The Silver Lyming

On this episode of The Silver Lyming, Kiki Penn shares her experience with Lyme disease, which she contracted at age 9. She describes her journey with the disease, including mental health challenges, physical symptoms such as back pain, gastrointestinal issues, and neurological problems. Kiki also discusses her struggles with the unpredictable nature of the disease and the challenges of finding effective treatment. She shares her experiences with various treatments, including antibiotics, herbs, and MMS, and emphasized the importance of listening to one's body during treatment. Please like and subscribe to this channel to help others find these stories. One thing I get asked for are more details on how to heal. This is a great episode to help elaborate on that topic. Healing is possible.

Ryann is one of the first people I met on our journeys back to wellness. It has been almost a decade since we first crossed paths and it has been a joy watching her. She was able to finally graduate college after having to drop out because of tick-borne illnesses and has recently gotten married. She is now thriving after struggling with sickness for most of her life. If you are looking for inspiration, look no further and listen to Ryann's story. If you are inspired and helped by Ryann's story, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment below so that others have a better chance at finding us. 

On this episode, I interview Dr. Cristina McMullen, a naturopathic doctor and wellness coach, who shares her background in alternative medicine and her extensive experience treating patients with tick-borne infections. Dr. McMullen explains how she became passionate about this field after witnessing the positive results of holistic treatments at Longevity Health Center, where she has worked for nearly 20 years. We discuss the complexities of PANS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders) and its relation to Lyme disease, with Dr. McMullen highlighting the need for individualized treatment approaches. Dr. McMullen discusses the importance of building immune resilience in children, emphasizing that despite potential exposure to pathogens like Lyme disease, children can be protected and empowered to lead healthy lives. She shares success stories of patients who recover from chronic health conditions and thrive academically. Dr. McMullen stresses the need for education and preparation rather than fear, encouraging outdoor activities while teaching practical measures to handle potential infections. This is an important episode as children are the hardest hit population when it comes to Lyme and tick-borne illness, and they experience a litany of symptoms related to their cognitive abilities which could derail their academic life, as well as their physical health permanently if left undiagnosed and untreated. PANS/PANDAS is something that often accompanies tick-borne illness so being informed and aware is crucial.

On this week's episode, my guest Arden shares her experience with Lyme disease, which began after a dental procedure that led to severe neurological issues, anxiety, and depression. She was fortunate to have a Lyme literate doctor who diagnosed her and recommended treatment. Arden tried various treatments but found them ineffective, leading her to seek alternative therapies in Mexico. After undergoing hyperthermia and oxidative therapies, Arden experienced a significant improvement in her condition. She emphasized the importance of hormone optimization during treatment, as it helped alleviate her symptoms. Arden also discussed the challenges of managing Lyme disease, including the difficulty of finding effective treatments and the impact on mental health. I hope this episode gives you some ideas on treatment options especially if you are struggling to find one that works. As you can tell from Arden's experience, she really had to figure out some alternative options to regain her health but was successful with her efforts. Feedback is always welcomed. Leave a comment below and like and follow this channel if this was helpful and useful information.

Are you aware that ticks can spread more than Lyme? Sadly, they also possess the power to transmit a number of co-infections, one being babesiosis. This week's guest, Dr. Geoffrey Dow, is no stranger to understanding the wrath of this infection. He studies it extensively alongside malaria and dengue fever. After his daughter struggled with Lyme and tick-borne illnesses, Dr. Dow was compelled to co-found 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals. His company has developed a drug to combat babesia called Arakoda, which kills all lifecycle stages of the parasite, similar to malaria treatment, and targets persistent forms to prevent relapse. Take a listen as Dr. Dow discusses the challenges in diagnosing babesiosis, noting that while acute cases can be detected through blood smears, standard PCR tests become ineffective soon after symptoms subside. Dr. Dow estimates that there are up to 900,000 cases of babesiosis a year, making better testing and treatment imperative. Dr. Dow will also be needing participants for 60 Degrees chronic babesiosis study once it opens for enrollment so keep your eyes peeled for this to happen soon if you are interested in helping.  

