Day 7

Today was very hot outside, but some really cool things happened at the clinic.
We started our day with our lymphatic drainage therapy, ion cleanse foot bath, and lux light therapies. Bella and I had an early lunch and headed back over for my appointment with Dr. Jowdy. I was excited for the day, because I knew that were were going to start NeuroPhotonic therapy.
NPT uses special, variable intensity glasses to challenge the crystalline matrix pathways which make up the body. (The whole thing is quite scientific and difficult to explain, but I'll do my best!)
For instance, Dr. Jowdy placed the glasses on my face, and a red light was shown into my eyes.  However, I didn't expect what happened next.
After a few seconds of staring at the color red, my heart started to race, I got agitated - really agitated, and started to panic.  I think this is what an anxiety attack must feel like, because my chest started to hurt, and I was truly freaking out.  Dr. Jowdy was quickly using BioResonance Scanning to identify the blockages and problems in my body which were causing my intense reaction to the color red.  My body was not processing light correctly, and it threw me into chaos.  He began using many different frequency treatments, i.e. homeopathy, essential oils, frequency modulated cold-laser, EM field therapy, etc., and my chaos stopped.
After my pathways were realigned, I was allowed to look at (absorb) more of the color until my body got enough of what it needed.
Then we moved on to the color green, which didn't set off any chaos, but my body still showed that I wasn't processing that color correctly, either.  Finally was blue, which again didn't set off any chaos, but caused the most pathway disruption to me, which was also corrected.  Once this was complete, all of the energy pathways were "reset."  Again, just more ways of removing things that interfere with my body's ability to heal.
So remember my painful legs?  Well once this NPT was complete, the electrical pathways though my legs were open once again.  These legs seem to be a big bump in this road, because they become painful, the Dr. opens the pathways and the pain is gone.  But slowly, the pain comes back.  But we are working on it - both Dr. Jowdy and Dr. Jernigan :)

Bella's day was great.  She even got a massage!

Her progress has been remarkable.  Tomorrow she will have another CRT test - the temperature testing we both had on our first day to determine her progress and see what's left - if anything - to treat.

I am anxious to find out the results.  Dr. Jernigan is really impressed with her healing, and I am really impressed with Hansa, for helping her do it.  She had been subjected to 2+ years of antibiotics that couldn't make her better, and now it's like she's brand new.  I am seeing joy in her that I've never seen before.  If this isn't a success story, I don't know what is.  I am thankful... SO thankful that God lead us here.

Our last therapy was the infrared sauna - which is really growing on us!  We always feel so invigorated after it, and the benefits to our health are invaluable.  I'm thinking that one would be a great addition to our new home ;)

We finished today a little earlier than usual, so we wanted to get out to enjoy the warm and sunny weather while it lasts (it's supposed to snow here on Thursday!)

So we headed out to dinner at the Bella Luna Cafe and had some great Mediterranean food.  

We came back and FaceTimed Luca and Mia as they were just finishing with bathtime.  They are doing great at home, and Keith is doing a good job being Mr. Mom while I'm here.  

So if you're praying for us (and I thank you so much for doing so), please pray that I would make progress with my pain, and that my body would be restored to optimum health.  Please pray for Keith as he juggles work and home (with the help of our nanny, Sarah).  And please be sure to thank God for Bella's healing, which is the greatest gift of all.

Thanks for checking in :)

Day 6

Bella and I were excited to get back to the Hansa Center this morning. Right off the bat I had my appointment with Dr. Jowdy. We talked a lot about our sluggishness over the weekend, and he explained things the same way I had figured them to be. We are putting our bodies through rigorous methods of detoxification, redirecting energy pathways, and basically retraining them on how to function. All of these things can be taxing on us, and it's very common to see this sort of thing. I did mention to him that I had not been totally faithful to my gluten-free diet and ate a piece of cake on Friday night, and I attributed some of my symptoms to that. So he decided that we would focus on my food sensitivities today.

I tested sensitive to many foods (as I have in the past) - but the biggest being wheat, followed by dairy, soy, sugar, alcohol, and corn.

But the most exciting part of this is that Dr. Jowdy told me about his own prior food issues, and that now he can eat whatever he wants because he retrained the body on how to react to the foods. So this is what we are going to do with me.

If you know me, you know that I watch what I eat like a hawk. It would be great if I didn't have to be such a food nazi, so I'm looking forward to what this aspect of the treatment holds. When you have a chronic illness in combination with food sensitivities, it's a big deal. It's hard enough for your immune system to hold the illness at bay, but when you consume foods that are toxic to your body on top of that, the symptoms are magnified. That is why I've learned to avoid things that are going to impede my body's ability to overcome Lyme Disease. This method of treatment, however, will allow my body to stop focusing on the foods that are hurting me, and put that energy into healing.

