On December 10th, 2013, I was diagnosed with lyme disease. I had odd rashes on my body that wouldn’t let up, so I started treatment even before I got the positive blood test result. In my research I learned that catching lyme disease early was half the battle. I knew exactly when and where I got bit and I had the EM rash to prove I should start treatment. http://www.jemsekspecialty.com/lyme_detail.php?sid=6 I was under the impression that I would get better with two months of heavy antibiotics. I found a lyme disease specialist in San Diego and began treatment. When I finished the treatment, I excitedly posted a photo of my last antibiotic, determined I was done. However 5 days later I got sick - sicker than I had been. It was like the beginnings of the flu for two weeks, and soon after found out that my Lyme IgG and IgM were still positive. I started a four month long cycle of multiple antibiotics and Bicillin injections - intramuscular injections every three days. http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3768/bicillin-l-a-im/details I also started a long list of supplements, a gluten-dairy-sugar free diet and seeing a herbalist for chinese herbs that I took twice a day. I believe the herbs, supplement, diet, and water intake kept me somewhat functional during that time, but the Lyme was still quickly escalating.

When this round of antibiotics was complete, I became sicker again two weeks later. It was September, 10 months after my diagnosis, and I had worsening physical pain, debilitating exhaustion, and insomnia. Some of you have seen my struggles first-hand, talking me down in moments of grief, massaging my back when I felt like I could snap in two, or literally lying on top of me until I calmed down enough to to function. My life is nothing what it used to be. I am less jugemental, more loving, more kind, more vulnerable, grounded, and grateful in ways I've never been. I'm also so tired that it's difficult to hold my head up most nights or sit up straight for too long. It feels like a ceiling is coming down on me. On any given day I struggle with fatigue, persistent muscle twitching, poor ciruclation, numbness/ tingling of my extremities, insomnia, migratory joint pain, muscle pain / fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, concentration issues, anxiety, heart palpitations, lightheadedness / dizziness, blurry vision, and auditory pain.

I gave up all my extracurricular activities, accepting that if I was going to get better, I had to rest every moment I could. I started antibiotics again and was on them for a month when I gave up. After a lot of consideration, research, and medical trial and error, I decided that the antibiotics weren't going to cure me. I had tried for 10 months and was only getting worse. I now had two options - to do a PICC line or to go entirely natural. http://lymelens.com/picc-your-poison

I need to do a fundraiser because health insurance doesn’t cover either option. With natural treatments, I’ve found several that have cured friends with similar cases, as well as effective treatments that I’ve already begun. If you're interested or need more information than what is provided please email me and I can give you specific details, but here is the general outline:

• I will be getting peptide shots in Florida starting at the end of the month. From the referrals I’ve been given, I’m the most excited and confident about this treatment. I am also doing essential oils, prescribed by my specialist in San Diego. http://restormedicine.com/essential-oils-in-lyme-disease-treatment/

• I do BioEnergetics every three weeks, which has been tremendously helpful http://www.naturalallergyrelief.com/about-bie.html My herbalist gives me bi-weekly personalized Chinese herbs for treating my immune dysfunction, antibiotic side-effects, and Lyme and co-infections http://universalfamilyclinic.com/practitioners.html

• I also use Methylation( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4uqEDK6BvM ) acupuncture, supplements, meditation, eat a healthy diet and rest.

Thank you for reading my story and helping me. It’s terrifying to be this vulnerable. I wish this wasn’t happening but I’m learning tremendous things about myself, life, and love.  It is not under ideal circumstances, but this life experience, for me, has shone a light on how amazing us humans are in supporting one another, and how strong we are as a unit. I am so grateful to those of you who have shown up for me with your whole hearts and loved me through all of those moments when it seemed impossible to love myself.  I want to get better so badly so that I can share a big ol' revitalized piece of my heart with you guys! Thank you.