I'm starting a new blog for those of you interested in learning more about alternative health care and/or my experience with Lyme disease. Welcome! Sign up with your email if you want to stay connected. It is actually really hard for me to share this much personal detail, but I feel compelled to share my story in hopes that it helps someone else. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for some (what I consider to be) very brave bloggers that put it all out there for others to read!
I used to always play by the rules. When I got sick, I went to the drug store and picked up an OTC medicine to fit my needs. If it was more severe, I went to the doctor and took the prescribed medicine. If my finger split open, I went to the emergency room.
Then I had this sweet baby boy, whom I loved so much. He had a tendency toward ear infections as soon as he quit nursing at 12 months. At the time, I was a busy business owner, and I did what everyone I know does: I gave him baby Tylenol for his fever, took him to the pediatrician, gave him the antibiotics. Over and over.
And over. Let's say it was literally eight rounds of antibiotics I gave him. Let's say that this toddler threw a bloody fit every time we offered a dose, which caused extreme distress for everyone. Let's say I knew that overuse of antibiotics can be detrimental to health. I thought to myself in desperation, Isn't there a better way?
It turns out, there is. I just didn't know it yet.
Somewhere between son's ear infection five and six, my daughter was born. Unlike my firstborn, this baby caught her first cold before she was six months old! And even though she was nursing, her colds would turn into ear infections after about a week. Here we go again, I thought. ISN'T THERE A BETTER WAY??
I got on Mr. Google and started researching home remedies. Garlic oil was recommended for ear infections. I went the the kitchen, smashed a fresh clove of garlic into a little puddle of olive oil, stirred it around a bit, and then used a Q-tip to apply it around the outside and inside of her ear (but not in the hole). The next morning, she seemed better, though I applied it a few more times anyway. I never needed to take her to the doctor.
In the home remedy research, I learned that fever is actually the body's way of fighting off an illness. That if you curb a fever, sometimes it can come back - and higher, because your body is REALLY trying to fight off the infection. Also around this time period, there had been several rounds of recalls on common over-the-counter medicines, such as baby Tylenol and baby Motrin. I thought, What is in this stuff, anyway? So I decided to experiment - I wouldn't give the children Tylenol unless the fever was higher than 102. I have only been able to test this experiment once, because their fevers haven't gotten that high in over a year!
My little successes with the kids were just a glimmer into what was to come for me. For several years, I had been collecting all sorts of health issues. They were somewhat vague, at least at first; random and intermittent; things I easily brushed off for a long time, because I was a business owner and a mom and a wife and a woman with her own interests.
Eventually I was driven to my knees. I closed my company. I started seeing different doctors, regular and alternative. It took a full year of that before I was even diagnosed, but I now know that I have chronic Lyme disease, along with several co-infections.
I'm not going to go into an explanation of Lyme in this post, because it is immensely complicated. Let's just say there is no easy fix, no surefire cure, for chronic Lyme. It has been silently attacking me for years, and I have problems with my nervous system, digestive system, and endocrine system that I am trying to correct, along with killing the actual infection.
Currently I'm treating the Lyme holisticly, through a chiropractor, with essential oils and other herbal remedies, a few nutritional supplements, and detox methods. I'm still investigating the different types of treatment - it can take several years to fully eradicate the disease. While hardcore, "real" antibiotics may be necessary at some point, my body is too weak to withstand that trauma right now. I also want to give natural healthcare the first chance. Patience is hard to come by, but completely necessary.
My goal here with this blog is to share as much helpful information as I can, when I can, for those who are interested in alternative care but not sure if it is legitimate. I also want to pass on some of my Lyme experience, for fellow Lyme patients, because sometimes the only thing that makes me feel better is reading someone else's story. Basically, I want others to feel less alone and more empowered when it comes to their health. I want those of you suffering with mystery ailments to know that you are not crazy; that if you keep searching, you can find the answers and heal. We are all in this together.
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