May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a time dedicated to educating the public about Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses that affect so many lives each year. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of infected ticks, calls for increased vigilance as we spend more time outdoors during the warmer months, not to mention all the other tick-borne illnesses that can come along with ANY tick bite. Early detection and treatment are crucial to preventing long-term complications, making education and awareness invaluable tools in combating this condition.
As a holistic nurse coach specializing in Lyme disease and Zyto scanning, I'm passionate about providing not only your care but also educating and empowering those affected by Lyme. This summer, I'm excited to offer a series of FREE in-person events in the Central PA area designed to illuminate the path to health and wellness for individuals and families navigating Lyme disease. Keep reading for all the info!
🍃 Thriving with Lyme Support Group
Join us for an empowering evening at the Thriving with Lyme Support Group. Starting at 6 pm on June 11, this gathering is a sanctuary for those seeking a community that understands the journey through Lyme. Together, we'll share experiences, offer support, and learn from one another in a compassionate environment. Space is limited to ensure a cozy and intimate setting, so be sure to register early. Find more details and register at: https://www.facebook.com/events/296106646888194/
🍃 Learning About Lyme Educational Seminar
On June 24, come immerse yourself in our Learning About Lyme Educational Seminar. In partnership with Hidden Springs Integrative Health & Wellness, we'll delve into the complexities of Lyme and tick-borne illnesses. This seminar will debunk common myths, discuss innovative treatments, and share practical advice for navigating the healing journey. Whether you're seeking answers or hope, this seminar promises insights and strategies to aid in your recovery.
**Location & Registration
Both events will take place in the welcoming, cozy environment of Hidden Springs Integrative Health & Wellness Center in Middletown, PA. Our mission is to create a space where knowledge, healing, and community intersect, giving you the tools and support necessary for a healthier tomorrow.
📅 Don't let these incredible opportunities pass you by! Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for registration information (you can also comment below if you'd like to be the FIRST to know about registration for either event!).
These events are more than just gatherings; they are a beacon of hope for those at any point in their Lyme journey. Whether you're deeply familiar with the challenges it presents, just starting to navigate its waters, or supporting a loved one through their healing process, you'll find value, understanding, and empowerment here.
We're on this journey together, and I can't wait to meet many of you in person. Here's to a summer of learning, growth, and community—all with the goal of thriving with Lyme.
In case you missed anything up to this point, check out Parts 1, 2, & 3 HERE:
After Part 4 we had left off where I had discovered a KEY to healing being HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE changes. And to this day (and maybe forever!) most of those healing modalities will be integrated into my life.
To get to where I am today, the next part of this journey looked like me having 5 pregnancies with 4 babies, me continuing to work full-time and then part-time, our fam integrating our holistic lifestyle into how we were raising our children, and starting to both homeschool and “homestead in suburbia” - 2 goals I had thought I would have to give up because of my health in the past. Healing really is a miraculous feeling and dreams really can come true.
Because I know I’ll get asked, and I'm happy to share, of my 4 kids, my oldest 3 ended up with Lyme and coinfections as young kids (one as young as 2yo). Here’s how that all went down in a brief summary:
~All my kids are tested for my tick borne illnesses at birth by blood tests, cord blood testing, and/or placenta testing. All were negative at this time and were asymptomatic.
~Didn’t do anything more for them except maintained a very healthy, holistic lifestyle as they grew
~All my kids ended up getting tick bites early in childhood, and at that time, testing via my LLMD revealed Lyme and cos for each of them minus my youngest (his tick was negative for everything and he remained asymptomatic).
~BUT CD57 testing in particular was SO low that to my LLMD, and based on best assumptions/deduction, they had been fighting some of what I had given them in utero, even though I treated through all pregnancies and while breastfeeding. It seemed the tick bites they received “activated” Lyme in their systems and their immune systems were already worn out (hence low CD57) and could not keep fighting it back.
~Thankfully they were VERY health and minimally symptomatic!
~They have all been treated since diagnosed and have overcome occasional tick bites when we aren’t vigilant about our prevention routine. (I’ve fine-tuned our routine for both prevention AND proactivity in the event of a bite and created both a FREE Tick Bite Action Plan and Tick Prevention Must-Haves document that you are welcome to download and enjoy!) They are doing REALLY well and I believe headed for full remission soon (though their healing is evident as it stands now, and they have maintained exceptional health throughout all of their ups and downs, for which I’m grateful!)
Most recently, within the past couple years, my journey to healing took a turn with a new diagnosis of Bartonella which I have blogged about here for you if you’re interested in learning about how that’s gone for me.
In a nut shell, Bart was holding up my Lyme healing and had been able to go undetected probably for years. Thanks to innovations with testing, we were able to confirm it, and thanks to treatment options, I plan on beating it!
