Bite Back at Lyme

Health Advice for Our Time.

An email was sent to me from a friend giving excellent medical advice...


Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.


Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.


Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!


Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?


Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.


Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel good food around!


Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.


Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!


Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

AND REMEMBER:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride!'

Lyme Email To Dr. Oz and Oprah

I received this email from a friend who knew I had Lyme disease.

"Dear members of Lyme Disease Awareness,

This past month, Dr. Mehmet Oz (from Oprah and Friends) interviewed Andy A.
Wilson, the director of the Lyme disease documentary, "Under Our Skin" (www.underourskin.com). Dr. Oz is just beginning to learn about Lyme and he is asking for our help.

During this interview Dr. Oz issued the Lyme community a challenge to prove
we have a voice. He made a point of mentioning that he is interested in the
number of responses he receives...Lets make it a number he cannot ignore!

There are more than 3,800 members in this group alone - imagine if we ALL
took the time to send just one email?!

To listen to the full interview:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/51988431783ad036/

To email Dr. Oz:
link here

Please take 5 minutes to write Dr. Oz and tell him your story, or your loved
one/friends story! Dr. Oz is especially interested in those who have been
cured, however, he's still learning and we need to educate him that even
those of us who have not been cured are helped by long term antibiotics and
that more research is needed so that we can find a lasting cure.

The chance of having our story, told on The Oprah Show is monumental and
this is a challenge we can't afford to ignore!

Thank you!

-The Lyme Disease Awareness Administrators"

Here is what I wrote:

"I understand you are interested in stories from the Lyme community. I can understand your emphasis on those cured. Most who suffer with Lyme are so severely sick that to relate to someone in the midst of the illness only gives them more validity to staying ill. Prior to the diagnoses, I had been diagnosed with early Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Plausible MS, etc. My family and I were on a wild rollercoaster ride. However, even during the deepest possible downward swings, I would take pride in accomplishment...I felt grateful for the little things, such as, being able to make my kid's lunches, and being able to walk to the bathroom on my own. The diagnoses was inspired through the prayer of my church and my family. Once diagnosed and confirmed, I was put on an intense regimen of Doxycycline 2 x daily for 5 months. It's amazing to me what I can accomplish! I was diagnosed last October (2007) after being in a wheel chair during our family trip to Disneyland. Today, I have graduated in our city's CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the Legislative V.P. in the PTA at the elementary school, in charge of the school Knowledge Bowl program (http://harvestknowledge09.blogspot.com), have been blogging since my diagnoses (http://issuesoncall.blogspot.com), and etc. Paramount to wellness success is getting outside of yourself and back into the functioning's of the world around you. By doing this, I have had mile markers to reach. By reaching those mile markers I have learned that I can reach further. From each mile marker I reach I receive a more positive sense of self and learn more about my talents and abilities. Most important is having a great support system. My husband is the best on the planet! My children are gold! Without the support system I have, I would not be the person I am today!"

If you have Lyme, please share your story so that the word can get out. Your story will have to be consolidated to 2000 characters (spaces included), so to lessen the frustration, you may want to type it in Word before submitting it.

"Choose To Take Charge of Your Life"

"Choose To Take Charge of Your Life"
with special guest Terry McBride
Author of "The Hell I Can't"

terrymcbride.net

Note: Use website to retrieve pass code

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

6:00 PM Pacific, 7:00 PM Mountain, 8:00 PM Central, 9:00 PM Eastern

Dial In Number: (712) 429-0690

Cost: Free
(Regular long distances charges apply)**

*************************************************************************************

"When you meet Terry McBride, it's hard to believe this strong, vibrant, healthy man was ever sick a day in his life. Yet for 11 years starting when he was just 22, Terry endured the living hell of e coli infection of his spine and flesh.

He had 27 separate surgeries to control extensive nerve damage, debilitating back pain and the destruction of his large intestine, which forced him to have a colostomy. Eventually, his frustrated physicians stopped trying to cure Terry and instead tried to convince him to live with his limitations.

One operation was so extensive that Terry's surgeons told him, "You can't expect to come out of this one whole." His response? "The hell I can't."

By shifting his dependence upon others to realizing that he alone had the power to become well, Terry began an extraordinary inward journey that would literally change the cells of his body and change his life.

Terry's story of shifting from dealing with chronic illness and pain to choosing to be perfectly healthy will move and inspire you to realize the power of your own thoughts on your body and life and that everything is possible when you really believe it.

A former CPA and business consultant, Terry McBride is a certified Master Practitioner of Time Line Therapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming. He is an internationally-acclaimed speaker and the author of "The Hell I Can't" and "Everybody Wins," a complete, nine week, multi-sensory program that will get you using the tools of success from day one."

Source:

The Secrets of the Hidden Job Market

"Keep a lid on health-care spending"

From the August 29, 2008 issue of All You magazine, on page 164, there are three great ideas regarding ways to "Keep a lid on health-care spending". Here they are...