Sounds like a plan to me!!

We also worked on my right shoulder, which has been injured for over 3 months now. I've been very limited on what I can do as far as lifting weights or physical training, which bums me out immensely. After 3 months of physical therapy, it was really no better than when I started. I would get some improvement, and then it would flare back up again. Anyway, he was able to give me more relief in 15 minutes than 3 months of PT. He used a special tape - kinesio tape, which is part of a rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints. I am excited to see what results I get with my shoulder, because I am itching to play tennis and lift weights again!

Bella, too had a productive day. I requested that we work on her food sensitivities, too, and Dr. Jernigan told us a story about how his wife was unable to eat a slew of foods when they were dating. He was able to fix her on the spot, and now she can eat foods that she previously had anaphylactic reactions to. We thought that would be pretty nice, and Bella was totally on board with not having to be gluten-free anymore, so we now both have remedies to treat those allergies. Good stuff.

Dr. Jernigan also worked more on my legs, which were becoming painful again. And he was able to get the pain to stop - again. I know that it's possible and I know that the healing is mine. Now my body just needs to let go of its old ways of function to allow the correction to stay. And it will. My body has been sick for 20+ years with this pathogen, which has deeply imbedded itself into every working part of it. And I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel :)

The best part of our day, though, was when we saw a fellow patient for the first time since the weekend. He actually has a tumor in his sinus that has caused one of his eyes to bulge. He told me that his doctor wanted to remove about half of his face with the tumor, and then do radiation.  

But he decided to have treatment at the clinic, and today, the tumor was so obviously shrunken that Bella and I were in shock. How amazing! His body was given a chance to help heal itself, and it is working.

Again, we are so encouraged by this, and our faith was given a big boost at the sight of this healing taking place right in front of us.

So after our long day at the clinic, we came back to our hotel and made gluten-free banana pancakes with pure maple syrup, as well as cage free organic hard boiled eggs. We are supposed to avoid the foods that we're sensitive to for now, so we were good tonight.

So with a full belly, I am calling it a day. Goodnight, and thanks for checking in :)

Our Weekend in Wichita

Yesterday was Saturday, which meant no Hansa for us.  It also meant that it was time for Keith to head back home to get back to work and relieve my parents of taking care of the kids.  Bella and I were very sad to separate from him, as the three of us had experienced so many amazing things together.  Keith was reluctant to leave, as well, but he knew that he was leaving us in good hands with the wonderful people at The Hansa Center.

It was a dreary day, and was cool and rainy.  Bella and I decided that since we were out early in the morning, we should do something, but there weren't really many options that were open.  So we decided to go to Cabela's to take a look around.  Bella had never been there, and she really had a good time!

But we were both pretty tired and achy, so after spending the morning out, we headed back to the hotel to do some laundry and rest.  We were both a little discouraged about the crappy way we felt, but I kept reminding us that our bodies were going through some big changes.  We are taking new medicines, and our bodies are working very hard to detox and deal with the new regimen.  We watched a movie together, and then the sun finally came out around dinner time.  Bella really felt like getting outside then, so we went to get some dinner, but prom in Wichita really foiled our plans.  Every restaurant was filled with teens in gowns and tuxedos.  We finally managed to get a table at the Red Canyon Grill, but by that time, Bella was exasperated with the whole process, and admitted that she really missed her daddy.  She was teary-eyed all through our dinner, which I promptly finished, because I felt like I needed to get her back to the hotel - our "temporary home" to feel some stability.  I could tell that the she really wasn't doing well emotionally, and my heart broke for her.  But we had  good FaceTime chat with daddy and her brother and sister, and she was feeling much better.  

And that was Saturday.

This morning, we both woke up feeling much better - not completely better, but a great improvement from yesterday.  We had some breakfast, and decided to watch church online.  Since our church that we used to attend in Pittsburgh streams live, we were able to catch the 10 am service at 9 am here due to the time difference.  It was awesome worshiping with and seeing my family and old church friends.  

Bella did a little homework, and then we headed for the Wichita Zoo.  

And boy did that make Bella a happy girl!  She loves animals, and the weather was FINALLY beautiful.  It was a warm and sunny day, and we just soaked it all in.

Her favorite part was the children's farms where she could pet and feed the sheep, ducks and goats.  She thanked me a few times for taking her there.  She kept saying what a great day it was, and of course, that made me happy, in spite of my body that ached more the longer we were there.  We called it a day and headed for an early dinner at our favorite place here, The Waterfront... (Mainly because it's pretty and has a P.F. Changs!)

