VICTORY OVER LYME DISEASE

Having spent most of my life in the woods, hunting, fishing and hiking, I thought little of it when I was bitten by several ticks while clearing brush at my southwestern Virginia home in March 2016. There were no red circles in any noticeable spots, and I continued on my merry, unsuspecting way. However, within a couple of weeks, I began noticing levels of fatigue, to the end that I thought I had mono. Then, by mid-April, the joint pain started; and by mid-May, the inflamed pain in my wrists, thumbs, and lower back was so severe that it warranted a trip to my chiropractor, a friend and medical confidant. He promptly told me that there was no way I could be experiencing simultaneous subluxation (dislocation of joints) in my back, wrists, and thumbs. As I drove to my medical doctor’s (MD) office, reality began to set in—the dreaded Lyme disease had come upon me. No matter how profusely I rebuked it, it did not depart. To make matters worse, I was scheduled to leave soon with my wife for a visit to Rome, Italy, and a Mediterranean cruise. 


I already had a background understanding of Lyme disease because in 1996 my fishing buddy, Jim Navarro (one of the earliest diagnosed carriers of the disease), told me of his bout with it. Years earlier, he had contracted it while on a fishing trip close to Lyme, Connecticut. (Lyme is the town where the disease was first discovered, which explains its name.) When he returned home to Maine, he had no idea why he was getting weaker and weaker until one day he collapsed at work. They rushed him to the hospital where the medical staff was completely baffled by his condition. After many years of suffering, as more was known about the disease and the medical world was starting to understand how easily it spread, he was finally diagnosed accurately. Sadly, a few years later Jim died from what I believe were complications of Lyme disease, and my eyes were opened to the stealth of this evil, and sometimes lethal, enemy.  


Well, you can’t kill a guy’s fishing buddy without reprisal, so I began dabbling into research about Jim’s attacker. What I discovered led me into yet another esoteric world of secrets. I found that the virus was scientifically developed on Plumb Island, New York, as a biological warfare weapon and then tested on ticks to see its effect. It “accidentally” escaped and floated across the Long Island Sound to Lyme, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, juvenile arthritis and other complications were showing up in 138 teens who all had one thing in common—they had spent time in the woods in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. By 1986, an average of 1500 cases per year of this disease was being reported in Lyme, Connecticut, alone. 


Lyme disease is a dastardly concocted bacterium strategically released for biological warfare, which was either purposely released or perhaps carelessly dropped from the clutches of absent-minded scientists at Plumb Island in the early 1970s. Regardless, it is currently spreading in pandemic proportions and has become a major nemesis to over half of the United States. The following definition of the disease is from Wikipedia.

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type which is spread by ticks.[2 Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere.[13] It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States and 65,000 people a year in Europe.[2][4] Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.[2] Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut.[14] It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.[14] The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer.[15] Chronic symptoms are well described and are known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, often called chronic Lyme disease.[12] Some healthcare providers claim that it is due to ongoing infection; however, this is not believed to be true, due to the inability to detect infectious organisms after standard treatment. Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.[2] ~Wikipedia 


My buddy Jim first noticed the attack on his systems when they were already weak, just as I did mine, and this made it harder to detect. It spread through his body, as years later it began to do through mine. It destroyed Jim’s body; but, by God’s grace, I gained victory over Lyme disease and survived to tell my story. So, Jimmy, this Bud’s for you.

My Story

My bite occurred in mid-March 2016, and by mid-June I could barely get out of bed. My wife often had to pull me out, run hot water in the tub, and then walk me over to it where I would soak for long durations just so I could move and accomplish something that day. One morning while soaking in the tub, the pain actually grew more intense, causing my fury to rise and my anger to burn even hotter than the water. I literally spate an imprecation, “I did not deserve this damnable scourge!” I yelled at God, “Tell me one possible good thing that could come from this damnable Lyme disease!”  I was sort of shocked when I heard the Lord say, “How about two?!! Number one, you can learn how to suffer and shut up, and number two, you can also learn how to help others overcome it.” 


