lyme disease

💚 Lyme Awareness Day 16: Mental and Emotional Health 💚

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This is one of the most important Lyme facts I am sharing with you, so listen up!

➡ Anxiety, depression, and emotional sensitivity can be SYMPTOMS of Lyme disease. Lyme can cause anxiety and depression as symptoms.

➡ Many Lyme patients are falsely diagnosed with mental health disorders, preventing them from receiving proper treatment.

I had TERRIBLE anxiety! It felt like my brain was constantly and frantically trying to claw itself out of my skull. It felt like there were loud, overlapping commercials SCREAMING in my mind constantly. No wonder I had insomnia! It was so strange how my mind was always freaking out, because I lived a pretty calm life.

I can’t imagine what this anxiety would be like if I had been a child. You would have absolutely no way to describe it, let alone manage it. Many children with Lyme disease have behavioral issues, and I completely understand why if they are experiencing the anxiety like I did. I would definitely act out if I had anxiety like that and had not developed the cognitive skills yet to communicate about what it was I was feeling.

➡ I tried everything for my anxiety. No pills helped. Therapy helped me cope, but didn’t really help the symptoms. Nothing helped until I was able to effectively treat the Lyme. Once the Lyme was gone, my anxiety vanished.

➡ I also used to think I was immature for crying over little things. I would be super happy one day, and the next, crying my eyes out. “Why am I even crying?” “I DON’T KNOW!” But once the Lyme was gone, so was my emotional sensitivity.

It could be detrimental to treat your anxiety or depression as a mental issue, WHEN it is being caused by a physical issue. It is never your fault if you have anxiety or depression, whether it is caused by a physical or mental issue.

❤ Living with a debilitating and isolating illness can also lead to anxiety and depression, which I will talk about more in a later video❤

💚 LYME PATIENTS: What are your mental and emotional symptoms? 💚

💚 Lyme Awareness Day 12: POTS can be caused by Lyme 💚

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Welcome to Lyme Awareness day 12! On a previous day, I talked about some of the chronic illnesses that Lyme disease can “mimic” or cause. Today, I am going to talk about a specific medical condition that it can cause, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS for short. It’s also called Dysautonomia. It is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system and causes symptoms like fast heart rate upon standing and feeling faint.

I’m highlighting POTS because this is very personal to me. I was disabled from POTS for many years.

I was told there was no cause or cure for it, but I might grow out of it in a few years.

No treatments helped me with this, and I was still very sick with it years after they told me I should have grown out of it.

I was part of a facebook group for POTS patients. Many people on there were getting diagnosed with Lyme, and recommended that I get a test, too.

My doctor highly doubted that I had it, but she was a very good doctor and listened to me anyway and ordered a lyme test.

She was SHOCKED when it came back positive! She now has all of her POTS patients get a Lyme test.

I finally had a cause for this unexplainable illness! Everything finally made sense, my body did not just malfunction for no reason.

Although it took another 4 years to effectively treat the Lyme disease, once I did, my POTS symptoms were GONE 😄 I no longer have POTS!

I am telling you this because I was sick with POTS for 6 YEARS before I was diagnosed with lyme. I wish I had known sooner that Lyme disease can cause POTS symptoms!

For more information about my POTS and Lyme Disease Journey, check out my video Chronically Healed

Have you been diagnosed with POTS and Lyme Disease?

💚 Lyme Awareness Day 8: Treatments 💚

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If caught early, Lyme disease is usually treatable with antibiotics. However, many cases of Lyme remain undiagnosed for years 💚

There is no official treatment for Chronic Lyme Disease.

Chronic Lyme patients have no other choice but to pay out of pocket for expensive alternative treatments that do not always work. Some treatments work for some, and not for others.

I can only tell you what helped me, but this is specific to my Lyme symptoms. For more info on my Lyme journey and treatments, check out my Chronically Healed Video!

The treatments that helped me the most were:

IV Therapy with saline, vitamin c, vitamin b complex, magnesium, calcium, and glutathione, The Paleo Diet, Biofeedback therapy, NUCCA Chiropractic, Various supplements, THC Medical Marijuana.

Conventional medicine failed me. I struggled for years until I finally found a naturopathic doctor who understood my condition and actually helped me get better.

If conventional medicine is not helping you and you are getting sicker and sicker, it is okay to seek out alternative treatment. There is no shame in going to a naturopathic doctor, especially when you are receiving no help from traditional doctors.

But please remember to use good judgment. There are many people out there preying on desperate lyme patients. I’ll talk more about how to avoid scams in a later post.

If you have Lyme disease and have found an effective treatment, please share in the comments! There are so many suffering from this disease with no direction, your information could really help someone!

💚 Lyme Awareness Day 4: YOU are at risk for Lyme disease! 💚

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Lyme disease does not discriminate. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to Lyme. It is possible to get Lyme disease no matter how healthy, wealthy, or spiritual you are.

Some people like to think they have enough intelligence, have enough faith, or have enough goodness that somehow makes them exempt from suffering from a disease like this. But none of this is true.

Celebrities get Lyme disease, doctors get lyme disease, spiritual leaders get lyme disease, politicians get Lyme disease. GOOD PEOPLE CAN GET LYME DISEASE!

Getting Lyme disease does in no way reveal your type of character, your intelligence, or spirituality.

Getting Lyme disease does not come from a divine punishment. Getting Lyme disease does not have to do with having a lack of faith or wisdom.

It is NOT YOUR FAULT if you get Lyme Disease.

