the Lyme Diaries: Helpful Resources

{Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}

A few weeks before I was "officially" diagnosed with Lyme Disease I remember searching the internet for answers, resources, and help. I spent time calling numerous doctors, left hundreds of messages on any office phone number where I had heard that they even knew of Lyme and laid in bed at night with tears crying out to the Lord as it appeared to be a fruitless and hopeless journey ahead of me. After I received the "official" diagnosis of Lyme I searched the internet for people who had been healed of Lyme Disease and looked to see what doctor they went to, what habits they adopted, and a host of other things. Honestly, the whole thing was a very scary and confusing time. There were a lot of tears, a lot of time spent frustrated as it seemed to be just running into a brick wall, and most of all I kept finding more and more scary things on the internet (some of which were true and some of which were not!). A lot of things that I have learned are simply "trial and error" or something that I have heard someone else try or hearing of a "friend of a friend" trying it. What I would have loved would have been a "resource" guide to all things "Lyme related" and that is what I hope to provide today. (This is in no way an exhaustive list and I plan to continually update it but I hope it will help you navigate this scary world)

Books

(With the exception of any Lyme books that have come out since July 2014 I have read every single Lyme book there is out there (even tracking one down from Germany that I had a friend help me translate!) and have listed the ones that I have found the most helpful. I have listed the ones that I have found "the best" from top to bottom. This is not an exhaustive list and because Lyme Disease symptoms do vary I would encourage you to read as much as you can get your hands on but hopefully this list will be a good starting point for you!)

Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease By: Dr. Horowitz

Insights Into Lyme Disease Treatment By Connie Strasheim

A Twist of Lyme: Battling a Disease That "Doesn't Exist" by Andrea H. Caesar

Lyme disease: My journey back to health By: Judith Albertat

Cure Unknown By: Pamela Weintraub (This book to me is a "must read" for all Lyme patients. It is difficult to "weed" through the language at some parts but the fight for health will be understood by all Lyme patients and their families.)

Videos

Under Our Skin

Emergence

Resources for the Role of Diet in fighting Lyme Disease

The Lyme Diet By: Dr. Nicole McFadzean (I wish I had read this earlier on my journey as I didn't read this until recently and had already adopted all of the principles she mentions. For someone just starting out and not understanding the role of diet in the fight of Lyme Disease this would be an excellent book.)

The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Shelley Redford Young and Robert O. Young 

Gerson Therapy (While I do not follow this therapy in its whole  I do believe some of the principles in the book are a wonderful resource towards healing. You can read the book HERE.)

Recipes for Repair, A Lyme Disease Cookbook: Recipes and tips for the anti-inflammation diet developed by Kenneth B. Singleton, MD, MPH (I have not used all of these recipes but some of them have provided a great "jumping point" for delicious and healthy meals.)

Alternative Therapy Resources

(I have found great relief from symptoms as well as help in the healing process with alternative therapy resources. Some of these I do on a weekly basis some more than once a week but always under the supervision of a doctor. It is SO important to make sure that you are under the care of a trained professional before adding any type of therapy into your routine, even "alternative" things!)

*Dry Brushing and Detox Baths (The role of detoxing is so important but must be done under the supervision of a trained professional so that you do not experience severe herx reactions!)

*IV Vitamin C Therapy (and other IV Nutritional Therapies)

*Acupuncture (When I first started my journey to get better I tried in vain to find an acupuncturist that would work with me not try and "heal me" all in one day. Although I have not found one where I live for half of the year I have a wonderful acupuncturist in upstate New York who has helped me so much with my healing process. I continue to search for one here in the south to help me throughout the year but I definitely recommend acupuncture!)

Lyme Disease and Modern Chinese Medicine by: Dr. QingCai Zhang 

*Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements (under the supervision of a doctor)

*Therapeutic Reflexology 

*Hyperbaric Oxygen (You can see what I wrote about oxygen HERE. I have an article that is in the works about the therapeutic affects of hyperbaric oxygen on Lyme Disease. Once that is published I will cite the link here!)

*Essential Oils (under the supervision of a doctor)

*Gerson Therapy (As noted above)

* Cowden Protocol (All of the items for this can be bought from Nutramedix and they offer a financial support option if you are struggling financially. The ladies there are so sweet and I was so impressed with them as I talked with them. DISCLAIMER: I have not done the Cowden Protocol although it is something that I plan to add in to my regime in the future but have several friends who have done it and it has helped them in their journey. If you are going to follow the Cowden Protocol you might be interested in this book: 

Beyond Lyme Disease: Healing the Underlying Causes of Chronic Illness in People with Borreliosis and Co-Infections By: Connie Strasheim (Author), Lee Cowden MD (Preface)

*Dental Link to Disease (I have been reading more and more about the role of disease and teeth related issues. A great article from Dr. David Jernigan about the role of dental issues with Lyme Disease started me researching this. You can read the original article HERE!)

*Stomach Tip: (from Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride)  

"Protocol to help kill infections in the stomach:

1. Three tablespoons of high ppm colloidal silver morning and night on empty stomach. The silver solution will kill the infection.

2. DGL tablets fifteen minutes after the silver. Three per dose twice a day. This is a licorice extract and is effective in healing.

3. Aloe Vera fifteen minutes after the DGL. Take five tablespoons per dose, twice a day. All three on an empty stomach. That way the effect in the stomach is maximized.

Do this for two months. While doing this, consume no coffee of any kind (get off acidic drinks) and no carbonated drinks. No acidic foods like tomatoes, chili, hot peppers while the two months of treatment is going on."

(I have lots of stomach issues and while I haven't followed this exactly I know people that have and I have taken these same tips and applied them (under the care of a doctor) and seen helpful results!)

Financial Tips (General)

You can read an entire blog post about financial tips and resources that I wrote HERE!

Groups/Organizations

The Mayday Project