange. I documented it all below, to help me remember it, to see the progress (it's so easy to forget how bad it was), and any patterns to continue to treat most optimally.

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    So if you choose this treatment, and feel these things — as always, I cannot give medical advice, but you may see this type of reaction is "par for course", it's part of what is called the "healing crisis".
It may not require a trip to the doctor, just keep treating and push past it. Early in treatment I did less topical oils and mid-way through I learned it was better to do something every 2-4 hours.

    If you are not actively treating for lyme, the following treatment list may not make sense to you. Feel free to just read the summary.
     As you treat, more hibernating forms of bacteria may become active, or the fight that ensues causes "herxing" (the bodies reaction to remove "dead" toxins). Generally creating inflammation or pain along the way. I may take a month and finally a symptom starts to lessen, then a new one begins. And it is different for everyone. Also, if you don't like medical details, somewhat personal, this is not for you. ;)

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My Treatment Summary 1:
(created around day 50)

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The GOOD: Shortness of breath (my main symptom) is improving. Eyes are less blurry. Bloating is less. My weight still will not budge (but within a month I lost 1 inch off waist & hips). I'm remembering dreams again. My previous constant sinus stuffiness I've always had is diminishing. My heavy off/on long period that was starting to occur with Lyme & co. has normalized. I have more energy. I'm hopeful and actually excited!

The BAD: My feet hurt, the right so bad that I have an occasional slight limp (day 30-60ish). Arms still have a burning sensation. Sometimes feel pressure/cooling sensation in my head. Still have insomnia.

The UGLY: I feel "bugs" move, sometimes so much that you jump and try to brush something off. This equals late stage neuro-lyme. I notice it after I've taken a heavy-hitting dose of something. I think it's the bugs on the move, sometimes followed by a cooling sensation = they may be trying to hide by creating a slime barrier (bio-film). Crazy right? Yup.

http://www.tiredoflyme.com/bizarre-neurological-sensations-of-lyme-disease.html

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My Treatment Summary 2:
(created at day 185 – after treating @ 7 months)

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The GOOD: I can breathe pretty normal most days. As bad as it was, this is HUGE. My son had a long cold and cough this past winter, I usually would get it -- I did not. :) Feeling so much stronger with oils.

The BAD: Still rotating pains, though not as bad. Realizing I still have a long way to go. Insomnia. Eyes can get blurry occasionally. Brain fog often. Tired.

The UGLY: Still feel bugs move, but limited to my body... not feeling in my head like i used to. And not as often.
 

My Treatment Summary 3:
(created at day 425 – after treating over 1 year)

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The GOOD: I can skip a few days of treatment — pulsing off dosages is getting easier day-to-day, until the moon cycles and gravitational pull gets going.  The best thing recently was I avoided any type of shots during a very painful (almost) locked shoulder situation.

The BAD: My shoulder felt like I had a torn rotator cuff and almost completely locked up on me. This occurred during Mercury in Retrograde, followed by a full moon.  (Odd or not so odd ?1? ... my brother had same thing occur, at the same time.)
   A few days after I realized my brother had this occurring, and the moon was pulling, I stepped up Lyme oils, internal and topical. Took a ton of Advil (had to). Added chiropractor, tens machine, acupuncture, and myofacial-type massage. Occasional pinching but coming out of this! My muscles still feel oddly knotted and weak, or as my acupuncturist described "rope-like". < This should have fallen in the THE UGLY category. HORRENDOUS pain.

The UGLY: See above... I slept sleeping upright for about 4 days because even a 1/2 inch of movement caused extreme pain.
     I still feel bugs move, but I do not deem this ugly anymore —  I see it as progress.

     While treating my shoulder, it seemed more petechiae showed up. I've had a few, here or there, for years — as I continue to see them I wonder if I have the co-infection Babesia (similar to Malaria). (my sibling has this; it does not show up easily in testing.)

"Petechiae are tiny spots on the skin: purple, red, or brown. These pinpoint spots can be a sign of many different conditions — some minor, others serious. They can also appear as a reaction to certain medications. Though petechiae look like a rash, they're actually caused by bleeding under the skin."
Update: Doctor said petachiae can show up whether you have Babesia or not ; it can also be an older person thing, hahaha, ok, good to know!)

