With gratitude, optimism is sustainable.

Michael J Fox

I began writing this blog in 2014 for 3 reasons:

  1. to educate people about the truths of lyme disease and the false belief that it is easy diagnose & easy to treat
  2. to give hope to others who are fighting an unknown illness
  3. to journal my experience with lyme & other tick disease and provide updates for friends and family

If you’re sick and you’re reading this – be encouraged! Life may be changed – but God has a purpose and a plan. And that plan is always, always, always good.

Game Changers
Whats It like?
First Response to Tick Bites (JNUTRA)
Perspectives on Food
RECIPES
Where to Buy Better Food & Products

Lyme & Other Tickborne Disease

Under Our Skin is a documentary that discusses the difficulties patients face when trying to get diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease. It discusses the 2 standards of care and the controversy in the medical community. This is an important watch for anyone suffering with chronic sickness.

Watch Under our skin (FREE)

In 2006, I had two tick bites. After a few days, I developed a severe respiratory infection and seemingly unrelated back pain, followed by multiple rounds of bronchitis (and occasional pneumonia), ongoing low back pain, neck pain, gastrointestinal issues and debilitating fatigue.

In early 2013, I was prescribed penicillin for strep throat – 3 days later, I went to urgent care with severe neck and head pain…they sent me to the ER with potential meningitis. It wasn’t meningitis. Many years later, we learned I had a jarisch-herheimer (herx) reaction.

On July 10, 2013, life completely changed. I went to the ER that night with the most severe back pain I’d ever had. Two IV doses of dilaudid barely touched the pain. From that point on, I was mostly bedridden and used a wheelchair for years to come.

I saw over 30 doctors and had tons of blood tests (including 5 lyme tests came back negative).

It took 8 years to get diagnosed.

How can this happen in the United States of America?  How is it that doctors can know so much about this disease but misdiagnose me over and over – for 8 years?  

Doctors follow the guidelines as written by the CDC – they don’t just follow those guidelines, they abide by them as gospel truth.

The CDC is wrong.

Learn About Lyme Literate Medical Doctors Here

LLMD’s

UPDATES:

Update: Sept 2025

To be honest, it’s been a struggle to write because it’s hard to come up with words for where I am, where my family is. If I look back over the years since I first became disabled on July 10, 2013, I see huge progress. Back then I was bed bound most of every day, I used a wheelchair or cane, pain was so horrific I was in the ER on a weekly basis, I threw up daily, had severe…

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Update: 4/7/25

It continues to be pretty rough! I’ve had some good moments here and there – where I’ve been able to get out of the house for a few minutes or even a couple of hours – I got to spend a little time with our newest little grandson last Friday, oh what a joy! But most days I’m in bed, sometimes sleeping all day, sometimes not being able to sleep for days at a time. Always praying that tomorrow will…

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TruDose (PRP) Update

My first round of TruDose (PRP) 8 weeks ago was set to target MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome). I’ve been experiencing a major mast cell flare since then, which apparently is not uncommon. Mast cells are part of the immune system. They respond to specific pathogens by releasing different types of chemicals – most commonly known is histamine. I more or less have an allergic reaction to the world. Yesterday, I walked past a Trader Joe’s – they had a…

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