This episode will stick with me forever. Nicole has quite the story to share. I know this is a podcast about hope and this particular story is not all pleasant. Nicole unfortunately lost her partner to tick-borne illness, but she has turned some of that pain into helping others get a more timely and accurate diagnosis as a result of it. Nicole has become the CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics which is one of the labs I used while trying to regain my health. I am forever grateful to this lab for helping me get an accurate test and diagnosis. Please pay attention to Nicole's story so you can hopefully avoid having to experience the same thing that she and her husband did. The more we know and understand about Lyme and co-infections the better we can stay healthy and protected. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback after listening to this episode. Leave a like and comment below to help others find us. Stories like Nicole's are educational and also inspirational knowing what she has done to try to fix the system. Thank you, Nicole, for being such an amazing human and giving back so graciously to the Lyme community. The work you are doing is incredibly important.

Do you ever wonder about the similarities between Lyme and long Covid? I know I certainly have. This week's guest, Dr. Keith Ellis, has spent a good portion of his research on understanding how long Covid works and potential therapies including developing a natural alternative to triple anticoagulant therapy. Dr. Ellis acknowledges the similarities between long Covid and Lyme, and we discuss whether the two overlap. I have often wondered if people who get long Covid may have Lyme that is already tapping their immune system and therefore the Covid is able to really set in. Take a listen as Dr. Ellis explains about some of his research, some of the challenges he faces looking at more natural remedies such as being very labor-intensive and a longer timeline, and what he hopes to achieve. If you find this episode useful and insightful, please be sure to like and subscribe, so I can continue to grow my viewer-base and add more thought-provoking guests like Dr. Keith Ellis. Recently I found out my show is ranking #34 for alternative health podcasts in Sweden, highlighting the fact that Lyme and tick-borne illness is something affecting the whole world, not just the US. We all can benefit from this information.

Talk about a powerhouse! Dani was referred to me by another show guest, Kara Truong, and I am incredibly grateful for the connection. Dani is a woman after my own heart with her recovery from mold and tick-borne illness, and her affinity for entrepreneurial work. She is a successful business owner and author of "The Brilliant Businesswoman: Your Guide to Entrepreneurial Success". Dani experienced a tick bite which she dismissed initially. Over time, however, she experienced a range of symptoms including flu-like symptoms, weight gain, and mysterious pains. She eventually felt a significant improvement after being prescribed some antibiotics for an unrelated infection which made her question what was really happening in her body. The infection came from her dog, that she even questioned getting because she was unsure she could take care of a dog since she was struggling so with her health, but in the end, the dog helped save her life when it scratched her, causing an infected wound on her ankle. Her doctor, who is also a naturopath, suggested that the tick bite could be at the source of all her issues after she had reacted to the antibiotics as she did. Dani ultimately used Lyme-N treatment and was able to regain her health. Take a listen as Dani shares her journey and many of the changes she undertook to heal her body, including eliminating mold toxicity. You can reach out to Dani at DaniWhitestone@gmail.com. If you find this episode helpful, please like and subscribe so that others in need of this information have an easier time finding it.

Justin is someone I was introduced to through the power of social media. He shares a lot of his healing journey on TikTok ("Surf the Storm") and is rather inspirational with his dedication to healing and moving forward, while maintaining a good attitude and level-headedness in his situation. Justin had been a land surveyor and suspects that is where he contracted his tick-borne infections. He has been experiencing symptoms for over 15 years but only received a diagnosis 5 years ago. He has experienced air hunger, panic attacks, stomach issues, heart palpitations, and migraines. He was told by his doctors he had anxiety, depressions, and allergies. Unfortunately, that happens to far too many of us. I hope and pray that the narrative changes with the Western medical community to consider tick-borne illness when there are so many unanswered health challenges versus simply brushing them off as stress, depression, or anxiety. Justin began experiencing Bell's palsy and had a "frozen" face and difficulty with blinking which ultimately led to his accurate diagnosis with Lyme disease and babesia. It was a huge relief for him to actually have a true name for what was plaguing his body for so long. He could finally begin working on repairing the damage that had been done to him. Take a listen and please like and subscribe. This information is so important to share as I know far too many people that go through very similar stories and spend so much money and time trying to figure out what is wrong. The more people that are educated better about what tick-borne illness looks like and how to heal, the better. Don't wait till it happens to you to care.

