The truth about Lyme disease is infuriating. You know what I mean. The refusal of the ISDA to acknowledge chronic Lyme. The ignorance of physicians about how to treat it, and even worse, their condescension and closed-mindedness. Or how about the refusal of friends and family members to help you through your pain and financial hardship? Not to mention the fact that Lyme-related bio-warfare organisms continue to be developed, dumped and (perhaps intentionally) disseminated throughout the world.
I'm going to stop here, because this is about as far as I can go before irritation starts creeping up on me. I'll leave the Lyme literature, Yahoo! board rumors and conversations regarding the truth about this disease to somebody else.
Go ahead, tell me I'm sticking my head in the sand. While I may be bending to the grains on a brown beach someplace, I am yet not uninformed about the politics, ignorance and tragic truths about Lyme disease. But the second I start feeling those truths wear at my soul, I head for the sand.
We need to understand the difficult truths about Lyme disease, in order to fight injustice and help ourselves and others to heal. On the other hand, and unless you are able to detach fully from the politics and other problems of Lyme, these truths must be taken in doses, or else you will find yourself worrying, fuming and fretting, when what your body really needs are "happy thoughts" in order to heal.
Indeed, worry, fear, indignation, anger and rage--emotions that Lyme truths often elicit in those who have been a victim of these "truths", are not beneficial for the body.
It can be hard to know, however, just how much information is too much. After all, news about the latest LLMD who has had his license revoked may sadden you, but it doesn't make a dent in your mood until you stumble upon another piece of discouraging information. And then, the combined weight of two tragic stories begins to fray the edges of your soul. Yet you keep going, because each new "find" somehow fuels your fire in a way that keeps you hungry for truth-and ultimately, justice.
Yes, sometimes anger motivates us to fix the problems that ail the world, but for the sick, it may become too difficult to release the rage that accompanies knowledge of injustice, especially if that injustice is the reason you are sick. If you are able to productively fight the injustice in our government, within the ISDA and even within your own home, without rage, and without taking negative sentiments to bed with you at night, then I congratulate you--other Lyme sufferers need people like you! But if you ruminate upon all that is wrong, and if you fume and fret over every article you read about Lyme politics, then perhaps it's time to take a vacation from knowledge, for the sake of your health.
Really, you must think about where your mind goes the majority of your life's minutes. If you struggle to stay positive because bugs have chewed up your neurons, chances are, the slightest bit of news on a Lyme group about a physician who told yet another patient that, "This disease is all in your head" is likely to cook up a storm in your thoughts and send a wave of disaster over your DNA. Yes, your thoughts affect your DNA and your cellular behavior!
Decide to love yourself enough to not get too deeply involved. Love justice, love truth, but take care of your health, because without it, your fight for justice will be less productive. Battles must be fought with love, not anger.
Welcome To Lyme Bytes!
April, 2014- HELLO ALL! I am no longer posting to this blog. For the latest on me and my work, I invite you to subscribe to my NEW blog: www.conniestrasheim.blogspot.com where I share my latest findings on how to heal from chronic illness involving Lyme and other conditions. Thanks!
Greetings and welcome to my Lyme disease blog, a comfy cozy (and sometimes crazy!) place for cutting-edge information, encouragement and insight into the fastest-growing epidemic disease in the United States. In this blog you will find everything from bug-killing strategies to immune system and hormone help, as well as lifestyle and spiritual suggestions for healing from chronic illness involving Lyme disease. The information contained within this blog is based upon my own healing journey and what I have learned over the past eight years as I have been diligently digging and researching my way back to a better state of health. May you find it to be a source of hope, inspiration and wisdom in your own journey towards wellness.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Never in a million years would I think I'd be treating a disease that the government/doctors/healthcare industry, etc... wants to keep a secret. Logically, I get it...it's all about $$$$$$. But when I start to think about all those people who donate blood everyday of every year, who don't even know they have lyme and are inadvertently spreading lyme disease, it becomes too much for me. Our lyme support group saw a showing of "Under Our Skin" a few weeks ago, it really opened my eyes to how bad it really is.
I can't let this struggle define who I am.
Monkey Girl,
Yes, it's mind-boggling, (and devastating) isn't it, to think about the politics of Lyme?
Good for you for not letting the struggle define you, however. There is so much more to life!
That documentary is sobering, though, isn't it? I hope it gets shown alll across the US!
Dear Connie:
I just want to tell you that I just received your book in the mail this afternoon and I have already read through about 1/3 of it. Just reading excerpts of it online I starting crying. When I read things that you feel I truly start crying uncontrollably. You have truly put how I feel into words. And for someone else to say this is so affirming to me. You see, I have been in a bit of denial for a while now. I was diagnosed last October with Lyme. However, I have most likely had it since I was 18 years old and am now 35. I have children and a husband and the first protocol I tried put me in bed for 14+ hours a day.
You are the first other lyme sufferer I have spoken to. I am typically a VERY big researcher. My husband had cancer five years ago and I read and read and read! But with this lyme disease thing I do keep putting my head in the sand and just want to pretend it is a wrong diagnosis. Considering I have been misdiagnosed about 2 dozen times in the last 3 years maybe it could be? I know I have lyme disease but I would rather NOT! I get people who say "Well at least you know what it is now." That isn't too comforting. I had a physician who was absolutely NOT very understanding whatsoever. He was treating me with a popular lyme protocol but he had not compassion for me when I would mention how my symptoms were exacerbated so much by the protocol that I could not function in my regular life.
I just want to say thank you for writing your book and I am thankful that God has used you and that you have been willing to be used of God in this capacity. Although I don't have a support group in this area (I don't think I am really ready to jump in there right now--that would be accepting it too much for me at this time) your book is a great first step!
Thank you again!
