tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5464523226061132632024-02-07T06:50:08.277-05:00My Lyme Symphonya blog by michelle holdermanMichelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-20603945462980305792022-05-05T16:00:00.089-04:002024-01-29T11:47:11.877-05:00Field of Dreams: A Personal Story for Lyme Disease Awareness Month 2022<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it’s been a very long time since I have written a blog post here on My Lyme Symphony, but May being Lyme disease awareness month, I wanted to share a photo I took and the relevant story behind it, something more personal. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I call this photo </span><i style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Field of Dreams,"</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> which I took in the summer of 2013 on the way to a doctor's appointment. </span></p><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This was during a particularly difficult time in my Lyme and health journey, and we were at a serious crossroads as to the next step in my treatment process. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like </span><span style="animation-name: none; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none;"><a style="animation-name: none; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; transition-property: none;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">always, my mom drove me, and on the way, we stopped at a gas station to fuel up. As I sat there in our car, contemplating what my doctor and I would discuss, I looked around, and my eyes fell directly on this field. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a field I've passed by many times over the years, but on this day, in light of what was happening, I was especially drawn in by its openness, barrenness, and simple beauty. Stretching off into the distant sky, it looked like Heaven was touching the earth. Even though it was sitting dormant, this field seemed to exude the hope of a brighter tomorrow, which really struck me. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I took it all in, not knowing for sure what our next step would be, I pulled out my camera and took a few shots. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Later that night, after looking through the photos I had taken, I began to see similarities between this barren field and my Lyme journey; it symbolically reminded me of where I was in my life and how we all experience this kind of season at some point. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought how there wasn't as much fruit to show for or match up to all of the extensive, hard work I had done. And then I began thinking about how God often works in such places, how only He can really, and how this field pointed to that very thing. It reminded me of something He [the Father] told me early on—that He would heal me, but in the meantime, His grace was sufficient for me. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I essentially realized then that although it's not fun, there are times when barren field seasons are important and needed - a field of dreams that hold seeds, holy seeds, of greater potential and hope for the future. Thus the title of this photograph and my life story really. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It has been 28 years, and I'm still walking through this long, hard Lyme journey. Nothing has been easy, but I have learned much along the way. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been so deeply sick and severely fatigued and debilitated for so many years that I spent twelve of them living in bed, only getting out for doctors appointments and blood work and dragging myself there at that (if you're interested in knowing more about my health story, you can go </span><a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/p/blog-page.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over this almost three-decade journey, a lot has happened, more than I can write in one blog post. But I'll sum it up and say my field of dreams is still a work in process. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I live with [chronic] Lyme disease every day and the remaining damage that's been done from 16 years of misdiagnosis. Unfortunately, as many of you know, this is an all too common story, and I often share it because a lot of people aren't even aware this can happen. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There have been some improvements due to my continuing hard work, perseverance, research, and dedication to not give up on walking out this path laid before me.</span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall some things are better, which I'm truly grateful for, and some are not, which is frustrating and speaks to the ugly truth and reality about Lyme and tick-borne diseases. If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading Kris Newby's book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bitten-History-Disease-Biological-Weapons/dp/006289627X" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of my improvements have created a whole new set of physical issues I now deal with. So, u</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ltimately, it will take whatever the Father will do for this to be resolved and for me to be completely well physically, which takes me back to what He initially said all those years ago. And so it is for many who are also walking through their own difficult Lyme and health journeys. We all have a story to tell. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Honestly, I never imagined it would be this long, arduous, harsh, and grinding, but God being God, He's let nothing go to waste. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I'm waiting in the meantime, He's sovereignly taking what was meant to destroy me and working it all - the good things, the bad things, the ugly things, the unjust things - together for my good and His glory. He's been nurturing, teaching, and maturing me in the deeper places. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He’s also been producing and strengthening deeper Jesus roots in me, a root system that is deeply grounded and steadfast in Him, His heart, and His ways. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the day, I choose to keep holding onto and declaring the promises of God while I continue to do my part. And although I don't always understand, I do feel an assurance from His heart that He will fulfill His promises and purposes for my life in His timing. It keeps me going in the long haul. </span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so this photo, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Field of Dreams</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, speaks to all of this for me — where the truth, grace, hope, and promises of God and His Kingdom reside amidst all of the earthly hardships, battles, sufferings, and losses. Where the real and raw laboring takes place as the seeds of impossibilities are uprooted and replaced with seeds of possibilities. Where divine revelation, wisdom, and understanding unfold. Where the deep and fertilizing work of the Spirit happens.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a seemingly strange, paradoxical, ironic mixture. And while it hasn't looked like anything I was expecting, quite the complete opposite, I believe this is where the Lord often works so powerfully and profoundly. In fact, I believe He does some of His best work in such places.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed, I'm counting on it.</span></div></div><div class="l7ghb35v kjdc1dyq kmwttqpk gh25dzvf jikcssrz n3t5jt4f" style="animation-name: none; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Michelle </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none; transition-property: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FovR2k28ZVCb5D-HdugM0N9Nbfq8uM2QhPzefq7_P_nKaf54OttaAJc7fPccinrFFeD6C2kknjXNgfZNVfIbtDFx4mH72nIyNlR1D_2EViMhIYEgQ8NJ_ge7IDBsu6DDfB5OgIqczsaxjK9mqCkwMtlaAuJc9IiHsUFiBfvCoftAHp1kCtDfwvC8/s857/Field%20of%20Dreams%20@MichelleHolderman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="843" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FovR2k28ZVCb5D-HdugM0N9Nbfq8uM2QhPzefq7_P_nKaf54OttaAJc7fPccinrFFeD6C2kknjXNgfZNVfIbtDFx4mH72nIyNlR1D_2EViMhIYEgQ8NJ_ge7IDBsu6DDfB5OgIqczsaxjK9mqCkwMtlaAuJc9IiHsUFiBfvCoftAHp1kCtDfwvC8/w630-h640/Field%20of%20Dreams%20@MichelleHolderman.jpg" width="630" /></a></div></div></div>Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-4160765102917252016-05-01T16:00:00.011-04:002021-10-10T19:30:37.879-04:00Hope Always (Lyme Disease Awareness 2016)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKgRh7LKLYCWRlXRxHE4g8zZBQcSCZYuIoLrS_BZz-j38HvAvzbk8dC7t2Z5OqSgzgphdo3ubeQI9c0S49-ju7bVf4_yvoha4gytt5X-4kV4wsztslLWbLD3Bhk5QS36riveUa6Ob2SA/s2048/asphalt-automobile-beach-1118448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="2048" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKgRh7LKLYCWRlXRxHE4g8zZBQcSCZYuIoLrS_BZz-j38HvAvzbk8dC7t2Z5OqSgzgphdo3ubeQI9c0S49-ju7bVf4_yvoha4gytt5X-4kV4wsztslLWbLD3Bhk5QS36riveUa6Ob2SA/w640-h421/asphalt-automobile-beach-1118448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still here. </span></div>
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Still hoping.</span></div>
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Still trusting.</span></div>
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Still believing.</span></div>
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Much love to all you Lyme warriors out there!</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Michelle</span></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-37447803924501680992016-03-01T16:00:00.002-05:002021-10-07T18:15:12.300-04:00Recent Lyme Disease Research News And Breakthroughs: Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I first began blogging about notable Lyme research news and breakthroughs in November 2012, primarily for myself. And there has been some good news in the world of Lyme research. Good meaning research that reveals the truth about Lyme through the medium of science, which will hopefully lead to higher standards of care for patients, including better testing and treatment options.<br />
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Since first posting Part 1 in 2012, more revealing discoveries concerning Borrelia bacteria, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne infections have been published. All genuine research is undoubtedly valuable, but I've chosen five studies I personally think hold significance in the world of Lyme and tick-borne diseases. I'm sure there are more out there, but these are the ones I'm focusing on in this post. They're listed in the most recent order.<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please go <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2012/11/recent-lyme-disease-research.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you'd like to read Recent Lyme Disease Research News and Breakthroughs: Part 1</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>1.) Dr. Eva Sapi, Ph.D.,</b> professor and department head of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven in </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Connecticut</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">, and her research team suggests the reason the Borrelia spirochetes that cause Lyme disease are often resistant to treatment is because they form a biofilm in the body that allows it to "hideout" from antibiotics.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Their new study, published </span><b style="line-height: 18px;">February 9, 2016, </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">is the first to demonstrate the presence of Borrelia biofilm in human infected skin tissues, confirming these structures can exist in the human body. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">That biofilm - which has a very protective layer you might call "slime" - actually makes the bacteria up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than other bacteria.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>"These findings could change the way we think about Lyme disease,"</i> Sapi, who has chronic Lyme disease herself, said, "<i>especially in patients where it seems to be a persistent disease, despite long-term antibiotic treatment. This recent finding could help to better understand how Borrelia can survive treatment and elucidation of the biofilm components and will provide novel therapeutic targets for chronic Lyme disease, with the hope of eradicating Borrelia in these patients."</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.newhaven.edu/news-events/news-releases/2015-2016/987046/" target="_blank">UNH Research Confirms Lyme Disease Bacteria Biofilm in Human Body</a> (<b>University of New Haven Press Release, February 23, 2016</b>)<br />
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<a href="http://www.akademiai.com/doi/abs/10.1556/1886.2015.00049" target="_blank">Evidence of In Vivo Existence of Borrelia Biofilm in Borrelial Lymphocytomas</a> (<b>Akademiai: European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology, February 9, 2016</b>)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2.)</b> Researchers at U.C. San </span>Francisco<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Johns Hopkins may have found a new way to diagnose </span>Lyme disease <span style="font-family: inherit;">based on a </span>distinctive<span style="font-family: inherit;"> gene "signature" they discovered in white blood cells of patients infected with tick-borne bacteria. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dr. Charles Chiu, MD, Ph.D.,</b> an associate professor of laboratory </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">medicine at UCSF, and lead investigator for the study, and <b>Dr. John Aucott, MD</b>, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and senior investigator on the study, p</span>ublished<span style="font-family: inherit;"> these findings </span><b>February</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> 12, 2016,</b> in mBio, a journal published by the </span>American<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Society of Microbiology. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the study, researchers examined 29 patients before and after receiving a 3-week course of </span>antibiotic treatment <span style="font-family: inherit;">and then again 6 months later. Compared to patients with other active bacterial or </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">viral infections, the Lyme disease patients had distinctive gene signatures that persisted for at least 3 weeks - even after taking antibiotics. Some differences in the transcriptome lingered for 6 months. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"To our knowledge, this study is the first to document changes in gene expression occurring even after a bacterial infection has been treated with </span>appropriate</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> antibiotics,"</i> said Dr. Aucott.</span><br />
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<a href="http://universityofcalifornia.edu/news/gene-signature-could-lead-new-way-diagnosing-lyme" target="_blank">Gene Signature Could Lead to a New Way of Diagnosing Lyme</a> (<b>University of California News, February 17, 2016</b>)<br />
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<a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2016-02-12/gene-discovery-could-point-to-new-lyme-disease-test-study" target="_blank">Gene Discovery Could Point to New Lyme Disease Test</a> (<b>U.S. News and World Report Health, February 12, 2016</b>)<br />
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<b>3.) </b>Researchers from Rutgers University Public Health Research Institute at New Jersey Medical School are developing a vastly improved test for Lyme disease and associated pathogens Anaplasma and Babesia.<br />
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<b>Dr. Nikhat Parveen, Ph.D.</b>, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, and <b>Dr. Salvatore A.E. Marras, Ph.D.</b>, an assistant professor in the same department, have been working on the new assay since 2006. Today, the test is significantly closer to widespread availability. It could still take a year or more before the assay is licensed and receives FDA approval.<br />
<br />What makes the test so important for Lyme sufferers or those suspected of having Lyme disease is its accuracy. Their assay is based on molecular beacons, which Marras compares to "little lanterns," that will light up when they encounter specific pathogens associated with Lyme, allowing this new blood test to reveal the presence of the bacteria themselves rather than just antibodies to them. Also, the test's ability to find and distinguish Anaplasma and Babesia makes it potentially valuable to blood banks, which at present have no way to test for these pathogens.<br />
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<a href="http://magazine.rutgers.edu/health-matters/lyme-aid" target="_blank">Lyme Aid</a> (<b>Rutgers Magazine, Rutgers University, New Jersey, Winter 2016 Issue)</b><br />
