Lyme Disease: An Invisible Chronic Illness
I had Lyme Disease.
It took 6 years to figure that out. 6 years of struggling. 6 years of misdiagnoses. 6 years of being told I was fine. 6 years of being told there’s nothing more that can be done.
At 22-years-old, I had to accept that those symptoms were now my norm. The exhaustion and brain fog that over time turned into debilitating fatigue, memory loss, joints locking, inability to retrieve words, blurry vision, insomnia, headaches, depression, inability to feel present, lack of energy, and all of the emotions that come along with chronic illness… were my norm. In my early to mid 20s. Through finishing school. Through having two children.
My norm was having to plan out every single day. To worry if I would have enough energy to get everything done. To have to save up energy and give myself pep talks for certain events. To go out with friends at 23-years-old and have to force myself to talk, laugh, & smile. And when I couldn’t force it any longer, to get called boring or socially awkward.
To drive to school or work and feel like I was in a dream. I have to admit this, I have no idea how the hell I got through school. I had to read and reread quiz and test questions four or five times before they stuck in my brain.
My norm was to feel my body wanting to do everything at full force but my brain saying ‘nope, not today’. To go through the motions with no real feeling inside. To be on autopilot. To wake up every day unrested. To walk away from conversations not remembering anything I just said.
My norm was not being able to play with my kids. Missing breakfast time with my babies and husband downstairs because I just couldn’t get out of bed.
The worst part was, no one really understood how badly I was struggling - I was extremely good at faking that I was alright. Besides with my husband. He got the phone calls of me crying because I couldn’t remember what I went to the store for or where I parked the car. He’d put both kids to bed when I couldn’t gather the energy. When we’d go out with friends, he’d recognize when I was starting to decline and would cover for me. He’d cancel plans for me when I didn’t have the heart to.
Throughout those 6 years, he kept that “F*ck them” attitude about anyone who didn’t understand what I was going through - this is where balance comes into play in our relationship...he possesses the ability to have that attitude while I, 10000%, do not.
THAT WAS MY NORM.
That is, until I turned to function medicine...
I turned to the man, the myth, the legend, Dr. Mack Sloan at The Genesis Center (after months of my mom begging me to seek help outside of the conventional medicine world). I chatted with him on the phone, he drew some blood, and, well, it only took him about 12 days to diagnose me with Lyme Disease.
6 YEARS I HAD BEEN STRUGGLING, AND IT TOOK THIS MAN 12 DAYS TO FIND THE ACTUAL PROBLEM.
How could conventional doctors miss that?
How could I go to multiple family doctors, endocrinologists, & internists over the years and no one dug deep enough?
How was it that for 6 years every single doctor I saw simply blamed it on my thyroid, yet my thyroid labs were ‘perfect’?
How could true Lyme Disease, according to the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control, go undiagnosed in a human for 6 years. Honestly, It blew my damn mind. I was confused, frustrated, scared, and somehow liberated all at the same time. I had an answer.
AND DR. SLOAN HAD A SOLUTION.
The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect because over the next two months I continued to decline. By November of 2018, I was a complete zombie.
So, what helped me?
In December of 2018 I went to Dr. Sloan’s clinic to receive a treatment called SOT (Short Oligonucleotide Therapy). SOT is essentially antisense therapy - i.e. the technique that is used to cure Hepatitis C in the United States. The oligonucleotide molecule is complementary to a specific sequence related to an anti-apoptotic (anti-death) signal inside each ‘bad’ cell (i.e. each Lyme spirochete). Because the molecule is specifically made for one, unique individual, the body doesn’t recognize it as foreign. The oligonucleotide, therefore, is able to freely enter its targeted cells to block the anti-death signal, ultimately inducing cellular death. this is a very simplified way of explaining SOT, to read more, click here
You can think of SOT as a hit-man. The purpose of the tiny molecule is to target the anti-death genes of a ‘bad’ cell and when that cell tries to evade death, SOT says “nope!” and initiates cell death. These hit-men molecules work in your body for up to 6 months, going in and out of Lyme spirochetes inducing cell death. It’s so specific to the spirochetes in your own body (because it’s made directly from your blood) that it literally won’t work on someone else and doesn’t touch the ‘good’ cells in your body.
No drugs are used. It’s not genetic therapy. There is no gene manipulation. It’s freaking dope, curative science. Which, to be honest, our healthcare system needs more of.
And, it works. For two weeks following the treatment, I was miserable. Everything was exacerbated (I’m not sure how that was even possible at that point, but it happened). But then, one day (around day 14 post treatment), I woke up. I mean, I woke up. I put my feet on the ground, my ankles weren’t locked. My brain felt alive. I felt rested.
I FELT ‘NORMAL’.
I ran downstairs so stinking happy my husband asked what was wrong with me. My reply, “I have no idea what’s happening, but I hope it doesn’t stop!!!” And it didn’t. I felt like my old self after 6 long years of feeling like I was trapped.
So, to be blunt, SOT is the only curative treatment we have for Lyme Disease.
I have been on all the herbs, tinctures, supplements, antibiotics, diets, etc. SOT is the only treatment I’ve had throughout my entire healing journey that literally changes my blood results for Lyme Disease. The proof is in the pudding for that one.
Don’t get me wrong, SOT changed my dang life. But I’m still healing. The treatment killed the spirochetes in my blood, but left me with the damage those spirochetes already created. Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme Disease, is such an intense immune suppressant and causes more autoimmune issues than any other bug...So when the Borrelia is gone, our immune system wakes up and appropriately targets other viruses or bugs that have been there all along - sometimes causing some massive flares. This happened to me with Epstein-Barr Virus & Hashitmoto’s Thyroiditis.
IT’S A PROCESS, YA’LL.
I don’t want to go into the pathology and history of Lyme Disease right now, that’s a talk for another time. The purpose of this, is to share my story and to, hopefully, validate yours. Dealing with Lyme Disease, Chronic Lyme Disease, and any other chronic illness can be terrifying. On any given day, you don’t know how you’ll feel. You don’t know what you’ll be able to accomplish. It’s an old wooden roller coaster that feels like it may break down any moment now and you’re just along for the ride.
TO MY FELLOW LYME & CHRONIC ILLNESS WARRIORS: I SEE YOU. DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR HEALTH & WELLNESS.
You deserve to heal.
Some great resources for further Lyme information are:
Dr. Bill Rawl’s website
Dr. Allan MacDonald’s ‘Biology of Lyme’ Series
Stephen Buhner’s book Healing Lyme: Natural Healing of Lyme Borreliosis
Dr. Hank Sloan’s Podcast ‘LymeLight’
Copyright 2022 The Discovery Doc, LLC®. All Rights Reserved.
The Discovery Doc - Dr. CeCe Brooks - Atlanta Holistic NP
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice.