We took some pictures there, too, because it was now 81 degrees without a cloud in the sky.  It's on days like this that I can appreciate the constant breeze in Kansas ;)

 And so back to the hotel we went to FaceTime with the rest of our family that we miss dearly.  But we are getting stronger here, and we can do this.  We both look forward to getting back to the clinic in the morning.  We've come a long way, but there is more work to do!

Day 5

I woke up this morning with no headache, and feeling so much better than I felt yesterday... and I was relieved.  Last night I went to bed trusting in Psalm 30:5, which states that the sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes with the morning.  I was so touched by all of the encouragement that poured in for me last night and earlier today.  It helped, and it made me stronger - so I thank you!

Today was the usual routine.  I had some therapies (a.k.a. time with machines), and then my appointment with Dr. Jowdy.  We learned a lot about my digestive issues today, and the wreckage that Lyme has put my hormones into.  And now I have remedies that will help with that.  The all over pain that I was used to living with was gone again, and we both agree that I am making good progress.

Then it was time for Bella's appointment with Dr. Jernigan, and boy is she doing fabulously.  She is progressing so swiftly, and we are all very impressed!  She has virtually none of the symptoms she came here with, and she's a normal kid now. We are no longer concerned with her jugular veins or her brain.  Except for a little pain in one of her knees which she mentioned tonight, she's doing just dandy :)

I took this great picture of the two of them today.  She really loves him, and so do we.

Which brings me to my miracle.  Bella's treatment went so well today that she was done with her appointment early.  During this time Dr. Jernigan was asking me how I was doing.  I proceeded to tell him how my week was going and that my only complaint at the time was that my legs were hurting.  My knees weren't flaring - as usual, but my legs were hurting, all over, like they usually do.  He asked what kind of pain they were, and I told him 7/10.  So then he asked if I'd like to jump up on the table - if I minded.  Well of course, I was happy to let him have at it, so I got on his treatment table.  He began to examine me and found that I had many energy blockages at the top of my legs - right where they meet the torso.  He then frequency tested the remedies that cleared the blockages, and I took quite a few things (some were yucky) right there on the spot.  He tested me again, and asked me about my pain.  Amazingly, it had been cut in half.  Then he did something else - and discovered that there were some emotional blockages that were causing interruptions in that circuit.  Again, more remedies to clear those bad frequencies -  and it this point it's all a blur.  He asked me about the pain again.

AND IT WAS GONE.

I threw my hands up to my face because I was so overcome with emotion.  I could hardly speak.  I squeaked out the words, "it's gone."  And cried with joy.  I have had constant knee pain since high school.  And my legs have been in agony almost daily for over 3 years.  And now they were healed.

He told me to take a walk and try out my new legs.  I felt like I was walking on clouds.  Like I weighed less. It was weird.  They were almost rubbery.  I laughed and cried and was overcome by this miracle.  And my husband and daughter were right there to see it.  

So tonight I own this... and I am constantly needing to remind my heart that my legs are healed.  I am feeding my soul help for my hope by reading Jesus Today, by Sarah Young, who wrote it during her own struggle with Lyme Disease.  And I will be going back to read Everyday Miracles by God's Design by Dr. Jernigan.  As we were leaving the office, Dr. Jernigan didn't fail to give God the glory for what had happened.  He said, "God is Great!"  We love that.  And we think so, too.

So the first week has come to an end, and I am tired tonight.  Healing can be exhausting!  So I will sleep sweetly tonight, even though Keith will leave us to head for home in the morning.  I am happy that Mia and Luca will get their daddy back for next week, but I know they will miss Nonna and Pappy being around.

This weekend Bella and I will rest, but I'm thinking a trip to the zoo is in order - and maybe a mother-daughter pedicure ;)

Thanks for checking in... God is good - all the time.

Day 4

Today didn't begin like I expected it to.  I got a good night of sleep, which is unusual.  But I didn't feel well when I woke up.  I had a headache, and I hurt - all over.  I felt "lymey," as I call it, and I was disappointed.
When I hurt I am quiet, and Keith knew that something was wrong.  But it was different this time.  Yes, I was in pain, but I'm used to that - until now, pain was a way of life for me.  The difference was that my hope had taken a blow.  My confidence shattered.  This hurt was more than physical - I was disappointed, and kind of panicked.  Things had been going so well, and I didn't know what to make of this.