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<b>4.)</b> Researchers<span style="font-family: inherit;"> at<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the </span><span style="background-color: white;">University</span> of California, Davis, led by <b>Dr. </b><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, Ph.D.</b>, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and an authority on the immune response to infectious diseases at UC Davis Center for Comparative Medicine, published findings from their mouse-based study <b>July 2, 2015,</b> in PLOS Pathogens, which demonstrated that </span><span style="background-color: white;">an animal infected with </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Borrelia burgdorferi</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">, the corkscrew-shaped bacteria that cause Lyme disease, launches only a short-lived immune response. That protective immunity against repeat infections quickly wanes. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">B</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">acteria initially triggered a robust immune response in the infected animal. Still, findings from this study indicate the bacteria soon cause structural abnormalities in "germinal centers" — sites in lymph nodes and other lymph tissues that are key to producing a long-term protective immune response. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">This discovery may explain why some human patients remain vulnerable to repeat infections by the same strain of bacteria.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1004976" target="_blank">Suppression of Long-Lived Humoral Immunity Following Borrelia burgdorferi Infection</a> (<b>PLOS Pathogens, July 2, 2015)</b><br />
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<a href="http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=11254#.VZ1FXVaBkTS.facebook" target="_blank">Lyme Disease Subverts Immune System, Prevents Future Protection</a> <b>(University of California Davis Press Release, July 2, 2015)</b><br />
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<b><br />5.)</b> <b>Dr. Kerry Clark, Ph.D.</b>, associate professor of public health at the University of North Florida, and his colleagues made a huge discovery and published their findings on <b>May 13, 2014</b>. Instead, I should say they made scientific confirmation of what many of us with Lyme already know. <i style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Lyme disease exists in people in southern states.</u> </i><br />
<br />Dr. Clark's research findings establish much-needed scientific credence. He has studied Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the southeastern United States for the past twenty years. His findings are very significant because medical doctors and the CDC have said for years that Lyme is rare or nonexistent in the south.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24568883" target="_blank">Geographical and Genospecies Distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA Detected in Humans in the USA</a> <b>(PubMed, May 2014)</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.unf.edu/publicrelations/media_relations/press/2014/UNF_Professor_Confirms_Lyme_Disease_in_Humans_from_Southern_States.aspx" target="_blank">UNF Professor Confirms Lyme Disease in Humans from Southern States</a> <b>(University of North Florida Press Release, May 13, 2014)</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140513091115.htm" target="_blank">Lyme Disease Confirmed in Humans From Southern States</a> <b>(Science Daily, May 2014)</b></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-69312846198594094612015-09-09T21:00:00.004-04:002021-10-09T02:37:19.565-04:00Rise Up by Andra Day (Live Acoustic Version)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">We help one another RISE UP each time we take the time to listen when one of us is having a tough day. Each time we say, I care about how you're feeling. Each time we pray for one another. Each time we speak words of hope and encouragement. Each time we allow someone's tears to fall, and we cry with them. Each time we support one another through setbacks, challenges, and struggles. Each time we rejoice and celebrate milestones and victories together. Each and every time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Sometimes, we rise up in grand ways. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Other times, we rise up in small ways. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Either way, it matters. </span><br /><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><i><b>You matter.</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 17.12px;">This song is for you, my friends. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Be lifted up and know you are deeply loved and cared about. </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17.12px;">Always,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17.12px;">Michelle</span></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-41241894670204519592015-05-04T11:00:00.013-04:002021-10-10T12:39:28.471-04:00Hold Onto Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN137f3NafMihKW0rYssj7NTh1OW9VSSP31YT4pq-V1gG23I1bwWE_6nuXBTIeaDxXmRq16nJyrDBhp7DFSwLOmSSFvibpWN5yCFKl3j1qDa0A_SYWmMH-4GWSlqDKdSuFKpR5sJ7aYcE/s554/flower+in+bottle+wooden+distressed+table+2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN137f3NafMihKW0rYssj7NTh1OW9VSSP31YT4pq-V1gG23I1bwWE_6nuXBTIeaDxXmRq16nJyrDBhp7DFSwLOmSSFvibpWN5yCFKl3j1qDa0A_SYWmMH-4GWSlqDKdSuFKpR5sJ7aYcE/s16000/flower+in+bottle+wooden+distressed+table+2.0.jpg" /></a></div></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My story's not over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And neither is yours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Keep holding onto hope, friends.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-9332108698052989752015-02-09T17:30:00.002-05:002021-10-09T01:40:19.953-04:00Sisters and Brothers by The Vespers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I like to share music occasionally here on My Lyme Symphony. I'm a music lover from way back and believe it's good for the soul and the body. There's nothing quite like a good song that can express our hearts, move and inspire us, or lift our spirits. Music is certainly a language we all understand.<br />
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I've been listening to Americana singer-songwriter band, The Vespers for a couple years now and have been a big fan from the start. I find their newest song, <b>"Sisters and Brothers,"</b> to be particularly meaningful.<br />
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So my Lyme sisters and brothers, this is for you. Hope you enjoy this live session.<br />
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<i>"Look out for your sisters, don't forget your brothers. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Gotta take care of each other."</i><br />
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Love,<br />
Michelle<br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-72107218421772200922014-12-22T15:01:00.041-05:002021-10-09T02:25:08.384-04:00True Color Me: Honest Revelations Of This Rugged Lyme Journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I wrote much of this several months ago (August) but then went into a stretch of feeling physically worse and had to put it on hold. I'm feeling better now and have since finished this. I </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">almost hit publish a dozen times but continually held back for different reasons. There are so many deep components to this complex disease that I often refrain from writing about it because I feel I can never fully address them all. But I've come to the conclusion that it just isn't possible. No matter how much anyone writes or speaks about this, there will always be something else or something more. Always. However, not writing doesn't accomplish anything either. I've also held back because I wondered what people would think or say after reading it. </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">But they haven't had to live these past 20 years of my life either - I have. And factoring my faith into the whole mix brings yet another dimension into play. With that in mind, I've tried to express </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">some</span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"> of the honest truths of this rugged Lyme journey I have experienced while balancing it with the hope of that faith. Why I suddenly feel compelled to post this now - </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">days from Christmas</span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"> - is beyond me. </span></i><i><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">But I do, and it needs to be said, for myself, and perhaps for everyone living with</span></i><i><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"> Lyme disease. - </span></i><i><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Michelle</span></i></div>
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I've discovered something over the past twenty years of this journey.<br />
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We don't always want the truth of our stories to be the truth of our stories. Because the truth of ours stories is often painful, ugly, and messy. Living that actual truth out is not easy, but it is our reality, and we can't pretend like it's something that it's not.<br />
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There are certainly good parts of our stories, too; beautiful, wonderful parts. Parts that bring us joy and blessings. But it's those other parts that are so hard to deal with. And yet, accepting the whole truth of our lives is important.<br />
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Anyone who knows me knows I am a woman of faith and hope. I absolutely believe God works in deep places and through ways we can't always see or understand. In the meantime, however, living in reality is unavoidable. It doesn't mean we aren't hoping, praying, and working for something better, we are, but we can't dismiss or trivialize the difficult, unpleasant parts of our lives either.<br />
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Feeling the need to hide the truth of what we go through because others think we should be positive and <i>"not talk like that"</i> is ludicrous. How ridiculous is it that we must explain and defend ourselves to people who think they know everything about this but have never endured a day of living with a debilitating chronic illness, much less years? That some people actually believe Lyme or other tick-borne infections couldn't possibly make someone <i>that</i> sick is really unbelievable to me.<br />
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That's really what all this is about. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Sharing more of the truth of my story. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The truth I live; the truth many do.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I always try to be honest about living with Lyme, the many years I was misdiagnosed, and the ongoing repercussions. By sharing this, I hope to help bring better awareness and understanding. I also want to help advocate for the desperately needed changes in how Lyme disease is handled overall. <br />
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Having said that, I don't always go into a lot of detail about my ongoing health struggles, or what it's really like on a daily basis. Believe me, it looks a lot different on this side of the screen. And while it is wise to use discretion about how much personal information we share, I feel there are times it's needed and helpful to be more forthcoming about this disease and how it affects real lives.<br />
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Honestly, this has been burning a hole in me for a long time now. I need to write this for myself. <i><b>I am writing this for myself.</b> </i>But I hope it can help someone else too.<br />
<br />I truly believe there is a higher purpose in life, but I do want to share some truths about this long, hard journey. I wish I could somehow reveal everything that has happened, but it just isn't possible. I'd have to write a book or two. Maybe three. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Instead, I'll share this. So please read on, but read on knowing this has been my life for the past twenty years. It's honest. It's real. And it's from straight the heart and perhaps the gut a bit too.<br />
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After twenty years, I sometimes feel lost in this ongoing battle. Many days have been a struggle to do more than just exist. At times, it feels like all the color of life gets sucked right out, leaving everything in dull shades of gray. Leaving me in the gray. It can be a challenge to hold onto your identity.<br />
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Clearly, anyone who is chronically ill has unique daily struggles. We have regular hardships and frustrations that no one else sees or understands except for those with us every day; they go through this too. And while there are many different kinds of suffering, there's something uniquely difficult about physical suffering.<br />
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When Lyme disease is chronic or long-term, treatment is usually intricate and time-consuming because so much is involved. It's more of a disease complex, and the many chronic infections and inflammation involved take a significant toil.<br />
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There are so many things that break down in the body over time. It's like a chain reaction; one thing leads to another and then another and so on. It's something no one can understand unless you've experienced it for yourself, which is another reason to share our stories and possibly save someone else from the long years of suffering so many of us have endured because of misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.<br />
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Like many I know with Lyme, I've been much sicker than most people get or understand; being misdiagnosed for so long certainly didn't help. As I said, none of us can fully grasp what we've never experienced before, but I'm telling you it's really hard to be so sick for so long and to have your life completely turned upside down by it; to lose so much along the way and travel a path that is laborious, lonely, and so often misunderstood. It's also hard to fight people's insensitivities and judgments, even within the medical community, even within the church.<br />
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Seriously, you wouldn't believe some of the things people say to someone who is chronically ill. Or some of the "advice" they feel the need to give. Unless you've been there and done that, you honestly cannot know the depths of this hardship. Even then, we all have a unique experience because we are uniquely different people with unique biology. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My advice is, please don't talk about things you really don't understand. And while I'm on the topic, let me say that making someone whose chronically ill feel like they're not doing enough or that they don't have enough faith to get well is cruel. Stop it.<br />
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It is true I am better in some ways, and I'm really grateful for that. However, I'm still very unwell. That's often hard for people to hear and fully comprehend. So I want to add some personal perspective to it.<br />
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My doctor and I sometimes use a scale to help us both measure and convey where we believe my health is overall. On this scale of 1-10, with 1 being the WORST and 10 being the BEST, I have spent a great many years at 1 and 2 - my absolute worst years. In hindsight, I wonder how I really did endure it all.<br />
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Over the past few years, I've been at a 3 but would often fall back to 2 while occasionally falling up to 4. But I could only maintain a 3.<br />
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These past couple of years, I've been at a more consistent 4. And while I am glad for it, and while 4 is certainly better than 1 or 2, it's still a far stone's throw away from 10. I have fallen back to a 3 and am also having some 2-ish days again as I write this. So trust me when I say that I didn't just sit down and throw these words together. I've been working on this for a while.<br />
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On a majority of days, I look nothing like my profile pictures on social media. I usually look much worse and often feel worse too. I sometimes use editing programs or filters to enhance my photos (as a photographer, I love using various editing tools and apps, and I love black and white photography). I also sometimes edit my profile pics. I know this is my choice, but it's honestly because I only want a decent-looking picture.<br />
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But there is a line, and I find myself feeling compelled to be more real about that line and the truth of my life. We live in a culture that thrives so much on looking good at any expense; it's sending a dangerous message. It's not reality. And it's certainly not reality living with Lyme disease.<br />
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The photos below from September show an edited black and white (photo 1) picture of me versus the original true-color picture (photo 2). The black and white version made me look better, but the color photo reveals the truth. Or at least as much as it could capture.<br />
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And the truth of this photo is that I had just had blood work done in preparation for a new phase of Lyme treatment. My doctor ordered labs to see how things were functioning in my body before taking this next step. And because there were certain things she's been concerned about, me too. And although the weather was really nice that day, and it felt good to be out, I wasn't feeling very well. I was really fatigued and running a fever, among other things. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After getting labs done, my Mom and I had lunch in the car. We watched this crazy-hyper squirrel run around the parking lot we were in, devouring nuts like they were going out of style, which made us laugh. We had some really good coffee too. This lunchtime in the car was the highlight of our day. Simple joys really do mean the most.<br />