"1. Save on prescriptions. There are lots of ways to pay less at the pharmacy. First ask your doctor if there's a generic equivalent for any drug you are taking. Then, shop around. If you live near a Wal-Mart, check out its prescription program, which offers a 30 day supply of hundreds of drugs (mostly generic) for $4--there's not income limit--as well as some birth-control and fertility medications for $9. Also consult mail-order pharmacies, especially for brand-name drugs. Recently, drugstore.com was charging 30 percent less than a local pharmacy for Paxil, an antidepressant, and 23 percent less for the cholesterol drug Lipitor. Medco offers similar savings; see tourofchampions.com to enroll.

2. Economize on doctor's visits. For common ailments, try a retail clinic, such as those found in CVS (under the name "Minute Clinic) and some Wal-Mart stores. One study showed that these clinics cost 25 percent less than a visit to the doctor. But make sure records of any treatment you receive are sent to your regular doctor. "These clinics aren't a substitute for your family physician, "says Brenna Haviland, manager of the Institute of Health Care Costs and Solutions with the National Business Group on Health. "It's important to have a medical 'home' where all your treatment is coordinated." Finally, never consider such clinics a substitute for the emergency room. If you're in urgent need of care, go to the nearest hospital.

3. Negotiate fees. For expensive procedures ($500 and up), ask if you can pay in two installments. Or ask for a discount if you lay out cash in advance. Don't feel squeamish about speaking up; one survey showed that about two-thirds of consumers question their doctors about treatment options and costs. Simply say the expense was unexpected."

Source:
All You Magazine, August 29, 2008, Page 164

"Invocation for Harmony and Joy", Meditation for Happiness

The following is an "invocation for harmony and joy" from Yoga Journal, page 22, September 2008.

"Loka Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu (Low-Kaah Suh-Muh-Staah Soo-khee-no Bhuh-vuhn-tu)

May everyone everywhere be happy.
May the whole world be joyous.

This prayer doesn't invoke a specific divinity and so isn't, strictly speaking, a mantra. But it is a well-known and beautiful Sanskrit blessing.

Blessings are intentional, focused thought-forms that have the power to affect the world, which, according to yogic philosophy, is shaped by consciousness. When a blessing is heard and echoed in the hearts of others, its power is reinforced.

Try bringing this blessing into your daily practice by chanting it at the end of your asana sequence or before meditation, and notice its subtle effect."

Time for a Change

"Just as some people don't manage their diets well, others don't manage their time well. They're not living a balanced life; consequently they are stressed out, always run-down. They've gotten into a habit of overworking. They rarely relax; they hardly ever exercise. They never take any free time for themselves. Unless they make changes and bring some balance into their lives, one day, that's going to catch up to them. You can live stressed out for a while, especially when you're young. But don't be surprised when your body suffers the consequences.

It's much better to develop good habits right now. Look at the way you live and ask, "Why am I doing what I am doing? Is this something that's been passed down to me by my family? Is this a good habit? Is it helping me become a better person?" If, in your analysis, you discover some habits that are not productive or profitable, dare to make the changes that will help you to replace them. Make sure that you're not allowing anything but God to master you."

--Joel Osteen, "Become a Better You, 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day"

Give Time. Show Love.

I have not written a post in quite a few days. I have become quite busy with school beginning and my complete immersion in my community affairs. Quite a total difference from having been chronically ill with Lyme disease for at least 8 years. Life is truly amazing and I love everything I am now able to become involved in.

Since I have been gaining health stamina over the past few months, I have chosen a path which requires giving much of my time to community volunteerism. One lesson I have learned from this involvement is that it is therapy in and of itself. It takes you away from your small worries and allows you to become aware and helpful in solving the larger concerns. It takes you from the "cave" or small amount of living (on survival mode) while ill to seeing a grand picture in which you can make a difference and take part in the "thing" called "life".

"When you show love, you are showing God to the world." --Joel Osteen, "Become A Better You"

"Learn to be good to people. That's one of the best witnesses we can possibly have...The world does not need to hear another sermon nearly as much as it needs to see one. Learn to give your time, your money, and encouraging word; meet a need. When you show love, you are showing God to the world.

"Don't worry about if you don't get credit...When you let somebody in traffic in front of you, you many never see that person again. When you give somebody twenty dollars simply because you felt compassion in your heart, you may never hear back from them. That's okay; God is keeping the records. He sees every act of kindness you show. He sees every time you are good to somebody. He hears every encouraging word you speak. God has seen all the times you went out of your way to help somebody who never said thank you. Your good deeds do not go unnoticed by Almighty God."

Joel Osteen explains in his book that giving and being kind to others helps you. That is not being selfish. That is reaping the rewards of the seeds you have sown. Life is amazing and should never be taken for granted. We all live on this earth for such a short time. What will you do for someone today?

The Sleep Cycle and Healing from Lyme Disease

Ahhh, sleep...sweet sleep. That wonderful place where you can escape the realities of your life. Be anyone. Do anything.

How many of you wish you were sleeping right now? As I sit here, I visualize the luxury of doing nothing and being in a place of comfort. Ahhh, good old comfy bed and fluffy pillow.