My Treatment Summary 4: (January 2020 – after treating 2+ years)

The GOOD: I found a doctor who does the ART (Autonomic Response Testing) as taught by Dietrich Klinghardt. I feel like I may finally make a real dent in my chronic diseases. I am on the next good track to healing. It will be herbal tincures, on top of my essential oil protocol, we'll see... TBD.
My treatment is Beyond Balance: (herbal
- MC-BAB-2 for Babesia
- MC-CH for Ehrlichia
- Cyflacalm II for Inflammation
The BAD: Air hunger, it has been more and more difficult to control lately, but at least we proved what  I have so I know what is causing the problem.
The UGLY: I have been told by people... I am sick of hearing about your disease. I think you are lazy and should do more (ie. make more money). Your doctors are not real doctors. I think you are a lyme freak. And you are a religious freak. You have changed. I don't like who you are. Your hair is ugly... you should dye it because you look old.

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My Treatment Journal:
(daily log) Days 1 - 100, I will add more later.

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> I started with lemon water and frankenscense oil under my tongue for a couple weeks, and diffused oils, like always, and put oils on my feet… this did nothing to lyme in any way that I could tell or feel, yet.

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 > I started taking doTERRA vitamins and noticed having lots of energy, feeling more alert, and less brain foggy. I considered all this a light detox and geared up for 2 weeks before I took oils internally.

(See the details page, these vitamins are better than any I've ever had.)

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> The first few days of my internal oils (which is as strong as an antibiotic) I had major rotating pain in my feet and forearms.

 

• By day 1 or 2 my shortness of breath subsided. I considered day 1 (July 11, 2017) of my protocol when I started taking 5 different essential oils diluted in a capsule. The oils are listed at the protocol tab. I used only 1 drop of these, once a day starting out. (Lemongrass, Melaleuca, Oregano, Peppermint, & Thyme)

• By day 3–5 I had weird skin sensations on forearms and shins, heat and cold, tightness, pain.

• By day 6 and on (it has not stopped except for occasionally) I feel creepy crawly bugs under my skin. Sometimes like a squiggle, other times like an electrical zap.

• By day 8: I had a small painful lump pop up on the inside of my left foot, near the bunion area of your foot; by the next day it lessened but is still there onto day 17.

• By day 9, I had a sensation of someone driving a nail into my left knee.

• By day 10, doctor confirmed my adrenals have been off. Got HPA Axis Daily Maintenance pills
  (holy basil, roots, berries); it is an adaptogenic herbs to assist the adrenals. The HPA stands for: hypothalamic – pituitary – adrenal.
       I decided to stop internal oils and take a probiotic. By the next day, I had a sinus cold. And pain that resembled my previous severe sore throat and cough (later confirmed Coxsackie B — viral bug). And my shortness of breath was back.

• Day 11, back on internal oils and shortness of breath is not as under control as it had been. (point here is, when treating lyme it may not be good to stop your meds too soon or they may be less effective once you start back up, even one day of stopping and I lost some ground)

• Day 12, some air hunger, cold/sinus, movements or pressure in brain, odd feelings. Petechiae – (small round pinpoint blood color spots that appear… just a few on my upper chest, one on my stomach. I googled and found Petachiae may be common in Babesia or Bartonella co-infections.)

• Day 13, coughing, sinus cold, petechiae one small one right upper thigh

• Day 14, tired, shortness of breath

• Day 15, stiff neck on right side, cough, shortness of breath getting better. STOP OREGANO INTERNAL. (It must be pulsed to give liver a break.) Continuing other internal detox oils.

• Day 16, stiff neck, cough, shortness of breath getting better — (finally almost as good as it was prior to the day I paused internal oils)

• Day 17, still stiff neck, cough, throat less sore, shortness of breath holding the same, when I bend my arms or move anything on my body that compresses joints I feel a squiggly sensation, and numbness in toes or fingers that comes and goes.
  Felt extra tired and emotional today. — Lyme is called the invisible illness, as you don't look sick and expectations are that you keep up with life as you usually would.

• Day 18, stiff neck, cough, breathing ok, starting to remember dreams again (fantastic! this means I'm getting better deeper REM sleep! hurray)

• Day 19, neck stiff, breathing ok, sore throat

• Day 20, breathing ok, noticing less feeling of bugs crawling, just a few sensations — more like an electrical pulse or a zapping-type twinge

• Day 21, sore throat, sinus pressure, stuffy, top left teeth really hur t... TMJ type pain on right side. I know this is temporary so I am not concerned... some run off to the dentist thinking something is wrong with their teeth.