So I went to the center at my appointed time, and the lovely Diana met me as I walked in the door.  She asked the usual, "how are you feeling?"  But I couldn't give the answer that I wanted to give.  The answer that usually automatically blurts out of my mouth - "good!"
I said, "not so well today," and she saw the disappointment in my teary eyes.  With such warmth and empathy she reassured me, saying that this happens all of the time.  Patients ebb and flow.  There are a few good days, and then a bad day will come out of the blue.  She told me that it pretty consistently happens, and that this process is like peeling an onion.  Layer by layer we deal with things, and then different things are uncovered - and then we deal with those things.
And I felt a little better.  A little.  My head still pounded, and I went through two different therapies (we spend lots of time "with machines" as one of my fellow patients put it) before it was time for me to see the doctor.

Let me just say that I felt a little naked.  Someone other than my husband knew how I was feeling, and that it was bad.  I am an actor.  For so long I've learned how to look good in spite of my suffering.  I've pushed myself to crazy limits to remain physically active and look physically fit.  I don't complain - mostly because I can't tolerate complainers.  What's the use of dwelling on the bad stuff, anyway?  Nobody wants to hear it, right?  Seriously - when you run into someone and ask how they are, you expect to hear that they're good, fine, etc.  The moment when you start to get the lengthy dissertation on how miserable they are, your brain shuts off.  And truthfully, so does mine.
And so I act like I'm fine.  And I'm good at it.  And I know it because I have had SOOO many people tell me that they had no idea I had Lyme, or that I was suffering.  "But you look so good!"  is very common for me to hear.  And so I must be doing a good job, and that's okay with me.  But sometimes - Sometimes, I have to hold myself back from the urge to punch that person in the face.  Sometimes I want them to know that it hurts just to be awake and that I'm exhausted and that my brain is scrambled and I can't think straight. Sometimes I'd like them to know that they need to stop expecting so much of me because most of the time I'm on a brink of falling off a ledge that leads to who knows where.
But I don't, and they don't know, and I've never fallen off the ledge :)
But I digress.

Anyway, I was actually dreading Dr. Jowdy's "how do you feel today" question.  But he asked me, and I told him - the truth.  And then I broke.  I cried.  Like a little baby.  I was so disappointed and frustrated, and I finally cried.  If you know me - you know I don't like crying, and I hate crying in front of someone.  So this was huge.  And I cried a little more.  And that was okay.  Dr. Jowdy went on to explain the same thing that Diana did.  That this was normal, and almost to be expected.  He encouraged me.  When I got a grip, I apologized for falling apart and explained to him that I'm usually a good showperson, and that this usually doesn't happen when I feel bad.
And he told me that yes, there is no use dwelling on the bad stuff (just as I thought!)
But he also told me that it's not always good to suppress all of this, either - like I have done ever since I got sick.  So maybe this is part of my healing process.  That crying happens in his office all of the time, and if I needed to cry through the whole hour every day to get better, then I was welcome to do it.
And that was the end of the crying.
By the end of the appointment, my pounding 7/10 headache was at a 4/10, and I was already feeling better.  And as the day went on I felt better.  And by the time I got out of the infrared sauna at 5 pm, I felt good.
And that was my day.

Bella had another better day today than the last, and we are so happy.  Dr. Jernigan is so pleased with her progress, and they are so neat to watch together.  This man has a love of working with kids, and it shows.  We are so confident that we have her in the right place, and we trust him wholeheartedly with her wellbeing.  We know that she is healing, and it's happening quickly.  And it's awesome.

We also were able to spend some time FaceTiming with our Luca and Mia.  They are doing just fine, and we couldn't be more thankful for that.  It gives me such peace to know that they are happy at home with my parents.  Here is a picture of their cute little mugs from our FaceTime on my iPad.

How can that not make you smile?

As Dr. Jernigan said today, God is Good.  And we agree.

Day 3

Today was another great day at the Hansa Center.  After my appointment with Dr. Jowdy, I kept thinking that it would be so great if every doctor treated their patients the way these two doctors do.  If every doctor were trained to work with the body to help it heal itself rather than writing a prescription to treat a symptom, we wouldn't be so sick.  It's sad to me that this has happened to our medical system.  But it makes me appreciate so much more the dedication these two men have to helping people heal.  They don't claim to treat any disease.  They do, however, help the body achieve optimum health, regardless of what it is dealing with. This place makes me wish that I had been trained in this type of Biological Medicine.  I am truly inspired to try to help others heal - and even if it's only through this blog, then that will have to do - for now :)

Both yesterday and today, Bella and I spent some time in the Infrared Sauna.