Statistics show that approximately 1 (one) in 8 (eight) or 11.76% or 32 million people in USA have insomnia, as reported by www.wrongdiagnosis.com.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following:

*difficulty falling asleep

*waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep

*waking up too early in the morning

*unrefreshing sleep

Here is a link where you can take an insomnia survey. My guess is that the majority of you experience, at least, some insomnia.

As you know, from experiencing Lyme disease or any other chronic illness, insomnia is a very big issue. Once experienced for lengths of time, insomnia can cause symptoms of illness, or worsen the symptoms you may already be experiencing.

Stated on www.lymeinfo.net,

"Lyme is a multi system disease, the list of symptoms is long, and it is common to see symptoms affecting multiple systems...Patients with chronic Lyme disease often experience severe headaches, fatigue, pain, insomnia, and memory problems. Chronic Lyme disease can render people completely disabled."

You might imagine that some of those symptoms listed for Lyme may be caused by insomnia issues. Complications with insomnia include:

"Impaired mental functioning. Insomnia can affect concentration and memory, and can affect one's ability to perform daily tasks. Some experts report that deep sleep deprivation impairs the brain's ability to process information. Two to three hours of sleep every night for a week significantly impaired performance and mood. Some studies have reported problems in memorization, although others have found no differences in test scores between people with temporary sleep loss and those with full sleep.

Accidents. Insomnia endangers public safety by contributing to traffic and industrial accidents. Various studies have shown that fatigue plays a major role in automobile and machinery accidents. As many as 100,000 automobile accidents, accounting for 1,500 deaths, are caused by sleepiness. Estimates on fatigue as a cause of automobile crashes range from 1% to 56%, depending on the study.

Mortality Rates. People with insomnia did not have elevated mortality rates, which supported earlier evidence. People who took sleeping pills, however, did have lower survival rates. Insomnia is virtually never lethal except in rare cases, such the genetic disorder called fatal familial insomnia. This rare degenerative brain disease develops in late adulthood. It is progressive and the individual develops intractable insomnia, which eventually becomes fatal.

Stress and depression. Even modest alterations in waking and sleeping patterns can have significant effects on a person's mood. Persistent insomnia may even predict the future development of emotional disorders in some cases. Insomnia increases the activity of the hormones and pathways in the brain that cause stress, and changes in sleeping patterns have been shown to have significant affects on mood. Ongoing insomnia may be a sign of anxiety and depression.

Heart disease. One study reported that people with chronic insomnia had signs of heart and nervous system activity that might put them at risk for heart disease.

Headaches. Headaches that occur during the night or early in the morning may be related to a sleep disorder.

What do you do when you have disruptive insomnia, or insomnia that is causing havoc with your daily life? Well, visiting with your physician and explaining your situation is definitely a good start. However, be careful that the first step is not to be immediately placed on a prescribed sleep aid. Initially, you need to attempt to "reset your clock" on your own.

What are some ways to "reset your clock"?

1. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

2. Don't eat past 8:00pm.

3. Don't drink a lot of liquid prior to going to bed.

4. Go about the same routine prior to going to be and when you awake in the morning as the body and mind respond well to routine.

5. Don't drink beverages or eat food with caffeine or high sugar content prior to going to bed.

6. Add a light body stretching routine prior to bedtime.

7. Meditate, using the same methods as in last Friday's post, but while laying in bed so that you can drift to sleep.

8. Try not to take extended naps throughout the day. If you need a nap, be sure that it is no longer than 20 minutes.

If this series of 7 (seven) items doesn't help you to regain your sleep routine, see your physician, as you may need a light sleep aide to help you "reset your clock" (in addition to the routine listed above).

Sources:
www.wrongdiagnosis.com
www.lymeinfo.net
www.health-cares.net

Lyme Disease. Medical Mystery on GMA.

Cognitive Therapy and Lyme Disease

Anyone who has been chronically ill for any length of time understands that you, many times, may feel less than adequate to handle your day-to-day activities. How do you take that thinking and change it to the positive? Cognitive therapy.

"Cognitive therapy seeks to identify and change "distorted" or "unrealistic" ways of thinking, and therefore to influence emotion and behaviour." wikipedia

"One etiological theory of depression is the Aaron Beck cognitive theory of depression. His theory is regarded as the most verified psychological theory of depression. His theory states that depressed people feel the way they do because their thinking is biased towards negative interpretations. According to Beck’s theory of the etiology of depression, depressed people acquire a negative schema of the world in childhood and adolescence. (Children and adolescents who suffer from depression acquire this negative schema earlier.) Depressed people acquire such schemas through a loss of a parent, rejection by peers, criticism from teachers or parents, the depressive attitude of a parent and other negative events. When the person with such schemas encounters a situation that resembles in some way, even remotely, the conditions in which the original schema was learned, the negative schemas of the person are activated.