I can't begin to tell you how exciting this interview was for me. I love all my guests, and Dr. Rawls is no exception. He was one of the very first people I listened to when I was first diagnosed, and his story gave me so much HOPE. He healed himself and has dedicated his life to helping others do the same. If you are not familiar with Dr. Rawls, you can visit his website at rawlsmd.com or follow him on social media. He is incredibly responsive and supportive. I asked so many questions when I was initially healing and had each one answered. His book "Unlocking Lyme" is something I recommend to all people that reach out to me for help because it is written in an easy-to-understand format and incredibly logical and insightful. It is also available in audio format if you are not able to read. Thank you, Dr. Rawls, for all you do, for the hope you instill, and for finding your way back to health to teach the rest of us how to get there. I never gave up in part because of you and I pray my listeners never do either. It is a hard battle back to wellness, and some day sit seems easier to leave this earthly existence, but that is not a good choice as you never know what tomorrow brings. It took me seven years to recover, not to mention seven years to get accurately diagnosed. Had I chosen to leave, I would not be here...healthy and whole to enjoy the abundance of life. Healing is possible!

I know many of us experiencing chronic illness have had some type of trauma. The trauma itself could be the trigger for what unleashed the dis-ease in our body, so when I was asked to meet with Vanessa (https://understandingear.com/) to see if she would be a good fit for this podcast, I thought she can add a lot of value for people. I know I was experiencing a litany of betrayal issues: feeling like my body betrayed me, feeling like my partner had betrayed me, feeling like I had betrayed me, feeling like my family had betrayed me, and feeling like God had betrayed me. There was much healing to be done on a soul level, and Vanessa shares a lot of insight into how we begin healing from these types of feelings. Take a listen and let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I pray all humans can feel well and come to a place of self-acceptance and love, as that is imperative to fully heal from the inside out. If you find this episode helpful, please like an subscribe to help others find us.  

In this interview, I get to spend time talking with Anna Brennan, author of "Ultraparent Thinking". While I do not have children, the ideas and strategies Anna shares are applicable to every area of life, so I encourage everyone to read this (if possible as I know some of you are too unwell to read currently). Anna had four children and all of them struggled with health issues ranging from cognitive to neurological. She struggled tremendously with feeling like a "normal" parent and providing adequate support for her children. Anna was ultimately able to get a clearer diagnosis of what was happening with her children which included some tick-borne illnesses. I applaud Anna for finding a doctor who could help her with her children, for finding healthy ways to cope with the struggles raising four children can have let alone since they were all unwell, and for having the foresight to be able to share her system in a book that could help others in similar predicaments. She is truly an inspiration, and my life has been made better knowing her and reading her book. For those of you not familiar with The Silver Lyming, this podcast has been created to spread hope for those who are in the thick of healing from Lyme and tick-borne illness, as well as anyone needing some overall inspiration. The guest I feature are living miracles (as we all are) and share a wealth of knowledge, not only about Lyme and tick-borne diseases, but about how we can adapt and overcome even the most harrowing health experiences. I am truly honored to bring you their stories and to have regained my own health after a seven-year struggle, simply to get an accurate diagnosis. Please like and subscribe to this podcast as it helps others find me. Hope gives others the courage to heal and without your support, the person most needing to hear these words, may not find me.

Sadly, there are not that many Lyme medical specialists. This week I interview the one that I saw in Southeastern PA. Rita helped save my life and I am incredibly grateful. She is also a regional leader for PA Lyme Resource Network, a group that I am also involved with. I know she is incredibly busy and can have a three month wait list. Rita is particularly passionate about helping those with Lyme and tick-borne illness because it has affected many people in her personal life. Thank you for all you do Rita! May God bless you and your family and give you many years of practice yet! If you are in the medical field, consider becoming an ILADS trained doctor or nurse practitioner. We need way more hands on deck. To remind you 400,000-600,000 people are infected in the US alone every year. That is an incredibly large population that needs more support.