I've been learning how devastating a low body temperature can be.  For every 1 degree (Celsius) decrease in body temperature, immune function decreases by 36%.  I had to chart my body temperature for 20 days before coming to the center, and was typically running between 96.6 and 97.2 degrees F.  So basically, my body was a great place for disease to live. The infrared sauna helps to raise the core body temperature, raise the metabolic rate, as well as facilitate dotoxification.  Bella was a champ and was able to stay in for all but 5 minutes today.  We did have to play several rounds of concentration for her to make it, but she hung in there pretty well!

We are also getting to know the people who work at Hansa much better, and we think they are amazing.  Bella is well-loved there, and told me today that she never wanted to leave!  She loves Dr. Jernigan, and is growing a special place in her heart for Diana (a.k.a. Mama Hansa, as one of my fellow patients lovingly named her today) who runs around the place making sure that everyone is well taken care of. She truly is a gem of a person and makes every patient feel special - who wouldn't love to be around her all day?

As far as how we're feeling, I have seen a big change in Bella.  She hasn't had one headache since Monday.  She has much more energy, and the fear that seemed to control her has fallen away.  It's amazing what can happen when you don't feel sick any more.  Having been born with this, I don't know if she's ever truly realized what feeling normal is.  It is obvious that she feels better, and that makes me so happy.
Today was better for me than yesterday, which is another victory for me.  I've been able to go longer through the day without pain, and my energy level has definitely increased.  I still have a way to go, but the improvements are obvious, and we are continually encouraged by our progress. (And it's only day 3!!)

Meanwhile, back in Virginia...

Today, my mom and dad went to the FCS lower campus to watch Luca and Mia in the Boosterthon Fun Run to raise money for our beloved school.  How dedicated are they?  Check out these pictures from the run...

 

Check out Mia's determination!

 

Luca and his buddies.

 

Run, Mia, Run!

 

Luca and my mom (Nonna)

 

Mia and Nonna

 

Luca and my dad (Pappy)

We sure miss these guys, but we are so happy that they are doing well at home with my parents.  

So with that, I will try to sleep - in spite of someone above our room who likes to stomp around their room in the late hours of the evening.  Thanks for checking in!

Day 2

First of all, I have to say how humbled and blessed I feel to keep reading all of the well-wishes for us on Facebook.  Your prayers are such a blessing and comfort to us.  We can feel them and we know they are being heard and answered.  It really means so much to have such an outpouring of support from friends and family, and we are SO grateful.  The love we feel is overwhelming.

This morning I was anxious to get to my appointment with Dr. Jowdy, because I knew that he was going to begin some corrective interventions.  I can't place enough emphasis on the fact that this place is wonderful because it puts the patient in an environment that is totally conducive to healing.  The therapies are meant to allow the body to detoxify, which helps the healing take place.  But the real "meat" of what goes on each day is during your hour appointment with the doctor.  I wish I could somehow explain how and what he does - but I can't.  My expertise is anesthesia - his is in optimizing the body to allow healing through natural means in the way God designed it.  Having not been trained in what he does, I am truly at a loss as to how to explain it.  But what I can say, is that it is nothing short of amazing to see how he tests for dysfunction in the body using energy frequencies, and then can "reset" pathways, circuits, etc. and see IMMEDIATE results from his interventions.  Bella had the same wonderful experience today, as Keith watched and was completely convinced of Dr. Jernigan's methods.
Experiencing this is proof that mainstream medicine's approach to chasing a pathogen which can never be totally eradicated in the body is useless.  The drugs that I have been taking for the past 3 years have not only failed to kill the Lyme, but they have caused much damage to my body in the process.  I am so thankful that God has answered my prayers by leading me to this place, and using a man who has dedicated his life (Dr. Jernigan) to being used by God to help heal others.

For anyone suffering from Lyme or any other chronic illness such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus, etc. - I highly recommend reading Dr. Jernigan's book, Beating Lyme Disease: Living the Good Life in Spite of Lyme - and checking out this blog: http://www.beatinglymedisease.blogspot.com/

So, I go to bed tonight feeling SO much better than I did last night.  But my real encouragement came when I met a man at the clinic today named Steve, who used to be a dentist (so we had a lot to talk about!).  Steve told me that he had been so sick with Lyme before he came to Hansa last week (this is his 2nd week), that he had been bedridden for the past three months.  He had to go from the bed to the car to get on the plane to get here, and the flight had been torture for him.
Well you never would have known that if you had just met Steve today.  He was walking around the clinic with pep in his step.  He was smiling and talking to everyone he encountered.  Steve was so full of joy from the healing that was taking place in his body that he just exuded peace and light.  Again, I was amazed that this kind of progress could be possible in such a short period of time.
But I guess I should probably be done with being amazed and now just switch over to being thankful.  And that's what I am.  I am thankful that I am here - so much to the point of tears if I really let myself think about my journey and how it was that I got here.  I am thankful that we no longer feel that the only way we can save Bella from a life of pain and neurological deficits is to pump her body full of damaging antibiotics that will end up failing her in the long run.
I am thankful that my husband is here.  And that he is 100% supportive of what we're doing and how we are doing it.  I am thankful that even though I am not the same person he married, he still loves me more than his own life.  His support is something that has been constant when I'm sure others would have fallen away.  Living with someone with a chronic illness cannot be easy.  And right about now he probably deserves some kind of medal.