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We ate in the car because I didn't feel like getting out - again. We also ran by my doctor's office to pick up something I needed and then stopped for a few groceries on the way home. I waited in the car (this is where I am in the photos below). I was feeling sort of sad and weary, thinking about how long I've been sick, how physically tired I was feeling, what my labs would show, and how unending this all seemed.<br />
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So why am I telling you this?<br />
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Because this was the truth of that moment. Because that moment reflects the bigger truth I've lived with for twenty years - the truth I still live every day. And because I'm showing you more of the true color me, and not just the black and white edited version.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHOTO 1 EDITED BLACK AND WHITE ME</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHOTO 2 TRUE COLOR ME</td></tr>
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I am still in a wheelchair and have been for seventeen long years. I don't just use it occasionally or whenever I go out. I am in it. Every. Single. Day.<br />
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My gait and balance have been greatly affected by this. You don't realize how complexed the biomechanics of walking are until you can't do it anymore.<br />
<br />
Let me just say it's extremely difficult to roll around when not feeling well, severely fatigued, or in pain. And thick carpet is <b><i>not </i></b>my friend. Neither is gravel. There are never, ever, enough disabled parking spaces in any given parking lot. <i><b>Not anywhere. </b></i>Nor are there enough public sidewalk ramps. And just because a building or a restroom has the little blue handicap sign on their wall, and just because somebody throws down a slab of cement or something resembling a ramp to get in the door, doesn't mean it's truly accessible.<br />
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This is precisely what one of my physical therapists drilled into my head years ago, as well as the wheelchair skills I had to learn and adequately perform before she would officially release me. She let me know in a very candid way that not everybody would run to help me when out in public, nor would everybody care. She wanted to be sure I could take care of me and get where I needed to go.<br />
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She was right. And while I'm never out alone, I've seen and experienced a hundred times over what she alluded to. It's sad but true. However, I am so blessed to have my mother, who has been and still is my caregiver and biggest supporter [throughout this entire ordeal]. We have creatively maneuvered many a ramp, sidewalk, doorway, and parking space together over the years. Trust me, every person in a wheelchair could tell you stories.<br />
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I was in physical therapy in the late '90s and early 2K's - for over five straight years. This was during the sixteen-year period I was misdiagnosed, long before we ever knew I had Lyme disease.<br />
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I spent three of those years in therapy at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky (in and outpatient). I used to have outpatient PT three times a week and would fall asleep on the way home because I was so utterly exhausted. My Mom was always deeply concerned about this like it wasn't normal to be that wiped out after an hour of physical therapy.<br />
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And it wasn't normal. It was an indication of what we didn't yet know.<br />
<br />We'd get home early in the afternoon, and I would go straight to bed and crash hard. Sometimes, I'd sleep until the following day. Other times, I'd sleep until 7 or 8 o'clock that night, get up and eat some dinner, and then go right back to bed, not getting up again until morning. Eventually, I had to quit physical therapy altogether because it was just too taxing for my body.<br />
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I also used to have a lot of major vertigo. It was absolutely awful to go through. Another one of those things no one can understand unless they've experienced it themselves. I might have an occasional flare-up, but it's nothing at all like it used to be. All I can say is, <b>THANK GOD FOR THAT!!</b><br />
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As a result of much treatment and hard work, especially over these past two to three years, my balance and movement are way better than they've been in a very long time; actually, since 1997, which was the year I first went into a chair. And while I still do not have a normal gait (walking) yet, and while I am still in a wheelchair, these are two of my most significant improvements.<br />
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I can now walk sideways or sidestep around my bed, down the length of the kitchen counter, along the railing of our deck, etc. I do need something to hold to or have contact with. Some days I can go longer and further, and some days I cannot because I don't have the energy or my legs feel too weak.<br />
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The fact that I've been able to maintain this improvement is big. <i><b>Really big.</b></i> I've experienced improvements in other areas before but couldn't hold onto or sustain them, or they'd just fluctuate. So this is very encouraging. The joy of moving in this way and being more solidly balanced is almost hard to describe. It is a freedom I've not had in years. And it's a significant improvement.<br />
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I'm pretty much home the majority of the time. I mostly only get out for my doctor appointments, lab work, or other pressing or necessary matters. If I'm having a better day, I might feel like going out for lunch, but not often. I am also careful of getting out around a lot of people, which my doctor has cautioned me about. Especially when "stuff" is going around.<br />
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I was bedridden for many years. Long stretches of days and weeks at a time with very little reprieve in between. It didn't start out that way, but that's exactly what it turned into over time. This is better also, but I still have days when I'm feeling bad or more deeply fatigued, and I'm right back there. <i>I've been having some more of those days again. </i>However, I am happy it's not as bad as it used to be.<br />
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It's been odd watching my friends and peers move on in theirs lives. It's usually the normal progression of getting older, furthering careers, buying houses, perhaps getting married, starting families, raising kids, doing life. A few are even becoming grandparents. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Believe me, I know no one has a perfect life, and I want them to be successful and happy, but I cannot relate to those things. My adult life has been nothing like that. Mine has been filled with deep ongoing sickness, numerous doctors visits, lab work, tests, therapies, and the continual quest to find answers and get well.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There have also been many rugged places with my faith in this journey.<br />
<br />
I've always tried to be honest about this, too, so let me tell you something I've learned.<br />
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Trusting God and praising Him in the storm is not always easy to do, especially when the storm has raged on for so long. In fact, it's often the last thing you want to do or feel like doing. Many people give a lot of lip service to this when things are going easy and smooth, but when things get really tough and uncertain, when the rubber actually meets the road, it's a whole different story. This is why no one should criticize or judge what they've never had to live with or go through.<br />
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I learned a long time ago I can still trust Him while not understanding Him, which is precisely what He's after. He is far more concerned with our trust than our always understanding Him. As long as we live, we'll never fully understand everything. Trust is big with Him. Still, I know it's not always so easy. But something does happen when you choose to trust Him anyway, despite all the reasons you have not to.<br />
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When bad things happen to us or someone we love, it's normal to question or struggle with our faith. We often beat ourselves up for this, but if our faith means anything at all, it will ultimately endure our deepest struggles, questions, and even our doubts. How can our faith mean anything if it's never challenged?<br />
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On the flip side of this, I also believe that in our desire to be faithful to Him, we shouldn't forget to be real too. God's not into fake or plastic living. Neither am I.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I don't need some fluffy cotton candy version when it comes to genuine faith. I don't need a looks-good-on-the-outside-but-has-no-real-substance-on-the-inside version. And I certainly don't need a hyperchurchy version, meaning it's all good behind the four walls but falls apart otherwise.<br />
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None of these "versions" have enough authenticity for me. None of them have the true empowerment I need to help me through my real life.<br />
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I need the solid, honest kind that helps hold you through the worst storms of life. The kind that keeps breathing through the ups and the downs. A faith that's as much alive in the valley and desert as it is on the mountaintop, which usually means you'll wrestle with it. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And my faith has certainly been worked over. A lot. We've had some big fights. It's been banged up and bruised. It has scars, but it's real and hearty. And we've gotten to know each other better because we've grappled so much. While it's been excruciating a lot of the time (like pull-your-hair-outta-your-head difficult), it has brought me into deeper, sweeter places with Jesus.<br />
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Real places.<br />
Sustaining places.<br />
Colorful places.<br />
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These real, sustaining, colorful places, and the struggle of the past twenty years, have taught me more than anything else in my entire life. And while it has undoubtedly come with a cost, I honestly wouldn't trade this closeness with Him for anything.<br />
<br />I never thought or expected my life would look like it does. Some parts have been so difficult, I really have no words for them. But I also know it's not the end of my story either.<br />
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Still, I won't deny what I'm going through or how hard it's been. Ironically, and perhaps it's more accurate to call it a divine irony, I feel my healing, recovery, and destiny are all tied into this path. So what other way is there to get to it but go through it?<br />
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At times I have felt the true color me has challenged some people's personal beliefs and theology. I've even felt some prefer the black and white edited version of me because it's easier for them to deal with and make sense of. And I think this is really a reflection of our culture as a whole.<br />
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Society likes pretty pictures and pretty stories, often at the expense of truth. But here's the problem - that's not always reality.<br />
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Sometimes the stories are perfectly wonderful and lovely, perhaps even amazing and beyond what we could ever dream of or hope for. Many times, they are not.<br />
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We don't live in a fairy tale land where everything is always golden and ideal. We live in a real-world, with real people who have real problems. And we all need real help for our real lives from a real God.<br />
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I believe one of the most courageous things a person can do is to stand in the truth of their real-life story; the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly.<br />
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I'm not saying we never progress into greater or better things or learn to walk in deeper faith. And I'm certainly not dismissing how God can bring change, healing, and restoration. I am saying living authentically is essential and necessary. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And that's what this whole post is really about - <i>living life in true color if you will.</i><br />
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True color me reflects the whole truth of my life, every part of it. True color me is still not well and still sits in a wheelchair. And there are days I still really struggle, even after all these years of various treatment protocols, therapies, healthy eating, prayers, ministry, and obedience. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Yet true color me is also filled with greater wisdom and understanding. True color me has tougher skin and a braver heart. True color me is filled with deeper compassion, and a more vital <span style="font-family: inherit;">inner beauty, trust, and hope, even for a better future.<br />
<br /><span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.6px;">True color me is filled with a faith that doesn't dismiss my suffering but helps sustain me through it. It's a tested faith that doesn't collapse when it gets too hard or even dark but knows how to hang in for the long haul and be salt and light. It's a faith that can withstand challenge and hardship while holding me in love, truth, and grace.</span><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.6px;" /><br /></span>
<span>It's a genuine faith that knows my name. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>A</span><span>nd I know His. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span>Michelle Holderman</span><br />
<span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">Copyright </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">© </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">2014 </span></span></span></div>
Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-52323464032407384502014-10-26T11:30:00.000-04:002015-10-31T12:14:38.262-04:00Brief Health Update and The Blessings of Autumn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi friends. It's been an exceptionally rough few months for me. Honestly, I've felt so bad and so fatigued I haven't really cared about writing. I've had many bedridden days again and I hate it. I know so many of you understand exactly what I'm saying. Earlier this year, we focused on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and felt my body needed to detox before working through anything more. So over the last several months I've been doing a comprehensive detox protocol, especially in preparation for a stronger, deeper level of homeopathic Lyme treatment. While I've done detoxes before, I've never done one this comprehensive. And it has absolutely kicked my butt and sent my into a crash I didn't expect. But my labs show I am in adrenal exhaustion and I know this has played a role. My doctor feels this is the reason I haven't been able to pull out of it. Between all of the "stuff" this detox is bringing out and my exhausted adrenal glands; my body is just too taxed to deal with it all. Overwhelmed. Too much physical and biochemical stress. Needless to say, everything else is on hold for now.<br />
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On a side note, I found an excellent book by Dr. James Wilson, ND, PhD, entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fatigue-Century-Stress-Syndrome/dp/1890572152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414347871&sr=8-1&keywords=adrenal+fatigue" target="_blank">Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome</a>. Clearly there are different kinds of stressors, which all stress affects the adrenal glands, but in speaking about chronic illness Dr. Wilson stated,<i> <b>"The more chronic the illness, the more critical the adrenal response becomes." </b></i>That is a profound statement and I think it's something we all need to be aware of. After 20 solid years of this chronic debilitating illness, I know my adrenals are in serious need of attention.<br />
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Also of note is that Dr. Wilson says infections, particularly respiratory infections, are especially draining on the adrenal glands. He says the more chronic an infection is, the more taxing it becomes on adrenal function. <i><b>And it's cumulative</b>.</i> He also says if pathogens (disease causing bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc,) are present in the body, they must be dealt with <i>first</i> before proper function of the adrenal glands can be fully restored.<br />