Dear Sick of Lyme,
Normally I wouldn't leave a comment for someone on another person's blog, but after hearing that you have no support, I had to comment.
Lyme disease can be VERY alienating. I, too, was in a little bit of denial when first diagnosed, but when I tested positive for two other co-infections that are common w/Lyme I couldn't ignore it any longer.
Please, please, please look for a support group in your area. There are online support groups as well. My first recommendation would be to find a Lyme Literate Doctor, even if it means you have to travel hundreds of miles to see one. Some members of our support group fly to California for treatment.
If you are already getting resistance from your doc, you'll never beat Lyme disease. 99.9% of doctors have no idea about Lyme disease.
I've been reading Connie's blog since February and she's really good at what she does, but, honey, you need support. I know you said you weren't ready, but it's important to understand you're not alone. I've been struggling w/lyme for probably 15+ years (best case scenario 8+ yrs)and have been misdiagnosed w/MS, Lupus, fibromalgia (this is common), chronic fatigue (also common)and many other misdiagnoses. I've had many many doctors say there wasn't a damn thing wrong w/me and that I should take an anti-depressant and get over myself. This is very common, and all the lyme sufferers I know have the similar stories.
Good luck, and feel free to contact me on my own blog, for more information.
Peace,
Monkey Girl
Dear Sick of Lyme,
Thank you for your kind message. My heart goes out to you-Lyme is a trial like no other, and it affects our lives in so many ways.
I am glad that my book has been helpful. I think you will really appreciate the last section, which provides solutions for dealing with difficult life circumstances and emotions that Lyme brings into a person's life. I pray that you will find consolation and solace there.
I am not "there" yet, but I have learned that there is much redemptive power in illness. God may not heal us in an instant, but if we seek Him, He will make lemons from our lemonade. I daresay, He can even give us greater peace through this trial than what we had before we were sick! It is a long process, though, and for me, it has required spending much time in prayer, and in disciplining my mind--as well as in doing things to support the healing of my body. Yet, with time, persistence and perseverance (and God helps with this!) He can bring us to a place of greater peace.
Know that you aren't alone. I agree with Monkey Girl that you may want to reach out to a support group. If going to see people is intimidating, then perhaps a Yahoo! online group would be good. They can answer questions and help you through tough times. The people on Lyme Strategies, for instance, were really there for me during the first two years of this illness when I cried every day. I made good friends there who helped me through the tough times.
Yes, this disease still brings tears to my eyes, but I have grown and healed much through it.
As far as your treatments, there are protocol that work for Lyme and which are gentler than antibiotics. Some are found in energy medicine. A couple are mentioned in my book, but I know of others if you want to mail me off-line: connie9824@msn.com.
And yes, if you are going to heal with the help of a practitioner, go to one who knows what he/she is doing. These are few and you may have to travel, but trust me, it's well worth it. Otherwise, there are many who treat this on their own but you would want to get involved with an on-line group for support and guidance.
If I can be of further help, please let me know!
Thank you for stopping by and sharing. I wish you well in your healing journey.
Connie
Connie and "Monkey girl":
Thank you both very much for your caring and kind comments. I know that support is vital in the road to recovery, unfortunately I have been down this familar road before but the road wasn't near as hard or did the outcome seem so bleak. I am very familar with the yahoo message boards and they have been a great deal of support for me in the past. I just don't know why but I guess going to one seems like I am "admitting" or "giving in" to the diagnosis. Even though I have seen the lab results with my own eyes I still want to put my head in the sand. There is no clear cut method to getting well!
I do think Connie's book is going to be a real help in the beginning of my acceptance of this. I just hate being tagged as having lyme. I have told a few people, for instance when I am in an air conditioned store and I am sweating profusely (do either of you have this symptom, I just started having this one a little over a year ago) and the clerk says "Are you hot?" I feel really embarrassed! I used to be cold natured. And then this additional symptom hit me! I hate it! I have to put my make up on in my vehicle with the a/c blowing at me full blast (which is silly to even do because it slides right off within an hour or less). I have told people at church because with the protocol I was on it was very evident that something was up.....I get responses such as "You can have that for a long time?" No one really understands it. I think people resond to a person with lyme like the do to people with fibromyalgia and other terrible diseases. I think for the most part, at least from my experience, people thing that with lyme and other similar type diseases (similar in symptoms not in how you get it) people just think that you must just be a "sickly" or "unmotivated" person and just like to have attention. Or possibly people think I am just a hypochondriac. That is the worst!
Sorry to ramble. I just wanted to thank you so much for the support and the kind words. They mean so much to me coming from two people who are going through the same thing I am!
Sincerely,
Michelle
Hi Connie! Just came across your videos on youtube and found my way to this blog. Am wondering if you ever researched radionics as a way of combating this disease? The only problem with radionics is finding someone who really knows how to do it correctly. It is very complicated to get the system to work, which is probably a good thing, because it is possible to overbalance conditions (especially visceral ones) and cause more problems than you began with. More often than not, people who think they are practicing radionics are in reality not effecting any changes whatsoever, which is probably a good fail-safe. Would like to make an important distinction here between radionics and radiesthesia. Radiesthesia is using the power of the mind to effect change, and there is room for error here. With true radionics the instrument does the work, with no room for error. Radionics is for real and extremely effective in the hands of an operator who really knows how to make it work. Although the system began with Albert Abrams, it was Thomas Galen Hieronymus who was really responsible for what, in my opinion, is the most effective radionic system. The bad news is that the fda has made the medical branch of radionics illegal to practice in the U.S. (although it is a licensed practice in the U.K. and a number of other countries around the world). Surprisingly, agricultural radionics is legal in the U.S., although the powers that be tried to supress this area, also. Anyway, I am a radionics operator and would be happy to provide any additional info that can. Take care, Don.
Post a Comment