My Lyme Healing Story: Moving Forward (Part 4)

My Lyme Healing Story: Moving Forward (Part 4)
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! :) 
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My Lyme Healing Story: How It All Started

My Lyme Healing Story: How It All Started
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and as such, I'm sharing parts of my own story throughout May. 
Here's PART 1 of my Lyme (healing) story - starting at the very beginning including all the ups and downs I navigated as a kid who just kept getting sicker...

The summer before 7th grade I remember some tick bites after hiking in central PA where I live. No big deal back then - NO ONE had "Lyme" in mind at that time (over 20yrs ago). I was happily living my best pre-teen life, excelling academically, honing my athletic giftings and becoming accomplished in a couple of sports, and developing a quality social life with a variety of activities and interests. It was supposed to be a great season of my life.

Instead, it became a nightmare.
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What My 11yo Self Experienced Set THIS In Motion...

What My 11yo Self Experienced Set THIS In Motion...
What My 11yo Self Experienced Set THIS In Motion...
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4 Reasons Why I Believe Healing Lyme IS Possible

4 Reasons Why I Believe Healing Lyme IS Possible

I believe RELIEF and ANSWERS exist, and I don’t doubt healing from Lyme and chronic illness is possible!


Here’s 4 reasons why I firmly believe that healing is possible for you and me.

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Tick Bite!? Don't Panic!

Tick Bite!? Don't Panic!

So you found a creepy crawling tick crawling on you...or worse - latched on you or a loved one. 


EEP! 


All this Lyme and co-infections talk, it’s EASY to be creeped out and down right panicky. 


No need! Let’s combat the panic with action steps you can take, both for tick prevention AND removal


Firstly, preventing ticks CAN be done very effectively in a natural, nontoxic manner. Remember, using harmful chemicals/toxins to keep ticks off can also work, BUT comes at a cost. A precious cost to your health. 


Chemicals like DEET and permethrin are recommended for tick prevention, but are known to cause skin irritation, headaches, dizziness, breathing problems, and seizures, to name a few side effects. I, personally, had an allergic reaction to permethrin, so it’s not even an option for me to be using. 


These chemicals are also DEADLY to aquatic animals and other, “helpful” bugs, such as bees. Essentially, DEET and permethrin are poison...poisoning YOU too when you are using them on or even just around you. 


So what are you to do for tick prevention then? Well I’ve explored the world of natural options and compiled a helpful list HERE of some of my FAVORITE products for tick prevention...and it even includes exactly what you need should you sadly have to deal with a tick bite (hint: the tools you need are SO basic and simple!). 


Whatever tick prevention you use, just remember that long clothing is a first-line type of defense, as are REGULAR and FREQUENT tick checks. Checking all skin over the whole body for ticks even as tiny as a grain of sand is the most thorough way to do a check. Invasive? Maybe. But it sure beats dealing with tickborne illnesses, I'll tell you that!

Say you DO get a bite. The sooner you get a tick off of you, the better, so here are some tips to keep your cool and excel at tick removal right from the start!


Firstly, DO NOT use anything on the tick to try to get it to “come off” of you other than TWEEZERS. Oils, rubbing alcohol, petroleum products, and other “irritants” to a tick can actually cause it to regurgitate MORE saliva into you, and consequently can worsen your chance of infectious transmission. No bueno! 


Instead, all you need is a pair of good tweezers. You want to firmly grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, trying to get the whole head, and firmly pull it out in the same direction it attached itself. Do not twist or jerk. Just pull firmly and steadily. 


Ideally, you want to remove the whole head and all mouth parts. There are times that is harder to do than it looks. In that case having a pointy pair of tweezers can be helpful to grab anything that may remain behind. 


Then, it is a good idea to clean the area with non-toxic soap and water, and maybe even a little rubbing alcohol. We also add some of our favorite healing essential oils around the bite site - Frankincense and Ledum are favorites! 


That’s it! Bye, tick!


At this point, we send our discovered ticks in for testing in order to report them and also check them for some of the more common tick-borne diseases. If you’d like to do this as well, check the ILADS.org website or Google for a list of tick test sites in your area. 


We also head off to our Lyme Literate Provider for our own treatment and testing, BUT, in the meantime, I do have a few ways we start IMMEDIATELY treating after a bite that I'd love to share with you. Pop over HERE and check it out! I hope to leave you feeling empowered and confident with the tools you need to maximize your wellness. 



If you found this helpful, or if you are impacted by Lyme disease or other chronic illnesses, you may also like my community group over on Facebook.


Don’t forget to grab my FREE guide to tick prevention - a few simple products our family loves to use year-round to deter those tricky ticks to begin with!


**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. 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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