My Story

In 2009, I began to experience extreme fatigue, low grade fevers, severe headaches and brain fog. Small tasks like emptying the dishwasher seemed insurmountable in those days. Doctors told me I had mono and it would clear up in a few weeks. Weeks turned into months and then years and I still felt like a useless human being with zero energy. I found a functional medical practitioner who immediately diagnosed me with Lyme (by then it was chronic Lyme) disease and all of the coinfections. She prescribed antibiotics and a variety of IV treatments. Seven years later, I was about 50% healed. It wasn’t until I finally gained the courage to get off of the antibiotics and use a holistic approach to healing that I got better. I made major lifestyle changes like walking 30 minutes a day, getting more rest, eating a plant-based diet and taking supplements with high concentrations of phytochemicals. I also reconnected with friends I had left behind, listened more closely to my children, siblings and parents and took more pride in my work as a classroom teacher. I began to understand that the primary food in life - social connections, self-awareness, gratitude, time spent outdoors, creativity, spirituality and physical activity - is the basis for healing. Secondary food, the stuff on your plate, nourishes more fully when you feel emotionally balanced. Your story may have nothing in common with mine, and it doesn’t have to. We are all bio-individuals with unique physicalities, emotions and health stories. I only share my story with you to demonstrate that transformation and healing can happen for anyone.