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Well this is really the Catch-22 for those of us with chronic Lyme (and other co-infections). As it stands, Borrelia (Lyme bacteria) is not a pathogen that can be eliminated from the body. Regardless, I believe doing everything I can to help my exhausted adrenal glands is vitally important. But my adrenals aren't the only thing that's exhausted. My whole body is exhausted. I. Am. Exhausted. This disease itself is physically exhausting. Working your butt off for twenty straight years to be well, doing anything you can, is also exhausting; in every way. I don't even have words for it all anymore. And let me just say if you haven't been here then you cannot understand the depths of this.<br />
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I've been on basic adrenal support in the past but am now on a more comprehensive support. The foods we eat can also play a big role in helping our adrenal glands heal and Dr. Wilson discusses this at length in his book. Even the times we eat can either be beneficial or detrimental to our adrenal function. I believe in eating whole, healthy foods anyhow, so I'm really focusing on this as well. And while I felt better for almost two weeks after beginning the adrenal support, I've started feeling badly again recently. <i>It's the crazy roller coaster ride that never lets you get off.</i><br />
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For years, this has been how my body responds to anything new. Feel better at first and then crash and feel like crap again. An immunologist my doctor consulted with last year said this is a sign of severe immune imbalance. He said a Lyme infection plays havoc on the immune system; especially when it's long term. His exact words: <i>"Long term Lyme infections confuse the immune system to such a degree that it causes it to lose its intelligence." </i>If you're interested in reading more about this go <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/10/update-on-my-lyme-journey.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We've been working on correcting this immune dysfunction for over a year. It can get so frustrating and discouraging when working so long and hard to correct something but not seeing big changes. That's not to say my immune system isn't functioning better on some level; it is. However, I still have an immune deficiency. Interestingly though, our adrenal glands have a direct affect on the overall efficiency of our immune systems. So knowing what I do now, I'm thinking my adrenals have played a role in this as well. Perhaps that's an overlooked key. And perhaps this would also explain my struggle to fully recover from a major respiratory infection I had back in 2012. I seriously hope healing my adrenal glands will also help balance and improve my immune function more. I suppose like everything else in working to physically heal, especially where the Lyme complex is concerned; it's a process.<br />
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I don't feel well enough to write anything more but given this beautiful season we're in, and because I always try to find something beautiful in the midst of this mess, I wanted to share a post from my other blog, The Ragamuffin Saint, that I wrote three years ago entitled, <i>The Blessings of Autumn</i>. I so love fall and wish I could get out more to enjoy it. I do have a great view from my bedroom so that is a blessing to my soul. And I try to get out on our deck with some hot tea to take in the beautiful landscape and breathe in some crisp fall air. I hope you enjoy the post and photos from October 2011; especially if you can't get out. Believe me, I understand. May it bring a smile to your face and leave your heart warmed with some of the beauty of fall.<br />
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~ Michelle<br />
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<a href="http://www.theragamuffinsaint.com/2011/10/blessings-of-autumn.html" target="_blank">The Blessings of Autumn</a></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-50647020576585188412014-08-18T16:00:00.003-04:002021-10-10T12:43:27.747-04:00Keep Dreaming, Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrT00KcK7saq4-tHQvXh4GLewxvfwkQmK0GtFlFu_fbOUSYNfxyXGDNI-JmoHhqzuQKkuFb0fXAcQlZrhxb_1JGObR56MbePC8-ZMuPtlGS8fLIxxI6vxFafDeu8e6Nj7gP8jiEIx61g/s1600/Hold+On+Tight+To+Your+Dreams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrT00KcK7saq4-tHQvXh4GLewxvfwkQmK0GtFlFu_fbOUSYNfxyXGDNI-JmoHhqzuQKkuFb0fXAcQlZrhxb_1JGObR56MbePC8-ZMuPtlGS8fLIxxI6vxFafDeu8e6Nj7gP8jiEIx61g/w411-h411/Hold+On+Tight+To+Your+Dreams.jpg" width="411" /></a></div>
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Even though this journey is long and hard -<br />
Don't give up.</div>
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Don't quit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Keep hoping.</div>
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Keep believing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>
HOLD ON TIGHT TO YOUR DREAMS.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
They are worth it, and so are you.</div>
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<br />With love and hope,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-8980148283360115612014-07-11T21:00:00.000-04:002020-06-11T01:05:01.989-04:00Welcome To The Truth About Lyme Disease<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Perhaps I should say welcome to the truth about Lyme disease as I see it. I've wanted to write this so many times I've lost count, and I have struggled with doing so for many reasons. First off, it's a huge undertaking. The truth of Lyme disease is no small thing, nor is it for the faint of heart. Moreover, I don't have the amount of energy I think it takes to do it complete justice. Then again, could any length of writing really do that? Honestly, this could go so many ways. I start to think it might just be better to write this thing freestyle. Whatever comes out, comes out. You know, Que sera, sera. But I don't want to come across in the wrong way either.<br />
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<i>Do you see a dilemma forming here?</i><br />
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Having said all that, I think it's better to go for it than leave it all unsaid. I have experienced my share of being misunderstood, so what the heck.<br />
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I know and respect that each person's experience is unique. Clearly, there have been many already who've addressed this topic in a variety of ways, probably better than I can. So while this is in no way a comprehensive piece on the truths of Lyme disease; it is from the heart. And the gut. And the funny bone.<br />
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I've written about Lyme in myriad ways before, so I'm going to try this from a more distinctive point of view. Perhaps quite different from how I usually write. It might work; it might not. Maybe this whole thing will only make sense to those of us with Lyme, and maybe this won't make any sense period. Nevertheless, here goes.<br />
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<b>Lyme disease can be your worst freaking nightmare.</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>How's that for an introduction?</i><br />
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Lyme, and other tick-borne infections, can be easy to get but difficult to treat. Mainstream medicine tells people the opposite. I'm telling you that thousands of other Lyme sufferers and I can't all be wrong.<br />
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When Lyme goes undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and/or untreated, it only allows the bacteria to spread and entrench itself deeper within tissues and cells. That's why if left unabated over time, the whole body often becomes involved, including major organs like the brain, heart, and liver.<br />
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If caught early, it can be treated pretty successfully without complications, however, here's another problem - many people are carrying the Lyme bacteria around in their bodies and don't even know it. That is until their immune system gets taxed by some serious stressor like an infection, surgery, significant life change, loss, death of a loved one, or some other type of physical or emotional trauma. Then it can rear its ugly head seemingly out of nowhere.<br />
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For me, it was after having an oral surgery, which later turned into having two more subsequent surgeries due to complications. After having three oral surgeries, two within a year, you bet my immune system was down. I've never felt the same since that initial one; it was the beginning of what later became a 16-year diagnostic nightmare for me. And now, 20 years later, here I am. Still working to heal and recover from what we now know is chronic Lyme disease. Misdiagnosis was a big issue for me. <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">My story</a> is reflective of so many other people's stories, and vice versa.<br />
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The truth is, it isn't only about the Lyme bacteria (Borrelia, of which there are various strains) when dealing with a long term or chronic Lyme infection. There are many factors involved, which is why it is more appropriately referred to as the Lyme Disease Complex. Also, other co-infections, immune suppression, systemic inflammation, genetics, methylation, toxicology, trauma, nutritional deficiencies, detoxification, etc., are all critical issues that must be addressed. Furthermore, we each have unique biological makeups, and that means we all respond differently to things, including treatments. There is no one size fits all treatment. I personally believe we each need individualized treatment protocols.<br />
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Integrative medicine physician Dr. Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc, recently wrote an article on Huff Post Healthy Living entitled, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/the-truth-about-treating-_b_5575564.html" target="_blank">The Truth About Treating Lyme Disease</a>. It's a really good piece regarding the truth about the Lyme complex and his holistic overview of what successful treatment must include. He also does a great job of conveying the difficulties of treating this complicated disease complex; it's not so simple. He emphasizes that it takes time (don't we know it). And he also encourages there is always hope for improvement (totally agree). It's worth taking the time to read, especially if you or a loved one has Lyme.<br />
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And do you honestly want to know how we feel about Lyme? <br />
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We hate it. It makes us want to puke. In fact, some people with Lyme do puke.<br />
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On a scale of 1-10 (with one being the worst and ten being the best), most all of us at some point have been at 1 and 2 for months and years. Many of us have made some improvements but are fortunate if we can get to a 5 or 6, even after working long and hard through various treatments. It seriously takes a great deal of time to work through this complex healing process.<br />
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Some people are never the same, and some people don't make it.<br />
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It feels like living in an ongoing episode of The X-Files. You know, where the truth is out there but is always elusive, suppressed, and concealed. It's where the ones who really know the truth, and are willing to go out on a limb for it, are usually portrayed in a poor light.<br />
<br />
Remember Fox "Spooky" Mulder?<br />
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Yeah, now he knew the truth. He wasn't crazy; he was sharp, brilliant, actually, and he was a threat because of it. He lost a lot, but he kept on working hard and pursuing what he knew was right, despite having to fight the system and all the players in it; despite getting discouraged at times; despite almost quitting, more than once, I might add.<br />
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You see where I'm going with this?<br />
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Symbolism is a great tool. Please, don't ever give up, Lyme friends. Let's hold on and keep believing together, okay?<br />
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By the way, I've often wondered if those "designer bees" from The X-Files movie, the ones housed in massive domes out in the middle of nowhere amongst all the random corn crops, held the <i>real</i> cure for Lyme.<br />
<br />
Uh, huh.<br />
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Maybe we should consider starting The L-Files.<br />
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Seriously though.<br />
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We work our butts off every single day to be well. Or at least work towards some type of improvement on some level, any level.<br />
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We're not on some extended hiatus having the time of our lives because we <i>"get to stay home."</i><br />
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<b><i>Really?!?</i> </b><br />
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Does anyone actually think that?<br />
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They must because you'd be shocked at some of the responses many of us have gotten from people. Not all people, but some people. How shall I put this? Some people say the most ridiculous, insensitive things, it's almost comical.<i> </i><br />
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<i>I said almost. </i><br />
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It's not very comical when you're on the receiving end and don't physically feel well or are in a great deal of physical pain. Or when you're so profoundly fatigued, you can hardly breathe, much less move. Or when you've lost so much along the way but nobody can see it; perhaps they don't want to.<br />
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The effects of Lyme disease on real lives create tremendous suffering in the body, soul, and spirit.<br />
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It hits wallets and checkbooks pretty hard too.<br />
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I've said this many times before and have certainly learned it's very true: no one can fully understand the depths of something they've never experienced themselves. This is true of many things in life, including chronic illness. I'm specifically referring to Lyme disease here because that's what I've lived with for so long, and that's what has turned my life entirely upside down like it has so many others.<br />
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We're all sicker than anyone really knows or understands. Still, when others ask us how we are, we've learned it's usually a lot easier NOT to go into detail. That's mainly because a lot of people just don't understand. We're not faulting them. As I said, no one can honestly understand this if they've not lived it. But it is less frustrating and draining for us than having to deal with some of the looks, the rhetoric, and the casual, sugarcoated responses we so often get.<br />
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<i>Hey people, this is not Candy Land, OK? </i><i>Or should I say Candy Crush? </i><br />
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Um, yes. <b>We're STILL in treatment. </b>I'm sorry that's hard for you to grasp; try living with it. We know with all the remarkable technology of today, there should be premium testing and perfect treatments available. Maybe in Candy Crush Saga that would exist, perhaps for Tiffi and Odus the Owl, but not in Lyme land. <b><i>X-Files. Remember?</i></b><br />
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And yes, it can take years to make headway with this. We deal with it every single day.<br />
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Some days we're up, and some days we're down. Other days, however, we park it in the middle and can't budge.<br />
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Some days we laugh. Some days we sigh. And some days we just sob our guts out.<br />
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Some days we are hurting. Some days we're scared. Some days we're frustrated. Some days we're weary of it. And some days we want to scream our guts out.<br />
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Some days we DO scream our guts out, which usually scares the cat, the dog, and/or the neighbors, but hey, it sure makes us feel better.<br />
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Some days this is all so absurd and surreal, we just shake our heads. Like a lot. Some days it's so weighty and severe, we don't really know what to do with it. And some days we're so dang sick, fatigued, and debilitated, we can't care about anything else.<br />
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Some days we light up. Some days we crank it like a chainsaw. And some days we totally crash.<br />
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Some days we long for the life we once had. Some days we dare to dream big for the future. Some days, we feel completely lost and alone in it. And then some days, it feels like this will never end.<br />
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Some days we feel like we got the boom. Some days we fall down and go boom. And some days, we feel like the boom done went and left.<br />
