Chamonix's Healing Journey
Donation protected
For almost 8 years I’ve been dealing with some serious illnesses. In December 2010 at age 34, shortly after getting married and not long after my husband Jim had been laid off, I became extremely ill and bedridden. I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease 6 weeks later and began antibiotics.
After 10 months of trying to get well and multiple ER visits I was worse than ever, had to quit my speech therapy job, leave NYC, and we moved in with my parents in CT. I was diagnosed with many more infections and my immune system was not working properly. The Lyme doctors did not take insurance and appointments were on average $500 each time plus huge amounts for the supplements, weekly treatments, and tests.
Jim barely awake after 24 hours at the ER.
Anaphylactic shock ER visit after Jim called 911.
Liver/Gallbladder ER visit.
Six months after we moved to CT Jim found a job as a contractor for the Navy as an artist/illustrator at the Groton Sub Base. I made the scary and hard decision to stop antibiotics and use alternative medicine since after 10 months I was completely unable to walk, barely able to talk, and felt near death. Jim put me in a wagon and dragged me up the street so I could get outside.
My love.
Wagon rides from Jim, in various seasons.
What does this feel like? Lyme that is not treated early can turn neurological. I had severe panic/anxiety, woke with a racing heart and crying, complete exhaustion, extreme weakness, severe migraines, numbness in limbs, massive brain fog, pains rotating all over my body, feeling like fainting, severe “crashes” where I had to lay down immediately and could not talk or move but could not sleep and felt trapped, uncomfortable and tortured feeling body, on and off POTS episodes (heart rate to 130 when standing), muscle loss, weight loss, nausea at all times, strange vision, massive balance problems, fear, despair, chemical sensitivities, sleep problems, swollen glands, fevers, and many more horrible symptoms. I was not suicidal but I felt death would be a relief.
We lived with my parents for 2 ½ years and I VERY slowly got 70% well using alternative medicine. I began to slowly work again helping children and adults who stutter. This is my passion and love! I started my own private practice and taught at the nearby university. I continued just as many treatments and the huge medical expenses continued but I was alive again and felt I had a purpose. That was 2013-2014.
We moved into an apartment on our own Feb 2014 but then I plateaued with my health. I still did not feel right and knew something was still wrong. I tried stopping treatments, using diet, exercising more and I crashed in April 2015 and was in bed for 6 weeks and many symptoms returned. Per doctor’s recommendation we changed treatment approaches and focused on adrenals. This got me nowhere and infections began to return. I pushed to try to keep working, teaching, and seeing clients. Then in March of 2016 I crashed severely and could not get out of bed for two months. I had to quit teaching and put my practice/clients on hold. I was having severe scary dizzy spells for a few months prior to this.
One of many many many IV's.
Life at home.
One of our cats began to wheeze badly so we tested the air for mold and results showed toxic mold. We threw out over half of what we owned, moved into a clean small new one bedroom apartment, and I took a $700 out of pocket urine test that showed I am positive for a poisonous toxin produced by mold. I am one of the 25% of the population whose bodies genetically does not identify and remove this toxin so it makes you very sick.
Mold Illness is REAL!
This current move was a huge stress and it tanked my hormones and set me back further. I was told I am now infertile and can’t have a baby. I found a doctor in Maine who treats complex medical issues like this and I also have my doctor in CT. This past year I’ve gone back to apartment bound, weak, brain fogged, migraines galore, numbness in extremities, extreme exhaustion, feel drunk/drugged, weird vision, weak chest, suffocating feelings, uncomfortable body, sinus and ear issues, back pain, neck pain, random joint pains, back to bedridden hours and days, and the list goes on.
February 2017, awake but can't move. Back in bed. :(
It is so hard to ask for help. For 7 years we have struggled. Medical bills have consistently been $30,000 out of pocket each year, and this is with us doing the minimum and having to refuse treatments. With the huge set back this past year, I finally stopped hiding how sick I am. When I have a “good” day and am able to see people I fake it as best I can but no one sees the days or weeks of being in bed or in a chair the entire day (after day) that surround those few hours of “look, I’m fine”. I had to stop driving again as well.
I am determined to get fully 100% well. It IS possible. I am believing on the promise God gave me at the very start of this affliction for full healing. Proverbs 3:5 is my anchor and God is my strength. I was 70% better at one point and able to work. Jim continues to be my main caretaker. After a full day of work and a 3-4 hour commute he cooks, shops, cleans, listens, and prays with me. I am so grateful for Jim.