• Day 22, teeth hurt slightly less, glands left neck now sore, tired, limbs/arms feel extra weak,

• Day 23, weak arms, sore throat, cough, stuffy. Start taking internal oils 2x's a day and adding in Probiotic at lunch. I also really started stepping up efforts to ensure I've had oils topically every 2-4 hours. When I say lots, I mean apply a drop or two but the key is doing it ALL DAY LONG.

• Day 24, feeling pretty good today, just the lingering sore throat/cough. breathing ok, but labored in the a.m. until I take oils.

• Day 25, Added a new oil, called Holiday Joy! Ha! Normally you would diffuse it. I do not have Cassia yet, but realized it is in this holiday oil. I put in on my feet and feel major creepy crawlies again. Wow. Brain fog today. This often occurs when you are killing pathogens/detoxing. Otherwise feeling good, nothing in particular hurts.

• Day 26, Air hunger today for several hours. sore neck glands, bones in right hurt (weird), teeth hurt on both sides/sinus pressure type pain. Wondered if all this time EBV has been activated, or just weak and fighting a bug with all these oils and die-off.

• Day 27, eyes had been slightly red for months, just noticed that is starting to clear a bit. Some air hunger, some sore throat/glands.

• Day 28, eyes less red, wow. Less air hunger, tiny bit by afternoon, sinus symptoms better

• Day 29, foot hurts on the right, top, just below the toes. I would love to figure out why the main pain now has been my foot.
      In reflexology, I think this area refers to the lungs — or perhaps it's pointing to my organs are  simply not functioning well, or I need to detox more. Almost limping. I read somewhere Bartonella or Lyme attack the bones in your feet and also affect the small blood vessels. It hurts to bear weight. It does not hurt just sitting here.
  NO shortness of breath today. Feeling bugs/wind behind ears and base of head.

• Day 30, STARTED Oregano again after a 15 day break. numb thumb briefly, cooling sensation in legs, foot still hurts, limping a bit, major bug/wind squiggly sensation in sternum center of chest, yes it's the strangest feeling ever and sometimes enough that it makes you jump or try to rub off a bug. Took a long hot shower (ended on cooler water) and soaked my foot in Epsom salt.

• Day 31, bug/wind, cooling sensations off and on, took one drop of basil (crazy it's potency), TMI alert: my period started right after that. Lyme can make your period very irregular, it either will last longer or it will start skipping months at at time.

• Day 32, a little shortness of breath, some bug/wind, pain in right neck is bad, foot sore

• Day 33, eye lazy on left but still seeing improvement in eyes, they are brighter and less blurry. By afternoon my eye was twitching. STARTED, added GX Assist pill in the AM. Still doing a homemade capsule of other oils by PM dinner. See protocol to see which oils those are.

• Day 34, Bugs/wind now in between fingers, upper sides, boobs, and sternum. Foot less sore. (WAIT< BACK UP... YES I WROTE BOOBS... can anyone say breast cancer!?! Why do we not have a cure yet, or a cause? They are doing studies and find spirochetes (lyme bugs) embedded deep in cysts. I'm not saying all breast cancer is lyme. I am saying you may want to do everything you can to rule lyme in or out FIRST.)

• Day 35, Best ever waking up in the AM. I feel good ...today. Ba-na-nah-na-nah-na! I knew that I would. (Bump. bump)  So good. (Bump, bump). ... I got you. (continue singing). Ok. I did wake up saying, wow, nothing hurts. Eventually, heat sensation pain in left arm. Right foot sore.

• Day 36, TMJ feeling in right jaw. Also a zapping sensation. Slight limp. Bugs, wind moving though it's less, I notice it with compression today, like when you bend your arm. Noticed a very sore lump in my boob. This happens with periods, though this feels way more like a big sore knot, ridiculously painful. If I did not understand lyme I'd be rushing off for a mammogram. The area had already been flagged by the last mammo, and I had to return in 6 months for another to which I refused and requested only a sonogram (good choice, less radiation). So... I just put a ton of oils on this area.
       Arms have burning sensation by evening. (Put CLOVE oil very diluted on arms. It helped.) Started taking PB Assist Probiotic every night.

• Day 37,
  Treatment: Vitamins (a.m. & p.m.) plus extra Vit. C, Frankincense under tongue (a.m.), HPA Axis (a.m. & p.m.), Shake mid-day, oils topical all day long (including holiday joy and onguard), oil internal 2x's (at lunch with shake, in capsule: clove, peppermint, thyme, lemongrass, melaleuca, oregano); in evening premixed GX assist. Herbs, eating ginger candy. Cilantro and Cinnamon in shake. Plus Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Water & Oil, Black Strap Molassas. ... Shower with peppermint soap. Foot soak. Water with lemon several times.  ... You get the idea. Just a reminder of what I'm doing, but back to symptoms...
  Symptoms: Boob knot/lump still very large and sore. Arms sore burning feeling, put more clove on. Sore right foot (slightly better after soak/shower/hot/cold). Neck less sore. Woke early morning hot and clammy forehead. (Babesia causes pretty severe night sweats). Bug/wind sensation only once on top of my foot.