I’ve also most recently added in regular Zyto scanning, EMDR and another round of talk therapy, regular chiropractic care, and more focused mindset work with so very great, sustainable results.
My story shows that HEALING IS POSSIBLE.
It may TAKE TIME (AND THAT’S OK!).
It’s NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL.
And there’s POWER IN MOVING FORWARD WHETHER SCARED, ANXIOUS, or UNSURE.
All of my journey has lead me to what I do today to help others. Through my work I save those desiring full Lyme healing time, energy, and money along the way because you don’t have to figure it out as you go like I had to - I lay all the holistic aspects to healing out for you!
The place to start is the free holistic healing community and resource center just for you - Lyme-y & Crunchy. You’ll find healing, hope, and help there.
If you’re looking to put rocket boosters on your healing journey and see greater gains faster, I’ve got that covered too! You’ll want to check out my Design Your Holistic Lyme Healing Blueprint. It is exactly what I spent YEARS figuring out to amplify my healing. Check it out and reach out to me to see if this could be a good fit for you and to find out about Founding Member and Case Study scholarship options (the LIMITED-TIME discount opportunities I'm currently offering).
In my last blog post, I talked about how I was starting to feel hopeful again after some realizations about moving forward in my healing. In this post, I want to share with you what steps I took next that ultimately led me to where I am today. Truly I learned during this time that Lyme Disease is a horrible thing to go through, but it is possible to heal from it. You just have to keep fighting! :)
Read more...
The neurological impact of Lyme has actually interested me over the years mostly because of my nursing background. I started my nursing career in the NeuroScience field and loved learning about that body system from the start.
But I also experienced neurological Lyme symptoms myself. From neuropathy to mood changes and mental health imbalances, to weakness and headaches, I know first-hand the impact Lyme can have neurologically.
So how does Lyme impact the brain and nervous system exactly? And what can we do about it?
Read more...
In case you missed anything up to this point, check out Parts 1 & 2 HERE:
We’re going to pick up right when I was diagnosed with Lyme but hadn’t had PROPER, ongoing treatment yet. However, as you read about in Part 2, I experienced a healing breakthrough with 2 modalities: myofascial release and homeopathy/alternative medicine (which also involved lifestyle and diet changes).
I finished out high school doing a bit better because of these 2 forms of alternative medicine and by sheer determination. I did NOT feel like my health was reliable or predictable though. I felt on edge and identified as more of a “sick person” than I’d like to admit.
Despite not feeling well I had my eyes set on working in healthcare or health sciences as a career. Through some debating and one major change in college, I became a nurse. Before my 22nd birthday I was married to an amazing man who fully supported (and still does!) my health and healing journey, graduated, passed boards, and got a job at a prestigious local hospital in an ICU there.
My career at that point went well, but my health wasn’t great. And working day/night rotating shifts didn’t help at all. In fact, in some ways I started getting worse.
I wasn’t seeing any alternative medicine practitioners, but was still getting my myofascial release pretty regularly.
I was also still accruing autoimmune/rheumatological diagnoses, including being worked up for lupus. Additionally, my hormones were getting a bit whacky - a variety of symptoms were popping up, and eventually, I would also be advised to begin a PCOS workup (which I never did do and I do not have at this point).
This was when I started looking hard at how my circumstances were impacting my health. I realized my job wasn’t helping me heal, and in fact, seemed to be making things worse. We wanted to start a family but I wasn’t well enough to make that possible. So I approached my boss about taking a different position on the unit since I really didn’t want to leave a place I loved working. Thankfully a new, less stressful position for me was able to happen - I went part-time day shift and my health started improving almost immediately. It’s no surprise I had a positive pregnancy test a few months later.
Early in pregnancy, my husband’s (Cam) boss and his wife actually began treatment with a local Lyme Literate Nurse Practitioner and were telling Cam about it. Of course, my hubby’s ears perked up and he told them *I* also had a Lyme history. They told me to watch the documentary Under Our Skin and consider reaching out to their Lyme provider, especially since I was pregnant.
I watched the documentary almost immediately. I was in shock. It confirmed SO much and also scared me a bit too. But this was a “helpful” type of fear, I like to call it, that pushed me to take ACTION - for myself, and my baby now too.
I called the LLNP my husband’s boss was seeing and she got me in within weeks. The bonus for me was that she is also a nurse midwife, so she REALLY could help considering my stage of life/pregnancy as well. Spoiler alert: I’ve been with her ever since and she’s AMAZING at what she does!
Stay tuned to read the next installment SOON where I’ll share how it went FINALLY getting connected with a capable and reputable specialist.
Let’s make sure you’re connected with me so you stay plugged in to allll the holistic healing goodness and community that’s there for YOU! Hop into Lyme-y & Crunchy for all kinds of Lyme healing encouragement!