Imagine that you suddenly started having leg tingling, jaw chattering, and facial twitching and doctors telling you it was from anxiety. Then your symptoms amplify and include severe vertigo, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue and still not getting any answers from the "standard" medical community. This is what happened to Abby Fernald and gratefully she was connected to a functional medicine doctor a few years into her quest to understand what was happening to her body. The damage was already done however, as Lyme and tick-borne illness are TIME SENSITIVE. The sooner you get treatment, the better your chances are of stopping it before it becomes chronic and thoroughly infiltrated throughout your body. Abby unfortunately wound up bedridden and using a wheelchair due to the severity of her tick-borne infections combined with mold toxicity. Once she got to a doctor that understood what was happening to her, she was able to start on the right protocol, and within four weeks, she was able to walk again. This is a great reason why it is important to get to a specialist that fully understands tick-borne illness. Although it can be rather expensive to see one because typically, they are not covered by insurance. Please take the time to reach out to our elected officials to let them know this is unacceptable and please take the time to listen to Abby's story. She has healed herself enough to be able to practice jiu jitsu and freely shares her journey on TikTok under @Abby.healthandwellness. Her vulnerability and willingness to educate others is absolutely amazing.

This episode is near and dear my heart. Jackie is the patient coordinator for PA Lyme Resource Network (my parent organization for the support group I host) and is also a resident of Berks County, PA (my hometown). Jackie is an amazing soul and gives back so much to the Lyme Community. She has fought tick-borne illness for decades, like so many do, and never gives up. She writes a blog called Hope Through Chronic Illness (https://hopethroughchronicillness.com) and does her best to guide people back to wellness. She is also a fitness instructor at the local gym. It is an honor to know Jackie and to hear her story. Take a listen and leave a comment letting us know what you think of this powerhouse!

Kathy Dolan is a true warrior. She not only overcame Lyme disease but is also turning it into something beautiful by becoming an advocate through the Illinois Lyme Assoicate. She struggled with Lyme disease and a lack of resources available to help her when she was at her darkest times. Gratefully she has the support of her loving family to help carry her through the toughest parts. Kathy is now healed from Lyme and is putting together a concert series called "Music Heals" to bring people together and provide support for those struggling to heal their bodies. Through this experience, Kathy is hoping to raise awareness and encourage others going through similar experiences. Pay attention to Kathy's story as she is yet another person who was misdiagnosed and when she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, she was able to heal. This happens far too often, and we need better testing. Please reach out to your local elected officials and let them know we need more sensitive testing. Please like and subscribe if you have found this episode helpful as it helps my show find its way to others needing this information. It can help save someone's life.

Cara's story is rather remarkable. Cara has made a full recovery from Lyme, tick-borne illness, and breast implant sickness. Cara and her family had moved to Northern Virginia about 9 years ago. She was training for a triathlon and noticed some abnormal aches and pains which she chalked up to getting older and the hardcore training she was doing. She then went to Mexico for a business trip and got so sick, her boss sent her home a day early. She felt like she had the flu (common early onset Lyme Symptom btw) and was diagnosed with a double ear infection, bronchitis, and strep throat. She took a break from training to give her body a rest, but just did not get better no matter what she did. She took antibiotics and rested, but ultimately a friend who had experienced Lyme, recommended Cara to get tested for Lyme since she had so many unanswered health challenges and they live in Northern VA which has its fair share of ticks and subsequently Lyme disease. She finally got her answer, but the toll had been taken. Cara had to stop working and basically lay on the couch 24/7. It was a huge adjustment for her and her family. She tried many things to heal and ultimately learned about Lyme-N. She is the second guest I have had on my show that used this to heal from Lyme. The Lyme-N helped her immensely, but she was still not quite well. She eventually decided to get her breast implants removed to leave no stone unturned, and once they were taken out of her, she noticed an immediate improvement. Take a listen to her full story and the other things she did to help her body heal. Please like and subscribe if you have found this episode helpful as it helps my show find its way to others needing this information. It can help save someone's life.

