Hi friends. It’s time for me to share my healing story, and it comes along with asking for help. I’m finally ready to open up to the vulnerability of my journey, one I’ve shied away from talking about for half a decade. I’ve learned one cannot heal in solitude, and there is something so healing in coming out with the struggle of my truth because we’re never alone, and maybe someone else can benefit from this sharing. I have cultivated so much gratitude for all the growth, epiphanies, clarity, and compassion this journey has brought me.
This last year has been challenging for me, from getting laid off, finding out my father has cancer, losing my home, getting rid of most of my belongings, not being able to take care of my dog, having to hand over my business, and on and on. Extreme stress has triggered a lot of symptoms ranging from insomnia, brain fog, chronic fatigue to the point of bed rest, food sensitivities, neuropathy and visual impairment. Symptoms that I thought were in my rearview.
4 years ago, I was handed a label for a degenerative autoimmune condition. But I just knew it was something else. It’s interesting how Spirit always guides us if we truly listen. I had recurring flashbacks of being a child playing in the woods on the east coast and finding ticks on or around me. At the same time, I was drawn to Instagram accounts of people healing from Lyme disease using bee venom therapy (which requires stinging yourself with live honey bees multiple times a week for 2-3 years). I wondered, is this what it is? So I dove into research. All the symptoms matched up. I decided to get the western blot test for Lyme (the go-to from a Western medicine approach), and it was inconclusive. After diving even deeper into my research, I learned that the gold standard for testing isn’t covered by insurance, and it would have cost me $2500+, an amount I couldn’t come up with. I took the holistic approach, went to Lyme Stop in Idaho and was diagnosed with a co-infection of Lyme using magnets; I took several bio-resonance tests that were also positive. For some reason, this wasn’t enough for me. I found a naturopathic doctor and started taking herbal medicine after she muscle tested me, and it again came back positive for Lyme. Herbal medicine helped a lot. I felt better after a few months, so I stopped taking everything cold turkey. I felt healed! Little did I know that Lyme bacteria can hide in the tissues, doesn’t always show up in the blood, creates biofilm to hide under, and without going after the biofilm it’s nearly impossible to eradicate the bacteria from the body.
Fast forward to this summer, amid the horrible symptoms and grief of a life I couldn’t live, I found a functional medicine doctor that aligned with my beliefs and my approach to healing. I knew I wanted the affirmation and was stuck in the story of “what ifs.” She suggested a blood test that cost $900, something I managed to come up with. And then I got my answers. I am positive for Lyme bacteria and multiple co-infections, including neurological Bartonella, babesia, EBV and more. The blood test was what I needed. I felt validated. And equally lost. I was/am experiencing debilitating exhaustion, yet it was up to me to find a Lyme-literate resource, so I asked for guidance and listened.
I drove across the country from Oregon to Massachusetts to give my dog a foster home with one of my best friends, and I just knew there had to be resources for Lyme out in the epicenter of the disease itself. It didn’t take long to find the Lyme Laser Center of Massachusetts. I got on an introductory call and spent an hour sharing my story, my symptoms, my lab results, and my struggle. I left the conversation crying tears of relief. I felt seen, heard, and truly understood for the first time ever. My second conversation with them was even more affirming. And then, I went to the office and met the doctor who created this protocol after healing himself from Lyme disease. I left that appointment knowing in my bones I had to do this. How they understand this disease puts all my research together, connects the dots, and provides me with a solution.
Community, here is where I’ve decided to ask for help, which is hard for me. I am choosing to go through this treatment which will take nine months. The cost of it is steep, $20,800. If you can donate a few dollars or more, I would be so grateful.
I’m ready to heal, to be able to hike mountains again, to get my vision back, and create a new story, one of perseverance, trust, following my intuition, and to surrender to the transformation. Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you donate to this treatment, please email me so I can send you something in return.
May you be healthy, trust yourself, and never give up.
So much love,
Sofia