Beck also included a negative triad in his theory. A negative triad is made up of the negative schemas and cognitive biases of the person. A cognitive bias is a view of the world. Depressed people, according to this theory, have views such as “I never do a good job.” A negative schema helps give rise to the cognitive bias, and the cognitive bias helps fuel the negative schema. This is the negative triad. Also, Beck proposed that depressed people often have the following cognitive biases: arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, overgeneralization, magnification and minimization. These cognitive biases are quick to make negative, generalized, and personal inferences of the self, thus fueling the negative schema."

Through therapy with someone who is trained in cognitive therapy you soon realize that no matter what happens TO you, you can create your reality based on YOUR reaction to what happens. This therapy also helps you create your reality the positive way, regardless of what has happened in your past.

When I have listened to, watched YouTube videos of, or read about those who have been chronically ill with Lyme or with other illnesses, it seems that many wallow in their situation.

Research has proven the mind-body connection regarding illness and healing. When your mind is constantly on your illness or disease, it tends to cause the symptoms to get worse and often times causes a delay in healing.

When you talk to others, do you constantly discuss your illness?

When you are at home, not feeling well, do you just lay around?

Keep up on world affairs and/or other topics (other than your disease or illness) that you love. Use those as conversation pieces.

When you are not feeling well and are at home, do you set goals for yourself? Set a goal of what accomplishments you'd like to take care of during any particular day. Make these goals reasonable. Don't make a long list. You will be happy and boosted up by accomplishing those little tasks that you set as goals.

Additionally, when you have down time, don't lay and watch TV. Read. Stimulate your brain. Read uplifting literature. Take time to stretch your muscles. Use a beginner Yoga and/or Tai Chi video to make yourself stronger. It will make your mind and emotional center more calm, as well as help your muscles to become stronger and less sore. You will be amazed at the results!

Without cognitive therapy and the practice of what I have been taught, I would not make it through each day in such a positive manner. I love life! There are endless possibilities!

Lyme Affecting Life Through The Eyes of A Teen

Lyme Affecting Life Through The Eyes of A Teen

Lyme Disease...Open Your Eyes!

I post this as back-dated because I have been ill from Lyme this week...I call it a Lyme week. I saw a specialist on parasitology Friday. He said that I need to go off of the Doxycycline. It should be interesting to see how it goes from here since I have been sick for 15-20 years (estimated) and I have only been treated with Doxycycline for 4 months. This disease is baftling, frustrating, confusing! Life is great and is meant to be lived!

With my research on this subject and my ability to speak out clearly about it, I choose to be a spokesperson on this subject. I have lived, am living the life of Lyme disease. Life can have quality! Life should be quality that is great! It is my goal to help others with this dreadful disease have great lives as well!

Lyme Disease...We Can Make A Difference.

Ignorance of a Plaque. Conclusion.

Concluding from the past two Fridays, the following is information regarding a report written by Dr. Scott Taylor called "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague".

The more research I do, the more I come into contact with interesting bits of information that I can relate to my own experiences with Lyme. One such piece of information was this.

"Lingering Lyme: The Chronic Persistent Infection

Some symptoms and signs of Lyme disease may not appear until weeks, months, or years after a tick bite. This stage typically involves intermittent episodes of joint pain or numerous neurological symptoms such as: meningitis, Bell's palsy, dysfunction of cardiac rhythm, and migratory pain to joints, tendons, muscle and bone. Arthritis is most likely to appear as brief bouts of pain and swelling, usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees. In some patients, the first and only sign of Lyme disease is arthritis. In others, nervous system problems are the only evidence of Lyme disease. However, any combination of symptoms can be present.
...
The course of the disease can best be described as persistent, with periods of worsening symptoms, often cyclical every few weeks or monthly. Especially disconcerting are persistent symptoms such as pain, headaches and fatigue. Some patients are more symptomatic than are others, which may reflect gender and genetically-determined differences in response to infection. The disease is progressive, destructive, and debilitating, and in severe untreated cases, it can be fatal.
...
Lyme disease causes metabolic/endocrine dysfunctions that lead to weight loss or commonly chronic weight gain.

Generally, women struggle with chronic Lyme disease more severely than men do. It is not known for sure why."

In the past, I have written posts that have included lists with Lyme disease symptoms. However, my lists have not been as inclusive as the following from this report.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

"As I mentioned before, every organ and organ system can be affected, here’s a list of some of the LD symptoms as they relate to specific areas of the body:

Head – headache, neck pain, facial pain and paralysis, difficulty chewing, pain in teeth, dry mouth, loss of taste/smell, numb tongue/mouth. Peculiar metallic or salty taste is also common in LD. This is likely due to the BLPs present in the system.

Bladder -- frequent or painful urination, repeated urinary tract infections, irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis.

Lung -- respiratory infection, cough, asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy, chest pains

Ear -- pain, hearing loss, ringing (tinnitus), sensitivity to noise, dizziness & equilibrium disorders.

Eyes -- pain due to inflammation (scleritis, uveitis, optic neuritis), dry eyes, sensitivity to light, drooping of eyelid (ptosis), conjunctivitis, blurry or double vision, swelling around eyes / bags below the eyes.

