Ticks and Lyme Disease: The Next Steps

Chapter 1: The Bite
Chapter 2:  The Next Steps

The days between getting the bite and seeing the doctor were not idly spent. I turned my mind towards healing, cleaning, purging, holy fire kind of thoughts.  Symptom-wise, I felt raw, tender, emotional, and physically fatigued.  I also felt like I could eat all day and never fill my stomach, so I had to watch what I was taking in so I didn't give up and go for junk foods all day.

To support myself nutritionally, I ate a mess of garlic and took shots of my fire vinegar (raw apple cider vinegar infused with cayenne peppers, garlic, and onion), as those are immune system boosters.  Knowing that the spiral-shaped Lyme spirochetes were moving into my muscles, I wanted to make it as difficult as possible on them and ensure that my immune system was in top condition!  I also increased my water intake and ceased all alcohol (sigh). It also meant more raw foods, more simple green foods, good clean fats and a generally supportive diet.  I drank a ton of ginger tea, and devoured anything coconut.

Anahata Heart Chakra by Rebelbam 

Medicinally, I began taking teasel tincture to keep the Lyme spirochetes out of my muscles and into the bloodstream, from where I could hopefully flush it out.  With that in mind, I also started taking regular doses of vitamin C and echinacea tincture, and also nettles tea to keep my kidneys flushed.

Spiritually, I could not ignore the placement of the bite.  My heart chakra is a guiding light to me, and I found myself feeling wounded, hurt, and betrayed that the bite was there, that my blood was taken, that this experience was inflicted upon me.  I sat in meditation and simple deep breathing at least once a day, generally when I found myself wrestling with flooding emotions.  My clothing was mostly white for those first few days, or at least the part touching my heart.  White being healing, cleansing, protective and reflective, white being pure and focused...green was a close second most comfortable color in that time, a gentle grounding energy that felt like sunlight filtering through green leaves onto my face when I meditated. I felt like I had to ask my Self for guidance on how to proceed to support my own healing.

When I went to visit my new doctor to ask about getting antibiotics for Lyme, I had fear.  Fear that she might consider me an internet-addicted, Web MD-using, overly-researched hypochondriac, or a weird, grass-eating hippie.  That last one is pretty true, but I really despise being scorned for taking my health into my own hands rather than leaving it to the professionals. I've had some bad experiences there that I don't wish to recreate!   But even my fellow grass-munching herbalists acknowledge that antibiotics are the best course of action for Lyme disease, especially right after the bite.

My fears were unfounded this time.  My doctor is a good listener, and even though the ring and rash no longer appeared around the bite, she agreed that it was worth it to prescribe me a week of antibiotics.  I picked up my Doxycicline, and began to faithfully take them twice a day.

The downside of antibiotics is the fact that they are pretty indiscriminate in their aim, and kill off friendly bacteria in the body as well as the invading ones...this can lead to candida issues, digestion problems, and a stressed-out liver.  So after apologizing to my happy little body ecosystem, I've cut back on sugar again, started taking acidophilus, and drinking liver-cleansing teas (Persephone's Tea) and lots of water to keep myself as balanced as possible.

One week down, hoping that was all it would take...

In the meantime, here are some resources if you want to learn more about Lyme.

http://www.ladybarbara.net/
https://www.facebook.com/TBDAlliance

Recent news:  NC Girl dies from tick-borne illness (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)

Next....Chapter 3: The Basics of Lyme