I am also thankful that I've been able to keep in contact with my other two babies who are in the excellent care of my parents.  They are doing well, and are happy to be with Nonna and Pappy, and that makes my heart so glad.
I am blessed beyond measure... I don't know any other way to put it.

Day 1

So I thought I was too tired to blog, but I'm afraid some of the events of the day will leave my brain before I can write them down, so I'm going to give it a go. Forgive me if this post is scattered - that's the way my brain works sometimes. But I expect that to get better, too!

So this was the first thing I saw when I sat down in the waiting room.  And I was so down with what it said! On the plane over here, I read the book (cover to cover - I couldn't put it down) - Everyday Miracles by God's Design by Dr. David Jernigan.  I was amazed by what this man has accomplished and completely inspired by this book.  If a book can change a person as quickly as it changed me, I was super excited to actually meet the man who wrote it.  

So this morning I began the day with a CRT test, which measured the temperature of 200 + points on my body, and then measured them again after 10 minutes of exposing my body to a lower temperature (stress).  This gives the docs a great picture of how my organs are working and responding to stress. (Much better than an x-ray, which only gives a picture of what a part of the body looks like.)

Next I got to meet my doctor, Dr. Jowdy, and I really, really liked him.  He listened, asked questions, explained, and kind of knew what was going on in my body before I could even put it into words. Next, he went through my CRT test with me, which was very revealing.  It showed on paper the dysfunctions in my body that were evident through the symptoms I've been having.  My 2 main issues were my heart and brain, which have been affected the most by the Lyme bacteria.  However, he inspired great trust and confidence with Keith and me, and after the hour I spent with him, I was very excited about having some therapies and starting this process!

The first thing that I was blessed with was a massage!  It was an hour long, and different from other massages I've had.  Keep in mind that I hurt - pretty much everywhere, so I wasn't very thrilled at the thought of a massage on my already sore muscles.  And although it did trigger some pain (but not much), my therapist also worked on my lymph drainage, and was stimulating the flow of toxins from my body.

Next I had a sort of light therapy (it's hard to explain exactly how it works) that was focused, in my case, on my liver and heart.  I had headphones on that inspired meditation through sound, and I have to say, that I was put into a state of relaxation that I believe I have never known.  

After that I had a rife and lymphatic drainage treatment with the st-8 machine which is designed to liquify solidified lymph and allow it to flow properly through the body's lymph system.  Finally, I had an ionic cleanse foot bath, and was came out of my body from that was nothing short of shocking.  Let's just say that I am glad I got rid of all of that junk!

Gross, right?  This is my feet in regular water, with an ionic current running through it.  That is all.

I did nothing but allow all of this junk come out of my body through my feet.  So I guess the therapies of the day stirred up some toxins that had to go.  I think I need to do this every day.

As far as Bella is concerned, she started the day with a CRT test herself, and then by meeting her doctor, Dr. Jernigan himself.  And I must say that being in the same room with him is remarkable.  He was so kind, yet strong.  And tall!  And exudes a Christ-likeness about him that is so comforting.  Bella loved him, and you could see the fear leaving her body as he spoke with her.  Bella's main concerns are infection with Borrelia, Babesia, and thirdly, Erlichia (the last 2 are Lyme-coinfections).  This made me sad to hear.  She also has some congestion in her jugular veins which does not allow the blood to flow from her brain properly. However, we were reassured by Dr. Jernigan that if he could test it, we could correct it.  

She then had some therapies herself, which concentrated on lymph drainage and light therapy focused on her jugular veins in her neck.

Keith remained with Bella the entire day, and as an allopathically trained physician, he was truly impressed by these doctors and their methods.  This inspired me.  It really means so much to me to have the support of my physician husband as we follow this path to healing.

So today was good.  We are invigorated, yet tired, and excited for what tomorrow holds.

However, tomorrow is set to hold some crazy weather - snow, in fact.  That is not particularly exciting for us!