Throat -- sore throat, swollen glands, cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing

Neurological -- headaches, facial paralysis, seizures, meningitis, stiff neck, burning, tingling, or prickling sensations (parathesia), loss of reflexes, loss of coordination, equilibrium problems/dizziness (these symptoms mimic an MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s like syndrome)

Stomach -- pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, anorexia

Heart -- weakness, dizziness, irregular heart-beat, myocarditis, pericarditis, palpitations, heart block, enlarged heart, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, mitral valve prolapse.

Muscle & skeletal system -- arthralgias (joint pain), fibromyalgia (muscle inflammation and pain)

Other Organs -- liver infection / hepatitis, elevated liver enzymes, enlarged spleen, swollen testicles, and irregular or ceased menses.

Neuropsychiatric -- mood swings, irritability, anxiety, rage (Lyme rage), poor concentration, cognitive loss, memory loss, loss of appetite, mental deterioration, depression, disorientation, insomnia

Pregnancy -- miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, stillbirth

Skin – EM, single or multiple rash, hives, ACA

Another interesting symptom often noticed is an increased susceptibility to electrostatic shock. This is likely due to the BLPs causing a change in the electro-potential in our cells/nervous system. Some of these toxins are likely sodium channel agonists and can change the electrical potential of our body. Thus, the likelihood of electro-static shock."

During his section regarding the diagnoses of Lyme, Taylor states the frustrating issues with the tests, such as ELISA and Western Blot, which often have false negative results. Clearly, Western Blot has fewer false positives. However, many doctors will stop at the ELISA test when that proves negative, not following up with the Western Blot. Again, an emphasis needs to be placed on the percentage of false negatives and re-testing should always be the clear consideration upon a negative result.

Taylor suggests that treatment be multifaceted.

"The best approach to therapy is a multifaceted and comprehensive treatment regimen that includes conventional antibiotics, numerous complimentary and alternative therapies, and a nutritional regimen specifically designed to reduce inflammation, aid the liver in detoxifying the BLPs, decrease the risk of yeast infections, repair damage caused by the disease and strengthen the immune system."

One source he sites for better treatment than the basic course of antibiotics as offered as the conventional treatment is protocol for sarcoidosis found at www.sarcinfo.com.

Sources for therapy that are listed as "Papers for Physicians" at the www.sarcinfo.com site are the following.

"Antibacterial Therapy induces Remission

Implications for Autoimmune Disease
(Here is Fulltext preprint)

Antibacterial mechanisms for ARBs

Antibiotics in Sarcoidosis- The 1st Year

Rationale for abx in Sarcoidosis

1,25-D and Angiotensin II

"New Treatments Emerge.."

Jarisch-Herxheimer in Sarcoidosis

Vit.D and Calcium in Sarcoidosis

Protocol Phase 1-First 3 months"

If you are familiar with the conventional treatment plan, these plans listed are much more multifaceted and comprehensive.

One treatment, often used with Doxycycline is Metronidazole (Flagyl).

"Metronidazole (Flagyl) is a very effective antimicrobial for treating chronic Lyme disease. It distributes well throughout the body and is able to penetrate tissue and cells. This ability allows metronidazole to reach the cryptic borrelia throughout the body and kill it. Metronidazole is also effective at attacking the cyst form of borrelia. This may be the single most effective antimicrobial pharmaceutical for treating Lyme disease. The disadvantage of metronidazole is it’s toxicity to the liver and neurological system. It can raise liver enzymes and cause peripheral neuropathies similar to LD itself. These side-effects must be prudently monitored."

...
"Several antibiotics work together synergistically to improve the therapeutic effect against borreliosis. Examples of antibiotics that work well together when combined include: amoxicillin, metronidazole, clarithromycin or zithromycin, and co-trimoxazole. Co-trimoxazole works well in late stage Lyme disease, especially when given in combination with other antibiotics like amoxcilliln and/or a macrolide such as azithromycin. Earlier, one exception to antibiotic combinations was the use of metronidazole and the tetracyclines together. It is now believed that these two antibiotics do work well when combined. For example, there are reports of good result when doxycycline is used with flagyl."

Additional therapies recommended in Taylor's report are "Hyperthermia", or hot baths, showers, or saunas that raise the body temperature, "Pulse Electro-Magnetic Fields" (pemfs), "Rife Machine", "Beck Electrification", "Lauricidin", "Colloidal Silver", "Cat's Claw/Samento/Saventero", "Artemisinin", "Goldenseal root", "Teasel", "Olive Leaf Extract", "Garlic", European (or Hungarian Mistletoe", "Peroxide", and "Ozone".

This report is amazingly detailed. Taylor has remedy recommendations for controlling inflammation and the immune dysfunction, protection of the nervous system from neurotoxins, detoxifying, etc.

Additionally in his report, Dr. Taylor explains and emphasizes tick protection and prevention.

I conclude with his conclusion, as I have no way of wording my feelings any more concisely or clearly.

