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!
The following are some questions I would ask of a LLMD before booking an appointment or consult with him/her. It’s almost like an interview process, as I believe your providers work for YOU, and therefore should be compatible with you and your individual needs, goals, and desired outcomes.
Read more...