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Some days we raise the music through the roof and don't want to talk to anybody about anything. As in, <b><i>S</i></b><i><b>hut up, my favorite song is playing!</b></i> Some days we can't stop talking about it. Some days we want and need silence. And some days we're so tired of this whole mess, we try and pretend it doesn't exist anymore, but that usually doesn't last very long.<br />
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Some days we feel like we can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Some days that light gets brighter. And some days, the light seems to have disappeared.<br />
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Some days we express words we didn't even know were buried deep within us. Some days we have no words whatsoever. And some days, we write really long, eccentric blog posts.<br />
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<i>Welcome to the truth about Lyme disease.</i><br />
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~ Michelle<br />
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PS: No animals, neighbors, or ticks were hurt in the process of writing this truthful but off the wall piece about one of the fastest spreading, most serious infectious diseases today.<br />
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Although, I did heavily mix rock, electronica, hip-hop, singer-songwriter, and folk music together during the writing process. AND, I had a homeopathic cocktail chased minutes later by a tall hot green tea. AND, I was texting my nephew about new kicks (not to be confused with new ticks), swimming, and black eyes. Otherwise, nothing eventful took place.<br />
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PPS: Take a deep breath.<br />
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PPPS: Actually, I wouldn't mind taking out a few punk ticks.<br />
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PPPPS: We all share commonalities, but truly, our stories are unique. And your story matters, friend. Don't be afraid to share it. Someone somewhere needs to hear it. Welcome to the truth, indeed.<br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-62522742819539673982014-05-01T11:00:00.000-04:002014-05-15T18:33:58.068-04:00It's Lyme Disease Awareness Month <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>May is <span style="background-color: white;">Lyme Disease </span>awareness month.</b></div>
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Did you know that Lyme disease is the fastest spreading infectious disease in America?</div>
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Last August, the CDC upped their official count of new Lyme disease cases in the US annually from 30,000 to 300,000<b> ~</b> <b>A TEN FOLD INCREASE</b>. But that's only an estimate of reported cases. Many Lyme diagnoses are not reported. Therefore, the real number is even greater.</div>
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Lyme is a tick-borne disease caused by the spirochetal bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). While ticks are considered the primary mode of transmission, other insects (mosquitoes, fleas, mites, flies) can carry the Lyme bacteria as well.</div>
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Lyme disease is found in all 50 states and many other countries including Canada, UK, The Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and China, among others. </div>
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For more detailed information please read <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/p/lyme-disease-is-bacterial-spirochete.html" target="_blank">What Is Lyme Disease?</a></div>
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For a better understanding of the Borrelia bacteria please read:</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-1.html" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 1): The Structure of the Lyme Bacteria</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-2.html" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 2): Motility of the Lyme Bacteria</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-dissease-part.html" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 3): When Lyme Bacteria Infects the Brain</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/04/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-4.html" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 4): Lyme Receptors</a></div>
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Living each day with the effects of this complexed disease can be challenging to say the least. Nevertheless lets keep fighting the good fight, my Lyme Warrior friends. We'll see this through together.</div>
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In FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE.</div>
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~ Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-72326263358762342172014-02-25T11:00:00.017-05:002021-10-09T01:11:32.425-04:00Update On My Lyme Journey: Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been over five months now since I started my new Lyme treatment. Despite working really hard for more than three years using various protocols, my doctor and I found out last September that I still have an active infection. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Discouraging, but we also found out a significant missing piece to this puzzle in how the chronic Lyme infection has affected my immune system. To read my previous health update about this, please go <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/10/update-on-my-lyme-journey.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am having some rough days on this treatment; it's really up and down. Some days I feel better, other days I feel bad, and many days fall somewhere in-between. However, it sure beats feeling the absolute worst every day, all day, like I have for so many years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're also treating the long-term Epstein-Barr (EBV) infection I've struggled with for quite a while, too. Last fall, the immunologist that my doctor consulted said it's imperative to treat EBV in conjunction with Lyme because they get layered together and play off of each other. Therefore, treatment must target or address both. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Several years ago, I was treated by a physician for over two years with different prescription antivirals (Valtrex and Famvir) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">for Epstein-Barr specifically. C</span>learly, it didn't work because it's still an ongoing issue for me. <span style="font-family: inherit;">However, we didn't know about the Lyme infection back then, so I believe Lyme and EBV do work in tandem, just as the immunologist said. Before hearing that from him, I'd always felt a link between them </span>because<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of my own experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>We are also working to correct the severe immune dysfunction the Lyme bacteria have caused in my body. I certainly think this has played a role in the chronicity of EBV, but I also believe Lyme disease directly has everything to do with keeping Epstein-Barr in a reactivated state.<br />
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As for the immune dysfunction, <span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm stuck in overdrive on my T-helper 2 side, which means it overacts. As a result, this has pushed my T-helper 1 side into suppression, which </span>causes<span style="font-family: inherit;"> it to underact. All of this is due to the chronic Lyme infection. It's been happening for a lot of years and has thrown me into an auto-immune cycle. The immunologist also told us long-term Lyme infections cause the immune system to become so confused that it literally loses its intelligence, but we're working to restore it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm experiencing more neurological stuff at times, too. I've been having a lot of buzzing, tingling, numbness, burning, and shock-type pains. The sensation on the left side of my face was very dull for several days. All of these sharp, burning pains feel like touching an electric fence that sends a burning jolt through you. While it isn't very pleasant to go through, I think it's actually a sign my body is working to heal and repair my nervous system. I believe the treatment is helping reduce inflammation and better support my neuronal function, which is precisely what it's supposed to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, the large Lyme ring rashes I've had on my back, chest, and abdomen for almost a year now are significantly better since starting this treatment. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">At one point, I seriously looked like I had the Olympic rings on my back, except there were way more than five. O</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">verall, it has mostly cleared up, and I am so glad. A big thumbs up for that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not sure what's coming next in terms of how I'll feel. It will probably oscillate back and forth, but either way, I've got to do this. We must deal with this Lyme infection as outright as possible and continue reducing inflammation in my body. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I do believe there are some good changes are in progress. I just hope and pray I feel better sooner rather than later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On a side note, this year, 2014, marks twenty years of chronic illness for me. I can't help but think back through the many long and difficult years and wonder how I've survived it all. It's been hard, and that's an understatement. But, as I've said many times before, and it really is true, God has kept me in ways only He could.</span><br />
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My beloved mother is and has been all throughout these years, my "boots on the ground," if you will. And let me tell you that when you're chronically ill, you need present, tangible help
every day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Love and well wishes from afar are nice, but they aren't the present and tangible help you need when you're so profoundly sick, debilitated, and fatigued. She's the one who has been by my side through all of this, and I am ever grateful. I can't begin to tell you how much she has done for me over these past twenty years. Not only the big things but also the small day-in-day-out things. I am blessed by her care and devotion in helping me be well.<br />
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Prayer helps sustain us very much, but practical help is equally necessary; it takes both to get through this. Actually, when you're that sick and fatigued, and you can't function, you need those real and present hands and feet more than anything else. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So yes, prayer helps, but it doesn't make meals for you or tangibly meet your ongoing physical needs each day. It doesn't drive you to doctor's appointments and sit with you while you're receiving your lab or test results. It doesn't hold your hand while you're having an awful day. <i><b>In other words,</b> l</i><b><i>ove in action from somebody is required. </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">
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My Mom and Dad have both made many sacrifices to help me since I've been ill. And I understand how truly blessed I am to have the ongoing support I do because many do not. My illness has been hard for my family too. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it can't be easy to watch someone you love suffer so much for so long</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Chronic </span>illness truly affects everything.<br />
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What I'm experiencing while on this treatment isn't something I haven't already on some level over the years, but it sometimes gets wearisome. And, again, if you don't have that ongoing tangible support, it's doubly hard and stressful. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Many do not have the support they need, and they suffer more as a result. Everyone whose sick should have somebody in their life they can depend on to help them, but sadly, that's not always the case. And that hurts my heart.</div>
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<br />Let me say that I absolutely believe God is doing what only He can in this, but in the meantime, I have to keep doing what is necessary, too, and it is a full-time job. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I continue asking Him for perseverance and resolve, so if you'd like to pray anything for me now, please pray for that. And please pray for everyone who has Lyme disease. The suffering is often so tremendous, and not everyone has a caregiver to help them regularly.<br />
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Better yet, if you know someone with Lyme, or any chronic illness for that matter (especially with no ongoing support), offer to help them practically in some way. For instance, offer to run errands or help around the house somehow. Perhaps they need transportation to an upcoming appointment, and, if you're able to do so, filling that void would sure lift a burden. Ask what their specific needs are and then follow through with the particular help.<br />
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<br />I'll end for now by saying, none of this is easy, but you just have to focus on what needs to be done each day - that's what I've learned through the years.<br />
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Take one day at a time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Be brave. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do the work. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cry when you need to. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then trust God with the rest. </div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-54800151899594877482014-01-24T14:48:00.003-05:002021-10-09T01:18:17.129-04:00Crying Is Okay Here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Consider this a personal invitation to let out your held-back tears while at My Lyme Symphony. Seriously. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Tears are very healing and have different functions in the body. They help us process loss and grief. Equally, they help us to express profound joy and relief. Chemically speaking, tears act as a safety valve by releasing excess stress hormones such as cortisol. Dr. Judith Orloff, M.D., wrote an excellent article about all of this entitled, <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201007/the-health-benefits-tears" target="_blank">The Health Benefits of Tears</a>. It's worth reading.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I believe it was pretty intentional that God gave us the ability, and the gift, to cry. Tears speak the truth of our hearts when the struggle or pain is just too great and overwhelming. They are a unique voice all their own because tears express what words often cannot. They give value to our experiences.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lyme is very taxing, and we often find ourselves battling through one thing or another, so we need to be kind to ourselves in this healing journey. We need to honor our God-given tears when they come by allowing them expression. Please know that crying is perfectly okay here. In fact, I encourage it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In love and friendship, </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-32551960782576443502013-10-20T18:30:00.010-04:002023-06-14T22:44:25.528-04:00Update On My Lyme Journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been quite a while since I posted an update on my health and where I am in this Lyme journey. So I'll get straight to it.<br />
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I <b><i>still</i></b> have an <b><i>active </i></b>Lyme infection, even after three years of various kinds of treatment.<br />
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Long-term Lyme infection = chronic Lyme disease.<br />
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This was confirmed by a Ph.D. immune researcher (Dr. N) whom my doctor consulted with after I started breaking out with multiple large ring rashes on my back, chest, and abdomen during the past several months. Turns out, this is a sign of active Lyme. He said this happens when the body doesn't know what to do with the infection anymore, so it comes out through the skin (an organ itself).<br />
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He also told us some things we didn't know about how the Lyme infection has affected my immune system and how this happens when the Borrelia bacteria are in the body long term and isn't sufficiently treated or diagnosed correctly, to begin with, allowing greater dissemination. I think this is a common picture for many of us with chronic Lyme.<br />
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Dr. N says a long-term infection with the Lyme bacteria (Borrelias) confuses the immune system to such a degree; it causes it to <i>"lose its intelligence."</i> I'd never heard it put that way before, but I can see this is true.<br />