"As the word spreads about the complex nature of this disease, the hope is that more doctors will begin to learn about Lyme, and will take the actions necessary to fight this disease. It is critical that the public and the medical community are made aware of the true prevalence and dangers of borreliosis. Until this gap of ignorance is filled, many unfortunate individuals will suffer needlessly with Lyme disease."

Sources:
www.autoimmunityresearch.org
www.sarcinfo.com

Ignorance of a Plague. Continued.

Continuing from last Friday, the following is information regarding a report written by Dr. Scott Taylor called "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague".

In his report, Dr. Scott Taylor explains some of the quandaries regarding the reporting procedures for the CDC regarding Lyme disease. Additionally, he explains the problems with finding a "Lyme Literate Doctor" or an LLMD. Adding to this, one of the main correlations with finding the correct doctor will be asking whether they have a background in Parasitology or parasites. If they have not dealt in that area, they are not going to help you get rid of Lyme disease or its co-infections.

Lyme disease expresses itself much the same as Sarcoidosis. That is that it presents itself as inflammatory disorders.

www.nhlbi.nih.gov

"What Is Sarcoidosis?
Sarcoidosis (sar"koi-do'sis) involves inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in various organs in your body. The lumps are called granulomas (gran"u-lo'mahs) because they look like grains of sugar or sand. They are very small and can be seen only with a microscope.

These tiny granulomas can grow and clump together, making many large and small groups of lumps. If many granulomas form in an organ, they can affect how the organ works. This can cause symptoms of sarcoidosis."

Because of the similarities between the two disease presentations, Dr. Trevor G. Marshall, Ph.D, and Frances E. Marshall, Grad. Dipl. Pharm, have a theory that there may be the possibility that both could be treated with the same medications.

"In summary, Dr. Marshall’s discovery reveals that during the pathogenesis of borreliosis the BLPs of borrelia trigger inflammation via TLR signaling pathways or by other intracellular activation of NF-kappa B, which stimulates the gene expression for inflammatory cytokines. When the inflammatory cascade goes chronic, it eventually goes into the self-perpetuating cycle described by Marshall. This cycle will continue to produce disease until it is stopped by intervention.

In my opinion, Dr Marshall’s discovery that A-II perpetuates a TH1 inflammatory cascade is nothing short of major medical breakthrough.

Dr. Marshall’s work has not only given us the model for the pathogenesis, he has also given us the therapeutic approach that breaks the perpetual cycle that maintains the inflammatory cascade.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade. The angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) called Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) has specific ARB properties that block this self-perpetuating inflammatory cascade.

Benicar therapy is a medical miracle for those suffering with chronic borreliosis."

I have yet to find this being used as a therapy in the forums, blog journals and other sites I've investigated. It would be interesting to find feedback regarding this method of therapy. I will do more research for another post on this therapy.

Another interesting point made in his report...

"Killing of Borrelia burgdorferi by macrophages is dependent on oxygen radicals and nitric oxide and can be enhanced by antibodies to outer surface proteins of the spirochete."

"Borrelia lack the microbial toxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPS) however, they have over 150 genes that encode for the BLPs that are the key to their pathogenicity. This is over 50 times greater than other pathogenic bacteria. That is, other bacteria usually only have 3 genes for lipoproteins, while borrelia have 150!

With this many BLPs [Bacterial Lipoproteins] triggering an imbalance of the immune system and other innate responses in the body, it’s not hard to see how a cascade of chronic problems can arise from this."

The above terms may seem extremely complicated. However, later he goes through a question and answer sequence that is very interesting. One of the question and answer items is particularly interesting.

Q: It seems that many people are not even symptomatic until years after the original tick exposure.

A: This is true with borreliosis...(this happened in my case). It's also true with syphilis.

This may be due to borrelia's ability to code for so many different BLPs. They have the genetic code for over 150 different BLPs.

Depending on which ones and how strong the expression of these BLPs genes are may determine how virulent the borrelia is at different times

.

We know that borrelia change the expression of these genes when exposed to different environmental factors such as temperature.

They express different BLPs in ticks since they are in ambient temperature, but once inside a mammal, they begin to change the BLPs that they express.

They also have an effective ability to accept plasmids and pick up other pathogenic genes in this way.

Work has shown that removing certain BLPs from virulent strains makes the borrelia avirulent.

The evidence is very suggestive that BLPs determines the pathogenesis of borrelia."

There are so many fascinating aspects to this incredibly detailed report.

"Gulf-War-Syndrome (GWS) has very similar symptoms to chronic borreliosis."

Dr. Taylor states that the bacterial lipoproteins of borrelia "have the ability to turn our own immune system against the extracellular proteins of our body".

What does that mean? It means that our immune system is fighting against the very "mortar" that holds our cells together. Borrelia "have the ability to grow slowly and avoid attack by the host's immune system", as well as suppress the host's immune system.

For many, Lyme disease is characterized by the "bulls-eye" rash, along with flu-like symptoms. However, when there has been no rash detected (only detected in 50% of Lyme cases), Lyme can remain dormant for months to years before presenting itself with "mystery illness"-type symptoms.