Unfortunately Lyme is not recognized as a chronic issue by our government. The treatments and doctors which are helping me are not covered by insurance. The financial stress has been a huge burden and a constant worry. Thank you from my heart to yours for any help or donation, no matter how small. All donations will be directly applied to medical expenses. Your prayers and your love are also so appreciated and valued just as much. I am determined to heal and be well. Thank you for helping me to get there.
Love,
Chamonix and Jim
***UPDATES***: After this gofundme was started we used the funds to travel to Maine once a month to see a doctor regarding the mold issue and also did an ultraviolet blood irridation IV treatment with my doctor in CT which did not help. We were so incredibly grateful for every donation and love that was expressed. We used some of the funds also to buy a Far Infrared Sauna as was recommended by a doctor but was too weak to use it at the time.
I continued to decline and so met with numerous other doctors to try to find a better plan. I visited the ER several times. I was confined to our apartment and in this state of “nonliving” time warp. I also felt PTSD-like being seriously ill, trapped, isolated, and relapsing.
After searching for answers and much prayer, we became willing to travel and go anywhere to save my life and get out of this unrelenting suffering. We changed course completely and signed up for a 2 week intensive treatment program at the Hansa Center in Wichita, Kansas. They work with the hardest cases who’ve been deemed “incurable” and get good results and help many. Of course all out of pocket expenses, you can’t even submit anything to insurance.
Jim then tested positive for Bartonella and other tick borne infections and we were able to get him to do a week at the Hansa center, alongside my 2 weeks of treatment. This was vital so we don't re-infect each other and so he can get help for his symptoms that are different than mine. He had been receiving treatment for hormone issues etc. here in CT. We used all the funds raised for everything we did prior to Hansa and then used what was left plus some offline donations to pay $20,000 total for the trip to Hansa for everything which was from August 7-18, 2017.
At Hansa with Dr. Streit, August 2017
I turned the corner towards healing and got about 20% better and was no longer in crisis mode. After only 10 days of treatment, that is incredible! I have never felt that kind of improvement that quickly from anything.
Treatment at Hansa.
Some very hard days the first week at Hansa.
Hansa is incredible! The doctors so knowledgeable, the staff so caring, it is truly a place of healing. I was able to do detox work and start on many remedies and supplements without any negative effect and in fact a positive one.
With the wonderful caring staff.
A month after we returned from Hansa I ended up in acute nerve neck and head pain and had 4 ER visits in 3 days followed by 2 days admitted to the hospital where I was put on many pain killers but nothing really helped. The severe pain lasted a solid month and was excruciating and exhausting and then it went away.
Oct. 2017 hospital stay.
October 2017
Further donations allowed us to purchase a doctor recommended treatment device called the Bemer that I use at home twice a day. The donations also allowed us to return to Hansa on December 4, 2017 for one week of treatment which was about $8,000 for the trip. My program was adjusted and I continued my home program.
Last day of first Hansa visit: August 18, 2017
I did not respond well to my home program. By February 2018 I was hospitalized for 8 days. I initially was seen for tachycardia in the ER and then was admitted and started to have seizures. I underwent many tests that revealed nothing and the doctors do not believe chronic Lyme Disease exists so it was a demoralizing experience. I was given home OT and PT which I was discharged from due to lack of progress. I was too weak to return to Kansas to Hansa and my doctor there recommended an alternative medicine doctor in NJ. We used the last of our raised funds and from May-mid July I was treated there and made no progress, only worsening. It was very expensive and they are too inexperienced. July 18th I stopped all treatment as we were out of money as well and I've turned to seek Jesus first for life and healing.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
Thank you for caring and for reading and all of your support. I have a promise from God that I will come out of this fire and I'm holding onto that. We love you. xoxoxo
Chamonix and Jim
Follow my updates in the Help Chamonix Heal facebook group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/252576858537016/
Learn more about Lyme here:
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society: http://www.ilads.org/
https://www.lymedisease.org/
Learn more about mold illness here:
Article on Mold and Mycotoxins and Lyme Disease: http://www.gordonmedical.com/unravelling-complex-chronic-illness/mold-and-mycotoxins-often-overlooked-factors-in-chronic-lyme-disease/
http://www.survivingmold.com/mold-symptoms/understanding-the-illness
If you would like to help us you can:
1- Donate to my gofundme here: https://www.gofundme.com/HelpChamonixHeal
2- If you are not comfortable donating online, you can donate directly to us: Chamonix Sikora 25 High Street, Apt. 2B Milford, CT 06460
Please share this campaign on social media so that others can help and make donations.