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Specifically, he told us the Lyme infection has caused my immune system to become stuck in a dominant Th2 (T-helper) cycle, an auto-immune cycle. He believes I've been stuck in this a very long time—years. This means my Th1 side is suppressed, and none of this is good because it creates a tremendous imbalance in how the immune system responds to pathogens, toxins, and allergens. One side of the immune system overacts, while the other underacts. If this goes on over time without correction, the immune system can literally burn itself out.<br />
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Interjection: I'm pretty sure God has been preserving me.<br />
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Interestingly, this explained some other issues I've had for years, like how I easily get and cannot get over certain infections, including some dormant infections that are chronically reactivated, particularly Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV). They can get layered in with the Lyme and other tick-borne co-infections. I've had respiratory infections I've never been able to recover from either fully, and now I know why—MTHFR mutations and this severe immune dysfunction, which is actually rooted in the Lyme infection itself.<br />
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T helper (Th) cells are immune cells. These cells are neutral until a pathogen (bacteria, virus, parasite, fungus), toxin, or allergen comes along, and they convert into either Th1 or Th2 cells, depending upon the threat.<br />
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Th1 cells fight viruses, cancer, yeast, and intracellular bacteria (bacteria inside cells that replicate like Lyme/Borrelias).<br />
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Th2 cells fight extracellular bacteria (bacteria that do not invade cells or replicate), parasites, toxins, and allergens.<br />
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Dr. Paul Cheney, M.D., explains immune dysfunction syndromes quite well. He says when a person is Th2 activated, they no longer have the defense mechanisms to keep dormant all the things caught in their past. They cannot suppress or control them anymore. Strep, EBV, CMV, etc., reactivate. Candida can also begin to appear. Go <a href="http://immunophen.com/blog/explaining-immune-dysfunction-syndromes" target="_blank">here</a> to read more. If that link is broken, try <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/327496204140464870/" target="_blank">here instead</a>.<br />
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While I have had a few improvements, I am still unwell. But, as brutal as this all is, and as sick as I still am, I can't tell you how validating it feels to finally find a doctor who understands what long-term Lyme infections do to the immune and nervous systems—<b><i>to my immune and nervous systems.</i> </b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Finally, somebody who has a deeper understanding of what's <i>really</i> been happening in my body! I'm so grateful to Dr. N. for the revelation he gave my doctor and me and for the time and expertise he graciously shared.<br />
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I am grateful to my doctor, too; I feel blessed to have her. She has walked with me through this for the past seven years that I've been seeing her. We've had many ups and downs, and over this last year, we both knew something else needed to be done. As she put it, while there have been some preserving benefits in my treatments, I'm still not getting well, which is a big problem. <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The fact tha</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">t I was misdiagnosed for so long—16 years—has only complicated matters. For the record, she is the one who discovered I really have Lyme disease, which was a process in itself, but that's another story for another day. </span><br />
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Clearly, a new protocol is in order, and I have started a new comprehensive treatment based on Dr. N's recommendations. It's totally herbal (with ongoing homeopathic and nutritional support), and while I've used some herbal therapies in the past, this is a protocol I've never done before. I have been on it for about a month now, and the most significant difference I can tell is that it's clearing up my Lyme rash. Nothing else helped before this.<br />
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Dr. N. laid out a very realistic picture of what he believes this treatment must entail. He said it must be comprehensive and not just focused on "killing" the Lyme bacteria, which is really difficult to do once Borrelia spirochetes invade the cells and replicate. It must also address inflammation, damage, and dysfunction in the entire nervous system and other affected organs and systems. And he said gaining back control of my immune system as soon as possible is highly crucial.<br />
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We already knew some of these things and have been working to accomplish them. However, Dr. N's insight into how the Lyme infection has affected my immune system changed how we look at the overall picture and proceed with a different treatment. It's like he's given us a huge, missing piece to this crazy, complicated puzzle; an essential element.<br />
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Our primary treatment keys:<br />
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1.) Treat the long-term Lyme infection as outright as possible using Berberine as a primary herbal antibiotic. Then switch to another herbal combo after 2 months. Back this up with homeopathic remedies.<br />
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2.) Reduce overall inflammation in the body, especially in my immune and nervous systems, including my brain. Dr. N says absolutely no one can fully heal or be well with high levels of inflammation in the body. We must also help repair and support the entire nervous system. This is a longer process.<br />
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3.) Correct immune dysfunction by helping restore intelligence back to the immune system. This will help with chronic viral infections as well as the Lyme infection.<br />
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<b>According to Dr. N, we must do numbers one, two, and three simultaneously to be successful. And so we are. </b><br />
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4.) Once my immune and nervous systems are stronger, we will start working to correct other dysfunctions in the body like adrenals, thyroid, liver, etc.<br />
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Also, maintaining the ability to detoxify is always near the top of the list. If one cannot detox, then one cannot heal. This is something we've been working on for a while and continue doing.<br />
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I'd be lying if I didn't say I felt somewhat disheartened by this, and that this has been going on for so long just adds to it; nineteen years total, to be exact. However, I knew deep down that the Lyme infection is still an issue for me because I know my body. If nothing else, this certainly speaks to the complexity and chronicity of Lyme disease. And it speaks of how stealth the Borrelia bacteria are, like it literally hijacks the immune system.<br />
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I know this has been rather long, and honestly, I wrestled with writing it because it takes a lot of energy to put it all together. Still, I needed to write an update, if only to document it all for myself. I will try to post periodic updates as I work through this new protocol.<br />
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Please pray for my endurance as it would be much appreciated.<br />
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I can't even begin to tell you the different treatments I've tried over the years (I know those of you who are also struggling with Lyme totally understand) and how I've worked my butt off to be well. So I really hope and pray this will be a key or at least a big step forward. Some days, it's just plain hard, but I'm still holding to my faith.<br />
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The Lord's brought me this far, and I know He will see me through.<br />
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With love,<br />
<br />Michelle<br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-39687677100647887562013-10-02T21:00:00.000-04:002015-07-15T11:23:41.360-04:00DesBio Lym Drops (Updated August 2014)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
DesBio's homeopathic Lym drops (yes without the "e") have become such a helpful support in my overall Lyme treatment. It's not a cure all but I find it gives me some much needed relief; in particular it helps me when I'm having Lyme related headaches, eye sensitivity, and fevers. Not so much for fatigue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVtKaxGaP1vbLaaJbXz4i-qrbgwOYluFSbFYLlU9zVe81qjRwON-2TPvorx5tOXDHkUG-ULKYicFeJNTL8F-GgfbVzbrEX_E0r_aaYtH1U2fseHbDv8sRx8Qaq7s79Uz8roiZ0vsDbr4/s1600/IMG_5284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVtKaxGaP1vbLaaJbXz4i-qrbgwOYluFSbFYLlU9zVe81qjRwON-2TPvorx5tOXDHkUG-ULKYicFeJNTL8F-GgfbVzbrEX_E0r_aaYtH1U2fseHbDv8sRx8Qaq7s79Uz8roiZ0vsDbr4/s400/IMG_5284.JPG" width="400" /></a>Again this is not a stand alone treatment for chronic Lyme but rather a supportive therapy. Taking several drops three times a day yields the best results. But of course, each day is different and the benefits can last longer than others. So I take more drops at certain times than others. Some days, Lym is like a little miracle for me.<br />
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The point of all this being it helps to bring about some relief. And when you're suffering with a Lyme headache, ear pressure/fullness, sensitivity to light, fever or aching muscles and joints; any relief is welcome.<br />
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The deeper I go into treating my long term Lyme infection, the more I find I need this Lym homeopathic support. I honestly cannot be without these drops some days. When I don't take it, I suffer more; <i>especially with headaches and light sensitivity.</i> So I take it daily. Its as simple as that.<br />
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This is also great to have on hand for tick bites as you can apply drops directly to the site.<br />
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DesBio, short for <a href="http://desbio.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Deseret Biologicals</a>, makes many homeopathic, nutritional and botanical medicines. On a side note, they also make what are called Series Therapy kits for many different kinds of bacteria, viruses, etc. And they make one for Borrelia burgdorferi as well (which also includes Babesia). I treated with two of the different Borrelia Series Therapies (Basic and 1M) for over a year and it helped with certain things more than others. The biggest difference it made for me was in totally stopping a Lyme-related arrhythmia I had for two years prior to that time. My doctor and I didn't know Borrelia was at the root of the arrhythmia until it totally subsided after I started these potent homeopathic series therapies. <i>That alone was huge!</i><br />
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I personally respond very well to homeopathic medicine. Certainly different things work for different people and I believe everyone has to do whatever works best for them. So anytime I find something that helps me in a significant way, I like to share it. And in sharing my own experience, I always hope it might be of help to someone else. If you've used Lym or any other DesBio products for Lyme disease, I'd love to hear if and how it's helped.<br />
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FYI: there are a few places online you can find this but otherwise; DesBio products are usually sold through healthcare professionals.<br />
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In love and hope,<br />
<br />
~Michelle<br />
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<span style="color: lime;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*UPDATE - </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>August 2014*</b></span></span><br />
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Desbio has recently changed LYM to <b>Lyme Plus</b>. The major difference is the adding of Babesia microti and Ehrlichia (thus the "Plus"), which makes this more comprehensive but is still different from the Series Therapies. I think it's a great formula to add as an aid to any Lyme disease treatment because many of us have Babesia and/or Ehrlichia infections as well. But remember; different things work for different people.<br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-29273473543086536892013-08-10T12:30:00.000-04:002013-10-14T20:06:54.186-04:00H.O.P.E.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
1. <b>Hope</b> [ho'hp] <i>transitive verb: </i><br />
a) to desire with expectation of obtainment;<br />
b) to expect with confidence: trust; rely<br />
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2. <b>Hope</b> [ho'hp] <i>noun:</i><br />
a) desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment; expectation of <span style="font-family: inherit;">success </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">b) the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">c) someone or something on which hopes are centered</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hope doesn't necessarily exist apart from struggle. In fact, there's usually a battle raging. What hope does is to remind us there is the possibility of something better. Hope speaks a continual, <i>"Don't quit."</i> It 's that ever present whisper </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in our hearts that says, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">"It's not over. You can do this."</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It's the proverbial </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rocky </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">music in our ears. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And there is a greater hope as well. Romans 5 hope. Colossians 1 hope. It's the ultimate hope in my life. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's what keeps me going in this long, difficult journey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Michelle</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"While there is life there is hope - and while there is hope there is life." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">- E.E. Ho</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">lmes</span><br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-31251381562893911872013-08-08T11:30:00.003-04:002023-06-13T09:46:18.008-04:00The Long and Winding Road of Chronic Lyme Disease<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had a few better days last week. Now, I'm not feeling well. Again.</div>
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Many other Lyme friends are struggling a great deal these days too. Is it the universal time for Borrelia spirochetes to divide and replicate?? Is something else flaring up? Perhaps other long-standing co-infections that need attention? Or are our bodies just worn out from the constant fighting of pathogens and continual repair efforts? </div><div><br /></div><div>It's all so taxing.</div>
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Of course, we know the constant state of flux we're in. This disease complex is so crazy up and down; I feel like a battered yo-yo. A yo-yo that's been wildly flung every which way but loose for almost twenty years.</div>
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<div>Better yet, it's like the roller coaster ride that never lets you get off. It yanks you away through frenzied highs and lows, dips and drops, and sudden turns that thrash you from side to side. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh sure, it slows down ever so often, but it never entirely stops. Both the relief and the frustration of it all is in the downhill coasting. You're really moving. You've got the momentum going for you, but soon enough, you hit the long climb back uphill. Again.</div>
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This speaks so well to the struggles of living with this disease. It can be very discouraging.</div>
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We work hard to get well, often finding something that helps for a while. But then it seems we find ourselves repeating this same process over again. And yet again, we can find ourselves back at zero.</div>
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This repetitive process of working so hard and long for little gain can be draining and disheartening. It's the constant daily doing that can leave us weary. And many of us have been "doing" for a lot of years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Myriad doctor's and therapy appointments, treatment protocols, supportive home therapies, specialized diets, food preparation, juicing, ongoing research, etc. Believe it or not, that doesn't leave much time left in the day. Working to recover from this debilitating chronic illness is a full-time job, and it can be pretty exhausting when you're already running on empty.</div>
<div><br /></div><div>And then there are the losses that accumulate along the way. Some are big, and some small, and then some fall anywhere in between. Physical losses are tough, but so are the loss of friends, jobs, livelihoods, and dreams. There are different kinds of losses for different people. Nevertheless, loss is a part of this illness to some degree for all of us.<br />