So with that, I am going to sleep.  Speaking of sleep, Bella went fast asleep tonight without the help of ANY of the sleep meds she has had to take for the past 2 years.  And THAT is encouraging :)

The Journey Begins

So tomorrow is the big day... We take off for Wichita in the morning!  My parents drove through torrential downpours to get here last night, and today was much of an orientation day for them as they have taken on the task of caring for Luca and Mia while Keith accompanies Bella and Me for the first week of our stay at the Hansa Center.  I am so thankful for them and their willingness to put their life on hold for the next week to help me get my life back.
We all sat down together tonight and watched Under Our Skin, which was entirely depressing, however very necessary for anyone who has, or has a loved one who has Lyme Disease.  I'm anxious, and I usually don't allow myself that kind of emotion.  Anyway, I pray (hard) that Dr. Jernigan will know what to do to help us get well - but my trust is ultimately in the Great Physician who has led us in this direction.
Our bags are packed... all we need to do now is try and sleep tonight, say goodbye to our babies in the morning, and get there.

Bella

So I had a lot to write about yesterday... so much that I needed to break it into 2 posts, so here is part 2 of our Wichita Story:  Bella.

Bella was diagnosed with Lyme disease two years ago.  At the time, I had heard that Lyme could be passed from mother to child through the placenta, but had been hoping that this was not what was happening to my daughter.  After watching her suffer with extreme fatigue to the point of not being able to finish a soccer game, emotional distress, insomnia, headaches, body aches, fevers, night sweats and joint pain, we knew it was time to take her to my LLMD to get evaluated.  She was clinically diagnosed on the spot, but Keith and I wanted to have her IGeneX tested before we subjected her to the rounds of antibiotic treatment which I had already been undergoing.  Her test did come back positive for the same exact "bands" which were positive on my test, which made me sad.  I had passed this on to my first child, and most likely my other two babies as well.  I mourned this fact, as my heart was broken for what Bella would have to face to treat this.  I also knew that it had lay dormant in her body since birth, so I did not know what damage had already been done.

Bella started antibiotic treatment, and took it like a champ.  As a then 7-year-old who had to take handfulls of pills each day, she didn't fuss or fight - she just took her pills, just like mommy.  We were now going through this together, and I had to be even stronger.  This fight is very much a private one for us, but we are united in it.  I would never want Bella's identity to be wrapped in her having Lyme, the same as my identity certainly is not.  It is something we deal with... something we fight.  It's something that gets us down every now and then, but Lyme will never be an excuse for us.  I have taught her over these 2 years that fighting Lyme makes us different from others, but it's also making us stronger.  So she fights, and she does it (for the most part) with grace, and I am proud of her strength.

So back to her treatment - after all of this time, Bella has been exposed to just about every antibiotic and combination of antibiotic, antimalarial, antifungal drug there is.  In recent months, she began having rashes and reactions after taking her medication.  I got quite a few phone calls from the school that Bella was having another rash and that they were following her newly implemented allergy protocol and administering the benadryl.  She now has an epipen at school in the case that anaphylaxis could result from one of her meds.

At was at this point that I began thinking it was time for Bella, too, to start another kind of treatment.

Keith and I decided to start supporting her immune system and pull her of off the antibiotics that we had now become very concerned about giving to her.

Bella was happy about this - no more pills.  But after a few weeks, her symptoms came creeping back.  After I had found the Hansa Center, we decided that after I had been there to see how things worked out, she would be next.  However, our Disney vacation had a detrimental effect on Bella's health.  The stress and exhaustion of the trip must have allowed the infection to proliferate once again, and she was obviously in more distress than we had seen her in for a while.  On the drive home from Florida 8 days ago, I sent an e-mail to the wonderful patient care coordinator at Hansa, asking her (and knowing that it would be a long shot) if there were some possible way for Bella to be able to come with me for treatment.  I got a reply from her on Monday, saying that their schedule was completely full.  Bella would have to wait until we could go again in July.  So we scheduled us for July, and I said a prayer.  I prayed that if this whole Hansa thing was meant to be, that God would make a way for Bella to be able to go with me this time.  I had peace, and I left it in God's hands.

That same day, we took her back to our LLMD in D.C., and they concluded that she was most likely dealing with Babesia (a lyme co-infection) again.  So we decided to put her back on antibiotics and the antimalarials that they prescribed to hopefully gain some ground on this infection again.  

On Tuesday I got a call from the Hansa Center.  I anxiously answered the phone to hear Kara's friendly voice - but I already knew what she was going to tell me.  Bella had gotten in.  Kara had sent a note to the doctors explaining her circumstances and our plan to restart the antibiotics, and Dr. Jernigan had put Bella on his schedule.  I was so overjoyed at the Lord's faithfulness that tears were streaming down my face as we got Bella all set up for her treatment.  That was an answered prayer that she needed, but I needed as well.  My faith needed that boost, and I had confidence that this was exactly what we needed to be doing.