If you have ever been exposed to the outdoors in your life, there is a chance you’ve been exposed to the insects that carry Lyme disease ☀

You are at greater risk if you have ever hiked in a wooded area where known deer ticks live 🌳🌳🌳

If you have any unexplainable symptoms, it is possible that it could be Lyme disease. I will go over Lyme disease symptoms tomorrow, so be sure to follow and subscribe!

And answer this Lyme Disease Awareness question in the comments: Have you ever gone outside? Comment a “🌳” if you have!

💚 Lyme Awareness Day 2: “What is Lyme Disease?” 💚

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After living with Lyme for 10 years, I get this question all the time. But I don’t know how to answer it! 😳

Lyme is a complicated disease that affects everyone differently. There is still so much unknowns and uncertainties about Lyme because RESEARCH IS LACKING 💚

So, I can’t give you a simple answer to this question, but I’ll try my best!

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial infection called borrelia burgdorferi.

It’s traditionally known to be transmitted by certain types of ticks (tiny little bugs that bite you and drink your blood).

Lyme can cause a multitude and variety of symptoms, which I will go over in a future video.

Typically, if caught early, Lyme can be successfully treated with antibiotics. However, for Lyme disease that was undiagnosed for years, treatment is more difficult. This results in Chronic Lyme Disease and can cause more complications.

Many Chronic Lyme patients become disabled and unable to receive treatment.

For this month of May, I am raising awareness for Lyme by sharing Lyme facts, so if you want to understand more of “What is Lyme Disease?” please follow, subscribe, like, comment, turn on post notifications, because you will be SHOCKED at what Lyme Patients have to go through!

How would you answer the question: “What is Lyme disease?” Share your answers in the comments!💚

Lyme Disease Awareness Month 2020! Day 1: Take a Bite out of Lyme Disease Challenge

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💚 Lyme Awareness Day 1: Take a Bite out of Lyme Disease 2020! 💚💚💚

To raise awareness for Lyme disease, I challenge YOU to take a bite out of a lime and post a picture of it on social media, with one Lyme disease fact!

Also, if you can, please donate to lymediseasechallenge.org to support children and families with Lyme.

For the month of May, Lyme Disease Awareness is taking over my Instagram, facebook, blog, and youtube! Every day, I will post a video discussing a fact about

So, please follow and turn on post notifications so you will not miss any facts! It is good to stay informed whether you have Lyme or not!

I’m so excited to share with you Lyme facts for the next month because I have A LOT to say about Lyme disease!

I suffered from Lyme for 10 years. It is my mission in life to raise awareness, advocacy, and hope for the MILLIONS of people suffering from this disease! 💚

So, my first Lyme fact is: Lyme is caused by a bacteria, NOT lime the fruit 😉

On Instagram, tag @Lymediseasechallenge if you take on the challenge! If you tag me, @chronicallyhealed I will repost you on my stories 😄

See you tomorrow for the next Lyme Disease Awareness Fact!

 

Shirt: @lymediseasechallenge

CHRONICALLY HEALED: Kiki’s Chronic Illness Story

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How I Overcame POTS and Lyme Disease: IV Therapy, Marijuana, and the Grace of God!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (youtube restricted it because I talk about how medical marijuana saved my life)

After being sick for 10 years, I am now alive healthy and thriving!
My healing journey was non-linear. Watch my full story to get the most out of what I learned from living with and overcoming a chronic illness.

I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS aka Dysautonomia), Lyme disease, and Babesia.

My symptoms were feeling faint (chronic pre-syncope), low blood pressure (hypotension), low blood volume (hypovolemia), nausea and stomach pain, chronic fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, social anxiety, cold hands and feet (cold extremities), sensitivities, brain fog, TMJ, neck pain, and more.

The treatments that helped me were:
– Biofeedback therapy (InnerBalance by HeartMath)
– Jugular Venoplasty (Transvascular Autonomic Modulation surgery)
– NUCCA Chiropractic
– TMJ Orthodontic Treatment
– Paleo Diet
– Supplements
– Vitamin IV Therapy
– Medical Marijuana THC

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, none of these treatments would have helped if my heart was not open to receive healing. Spiritual and emotional health are interconnected to physical health. IT WAS ESSENTIAL for me to be healed spiritually before I could be healed physically.

As I grew closer in my relationship with Jesus, I grew closer to his healing. He healed my soul and strengthened me to be the overcomer God created me to be!

If you know anyone with a chronic illness and needs hope, send them this video! It is my new mission in life to raise awareness, advocacy, and hope for chronic illnesses!

Subscribe to my youtube channel, follow me on instagram @chronicallyhealed and check out my website chronicallyhealed.com for more information and insights from my healing journey!

What treatments are helping you to heal from a chronic illness? Please share in the comments, maybe it could also help others!

Videography by Storto Productions

Grand Canyon University Commercials!

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I am so excited to share with you that I was one of 80,000 online students chosen to be featured for GCU’s Thunder in All of Us commercial campaign!

I am earning my Bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies online at GCU, and after that I am planning on continuing to earn my Masters!

With my degree, I hope to help others spiritually who are dealing with chronic illnesses. My faith really helped me cope when I had a chronic illness disability for ten years. Now that I am fully healed, I feel compelled to help others who are in the same situation I was in. The doctors don’t tell you that a chronic illness will make you feel emotionally and spiritually drained, feeling hopeless and helpless. That is why I want to be there for others and lift them up with God’s hope and light!

Keep up with my story by following me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronicallyhealed/

Watch below for my commercials with Grand Canyon University!