Do you practice yoga? This is something that completely changed the way I healed (and my life), and I am incredibly grateful for finding it. My guest on this episode is one of my teachers and someone I have known for most of my life. I was excited when she reached out to me to be a guest on my show. I had never really thought about the similarities with healing and a yoga practice. I have thought plenty about how much yoga has helped me heal but they really are so much alike in that you have to continually practice both to get any better. Kami Kiritsis owns Aqua Om Paddle, and has also displayed her endurance through creating her own business as well as through having a yoga practice. Her business takes things to a new level with incorporating yoga on a paddleboard. As someone who practices on the ground frequently, taking my practice on the water was really hard. The parallels with healing from chronic illness and this practice are immense so I hope you enjoy the info in this episode as much as I did talking with Kami about them. Kami is a great teacher and offers classes on water, on the ground, and even in a chair for those who may not have the strength yet to do it standing. Feel free to reach out to her on social media or at her company website: https://www.aopaddle.com/. She really is one of the best teachers I have taken classes from. One of my favorite things she taught me is "peace begins with me" and using each syllable on a finger of one hand. It gives the mind something to focus on to allow for a more meditative and calming state of being. I would love to hear your feedback about this episode. Drop a line below to let us know what you think. And if you found this info useful, please like and subscribe to help others find my show. I aim to spread hope that you can heal and awareness about Lyme and tick-borne illness so hopefully you do not have to experience what I did and countless others.

I absolutely love this episode. Tanya and I met through a mutual friend, and it is uncanny how many similarities our stories share. Tanya is a true kindred spirit and also hosts a podcast to spread hope and awareness about Lyme and tick-borne illness called "Lyme & Beyond with Tanya" which is a fantastic show that I have added to my play list. She went for seven years without a proper diagnosis, and she is incredibly passionate about helping others heal. She is a beautiful soul who has gone through much trauma but has come out better for it on the other side. Take a listen to her enlightening story about how she healed from Lyme and multiple co-infections. Like all my guests, Tanya is open to connecting with anyone who wants more info on her healing journey. Thank you for all you do for this community and beyond, Tanya:) If you find this episode useful, please like and subscribe. Sharing is even more awesome as I know there are people needing to hear this. Thanks for supporting me and helping to share that there are better solutions available to keep you safer, and HEAL💚

This week's guest is another amazing soul. Sami Kirschbaum is not only someone who has gone through Lyme disease, but she has also suffered through mold toxicity as well. Sami has gone from being bedridden to owning her own practice called the Lyme Resilience Collective to help guide others toward healing. She has spent many hours training to become a resource for those afflicted with Lyme and other vector-borne illnesses. At her worst, Sami was unable to walk, experienced temporary blindness, collapsed frequently, had short-term memory loss, suffered from Chronic migraines, and had 50+ additional symptoms. Now she is thriving and was even able to move across the country to AZ where she is settling into her new location. She spent countless dollars on fixing herself and saw practitioners here in the US as well as abroad to regain her health. Every penny was worth it because she is healthy and whole today, but it should not have to be this way. We need better legislation to protect us against having to pay for this out of pocket, as well as better access to fixing the issue. There are far too few medical specialists to treat the 400,000-600,000 people infected every year in the US alone. Please take the time to listen to Sami's journey as well as the time to contact our local elected officials to tell them it is time we do better. People deserve good quality of living which means good health at an affordable rate. We should not have to go broke fixing this issue. Sadly, Lyme and its related co-infections have the highest suicide rate of any dis-ease and I completely understand why after having experienced it myself. Don't wait till you get it to get it and care. Now is the time to act. You can find Sami on social media or on her website, lymecollective.com. She is happy to help you and is very good at what she does. If you find this episode useful, please like and subscribe. Sharing is even more awesome as I know there are people needing to hear this. Thanks for supporting me and helping to share that there are better solutions available to keep you safer, and HEAL💚 #ticks #lymedisease #tickprevention #tickbornedisease #healing #hope #inspiration #lyme #survivor #thesilverlyming