The next hurdle would be the travel arrangements.  Knowing that we were getting pretty close to our departure date, I went online to find plane tickets for Bella only to find that there wasn't anything available for her.  Dismayed, I went about the rest of the day, knowing that I would have to call the airlines later when I had some time to talk to someone (most likely in Bangladesh who spoke terrible English) about getting her seats.

So again I prayed.  It went something like this: "Dear Lord, you've taken care of this for Bella so far.  Now please handle her travel arrangements, because I know that this is your will."

Later after the kids were down for the night, I made the dreaded call to Delta.  To my delight, a sweet girl named Rachel answered my call.  In a matter of five uncomplicated, plain-English speaking minutes, Bella had seats right next to me on our flights and connections to and from Wichita.  Amazed again by God's faithfulness, I went to bed that night with peace and joy - delighted that she would be coming with me, and that we would be able to start the healing process at the Hansa Center together.

God is so good!

It's about time for an update!

So it's been so long since I've blogged that I don't even know how to use Blogger anymore :(  So much is new!
I am not even going to try and catch things up completely.  You can imagine that with the addition of Princess Mia, our lives are quite busy.  Keith has a thriving Oral Surgery practice in Fredericksburg, and is well-loved by his patients who appreciate his kindness and good heart.  I give thanks every day for this Godly man who leads our family and ministers to patients on a daily basis.
The kids are growing like weeds, and we are so proud of each of them.  They are all growing into their own personalities, and they keep this house jumping constantly.  Bella and Luca love karate, and Mia wants to be a princess when she grows up.  They attend a great school, Fredericksburg Christian School - Stafford Campus, and we are blessed to have such wonderful, caring teachers to guide our children.
I have been slowly breaking back into doing ambulatory anesthesia here in our area.  I make my own schedule, and am thankful to be able to keep up with my field and be at home by the time the kids get home from school.
We just had a great vacation to Disney (our first time as a family), and now I need a vacation from my vacation!

And that about sums it up.


The main reason for my breaking back into the blog is to chronicle my new direction in my journey of fighting Lyme Disease.  I was diagnosed with Lyme a few months after giving birth to Mia, but it's likely that I have been infected for years.  At first, I was misdiagnosed (like so many people are) with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I tried all of the toxic drugs, including Embrel and Humira - but I just got worse.  Thanks to a good referral by Luca's then preschool teacher to a functional medicine doctor in Fredericksburg, the root cause of my illness was discovered to be Lyme Disease.
In the past 2 years, I have been through the Cowden Protocol I & II (and failed), as well as 2 years of cyclic antibiotics.  I've been treated by a renowned LLMD in Washington D.C, and  I actually improved with the antibiotics, but later developed esophagitis and severe chest pain.  After rounds of disconcerting complications due to the antibiotic treatments, Keith and I decided that I should stop them - and I did.
Within 2 months, my Lyme symptoms began creeping back..  Severe joint pain, headaches, fatigue, short-term memory loss, tripping speech (the list goes on and on).

On a particular crappy day a month or two ago,  I looked for a recipe for a good detox bath on Pinterest. There I found through the pin a recipe for a bath by Dr. David Jernigan.  I had heard of him before, and knew that he had some sort of Lyme treatment protocol.  I excitedly read through every thing I could find about him and learned that he even had a treatment center - The Hansa Center, in Wichita Kansas.

Since other Lyme treatment places I had been looking into were across the globe, Wichita didn't seem that far away.  From what I found out, I could go there for 2 weeks and possibly come out a new person.  I even learned that the doctors were Christians and that their focus is on optimizing the body to use God's natural design of the body to heal itself.  With this new hope, I called Keith and couldn't wait to tell him what I had found.  Within minutes we decided that I would make the trip.  At first we would wait until summer when the kids were out of school, but as my symptoms progressively worsened (and at the suggestion of my good mother), we decided that I would go as soon as possible.
And with that, I will be off to Wichita next Sunday!

As excited as I am to get well, I certainly have reservations about leaving my babies.  In fact, I have never left Mia for longer than a night.  However, this is something that I MUST do, in order to BE a mom to my children, so with hopes for my long awaited miracle, I am off on a new journey.

I will use this blog to chronicle my experiences at Hansa, because my family can keep up with me that way.  But I want others who suffer from Lyme to be able to know what this treatment is like.  If others can be helped because of my experience at Hansa and Dr. Jernigan's work, then it's certainly worth the hand cramps that I will have from typing!

There will be more to come, but for now I will sign off and feed my hungry family.
The countdown to wellness begins!