"Lyme disease is an extremely challenging infectious/toxic disease for both doctor and patient. It can exhibit many different symptoms. The clinical picture of LD can be similar to fibromyalgia, including: chronic fatigue, joint pain (arthralgias), muscle, fibrous tissue and tendon pain. Lyme disease can also manifest primarily as a neurological disorder, including fatigue and many neurological symptoms. It is important to remember that there are hundreds of symptoms that are caused by LD and it can mimic many diseases; for this reason, LD is often called, "the great imitator."

Because there is so much to this report, I am continuing this information in next Friday's post.

Note: I've been on Doxycycline for 5 months. I was having headaches whenever I wore my contacts (my glasses weren't so bad because the prescription was outdated). I went to my eye doctor and my vision has improved considerably in both eyes. If you are experiencing headaches while being treated, please visit your eye doctor to see if your vision may be a contributor.

Sources:
www.autoimmunityresearch.org
www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Ignorance of a Plague

Doing research for Lyme disease, I found an extremely detailed report, by Dr. Scott Taylor from 2004. The title of his report is very agreeable to those suffering with Lyme, "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis): A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague". Link Here

Through this report, his primary objective is to "help inform the layman and the medical community about the extremely complex infection called Lyme disease." He wrote this following his own diagnoses and experience with fighting the disease.

"The disease affects every tissue and every major organ system in the body."

"Physicians not familiar with the complex clinical presentation of Lyme disease frequently misdiagnose it as other disorders such as: Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Motor Neuron Disease (ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -Lou Gherig's disease), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS) and numerous other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety."

Lyme disease is something that most will agree that they have heard of, however the majority don't realize the impact it has on the body, most especially the impact following years of misdiagnoses.

"This report is an urgent warning for everyone. Lyme disease is devastating the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and we are all at risk. Many patients are suffering with chronic Lyme disease and continue to be misdiagnosed and mistreated. In many cases of Lyme disease, a correct diagnosis doesn’t occur until after several months or more often many years of suffering with the disease. By then it has caused severe illness, disability and permanent damage. The disease is widespread and the prevalence is significantly higher than reported by health officials."

Dr. Taylor extends further into awareness with key factors regarding why Lyme is misdiagnosed and mistreated.

One very important point is that "there are more carriers of LD (Lyme disease) than just the deer tick".

Regarding treatment Taylor reports,

"Patients need longer and more comprehensive treatment. The standard therapy of 4 -6 weeks of antibiotic treatment is not sufficient to treat chronic Lyme disease. Chronic Lyme disease is often a life-long illness. Months, years, and often indefinite antibiotic therapy may be necessary to manage the disease. Ignorant physicians often use the standard treatment and consider the patient cleared of Lyme disease afterwards. Often these patients are not treated long enough to clear the stubborn Borrelia from the body. So, when the standard regimen of antibiotics is finished, the patients relapse with Lyme symptoms soon after the residual Borrelia reemerges. Unfortunately, the relapse is often not recognized by doctors and the patients are misdiagnosed with a different disorder. Not only does treatment be directed at the infection; it must also manage inflammation, help eliminate the BLPs produced, support the immune system, and many other associated problems such as hormone deficiencies."

Did you know that the first case of borreliosis in the U.S. was made by Dr. Rudolph Scrimenti in 1970? It wasn't until the early 1980's that it was named Lyme disease. Not a wonder there are few physicians with the knowledge regarding the disease. After all, how often are text books updated?

"Spirochetes are very difficult to grow (fastidious), identify, and study in the laboratory. In the laboratory we still cannot grow the spirochete that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum. This makes it very difficult to perform research and develop better diagnostic tests and therapies for borreliosis. Borrelia species grow extremely slowly; they even grow slower than many fungi and mycobacteria. Their growth rate is also slower than Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. Borrelia’s slow growth partially explains its ability to cause chronic disease and the difficulty identifying it in the laboratory.

Borrelia exists in three different life forms: 1) the cyst, 2) the spheroplast or "L form", which doesn’t have a cell wall (commonly called: cell wall deficient (CWD)), and 3) the typical spiral-shaped bacteria form that has a cell wall and flagella as seen in figures 1 & 2. Spirochetes have a unique mode of motility that allows them to easily travel through tissues of the body. By rotating their axial filament (endoflagella) the flagellum rotates causing the spirochete to actually move in a cork-screw fashion. This mode of motility allows spirochetes to literally "screw" themselves into and through the tissues of the body. They can also contract like a spring and move through tissue as they uncoil. Spirochetes hide their flagella from the host’s immune defenses, which are normally antigenic and would trigger an immune response if detected."

Did you think that ticks were bugs? I did.

"Ticks are bloodsucking external parasites that feed on humans, wild and domestic mammals, and birds. Ticks are not insects; they are 8-legged arachnids along with chiggers, spiders, and mites."