If you are interested, you can learn more about the Hansa Center here:
http://hansacenter.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMsw0D6MwWc
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQorIPRBu2W/?taken-at=361356341&hl=en
There are 34 new Lyme cases per hour in the US and 25,000 new cases per month.
After 10 months of trying to get well and multiple ER visits I was worse than ever, had to quit my speech therapy job, leave NYC, and we moved in with my parents in CT. I was diagnosed with many more infections and my immune system was not working properly. The Lyme doctors did not take insurance and appointments were on average $500 each time plus huge amounts for the supplements, weekly treatments, and tests.
Jim barely awake after 24 hours at the ER.Anaphylactic shock ER visit after Jim called 911.Liver/Gallbladder ER visit.Six months after we moved to CT Jim found a job as a contractor for the Navy as an artist/illustrator at the Groton Sub Base. I made the scary and hard decision to stop antibiotics and use alternative medicine since after 10 months I was completely unable to walk, barely able to talk, and felt near death. Jim put me in a wagon and dragged me up the street so I could get outside.
My love.Wagon rides from Jim, in various seasons.What does this feel like? Lyme that is not treated early can turn neurological. I had severe panic/anxiety, woke with a racing heart and crying, complete exhaustion, extreme weakness, severe migraines, numbness in limbs, massive brain fog, pains rotating all over my body, feeling like fainting, severe “crashes” where I had to lay down immediately and could not talk or move but could not sleep and felt trapped, uncomfortable and tortured feeling body, on and off POTS episodes (heart rate to 130 when standing), muscle loss, weight loss, nausea at all times, strange vision, massive balance problems, fear, despair, chemical sensitivities, sleep problems, swollen glands, fevers, and many more horrible symptoms. I was not suicidal but I felt death would be a relief.
We lived with my parents for 2 ½ years and I VERY slowly got 70% well using alternative medicine. I began to slowly work again helping children and adults who stutter. This is my passion and love! I started my own private practice and taught at the nearby university. I continued just as many treatments and the huge medical expenses continued but I was alive again and felt I had a purpose. That was 2013-2014.
We moved into an apartment on our own Feb 2014 but then I plateaued with my health. I still did not feel right and knew something was still wrong. I tried stopping treatments, using diet, exercising more and I crashed in April 2015 and was in bed for 6 weeks and many symptoms returned. Per doctor’s recommendation we changed treatment approaches and focused on adrenals. This got me nowhere and infections began to return. I pushed to try to keep working, teaching, and seeing clients. Then in March of 2016 I crashed severely and could not get out of bed for two months. I had to quit teaching and put my practice/clients on hold. I was having severe scary dizzy spells for a few months prior to this.
One of many many many IV's.Life at home.One of our cats began to wheeze badly so we tested the air for mold and results showed toxic mold. We threw out over half of what we owned, moved into a clean small new one bedroom apartment, and I took a $700 out of pocket urine test that showed I am positive for a poisonous toxin produced by mold. I am one of the 25% of the population whose bodies genetically does not identify and remove this toxin so it makes you very sick.
Mold Illness is REAL! This current move was a huge stress and it tanked my hormones and set me back further. I was told I am now infertile and can’t have a baby. I found a doctor in Maine who treats complex medical issues like this and I also have my doctor in CT. This past year I’ve gone back to apartment bound, weak, brain fogged, migraines galore, numbness in extremities, extreme exhaustion, feel drunk/drugged, weird vision, weak chest, suffocating feelings, uncomfortable body, sinus and ear issues, back pain, neck pain, random joint pains, back to bedridden hours and days, and the list goes on.
February 2017, awake but can't move. Back in bed. :(It is so hard to ask for help. For 7 years we have struggled. Medical bills have consistently been $30,000 out of pocket each year, and this is with us doing the minimum and having to refuse treatments. With the huge set back this past year, I finally stopped hiding how sick I am. When I have a “good” day and am able to see people I fake it as best I can but no one sees the days or weeks of being in bed or in a chair the entire day (after day) that surround those few hours of “look, I’m fine”. I had to stop driving again as well.
