Hope is a dangerous thing. It can break through any dark matter and bring along the light we need and long for.
I’ve purchased the latest expanded and revised book called Healing Lyme written by Stephen Harrod Buhner.
It’s been five years since I found out I had Lyme, so why wait until now to read some of these books ? I suppose due to couple factors. In the beginning 95% of anything I read I could not process or retain.Once I pushed past that I was too overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, a situation without a positive finality. No cure for Lyme is something I hear often yet I have a hard time accepting. How I see it, there’s a cure for everything. We simply need to find it, and hopefully during our life-time.
The additional pain that comes from a relapse pushes me yet again into the research field, because we all know pain is the best incentive to make us act, and have come face to face, yet again, with the Buhner protocol, a treatment I heard about with many positive results but never tried it al least not in its entirety.
Yesterday was my first day, and all was good but today I have a very big headache and I feel funny (nausea, headaches, feel like Im getting a nose bleed, fatigue and pain behind my eyes). I’ll have to reduce the doses.
I’m following the example Buhner has in his book for a Neuroborreliosis protocol, since it got in my brain, which consists of the following tinctures.
*Polygonum cudpidatum or Japanese Knotwood tincture- 1/2tsp, 3-6x daily -for endothelial protection.
*Salvia Miltiorrhiza or Sage and Scutellaria baicalensis or Skullcap combined tinctures, 1tsp 3x daily for cytokine remodulation.
*Cordyceps/ Eleutherococcus/Uncaria tomentosa or Cat’s claw combined tincture, equal parts of each, 1.5tsp 3x day for immune remodulation.
*Glycyrrhiza or Licorice tincture, 1/4 tsp 3x daily. (not if you have high blood pressure) for immune remodulation.
Uncaria rhynchophylla, 1/2-1 tsp 3-6x daily for neuroborreliosis.
*Withania somnifera or ashwagandha. Powder: 1/2 tsp am, 1tsp before bed time (pm) for immune remodulation.
Tryptophan, 1500 mg 3x daily for neuroborreliosis.
*Great lakes gelatin powder, 1 Tbl. in the morning with water or juice for collagen.
*Vitamin C, 1000-3000mg daily for collagen protection.
*Selenium, 200mcg daily for collagen protection.
All supplements with a * are part of the core protocol, so you can add to this protocol based on your needs. The book has a long list of other tinctures to add.
In addition to this I take Sida Acuta tincture, since my body has always responded extremely well to it, weather is in IV form or tincture. I don’t respond well when its in pill format. Sida Acuta helps with tremors associated with neuroborreliosis.
Burbur-Pinella tincture helped with the headache.
Like I said, hope is a dangerous thing, it stubbornly pushes through dark walls looking for a way out. God, I pray I’ll find my way out so others can find theirs. Thx.
Imagine me sighing now, because that’s what I’m doing and I haven’t begun writing this blog yet.
Thank God for artist like Mandisa, for friends and loved ones, for great hubbies and wives, for sisters, parents, brothers, for friends and for those wonderful people who do research work so we can find The Cure. We must find the cure! There are only so many relapses we can walk through with our heads high and hope filled hearts. But we do it! Ultimately thank God for life, shitty like it is at times is better than not having it.
Recovery from a chronic illness is an up-and-down process.* No need to beat around the bushes about this, those who suffer know this truth.
Just when you think everything is turning around, a set back kicks you in the …well just about everywhere. You’re on your back, in bed, wrapped in the blanket of pain and now what? Why God? Why again? Did I eat the wrong thing? Did I do too much? Took the wrong medication? And you trace back every single step with a fine brush and can’t seem to find anything. Or maybe you do.
My #1 flaw. With increase of energy my thirst for life returns and I end up wanting to do all those things I dreamed of doing while imprisoned in bed, so I do them! And for brief periods of time I feel like I belong in the vast community of humans where I too look and behave normal, where pain and disease are not the subject of the day, where I can be stupid and silly and alive. That’s when I collected memories. That’s what I call it. These memories are worth every single stab of pain I feel later on, because Lyme punishes us like that. If you see me out there in the world and if I’m visiting you or you’re visiting me, I’m living and loving it, even if I know Lyme’s punishments will come later on.
Fortunately, with time, these setbacks gradually become less common and less intense. * True. At least it is for me.
System disruptors that cause setbacks: poor nourishment, toxins, emotional stress, physical stress, oxidative stress (increase in inflammation), radiation (from computers and cell phones), microbiome imbalance (new bite, flue, cold, Herxheimer reaction, flu vaccine), bacterial and viral fare-ups (Epstein-Barr virus reactivation, other herpes- type viruses, Borrelia, Mycoplasma etc), drug reactions, inadequate sleep, and/or allergic reactions to herbs or drugs, or even food, travel or stressful events, or if you’re like me I enter complacency- do more and eat more sugar. The weather changes also affect us, less sun and more cold, rainy, humid days bring the flare-up fast. Cancer, menopause and other such unexpected illnesses, it can do a number on the body.
General Guidelines: If you can get sun or move to a sunny area, do it. REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I make that clear? I hope so:) Lots of liquids and when I say liquids I mean water, tea (ginger) and natural non-sugary drinks. Vitamin C, turmeric and boswellia to reduce inflammation, Enzymes to help you break down the food you eat. The best one is just eating pineapple or take Bromelain, Omega-3 fatty acids, heat, CBD oil (I take that quite a bit during flare-ups, it keeps me sane), herbal supplements, go outside and breath fresh air and walk barefoot on the dirt, meditate, make your world smaller, try to exercise-Yoga is good- (now this is one of those catch 22 issues, flare-ups brings along severe fatigue symptoms and we only have a certain small amount of energy every day and many times we have to choose between cooking or exercising) but endorphins suppress pain and enhance immune function.
And the hardest one of all, figure out how to reduce fear. Yeah, easier said than done, right?
How do I do it? Well, I cry first and I get angry then I start formulating a plan. I’ll give you some ideas, but if you have other ones please share them and I’ll add them here.
Plan ideas
What do I want to do this summer? Realistic goals only. Everyone can make their way outside and lay on a piece of grass and soak the sun, for example. So look forward to those activities.
What new recipes do I want to make? (Most days I only want to eat sugar, so this one is tough:).
What friends do I want to see once I feel better? Assuming they’re still talking to me;)
How can I be part of my children’s lives more?
What hobby brings me peace? I should start that hobby then. So on.
In conclusion, please rest, surround yourself with good and positive encouragement material via books, shows, friends, activities and look forward for the happy spring and summer seasons. Keep fighting because a cure will be found:)
I hope some of this information has been helpful to you:)
God Bless:)
* Quotes or information taken from Williams Rawls book, Unlocking Lyme.
Journey 