"Ticks are carried by a number of different host animals, not simply deer. The hosts for adult ticks are numerous and include: fox, coyote, dogs, cats, cattle, rabbit, skunk, raccoon, rats, squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and humans. Nymphs get on many of these same animals as well as larger animals typical for adults. Ground nesting birds including bobwhite quail, pheasants, turkeys and chickens are also tick hosts. Forty-nine species of migrating birds have been found to carry ticks, transporting them large distances and contributing to the national spread of Lyme disease. Potential minor vectors for Borrelia species include: chiggers, mosquitoes, biting flies and fleas. Cases of LD being contracted from infected pets are well documented; likely due to the pet bringing infected ticks into the home. Borrelia can also be transmitted in utero from an infected mother to a child during pregnancy. Congenital transmission can cause miscarriages, severe neurological disabilities, or other major system dysfunctions to the baby. Other modes of transmission probably exist that we are not aware of. I am personally concerned that transmission may occur through blood transfusions without authorities knowing about it."

According to Taylor, in order to understand how to treat Lyme disease, you must understand how borrelia causes disease. A key factor regarding borreliosis is Bacterial Lipoproteins (BLPs), which have a key component, Pam3cys. This triggers "an innate immune response that cascades into the disease borreliosis...The inflammation triggered by the fat-soluble BLPs toxins is responsible for most, if not all symptoms of borreliosis."

TO BE CONTINUED...

For the next half of his findings and summary of his report, please see next week's Friday Lyme disease post.

Lyme Disease. Welcome to the War Zone!

The Lyme disease war zone is described by Stephen Harrod Buhner, in his book called Healing Lyme, as "...a battle between people holding competing theories of Lyme disease and its treatment. The intensity of the conflict has regrettably reached almost religious levels amongst the different proponents. Caught in the crossfire are those with Lyme disease who are trying to understand what is happening to them, and to discover how best to deal with it. This is, in my opinion, reprehensible."

When pondering the thought of Lyme disease and how I was infected, most doctors would take me back in time, to memories of when I may have experienced a tick bite. Of course, having late stage Lyme, I cannot remember any such occassion. However, the physicians have never inquired regarding other causes of my transmitting the disease, nor have they inquired regarding my family and their health circumstances.

"In order to reduce the incidence of this disease, the education of health professionals, the public and politicians about Lyme, needs to be addressed."
--Wendy Leffel, M.D., "Healing Lyme"

Did you know that there are other possible means of transmiting Lyme disease?
Note: most of these are refuted through the CDC's site CDC Lyme Disease

*Human Breast Milk
*Tears
*Urine
*Semen
*also has been transmitted to babies in the womb
*mosquitos
*mites
*fleas
*biting flies
*other documented routes

The stereotype that Lyme is only spread through tick bites is one of the things that keeps the medical community from diagnosing and treating the growing, unreported, number of cases of Lyme disease..."...that a significant amount of reputable research is being ingnored by the mainstream medical community."

"Epidemiologic data suggest that the actual incidence of Lyme disease could be as much as 10 times higher than CDC data indicate. This probably is a result of a restrictive case definition from the CDC, inevitable misdiagnosis, and the fact that physicians tend to under report reportable diseases of all kinds."
--Jonathan Edlow, M.D., Harvard Medical School

These organisms (borrelia) are often present in such small numbers, and antibodies are so low in some of those infected that they don't show up on the standard blood tests for Lyme. Therefore, there is a desperate need for standard use of more sensitive tests to accurately diagnose the population. There may be many of those that have tested negative for the disease, who are actually infected.

"We desperately need practitioners on the frontlines who recognize and treat Lyme properly in the early, most curable stages and who take appropriately aggressive measures in later stages."
--Wendy Leffel, M.D., "Healing Lyme"

Other approaches to treatment need to be approached. Antibiotics are known as not tough enough in the fight against late-stage, or chronic Lyme disease. Even with this research and evidence, the CDC recommendations for treatment are exclusively built around antibiotics. See their recommendations for treatment here CDC treatments and links

"Science, though it often is, should never be the plaything of the powerful nor used to control the innocent for the accummulation of power and profit."
--Stephen Buhner, "Healing Lyme"



What treatments are the correct treatments?

What diagnostic data is the correct data to report?

What tools and tests should be used for diagnosis?

"Six points stand out to me after a rather long and intense examination of the existing material: (1) There is a lot of hysteria about Lyme disease. Everybody is pretty scared, most are not really sure what to do, including the physicians; (2) There are a lot more sick people than the statistics indicate; (3) Antibiotics are not nearly as effective as purported to be; (4) Clear, concise, unemotional information is hard to obtain; (5) Tests for Lyme disease are not very reliable; (6) Something very strange is going on in the field of Lyme disease and its treatment."
--Stephen Buhner, "Healing Lyme"

Why aren't patients, across the country, being tested for Lyme? Why is this such a hard diagnosis to obtain, when it is the correct diagnosis?

Sources:
www.cdc.gov
www.lymenet.org
www.lymediseaseassociation.org
Healing Lyme, by Stephen Harrod Buhner