bart

The One-Year Mark!

The One-Year Mark!

One year ago today I was tearfully and bravely writing out a blog post about a brand new coinfection diagnosis I had received right when I had hoped I was approaching remission from Lyme and all my other coinfections. 

In February 2021, Bartonella was officially added to my list of tick borne illnesses I was going to beat. 


If you missed that post, Part 1 of my Beating Bartonella series can be found here: https://adelecole.com/blog/22655/just-diagnosed-with-bartonella---part-1


I thought that after treating for a full year it was time for another update!

Make sure you catch up on my previous posts about this journey too (found here: Part 2 & Part 3), but here’s a quick summary:

I did NOT have very obvious Bart symptoms. I only had some foot burning and mood stuff/rage, BUT those were well-managed through my overall Lyme treatment and lifestyle changes or seemed explainable by my circumstances. But untreated Bart can really hold up healing in general, particularly from Lyme disease, and it could explain why I had stalled out a bit in my Lyme healing process. 


Well, in trying to navigate my next phase of healing my LLMD and I agreed to revisit the possibility of Bart actually sabotaging my healing to a degree. 

Turns out, it had been doing just that. 


Since last year, I’ve been treating mainly with herbals on top of my other tick borne illness protocols, immune support, gut healing regimens, detoxing, lifestyle changes, and many other healthy practices. I mention this because healing ISN'T ever linear. There's never a "magic bullet" and rarely ever even ONE "root cause"  for symptoms or dis-ease. Healing is layers. It's multifaceted. It's a journey that's unique to each of us. And it's more than just a protocol or a dietary change. Just remember that!  


Ok back to the update! ;) So for those wondering, the herbals we chose for me were: A-Bart tincture, CryptoPlus tincture, Japanese Knotweed, Artemisinin, Andrographis, and Cat’s Claw. You’ll note that many of those cross-cover by tackling Lyme and other coinfections too, so bonus there! I worked up to the protocol my LLMD recommended for me, and have remained on it for 12mo. 


So how have I been feeling? Well to start, I DID experience mild herxing (Herxheimer reaction) when starting the A-Bart specifically and while titrating it up at times. I worked with my LLMD to titrate up VERY slowly and managed my herxing quickly and easily. 

My 2 main symptoms of foot burning and rage-y mood swings are MUCH improved. All I notice remaining right now actually is some mild off-and-on foot burning. My mood has been pretty darn great, thank goodness! (That Bart rage & mood swings are INSANEEEEE, by the way!)

I know I’ll be treating this a while longer, and always keeping an eye on it for my whole life, BUT I also know I’m headed in the right direction and that all of this effort to ‘beat’ Bartonella will actually have a larger impact on my overall wellness, as true healing does. 

We may choose to test again in Spring 2022 just to see on paper what kind of progress I may have made, although as we all know, testing is pricey and not always accurate. (For those curious, my personal BEST Bart testing has been through Galaxy labs.)


So stay tuned! I'll update again as I have info to share. 


Tell me, who else is working on navigating Bartonella healing?


Oh! And in case you didn’t know, I share even more about my journey AND have created the space for others to share their own journeys too in the holistic healing community,
Lyme-y & Crunchy. It’s totally free and we would LOVE to have you there!

**Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional here to diagnose, treat, cure, or otherwise influence your medical journey outside of the guidance of a medical professional. I am simply sharing my own journey and what I have learned along the way. Please find a doctor you trust and discuss any medical concerns or treatments with them.  

Meet Adele

 
          Half my lifetime ago I was expecting to be permanently disabled or even dead at a young age unless I found a way back to hope and health. As a result of a mystery illness, I was nearly bed-ridden as a teenager. Sometimes I had to CRAWL up the 7 steps to my bedroom to get to bed because I couldn’t walk that far. I HAD to nap every single day. I was in *constant* burning, aching pain throughout my body and experienced exhaustion and brain fog so bad I could barely communicate. I had quit all sports, babysitting and other jobs. My ambitions, successes, sense of self, and LIFE were slipping through my fingers. I had been misdiagnosed with autoimmune conditions for years only to finally discover that Lyme disease and co-infections were the primary culprit of my medical mysteries. At the time of my diagnosis, I was spiraling into depression, helplessness, and hopelessness.  I had no idea where this journey would take me, but I could not see a light at the end of it, and that was just plain scary.
 
          My mom took me to many doctors, but none specialized in Lyme and tick borne illnesses. They all treated the symptoms I was having as best as they could, but I was still getting slowly worse, or having side effects from medications I was being put on. So my mom and I sought alternative options out of desperation. Homeopathy, diet changes, proper supplements, and rest finally started to lead me into healing and the fog started to lift. During that time, myofascial release from a certified massage therapist was one of the most helpful modalities I tried. She used essential oils too, and that was officially my first introduction to their power. All of these alternative options helped me survive, start to thrive, and begin the next leg of my journey: becoming a nurse. I thrived in a career that combined science, research, and helping others through their suffering and health goals. In my young adult years, I finally had the opportunity to continue my treatment and health journey with a Lyme specialist, which has helped me heal more fully than I ever would have thought possible 10yrs ago. 

          I knew that as I got married, started a family, and was working on healing my body, I had some big goals: 1) to be there for my family and to be able to care for them fully and 2) to have a non-toxic home and life in order to live our best lives. My cousin shared with me some of her journey, which had similarities to my own. She was using some things I was already curious about, including essential oils and specialized supplements. I was HOOKED after the first sample I tried! I could now clearly visualize the next steps of my healing journey - hope had returned!
              
          Now, I have endless hope. I can LIVE LIFE. This is the healthiest I’ve truly been since about age 14 and I’m thriving! I’ve been able to advocate for my own 4 babies, 3 of whom have ended up with Lyme too. I’m dedicated to using my nursing background and love of education in combination with appreciation for functional medicine and alternative therapies to help everyone I can. My hope is renewed. I am empowered and equipped. I’m enjoying and embracing the journey and want to help YOU to be able to have all of that too!

          If you're ready to link arms with me and walk this journey together, please reach out! I'd LOVE to hear from you!


**Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional here to diagnose, treat, cure, or otherwise influence your medical journey outside of the guidance of a medical professional. Please find a doctor you trust and discuss any medical concerns or treatments with them. Also, please know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases through my site at no extra cost to you.

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