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It has been my experience that not everybody can hear the truth of my struggle, which by the way, expressing them—my struggles—doesn't mean I've lost hope or given up on my faith. If anything, this fight has taught me how to hold on, press in, and persevere even more.<br />
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Truthfully, not everybody can get in the dirt with you. Not everybody can be in it for the long haul. This is true for many things in life, and it's most certainly true in the long and winding road of chronic Lyme disease. But thank God for those rare and priceless jewels who can!<br />
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It's sometimes more than most people can bear. And I'm not blaming anyone for that because it's often more than we can a lot of times, too. Still, it can leave us feeling alone and misunderstood. The truth is this whole thing is really messy and absolutely changes everything. No part of life isn't affected.<br />
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Clearly, everyone has to go on about the business of living. People have responsibilities; they have to work, go to school, pay bills, and take care of their families. And everyone should be able to relax and enjoy vacation and downtime every now and then.<br />
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We want these things too. But many of us have to do them on top of being very ill if we can even still do them at all. We want to live our lives free from sickness, exhaustion, pain, debility, and limitation. We want to have the health and energy to do fun things and make a difference. Mostly we just want to simply go about the business of living our lives too.<br />
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All of this is a truth that seldom gets fully understood by those outside looking in. I've said this many times before, and I'm repeating it; no one can fully understand that which they've never fully experienced for themselves.</div>
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It is also true that I believe God works in and through our circumstances, that He has His purposes, and they are redemptive and restorative in nature, that He considers the many and not just a few. And that understanding His perspective and timing are essential.<br />
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We should not dismiss, overlook or underestimate this about the Lord.</div>
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Still, the journey is difficult. I don't always understand. I don't know why so many of us, including children, suffer greatly from an insidious disease that wreaks havoc on our bodies and is heartbreaking for our loved ones. I don't always understand why this truth is so adamantly denied, opposed, and made light of. And I don't know why some people cannot get the proper treatment they need and deserve. </div>
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<div>This, however, is where my belief in divine justice comes in. The truth cannot remain hidden forever. Justice will not always be denied. The powers that be will one day be held accountable. The whole truth will be revealed for what it really is. And then justice will be duly served one day. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's my prayer, at least. </div>
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I also know we've all been pained by more loss lately in the Lyme community.<br />
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Last week, like many of you, I went on Facebook and saw that another fellow Lyme Warrior had died, a young, beautiful, beloved mother and friend to many. I didn't personally know her, but at that moment, the gravity of it all really struck me, and I just sat there and wept. </div>
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I wept for her and her daughter, for the rest of her family and friends. I wept for everyone I know that has Lyme. I wept for everyone I don't know who has Lyme. And I wept for myself.<br />
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It was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and cleansing, all at the same time.<br />
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I know many of you were deeply affected as well; I could almost feel our collective grief. </div>
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Sometimes I think only our tears can really speak the truth of our hearts and struggles. So let the tears fall. Let them be our voice and express what our words cannot.<br />
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And let's keep on loving and supporting one another. Let's keep working to make something beautiful out of all this suffering.<br />
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With Love and Compassion,<br />
<br /></div>
<div>Michelle</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSycrRW_ncqx-2VnnZ8muErJS5fb-XpGQoeEnsXzozvIDWO4NkKhpyoKvF0SRnMmtmlEg8dQDggfmEgJ5qTsWnWZtPF_iODirLpr1pDxFvPI8T4TkFuhKQ82D6lXqSetPuC-3sg54MNk/s1600/long-road-walking+picmonkey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSycrRW_ncqx-2VnnZ8muErJS5fb-XpGQoeEnsXzozvIDWO4NkKhpyoKvF0SRnMmtmlEg8dQDggfmEgJ5qTsWnWZtPF_iODirLpr1pDxFvPI8T4TkFuhKQ82D6lXqSetPuC-3sg54MNk/w426-h640/long-road-walking+picmonkey.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/a-note-to-newcomers/long-road-walking" target="_blank">Photo Source</a></div></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-14109748372850475322013-08-03T11:30:00.000-04:002013-08-06T09:05:08.440-04:00Hard Science On Lyme: Trials and Tribulations of Getting Borrelia Biofilms Accepted for Publication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dr. Alan MacDonald, MD, shares an insightful, albeit frustrating article today on the blog, <b>Hard Science On Lyme</b> at LymeDisease.org. It goes along with my previous post of Dr. MacDonald's video interview on the biology of Lyme disease in which he discusses many things Lyme, including the role biofilms play in chronic Borrelia infections.<br />
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I've said it before and I'll say it again, as we in the Lyme community well know, Dr. MacDonald and Dr. Eva Sapi are audaciously leading the way in establishing the solid science of Lyme borreliosis. Eventually, the powers that be will have to acknowledge the truth of what they are scientifically proving.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIsCtYYn1Ij0aa4Qj7PCRAwc_5cqZXaJ8ewKKuchg4YL32wkgiLbr6AePBx5-3BDNLSoeOnfWy-VI5pPY6ZlG7DyJ7jFwlo34pqgMKQm8Pmqj_om9B0kiTUtmYjuIPZA50tmlLTTqaOo/s1600/Alan-MacDonald2-Lymediseaseorg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIsCtYYn1Ij0aa4Qj7PCRAwc_5cqZXaJ8ewKKuchg4YL32wkgiLbr6AePBx5-3BDNLSoeOnfWy-VI5pPY6ZlG7DyJ7jFwlo34pqgMKQm8Pmqj_om9B0kiTUtmYjuIPZA50tmlLTTqaOo/s320/Alan-MacDonald2-Lymediseaseorg.jpg" width="229" /></a>I can't think of a more fitting quote right now than this one by Author Schopenhauer: <i>"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. And third, it is accepted as being self-evident."</i><br />
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Thanks to LymeDisease.org for posting this article and always advocating for the truth of Lyme disease. The intro and link to the blog are below. ~ Michelle<br />
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<b>In this guest blog, pathologist Alan MacDonald describes the struggle to publish the discovery of Borrelia biofilms and what the existence of these biofilms means for chronicity and treatment. Click <a href="http://lymedisease.org/news/hardscienceonlyme/the-rest-of-the-story-trials-and-tribulations-of-getting-borrelia-biofilms-acccepted-for-publication.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full article.</b><br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-81064345243807447332013-07-31T16:30:00.001-04:002021-10-09T13:11:13.297-04:00The Biology of Lyme Disease: An Expert's Perspective<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I wanted to share this informative interview (May 2013) with Dr. Alan MacDonald, MD, clinical pathologist and researcher. He explains the microbiology of Lyme (Borrelia spirochetes) disease and the connection he has found in his many years of research to degenerative neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.<br />
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He starts by explaining some of his medical background and training and how he became interested in studying and researching spirochetal diseases, first with Syphilis (Treponema pallidum), and then more specifically, Lyme disease (Borreliosis).<br />
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Of note is an interesting case study regarding a German physician who had Alzheimer's disease. Dr. MacDonald and his team found high antibody levels of three different strains of Lyme spirochetes in his spinal fluid as well as Lyme spirochetes in his brain.<br />
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He also stated he could grow Lyme spirochetes from four Alzheimer's brains in his work with culturing brain tissues through the George Glenner Alzheimer's Brain Bank at the University of California at San Diego.<br />
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He discusses biofilms, DNA changes, and mutations of the Borrelia bacteria. During the last ten minutes, he eloquently explains why Lyme testing methods are flawed here in the USA. As many of us with Lyme already know, standard labs only test for one strain of Borrelia when testing for Lyme infection. At the same time, there are about 100 different genotypes of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) alone and many other species of Borrelia bacteria as well, i.e., B. afzelli, B. andersonii, B. microti, B. miyamotoi, etc.<br />
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Dr. MacDonald is a true pioneer in Lyme research, and his vast knowledge of Lyme disease biology is over-the-top excellent. He's done most of his work at Harvard and in his own basement. He's best known and beloved in the Lyme community for his role in the Lyme documentary, <a href="http://www.underourskin.com/" target="_blank">Under Our Skin</a>.<br />
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At the filming of this interview, he stated that he now collaborates with Dr. Eva Sapi, Ph.D., in her ongoing Lyme research at the University of New Haven while also continuing his research in Alzheimer's and Lyme Neuroborreliosis. Two great scientific minds for sure!<br />
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I think that Dr. MacDonald has laid a solid foundation of research for the role Lyme spirochetes can play in many neurological diseases, including MS and ALS. Instead of calling Lyme <i>"The Great Imitator," </i>perhaps it should be called<i> The True Root of Many Disease Processes more fittingly</i>.<br />
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This video is just under thirty minutes. It's clearly worth watching if you have Lyme or someone you love does. I found it very interesting and enlightening. Also, it will prompt you to go directly to YouTube to watch.<br />
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Love and blessings,<br />Michelle<br />
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P.S. If you're interested in reading more about the microbiology of Lyme, Borrelia bacteria, or how it affects the immune system and other cells, consider reading <b>The Complexities of Lyme Disease</b> by Thomas Grier, MS which is also excellent. Click <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read Part 1 or find the whole series listed in my blog archive under March and April 2013.<br /></div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-1119745783461975622013-07-10T13:30:00.000-04:002013-07-11T14:46:56.024-04:00iSpot Lyme: New Generation of Testing From NeuroScience, Inc.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">NeuroScience, Inc recently anounced the release of a new, and suppossedly more sensitive, Lyme test called iSpot Lyme (TM).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">NeuroScience states that iSpot Lyme has a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 94% for the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb); making it an excellent complement to the current two-tiered antibody method of testing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The iSpot Lyme detects a cellular immune response against Lyme antigens, which appears earlier in the disease process (2 weeks) than the antibody response detected by the traditional Western Blot test (4-6 weeks). More importantly, iSpot Lyme can even detect antigen-specfic T cell response in seronegative patients" </i>(iSpot Lyme: A New Approach to Lyme Disease Testing - The NEI Connection).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">If this pans out, perhaps it will be the start of a new direction in better testing methods that will be more accurate and more widely available (being the standard and not the exception). And maybe it will lead to effectively testing for other strains of Borellia as well. That is much needed also. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;">I've had good experiences in the past with other types of testing through NeuroScience (Pharmasan Labs). I think they hold a high standard in neurotransmitter testing. Perhaps they'll become a new high standard in accurate Lyme testing too. Let's hope so.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;">To read more about this new testing method check out <a href="https://neuroendoimmune.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/ispot-lyme-a-new-approach-to-lyme-disease-testing/" target="_blank">iSpot Lyme: A New Approach to Lyme Disease Testing</a> on The NEI Connection blog.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;">For more detailed information read the White Paper and download the PDF <a href="https://www.neurorelief.com/index.php?p=cms&cid=486&pid=149&type=1" target="_blank">iSpot Lyme (TM): A New Generation of Lyme Disease Testing</a></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxyyf60bypDKC67xdpErDYEWp3qQ2hYOuro70TyWLZ4Ff_WVGRuvSrvcnJL7xGm2rsI4Ozn8-hYb1_pIxn2l-3giBkPEVp6LdBMwK-d4FCiYrKj3YPbKMVUy2qqrcvqZk85Zv-GvCEiQ/s1600/ispot+lyme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxyyf60bypDKC67xdpErDYEWp3qQ2hYOuro70TyWLZ4Ff_WVGRuvSrvcnJL7xGm2rsI4Ozn8-hYb1_pIxn2l-3giBkPEVp6LdBMwK-d4FCiYrKj3YPbKMVUy2qqrcvqZk85Zv-GvCEiQ/s1600/ispot+lyme.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a B. burgdorferi-infected patient are exposed to B. burgdorferi protein antigens (A) B. burgdorferi-specific T cells are activated and secrete small proteins called cytokines (B) T cells that are not specific for B. burgdorferi do not become activated. iSpot Lyme (TM) </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">measures the cytokine IFN-gamma secreted by the patient's T cells. Cytokine proteins (IFN-gamma) are captured near the cells that secreted them and are then detected using a color reagent (C).</span><br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-48915573980501244972013-05-07T11:00:00.001-04:002021-10-07T17:41:56.669-04:00Real Heroes: A Tribute To Lyme Warriors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is a turning point for everyone. </div>
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A place where courage overtakes fear.</div>
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A place where adversity reveals true heart and character. </div>
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It is here, within the smoky haze of battle, that real heroes begin to arise, something stirring within them, fighting a fight they never asked for but pushing through nonetheless.</div>
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Wounded and weary from the prolonged fight, they wear their scars like service medals;<br />
marking severe afflictions and commemorating hard-fought victories. </div>
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They do not stand alone but rather band together, supporting and holding each other up<br />
along the way, not wanting to leave any behind.<br />
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But the battle takes some. </div>
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Still, they journey on, for the time demands it.</div>
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They will not forget. Nor will they lay the torch down. </div>
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Perseverance surges through their exhausted bodies.<br />
Wisdom and experience hold them upright.<br />
And they war with an intensity that marks their call. </div>
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Humble. </div>
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Compassionate.<br />
Tenacious.</div>
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Resolute.</div>
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They step forward for this fight. </div>
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Praying for the strength to overcome.</div>
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And they'll keep working until they get it right.</div>
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Pressing on in fortitude, they take charge.</div>
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Believing the impossible to be possible, they change the atmosphere.<br />
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Now the truth is bearing down,<br />
revealing what could not be seen before.</div>
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And then they emerge as the real heroes they truly are.</div>