I guess that pretty much closed that “bitch session.” I most definitely learned lesson number one: how to suffer and shut my mouth. My wife even commented how “shut-mouthed” I became about my pain. God taught me how He perfected His Son through suffering and how Jesus shut up and took the pain. I learned how He uses us to fill up Christ’s sufferings now too and that we should be like Him by shutting up and taking the pain like He did. I really hurt throughout the duration of the disease but now that it is over, I will admit that I am a better person for it. It is sort of like my house burning down (which happened during the same time)—it looks good in my rear-view mirror. Suffering hurts, but it is profitable and necessary if you want to reign with Jesus (Romans 8:17–18).


Lesson number two, learning how to help others overcome it, is the reason for writing this. The first lesson on suffering made me a lot more compassionate, having been pulverized and tenderized through the process. Almost everyone I know who has gone through Lyme disease or any other debilitating situation has developed levels of compassion and empathy that seem to flow out of them when they hear of someone else going through a similar trial. When my accountant told me he had Lyme disease, I literally broke down and wept as I realized what he would probably have to go through. I feel that way any time I hear someone has it. This overflowing compassion that has developed within me through my suffering is what motivates me to help others gain victory over it. 


In mid-May of 2016 when I went to my MD and took the generic antibody blood-test, it did not test positive for Lyme. I discovered that it’s not that unusual for inaccurate test results if the disease is either too new in your system for your body to have produced antibodies or too long within your system for your fatigued body to produce them anymore. My MD knew better and prescribed a two-week course of doxycycline. I remember it well since we were scheduled to fly to Rome, visit the Vatican, and then catch a Mediterranean cruise ship. The doxycycline seemed to work somewhat over the vacation but at the end of the two weeks, it seemed like the blood hounds from hell hit both my joints and fatigue levels. My MD again prescribed a two-week course of doxycycline, but by this time the Lyme was wise to the antibiotics and began to hide from them. 


One of the blessings during my escapade was that another one of my fishing buddies, Jeff Pittinger, became my Lyme disease coach. Jeff had it several years back, as did his son and daughter; and his counsel and encouragement was a huge blessing. At the end of every one of his calls, I’d be inspired to say, “Well Jeff got over it, and so can I.” He gave me the best advice when he said, “Go see a specialist.” As I contemplated about Jimmy, I made the choice to heed his advice; and I am glad I did.


Through the Lyme Disease Association, Inc. list of doctors (https://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/doctors), I found Dr. Alicia Hollis, a certified osteopathic doctor in Roanoke who really knows her stuff. God bless her and all who have worked to help solve this misery-mystery. Unfortunately, she no longer accepts insurance claims, and because of her expertise, she is expensive. I am going to share with you how she helped me; and that way, if you can’t afford to see a specialist, you can at least get the information she gave me. However, if you can afford a specialist, I highly recommend going that route.


On my initial visit, I filled out a short survey of my symptoms (find online at https://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/images/NewDirectory/Resources/DrB_SymptomList2005Pdf.pdf). Next, Dr. Hollis ordered a blood test called IGeneX, which is a much more critical test than the antibody test that an MD does. The blood samples from the IGeneX test are centrifuged and shipped off to California, so it takes about a month to get the results. However, it pinpoints the kind(s) of tick-borne bacteria you have, and there are a host of them. (My IGeneX test results indicated that I had Lyme disease [Lyme borreliosis] and relapsing fever.)


Dr. Hollis told me that we could attack the Lyme disease with pharmaceuticals or herbs, and I quickly responded, “Both!” She immediately put me back on doxycycline, and I stayed on it for three months.  (Doxycycline is the antibiotic that is typically prescribed to treat tick bite issues.) In my situation, it worked well on the relapsing fever which the IGeneX test revealed, but it did not work on the actual Lyme disease itself.  


