Maine Lyme Lady

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Lyme Around the World

Blogging is fairly new to me, although when I look back, I have written a number of blogs. Time flies. At first I was just plain excited to know people from around the world were reading my blog. The number of countries keeps growing as I go along. Countries from N. America, Europe, Eastern Europe, Down Under, and India. I was and am pleased to be a help (I hope) to everyone. Then, last night as I was falling asleep, it hit me like a brick. Lyme is world wide! Of course I knew that, from reading, but it really HIT me last night. I was no longer excited, but became concerned and extremely compassionate about the fact people from all over the world are suffering from this infection/parasitic invasion of our bodies. The strains are slightly varied around the world and even here, but the symptoms are the same, and the lack of treatment goes unspoken. It saddens me.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Ticks and outdoor temperatures

As I picked two ticks off my cat yesterday, I was reminded of the fall desperation of ticks. If they have not gotten their blood meal yet they are out for blood! Ticks can live all winter in warmer climates. However, in Maine, if we get freezing temperatures, (sometimes below zero for a long stretch...) they die or hibernate. However, when temperatures reach over 40 degrees, out they come. Ticks are active in temperature 40 degrees and over. Last year we had a warm winter and there were a lot of people and pets who got bit. Even if it freezes, then warms, out they come. Ticks only need one blood meal to reproduce the large batches of babies in the spring. If they have not gotten it, they come out looking for it. Just FYI.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Inflammation in Lyme

     Inflammation. Ouch, it hurts. But what came first? The chicken or the egg? Inflammation or the tick bite?

     Here is a formula I learned from a nurse at the Jemsek Clinic:

     BUGS = TOXINS=INFLAMMATION=SYMPTOMS

     The answer is the BUGS come first. It is the TOXINS from the spirochetes that cause INFLAMMATION. Toxins must be detoxed out of your body. As a matter of fact, when I had my first appointment with Dr. Jemsek he told me he could not start treatment until we got my inflammation under control. Antibiotic treatment brings out the spirochetes, which increase toxins, which increases inflammation, which increases symptoms. If we had started treatment right away, the killing of of the spirochetes would increase the toxins in my body and cause even more inflammation. That may have been too much for me. I spent the first three to four months detoxing and decreasing inflammation. I did this by taking a number of supplements including Magnesium Malate, B12 sublingual, Methylfolate, green teas, Epsom salt baths, and a number of other things. I also went on a strict diet meant to decrease inflammation. This was a gluten free/sugar free diet. A challenge. I was encouraged to use Stevia for my sugar. I took a number of naturally occurring supplements, found in our cells, to develop a health immune system.Within a few months, my inflammation was down to a level that he could work with.
     All in all, it has proven to be a winning combination.