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I've written this in tribute to all my fellow <span><b>Lyme Warriors</b></span>. I know the battle is brutal. I know you're weary. I also know you're stronger than you realize. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span>Y</span></i></b><i><span><b>ou make a difference. You inspire and encourage. </b></span><b><span>And you are some of the gutsiest, most kindhearted people I have the honor of knowing. Thank you for your friendships and support. You are heroes every day.</span></b></i></div>
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Keep on keeping on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Change is coming.</div>
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With much love, gratitude, and respect, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-60723862918791888622013-05-01T09:00:00.001-04:002021-10-09T22:27:29.589-04:00Lyme Disease Awareness Month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's May, and that means Lyme disease awareness month. Lyme is caused by the spirochetal bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. Lyme is primarily a tick-borne infection. However, transmission is also possible through infected mosquitoes, fleas, and other insects. </div>
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Lyme disease is not to be taken lightly. If left untreated or not treated sufficiently, it can disseminate throughout the body, damaging cells, organs, and tissues. It is a multi-system disease, meaning it affects many systems in the body. Long-term or chronic Lyme can significantly affect the heart, joints, muscles, nervous (central and peripheral), and immune systems. It has been documented that the Bb bacteria can invade the brain within the first 48-72 hours of infection. Lyme disease is also known as <i>"the great imitator"</i> because it can mimic other diseases and illnesses. Accurate diagnosis is paramount. </div>
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Remember ticks also often carry other serious pathogens such as Bartonella (Cat Scratch Fever), Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Relapsing Fever, Q Fever, Tularemia, and Powassan virus. This speaks of the more common picture of Lyme disease today, which is chronic, relapsing, and includes multiple co-infections, such as those listed above, and other viruses, parasites, and fungals. This is more appropriately termed the Lyme disease complex. I'll be writing more about this throughout the month, the life stages of ticks, and how to properly recognize and remove them. </div>
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We are now entering the season that ticks are most active (mid-Spring to Fall). So please be mindful to check yourself, your kids, and pets for ticks after being outdoors. And don't forget to check those inconspicuous places like belly buttons, underarms, in and behind ears, between toes, and groan areas. </div>
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Educate yourself. Please see <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/p/lyme-disease-is-bacterial-spirochete.html" target="_blank">What Is Lyme Disease?</a> for more detailed information about risk factors, safety precautions, and the symptoms and stages of Lyme. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Please see <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/p/health.html" target="_blank">Resources</a> for a list of helpful websites, blogs, and books related to Lyme, co-infections, and other relevant health issues. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You might also want to consider reading <b><i>The Complexities of Lyme Disease</i></b> series by Thomas Grier, M.S. Part 1 can be found <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>, or the entire series is listed in my blog archive (March and April 2013).</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-54536571776517566962013-04-16T08:30:00.001-04:002021-10-13T20:42:05.919-04:00The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 4): Lyme Receptors <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span>This is Part 4 in the series <b><i>The Complexities of Lyme Disease by Thomas Grier, M.S.</i></b> Click</span> <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a> <span>to read Part 1.</span> <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-2.html" target="_blank">Here</a> <span>to read Part 2. And</span> <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-dissease-part.html" target="_blank">here</a> <span>to read Part 3.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lyme Receptors </span><br />
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It now appears that there are specific receptors in the Lyme spirochete to attach to endothelial<br />
cells, N-Acetyl-glucasomine, B-cells, glial cells, nerves, and neurons.<br />
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The way our immune system is supposed to work is that it recognizes foreign invaders as being different from self, and it attacks the infection. Unfortunately, the immune system sometimes attacks our own cells. This is called autoimmune disease. If a foreign invader has a chemical structure similar to our own tissue antigens, our bodies sometimes make antibodies against our own tissues. In people with Lyme disease, scientists have discovered auto-antibodies against our own tissues, including:</div>
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<li>Nerve Cells (Axons)</li>
<li>Cardiolipin </li>
<li>Myelin (also seen in MS)</li>
<li>Myelin Basic Protein (also seen in MS)</li>
<li>Neurons (brain cells)</li>
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When the immune system finds a foreign invader, it tags that invader in a number of ways. A cell called the macrophage can engulf the bacteria and then communicate to other immune cells the exact description of the bacteria. Another cell might mark the cell with an antibody, which attracts killer T-cells. Some types of T-cells communicate to other cells what to attack and regulates the immune assault. But sometimes, the body can produce a type of antibody that doesn't attack or help. A blocking antibody will attach and coat the intruder, but it won't fix *compliment, and it shields the bacteria from further immune recognition. In Lyme, we have seen quantities of IgG4 blocking antibody such as is seen in some parasitic infections (Tom Schwann RML 92 LDF Conference).<br />
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[* Note: Compliment is a term used for a series of 18 + digestive proteins that are only activated by signals from our immune system, such as complement-fixing antibodies that attach to foreign antigens.]<br />
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In order for the immune system to make an attacking antibody, the immune system must first find an antigen that it can attack. Unfortunately, as seen by freeze-fracture electron microscope, photographs of the Lyme bacteria show that most of the antigens are on the inside of the inner membrane and not on the outside. This makes the bacteria less visible to the immune system and more difficult to attack.<br />
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The most intriguing fact about Borrelia spirochetes is their well-documented ability to change the shape of their surface antigens when they are attacked by the human immune system. When this occurs, it takes several weeks for the immune system to produce new antibodies. During this time, the infection continues to divide and hide. It appears that Borrelia are able to change their surface antigens many times and can do it quickly.<br />
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<b style="font-size: small;">Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) correlates with the enhancement of Toll-like </b></div>
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<b style="font-size: small;">receptor 2 (TLR2) expression by microglia</b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://iai.asm.org/content/76/10.cover-expansion" target="_blank">American Society for Microbiology</a></div>
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In one study by Dr. Andrew Pachner, M.D., he infected mice with a single strain of Borrelia burgdorferi. After several weeks he was able to isolate two slightly different forms of the bacteria. The bacteria from the bloodstream was attacked and killed by the mouse's immune sera, but the bacteria isolated from the mouse's brain was unaffected by the immune sera. The bacteria isolated from the mouse's brain had a new set of surface antigens.<br />
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It appears that contact with the CNS caused the bacteria to change its appearance. Since the brain is isolated from the immune system and is an immune-privileged site, the bacteria became its own separate strain.<br />
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<b><u>This means:</u></b> Infections of the bloodstream may be different from the infections that are sequestered in the brain. While we continue to have active immunity in the bloodstream, the brain has no immune defenses except for circulating antibodies. So if those circulating antibodies are ineffective to attack the bacteria in the brain, then the brain is left without any defenses, and the infection goes unabated.<br />
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Another peculiar observation of this bacteria is seen inside the bacteria. When the genetic control mechanisms of this bacteria are inhibited with antibiotics known as DNA Gyrase Inhibitors (ciprofloxin), the bacteria start to produce bacteriophage.<br />
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A phage is a virus that specifically attacks bacteria. In this case, there are two distinct forms. This means the Lyme bacteria at one time was attacked by viruses; it was able to suppress them, but the DNA to make the phage is still incorporated within the DNA of the bacteria.<i> </i><b><i>Perhaps activation of this phage could one day be beneficial to treating chronic Lyme patients?</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.borelioza.org/materialy_lyme/the_complexities_of_lyme_disease.pdf" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease ( A Microbiology Tutorial) by Thomas Grier, M.S.</a><br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-10536463165236353312013-04-03T11:00:00.003-04:002023-08-23T14:59:02.101-04:00Never Stop Believing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Even though the days can be long and difficult; Even though our bodies are still exhausted and unwell; Even though we may feel alone and forgotten; Even though this journey seems to be unending—</div>
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Never stop believing for something better.</div>
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Never give up on your dreams. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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Never let go of your faith.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<b>Miracles do happen.</b></div>
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I'm thinking of you today, friends. And praying hope stays alive and well in your hearts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remember, you are not alone.</div>
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In love and friendship,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Michelle</div>
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-546452322606113263.post-48397668471463012752013-03-25T14:30:00.003-04:002021-10-13T21:39:32.251-04:00The Complexities of Lyme Disease (Part 3): When Lyme Bacteria Infects the Brain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span>This is Part 3 of the series, <b><i>The Complexities of Lyme Disease by Thomas Grier, M.S.</i> </b>Click<b> <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a> </b>to read Part 1 and<b> <a href="http://www.mylymesymphony.com/2013/03/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a> </b>to read Part 2. Part 4 is soon to come. ~ Michelle</span><br />
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<span><b><span>When Lyme Bacteria Infects The Brain:</span></b><br /></span>
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As we have previously discussed, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease is a highly motile spirochete within the Borrelia family of bacteria. This is the same group of bacteria that cause Relapsing Fevers in Africa and around the world. Like other Relapsing Fever bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme bacteria) has both an affinity for the brain and a mechanism to penetrate into it.<br />
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While Lyme may be a bit more subtle upon penetrating the brain, its silent but insidious invasion may be the reason that brain involvement can and is often overlooked by physicians for months or even years in neurological Lyme patients.<br />
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In the case of Lyme disease, every animal model to date shows that the Lyme spirochete can go from the site of the bite of an infected tick to the brain in just a few days. While we know this bacteria can break down individual cell membranes and capillaries, its entrance into the brain is too pronounced for such a localized effect.<br />
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When the Lyme bacteria enters the human body, we react by producing several immune regulatory substances known as cytokines and lymphokines. Several of these act in concert to break down the blood-brain barrier (e.g., IL-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, IL-1, Transforming Growth Factor-beta, etc.). In addition to affecting the blood-brain barrier, these cytokines can make us feel ill and give us fevers.<br />
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Since the brain has no immune system, it prevents infection by limiting what can enter the brain. The capillary bed that surrounds the brain is so tight that not even white blood cells are allowed to enter. Many drugs can’t enter either, making treatment of the brain especially hard.<br />
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For the first ten days of a Lyme infection, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is virtually nonexistent. This not only allows the Lyme bacteria to get in but also immune cells that can cause inflammation of the brain.<br />
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<b>* </b>Note: The breakdown of BBB was shown to occur by tagging WBCs, albumin, and other substances known <b><i>not</i></b> to cross the BBB with radioactive iodine. The CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) of mice was tested, and then they were infected with Bb (Borrelia burgdorferi). The CSF was then retested every day after for several weeks. <i><b>The result? </b></i>No crossover of iodine was present in the control group, but 100% crossover was in the infected group for 10 days. The infection had the same result on the BBB as if you were injecting the radioactive iodine directly into the brain.<br />
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Once the Lyme bacteria enter the brain, they continue to divide and become entrenched within the brain's tissues and cells. Borrelia burgdorferi is directly neurotoxic upon contact with neurons and also has a negative effect on glial cells trying to repair brain injury. This, in turn, further increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, allowing, even more, blood-borne agents to enter the brain. The immune system responds to the new flood of internal bacterial antigens and produces more inflammatory cytokines. The result can cause brain edema or encephalitis, intracranial pressure, and focal areas of demyelination.<br />
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Also, when the human brain becomes inflamed due to infection with the Lyme bacteria, cells called macrophages respond by releasing a neuro-toxin called quinolinic acid. This toxin is also elevated in Parkinson’s Disease, MS, and ALS. What quinolinic acid does is to stimulate neurons to repeatedly depolarize. If this goes on unabated, it eventually causes the neurons to demyelinate and die. Basically, people with elevated quinolinic acid have short-term memory problems.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">This means:</u> If we think of our brain cells like telephone lines, we can visualize the problem. If all of the lines coming in are busy, we can’t learn anything. If all of the lines going out are busy, we can’t recall any memories. Our thinking process becomes impaired.<br />
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A second impairment to clear thinking that Lymies can experience is the restriction of proper circulation within the blood vessels inside the brain. Using an instrument called the Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography scanner (SPECT scans), we are able to visualize the blood flow throughout the human brain in 3-D detail. What was seen in the brains of chronic neurological Lyme patients was an abnormal “Swiss-Cheese” pattern of blood flow. The cortical or thinking region of the brain was being deprived of good circulation, while the occipital (eyesight) regions had an increased flow. This could help explain why most Lyme patients complain of poor concentration and overly sensitive eyes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.borelioza.org/materialy_lyme/the_complexities_of_lyme_disease.pdf" target="_blank">The Complexities of Lyme Disease (A Microbiology Tutorial) by Thomas Grier, M.S.</a><br />
<a href="http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/034124.html" target="_blank">Neurocascade Events and Lyme by Thomas Grier, M.S.</a><br />
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Michelle Holdermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15688490279422954556noreply@blogger.com0