• Day 38, foot sore, slight limp, no wind.. I felt pretty darn good this day. Got new oil in the PM... I couldn't wait to use it! :)  CASSIA, took 1 drop in capsule (added to my existing protocol of other detox oils), the minute I took this oil, I had major bugs/wind in my thighs and left pelvic area. And a very strong pulling sensation from my right ear down my neck. Skin is burning way less after putting on Clove oil topically 4 x's within 2 days.

• Day 39, foot hurts still, air hunger back (I'm thinking cassia is causing quite a battle); went for Acupunture.
       She only did detox points so I don't have even more die-off symptoms right now. She said to focus on replenishing, adding more probiotic foods. My heel hurt for the first time after this appointment. Also lymph areas at my sides, under arms is tender.

• Day 40, not as tired as I used to be (and this is after 2 nights of dealing with a toddler who tossed and turned). I'm noticing slight neck stiffness today by noon. My pelvic area (old surgery, scar tissue area) seems to have less numbness.
      Lyme likes to live where YOU are compromised. Think old scar tissue (scars can grow roots). My right neck hurts badly where I had major dental work done on that side.

  • Foot, still compromised, but I've noticed the pain is only when bearing down weight. Something got slightly better in my foot after adding Cassia and putting Clove on it. However with all good comes a herx.

  • Air hunger has come back, it seems associated with the gut  — often forcing a burp or yawning helps "get air". Someone on the lyme blog described air hunger as someone sucking air through a straw inside you, the opposite direction. It really works against you. My acupuncturist said to consider this: If the kidneys and liver are taxed they can pull the energy down which may cause less energy in the lungs, etc.  ... So, the jury is out on what causes this air hunger. In general, as I kill off the pathogens I may affect red blood cells and oxygen levels, lungs or heart. Yes, once you have air hunger it is all consuming.

• Day 41, foot hurts, air hunger. STOP OREGANO INTERNAL, pulse off. Using CASSIA with detox oils.

• Day 42, air hunger all day. STOP INTERNAL OILS 2x's a day, ONLY DO 1X, mid-day.

• Day 43, Eclipse, New moon. Air hunger by 10 am. Stuffy. Right foot sore. Put deep blue on chest to help breathing. Soak feet by 10 am, which I'd usually do at night. The pull of the moon will affect you, no doubt.

• Day 44, Air hunger better all day! Right foot hurts, slight limp. Jaw tight by evening. I did my DNAConnexions urine test. This requires lots of exercise, then catching urine that's had a chance to move out of your muscles or blood stream, etc. More on this when I have results.

• Day 45, my toddler did not sleep = I did not sleep. Wind/bugs... lots of movement all night. Air hunger, I'm noticing is less when I exercise.

• Day 46, woke with eye pain, dry eye flare, and what seemed like slight bell's palsy on one side of my face. Good thing I know this is a lyme symptom, I don't like it, but I'm not too worried. Left finger is numb, puffy face, not feeling good. I'm getting married in 3 days, so believe it or not I went shopping for a dress by the afternoon. I took extra internal oils today since symptoms were scary.

• Day 47, air hunger by 3 pm. Foot sore. Took Epsom salt bath, bugs move less after a bath, now only under my feet.

• Day 48, Air hunger, slight. Stuffy. Sore foot. Better sleep.

• Day 49, stuffy... teeth hurt, both sides.

• Day 50, slight air hunger is all I recall... perhaps God blessed me on our Wedding Day. :)

• Day 51, stopped all internal oils (give liver a break), stepped up applying oils topically, but treated less in general on this day. Toes numb. Neck glands sore. Left arm burns a bit.

• Day 52, stopped all internal oils Arms burn. Numb toes. Bath by afternoon helped. Air hunger ok.

• Day 53, stopped all internal oils Arms burn. No air hunger. Foot sore and retaining fluid/swelling a bit. Neck glands tight.

• Day 54, Arms burn. Air hunger by am... when it's bad you force air/like a quiet burp to get air. Stuffy. Don't feel good. By 6pm, wind/bugs, inflammation in head. Said the heck with pulsing off internals (it's been 3 days)... took internal oils and felt better shortly after.

