Race Ya! And Lyme Symptoms

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Camille

Posted January 11, 2015. When I was in Colorado, I met a doctor in the  ski  lodge who said,  “You can’t recover from Lyme disease.  I laughed and said, “Is that right?  Have you ever had Lyme disease?”  He said, “No.”  I grinned and said, “OK, how about I race you down that double black diamond run and we’ll see how this sick Lyme disease body does against your healthy body.”  It was a race to remember.  I’d rather be “sick” with Lyme disease then “well” with nothing, any day of the week.  Needless to say, he ate my powder.  Carry on Lyme warriors, carry on!

Race and Lyme Disease

Race Ya! and Lyme Disease

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Quit? And Lyme Symptoms

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Camille

Posted January 10, 2015.

Lyme Symptoms

Lyme Symptoms

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Another Great Ski Day in -18F Temps and Lyme Disease

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Camille

Posted January 3, 2015.  I got a lot of comments on my post re. Impossible to Recover From Lyme Disease on FaceBook.  Here is one of my responses, hope it helps!!

In a nutshell: I only did oral antibiotics, I BEGGED for IV but a very famous Lyme doctor said IV would kill me, that I was too sick. How ironic was that. I had Bartonella and Babesia too, so I took Rifampin, Plaquinil, etc. (what I took is going to be really different from what you guys take b/c the co-infections will be different) I think the key to my recovery was being very AGGRESSIVE. I never pulsed. I did a scorched earth approach. I never let up on the bacteria/spirochetes, 24/7 massive antibiotic and herb dumps, constantly. Yes it was beyond awful. I literally laid on the couch and cried for one year. It was the most agonizing freakish pain you could imagine (and I know you guys know what I’m talking about!) And I had all the relationship problems you guys have had. In every way it was beyond horrible. I did also take Chinese herbs. Main thing is: do you have a good LLMD/ or Chinese practionner or LLND or all 3? My question was to the doctors: how much experience do you have treating Lyme patients? Do your patients recover? What percentage of your practice is dedicated to Lyme disease?  I was too sick and too desperate to have someone cutting their teeth on me. So, get a very experienced doc who is as aggressive as possible with you. (And I know, it reduces you to bedridden, I know!!!) and if you read what I write on these pages,  you’ll see how I stress no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy, no gluten. (It’s not forever, just during your recovery) Mental attitude is key as well. I always believed I would recover, even in my darkest hours, I carried that belief. And that’s why I keep writing that you can recover, I so needed to hear that. That’s why I keep saying it over and over….. I really care about you guys, be aggressive and believe that it is possible for YOU to recover!!!! OK, now off to hit the slopes….. XO to you all

Skiing and Lyme Disease

Skiing and Lyme Disease

 

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Impossible? and Lyme Symptoms

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Camille

Posted January 2, 2015.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to recover from Lyme disease and Lyme symptoms.  You can go into Remission, but you can NEVER recover…. or so that’s what they say.  Haha!  But I’m a rebel and I disagree.  I was completely bedridden with Lyme disease for a year and I have been off antibiotics and all herbs for almost 5 years now.  Some, including doctors, say I am only in Remission.

Are they right or are they are wrong?  First of all I have had no symptoms for 5 years and in fact, I feel better, stronger and do more now than I have ever done in my life, including when I was much younger.  I run races, wake board, snow ski, paddle board, surf, do intensive martial arts, 25+ mile bike rides through canyons, hike, yoga,fly, sail, swim in the cold Pacific, dive, in addition to travel, work, friends, family, fun.

But here’s the clincher:  I’m skiing in the Rocky Mountains right now and I got bitten by a strange bug.  My ear started swelling up as did my eye (I kept skiing the blacks though… haha!)  I started taking mega doses of Augmentin out of an abundance of caution (many strange bug diseases here like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) and what was my body’s reaction?

In the old days, when I had Lyme disease and all the lovely co-infections, my body would herx like crazy any time I took a new antibiotic or herb.  A thousand needles stabbing  my legs, etc.  You guys know what I’m talking about. The pain and agony was intense.

But now, on mega Augmentin?  Silence.  Absolute silence from my body.  Ladies and Gentlemen if there were anything lurking in my body, after 5 years of no antimicrobials, there should have been a reaction, of some sort.  Something.  Anything. Instead, nothing.

Now, of course there will still be the naysayers who say:  Oh that doesn’t mean you’re recovered.  But it’s simple cell biology my friends.  The Lyme disease spirochete is not magical, it can be eradicated , you just have to work very hard at it.

It’s up to you, you can believe those who say you can never fully recover from Lyme disease or you can give it all you got, BeRelentless and live better than you’ve ever lived before.  I hope you’ll join me and choose the latter.

And, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go hit the slopes!!  It’s -18 F in Colorado right now.  No big deal (when I had Lyme disease and Lyme symptoms I had Raynaud’s syndrome, extremely cold hands and feet…. but no more!)

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease

Lovely Rocky Mountain Bug Bite!

Cowabunga!!!!! Here I go!!!!

 

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More Thoughts on Alcohol and Lyme Symptoms

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Camille

Posted December 9, 2014.  More thoughts on alcohol and Lyme disease.  I was running with a friend the other day and he said, “Oh, the other night I saw that friend of yours who has Lyme disease.  She looked pretty good, she was having a glass of wine.”  My heart sank as we powered up the hill.  This friend of mine to whom he was referring, has had Lyme disease and has struggled for 10 years.  She remembers the tick she got while gardening in her back yard.  I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent with her on the phone, counseling her about diet, medications, and driving her to doctors appointments, etc.  I have spent countless hours talking to her about alcohol and how it interferes with the body’s ability to heal. See this post for more information on alcohol and healing. https://lymesymptoms.com/alcohol-and-lyme-symptoms/

 

Here’s the bottom line on alcohol:  Alcohol is pro-inflammatory.  It makes your blood acidic instead of alkaline.  When you drink alcohol you have a cortisol spike.  It is hard to sleep with a cortisol spike, so then you don’t get that all-important restorative REM sleep.

 

Your doctor may tell you a glass of wine is fine.  Your doctor is not the one suffering with Lyme symptoms and Lyme disease the way you are. Your doctor just wants to get you out the door because frankly he or she is just trying to see enough patients to be able to pay the electricity bill and nurses salaries this month.  In addition to the cortisol spike, alcohol turns into sugar. Bacteria need sugar to survive.

 

If you are serious about recovery, be willing to give up alcohol for the time being.  It does not have to be forever.  Later you may be able to drink alcohol with no problem.  I personally have elected not to drink alcohol even though I am recovered from Lyme disease and all Lyme symptoms, because alcohol interferes with my athletic ability and enjoyment of life.  You may be fine to return to it later. But if you insist on drinking alcohol while dealing with Lyme disease, think twice before you complain about your inability to recover.

Alcohol and Lyme Symptoms

Alcohol and Lyme Symptoms

 

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