The Lyme disease was a different story—it resisted the antibiotic and went underground. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called spirochete, and it is hard to kill. When antibiotics show up, the spirochetes build a protein sheath around themselves for protection and hide in the white part of your joints where there is less blood flow. The spirochetes first attack locally where the bite occurred but then move into your joints, then into your nervous system, and then to your brain. I also learned about a bodily response to the bacteria dying off that is called the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. When this happens, it causes you to feel even worse as the bacteria dies off. (No pain, no gain.) The following definition is from Wikipedia.

A Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction (English: /ˌjɑːrɪʃ ˈhɛərkshaɪmər/) is a reaction to endotoxin-like products released by the death of harmful microorganisms within the body during antibiotic treatment. Efficacious antimicrobial therapy results in lysis (destruction) of bacterial cell membranes, and in the consequent release into the bloodstream of bacterial toxins, resulting in a systemic inflammatory response.
Jarisch–Herxheimer reactions are usually not life-threatening. ~Wikipedia


After I took the antibiotics for three months straight and they had done their job on the relapsing fever but not on the Lyme disease, Dr. Hollis put me on a medication protocol of herbs and supplements. I am extremely grateful for the people who have researched these products, especially when I remember that my friend Jim Navarro didn’t have the same advantage back then. I am thankful for Dr. Alicia Hollis and the osteopathic profession’s understanding of multiple ways of dealing with the disease. I am also thankful God provided the finances not only to see Dr. Hollis but also to buy the necessary herbs and supplements. They were affordable but still a considerable expense, as Dr. Hollis’ bill was. Not everyone is in such a state, and that is why I’m providing the names and contact information of the products. 


The medical protocol Dr. Hollis gave me that I am now passing on to you was specifically for killing Lyme borreliosis. Whether it is effective for other tick-borne diseases, I do not know. There were not just the herbs and supplements, but several other things that contributed to my victory over the disease. Life style changes, including dietary adjustments, were a big part of this. 

The Supplements

LB Core Protocol. LB Core Protocol is an herbal combination that attacks the Lyme borreliosis. It is distributed by Green Dragon Botanicals in Brattleboro, Vermont, (877-591-1874), and can be found online at the following link:  http://greendragonbotanicals.com/products/lyme-protocols/lb-core-protocol.html. LB Core Protocol ingredients are: Japanese Knotwood root, Cat’s claw vine bark, Andrographis herb, Sarsaparilla root, and Dandelion herb. I was prescribed 3 capsules 3 times a day for a couple of months and then 6 capsules 2 times a day for another month. 


Interfase Plus. Interfase Plus is an enzyme that dissolves the protein sheath surrounding the spirochetes. It is made by Klaire Labs, Reno, Nevada, (888-488-2488), and can be bought through other distributors online as well as Amazon at
https://www.amazon.com/Klaire-Labs-InterFase-Plus-Caps/dp/B002MQMA2G/ref=sr_1_3_a_it
?ie=UTF8&qid=152182591&sr=83&keywords=interfase+plus. Its purpose is to dissolve the protein sheath surrounding the spirochetes. I took these once a day for several months and then twice a day for another month, on an empty stomach.  The combination of this enzyme with the herbal supplement above seemed to be the major contribution to killing the spirochetes. 


Immune System Builder. Also, building my immune system was a prerequisite. Dr. Hollis recognized that the Flax Hull Lignans I was already taking (from Flax Lignan Health in Mansfield, Texas, (817-710-6918) were the best she could recommend. I’m pleased to endorse such a fine product and company. This immune system builder is so good that it actually arrests the development of AIDS. It is also available online at https://flaxlignanhealth.com/about-flaxlignanhealth.


NOTE: As a Shaklee distributor, I also highly recommend their products and know that taking them throughout the years has helped not only my immune system but my overall health as well. 