• Day 55, INTERNAL oils 2'x a day. Foot hurts, arm burning left. Air hunger ok.
     Today I added a foot massage machine ... high heat and vibrates. I felt bugs move, top of foot after doing this. Soaked feet in Epsom salt, then my feet swelled.
       The swelling usually signals die-off, as I had the water hotter that time. And not sure why, but for awhile I forget to rotate hot with cold. You need the cold to reduce swelling.

• Day 56, right foot not as swelled, but as usual it hurts, I do not bear much weight on it. It is the one symptom that is really hanging around.
       Arm feels tight and dry, it feels this way when not feeling the more extreme burning sensation.

• Day 57, Tired. Foot the same.

• Day 58, Full moon. (this can cause a flare)
  Upset stomach, slight air hunger though still improving, feel bugs near knees and one moved within my hand that made me jump. +ROSEMARY OIL. (< Caution, it's the one oil that you do not use if you have high blood pressure. I use sparingly.)

• Day 59, New moon. added +CASSIA OIL.
     Foot still sore. Arms slight pain. All symptoms are holding steady. Feel bugs move on top of my head and in limbs.
  Got my DNA Connexions testing back:
  CONFIRMED: Lyme, Bartonella, Ehrlichia.
  So yes folks, it took about 6 months to get a positive diagnosis. For some it takes years. And I was told by a doctor, according to the CDC, you do not have lyme. And even if you do, I can't treat you. Insurance does not cover it. (< This was 2017, I hope this changes in the near future.)

• Day 60, internal oils 2x's daily. +CINNAMON OIL. Right foot hurts. A normal period starts, right at the usual 28 days. (So, a BIG NO to the people who thought, "well hey, you are mid-life and could be peri-menopause" ... nope, not the case.

• Day 61, +CASSIA OIL. Arms burn. Right foot hurts.

• Day 62, START OREGANO AGAIN. Arms burn. Right foot hurts.

• Day 63, +OREGANO Arms burn. Right foot hurts. Head feels inflammed/pressure. Left joint pain. Made a blend of Coconut oil with Oregano, Melaleuca, and Lavendar to apply to arms often.

• Day 64, +OREGANO Arms burn. Right foot hurts.

• Day 65, +OREGANO Right foot hurts. A bit of air hunger.

• Day 66, internal oils 2x, +OREGANO +CINNAMON OIL. +CASSIA. Arms burn. Right foot hurts. Knees sore. Felt bugs move by noon.

• Day 67, internal oil 1x +OREGANO +CINNAMON Arms burn. Right foot hurts. Some air hunger. Numbness between pinky fingers (this is new).

• Day 68, internal oil 1x STOP OREGANO +CASSIA As you can see, I am switching oils up all the time now. No set pattern. Arms burn but topical oils are helping stretch it out. Right foot hurts. Good news, very little bug movement.

• Day 69, internal oil 1x +CINNAMON  + LIME +ROSEMARY (I think the rosemary made me feel a bit flush).  NEW — MANUKA HONEY. Right foot hurts. Frequent urination. +added CRANBERRY and more Apple Cider Vinegar.

• Day 70, Oils 1x, and only the DETOX ones.
  +added a RAW GARLIC hot tea, steeped with whatever tea but rotating teas. Ginger, Turmeric, and adding spices and lots of parsley. Arms burn. Right foot hurts.

• Day 71, Oils 1x, DETOX ones +DIGEST ZEN.  +PURIFY rubbed around kidneys and stomach.
  Foot hurts. Bugs move in feet by PM. Hurts to pee, can't recall this maybe the first time this came up, took Advil and tons of garlic, cranberry, & vinegar. (Bartonella lives in your bladder as well or may be a "hold-out" area.)
      First time I've taken Advil. Advil may drive lyme deeper, but I could be wrong. I'm sure my PH balance if OFF. It's getting better quickly, thankfully. I'm trying to get out of KILL mode but can't stop yet. Strong/kill oils: OREGANO, THYME, CASSIA, CINNAMON

• Day 72, holding steady, foot hurts. Had coffee with a friend and no big complaints! I have a slight occasional eye twitch.
      What's so exciting is there are hours and days that pass and I almost forgot I had shortness of breath (this is huge).

• Day 73, eye twitch, pee urgency slightly better,
  saw doctor today for blood draw to check general health.