Lifestyle Changes

Hot Tub and Sauna. Also pivotal to my success, and included in the protocol from Dr. Hollis, was the use of the hot tub and sauna. My joint discomfort became so great that the hot tub and sauna became my place of stretching and limited exercise. I could not get in the swimming pool because it made my muscles contract from cold. The heat of the hot tub would loosen the tension in my hands, wrists and lower back, and then I could stretch them in the sauna. It became a means of survival for me and resulted in a lot of people hearing a lot of Bible if they cohabited my heated surroundings. I have later learned that being in a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour will kill spirochetes too. (I learned this from yet another fishing buddy, Mike Evans, who I am currently coaching through his recovery from Lyme disease.)


Alkaline Diet. One of the most important aspects of my recovery came from a statement that Dr. Hollis made to me. I had been progressing well in all areas but one—my pH. The fact that she even brought it up shocked me because medical doctors never check it. She said, “If you do not get your body alkaline, it is going to be very hard to kill this.” This cut me like a knife because not only have I studied and learned quite a bit about the significance of our acid/alkaline pH balance, but I have also written several articles and booklets on it. When she said this, I immediately knew that this was the cause of my struggle to gain victory over Lyme disease, and it’s probably why a lot of people have a hard time getting rid of it. I knew it was time to change my pH through my diet. Since I had written several publications on the subject and its effects upon cancer and other diseases, I knew the drill. 


NOTE: My booklets (I Ain’t Takin’ Acid Anymore, The Cancer Answer [available in hard copy and e-book formats]), and a free PDF entitled “The pH of Foods Chart” can be found at LMCI.org in the e-store. (Go to “Booklets” for the booklets and “PDFs” for the chart.) Another PDF on the site that could be helpful is “Breathing for Life.” 


Apparently, the whole alkaline issue is the main one that holds back a complete recovery from the disease: the body is acidic to the point that it has the type of “soil” that Lyme disease (and other diseases) can easily thrive in. Disease cannot grow in an oxygenated environment, so diet and exercise are vital. 
To compound my problem, I had been fudging in my diet and consuming acidic drinks, including coffee. I struggled with this aspect of the treatment partly because of the ketoacidosis I had from blood-sugar issues. I have since been working together with my MD and gotten my blood sugar under better control and, by the grace of God, my pH has normalized and I am no longer a Lyme disease grower. When my pH returned to alkalinity, the Lyme disease began to disappear. 

Conclusion

From the time of contracting Lyme disease until the time of my victory was about 20 months. I tried colloidal silver, hydrogen peroxide, glutathione, and a host of other remedies that I continued throughout my time of recovery. I also tried an herbal antibiotic in addition to the doxycycline. However, the list below contains what I believe were the keys to my victory over Lyme disease. 


• LB Core Protocol (the herbal supplement recommended by Dr. Hollis)
• Interfase Plus (the enzyme supplement recommended by Dr. Hollis) 
• Sauna, hot tub, and exercise (to relax and stretch muscles, to help oxygenate my body)
• Flax Hull Lignans (for building my immune system)
• Proper pH alkaline level (this is what took me over the top to victory) 


As I said before, Lyme disease is looking good in my rearview mirror! I hope and pray that this might help you or someone you know. Although I didn’t include this in the list, it is also a blessing to find someone around you who has already conquered the disease to coach you. 

Beyond Victory—Future Prevention of Lyme Disease

To avoid future tick bites, exercise caution in the following ways when you are outdoors. 


• Cover up—wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, preferably tucked into boots or socks.
• Make sure bare skin does not come in contact with high grass.
• Use bug spray (there are non-chemical ones available in health-food stores).
• Do a tick check and bathe every night before going to bed, especially if you live in, or have visited, tick-infested areas.


If you do get a tick bite: remove the tick if it’s still imbedded, wash the tick bite thoroughly, put a mixture of Neosporin ointment and Adolph’s meat tenderizer on it, and cover it with a band aid. (It probably won’t even itch.) Lyme disease does not usually develop unless the tick has remained intact for over 24 hours. 


NOTE: Please understand that everything I can possibly provide is included within this blog posting, so there is no need to contact me for further information.