• Day 74, NEW MOON, skin hurts, foot is sore, not limping, brain pressure, pee urgency, bug zaps, muscles hurt when bending. Felt bad all day.
  ATE raw garlic and made a garlic tea to step up treatment.

• Day 75, arm skin feels tight/sore, my foot is slightly better, again not limping! I've had days of this improvement!
  Went to health store to add things to treatment or get more items to support urinary track:
  Mangosteen juice, new Probiotic, Cranberry concentrate, Vit. C, more ACV Bragg's brand.

• add days...

• Day 80... foot still better. Ongoing urgency to pee  and occasionally my brain feels like it has inflammation.

• Day 81...  pee urgency getting better with tons of cranberry concentrate, lemon drop in water, garlic 1000mg, and lots of blueberries.

• Day 82, air hunger so/so, urination urgency is GONE, just peeing more often now. Saw chiropractor.  Added licorice and olive leaf to treatment.

• Day 83, air hunger so/so, didn't treat much, got lots of sunshine, went to an Airplane Show.

• Day 84, add

• Day 85, add

• Day 86, add

• Day 87, add

• Day 88, add

• Day 89, add

• Day 90, add

• Day 91, add

• add days

• Day 184, major brain fog, tired. Saw Chiro. I should not have put off my neck adjustment, last one was before Thanksgiving and it now 2nd week of January.

• Day 185, wrote second summary. Feel bugs crawl. Back on Oregano day 6. Rotating pains, nothing major. Yesterday brain fog. Today better.

• Day 425, wrote third summary. Took Bull's Eye Immune Herbal pill. It contain 9 things I've taken all before, the new herb for me is Cat's Claw (Buhner - see Herbs, etc.).

• Day 432, Lyme can just ache, anywhere, and you walk around feeling like you are in a fog, off-and-on, and you never know when it will just hit. Perhaps tied to food just eaten or adrenal levels tanking, later in the day. Sometimes I feel pretty good, normal. My eyes, sometimes more light sensitive than other times; when I drive I have to see past floaters and try really hard to focus around the light (not easy to explain); it just simply not a relaxed state of being. Always feeling compromised, far from 100%. We "get by", we look fine, maybe a bit disheveled at time, because we care less and just get through the day fatigued — sometimes a good day is just being vertical. Lyme affects your internal temperature gauge and you cycle through like hot flashes.

• Tomorrow, I remain hopeful that I kick this lyme butt to the curb.

Recovery and eradication is like peeling back the layers of an onion. - OR - Symptoms are like a box of chocolates... You truly do not know what you are gonna get.

    LYME treatment hurls your body through stages of pain. You start pushing the bugs around. You drive them out. The bugs try to survive in new places so you continue to get rotating symptoms. They are also on a crazy long life cycle, so they wake up and replicate at different times, weekly, monthly, or by the pull of the moon.

    I'm almost joyful when something new occurs — as it signals progress. I just felt a squiggle, but that's ok. It's 1pm and I've barely treated today beyond my morning vitamins and frankincense under my tongue. So here's a big cheers to winning the marathon of treatment.
 

My brothers symptom that matched mine:

He went through 3 rounds of antibiotics and his knee and foot pain never really let up.

    He added in Cowden herbs a few weeks ago. He did not feel ANY relief until he stopped the antibiotic and condensed the Cowden treatment (one day he slept in late and did a concentration of more herbs at once).  So the key is hitting this more often.
    He visited recently and said, sure, put some of your oils on me. I can't recall, but it may have been Oregano and OnGuard on his feet... and sure enough... he had a sensation that bugs were on him... YES EXACTLY... but they are within. When the bugs are on the move, it is either a die-off reaction or they are trying to escape.

     We laughed and he said, now I know what you are talking about. It truly sounds crazy, I know. So when it happens to you ...  no worries and hopes that you will improve soon

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UPDATE on brother: He is pretty much in remission. He had active lyme and caught it right away. Treated about 9 months with alternated antibiotics, many essential oils, and the Cowden herbal tinture therapy.

 

2nd UPDATE on brother: He works outside and stepped in a tick nest. He found 20 ticks (that were as small as a speck of sugar to a poppyseed) that could only be viewed as ticks once magnified by photo and crawling in his video.
     His skin is very allergic and he has about 100+ bite marks; so either the ticks rebit or some bit and fell off. Poor bro itches, had to go back to Lyme doctor and get on more antibiotics, he is sending off ticks for review, and he is following my BITE protocol. (He does not apply bug spray.)  < please don't miss bug spray if you hang around outside, ok. :(

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