I am determined to get fully 100% well. It IS possible. I am believing on the promise God gave me at the very start of this affliction for full healing. Proverbs 3:5 is my anchor and God is my strength. I was 70% better at one point and able to work. Jim continues to be my main caretaker. After a full day of work and a 3-4 hour commute he cooks, shops, cleans, listens, and prays with me. I am so grateful for Jim.
Unfortunately Lyme is not recognized as a chronic issue by our government. The treatments and doctors which are helping me are not covered by insurance. The financial stress has been a huge burden and a constant worry. Thank you from my heart to yours for any help or donation, no matter how small. All donations will be directly applied to medical expenses. Your prayers and your love are also so appreciated and valued just as much. I am determined to heal and be well. Thank you for helping me to get there.
Love,
Chamonix and Jim
***UPDATES***: After this gofundme was started we used the funds to travel to Maine once a month to see a doctor regarding the mold issue and also did an ultraviolet blood irridation IV treatment with my doctor in CT which did not help. We were so incredibly grateful for every donation and love that was expressed. We used some of the funds also to buy a Far Infrared Sauna as was recommended by a doctor but was too weak to use it at the time.
I continued to decline and so met with numerous other doctors to try to find a better plan. I visited the ER several times. I was confined to our apartment and in this state of “nonliving” time warp. I also felt PTSD-like being seriously ill, trapped, isolated, and relapsing.
After searching for answers and much prayer, we became willing to travel and go anywhere to save my life and get out of this unrelenting suffering. We changed course completely and signed up for a 2 week intensive treatment program at the Hansa Center in Wichita, Kansas. They work with the hardest cases who’ve been deemed “incurable” and get good results and help many. Of course all out of pocket expenses, you can’t even submit anything to insurance.
Jim then tested positive for Bartonella and other tick borne infections and we were able to get him to do a week at the Hansa center, alongside my 2 weeks of treatment. This was vital so we don't re-infect each other and so he can get help for his symptoms that are different than mine. He had been receiving treatment for hormone issues etc. here in CT. We used all the funds raised for everything we did prior to Hansa and then used what was left plus some offline donations to pay $20,000 total for the trip to Hansa for everything which was from August 7-18, 2017.
At Hansa with Dr. Streit, August 2017I turned the corner towards healing and got about 20% better and was no longer in crisis mode. After only 10 days of treatment, that is incredible! I have never felt that kind of improvement that quickly from anything.
Treatment at Hansa.Some very hard days the first week at Hansa. Hansa is incredible! The doctors so knowledgeable, the staff so caring, it is truly a place of healing. I was able to do detox work and start on many remedies and supplements without any negative effect and in fact a positive one.
With the wonderful caring staff.A month after we returned from Hansa I ended up in acute nerve neck and head pain and had 4 ER visits in 3 days followed by 2 days admitted to the hospital where I was put on many pain killers but nothing really helped. The severe pain lasted a solid month and was excruciating and exhausting and then it went away.
Oct. 2017 hospital stay.October 2017Further donations allowed us to purchase a doctor recommended treatment device called the Bemer that I use at home twice a day. The donations also allowed us to return to Hansa on December 4, 2017 for one week of treatment which was about $8,000 for the trip. My program was adjusted and I continued my home program.
Last day of first Hansa visit: August 18, 2017I did not respond well to my home program. By February 2018 I was hospitalized for 8 days. I initially was seen for tachycardia in the ER and then was admitted and started to have seizures. I underwent many tests that revealed nothing and the doctors do not believe chronic Lyme Disease exists so it was a demoralizing experience. I was given home OT and PT which I was discharged from due to lack of progress. I was too weak to return to Kansas to Hansa and my doctor there recommended an alternative medicine doctor in NJ. We used the last of our raised funds and from May-mid July I was treated there and made no progress, only worsening. It was very expensive and they are too inexperienced. July 18th I stopped all treatment as we were out of money as well and I've turned to seek Jesus first for life and healing.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
Thank you for caring and for reading and all of your support. I have a promise from God that I will come out of this fire and I'm holding onto that. We love you. xoxoxo
Chamonix and Jim
Follow my updates in the Help Chamonix Heal facebook group here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/252576858537016/
Learn more about Lyme here:
International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society: http://www.ilads.org/
https://www.lymedisease.org/
Learn more about mold illness here:
Article on Mold and Mycotoxins and Lyme Disease: http://www.gordonmedical.com/unravelling-complex-chronic-illness/mold-and-mycotoxins-often-overlooked-factors-in-chronic-lyme-disease/
http://www.survivingmold.com/mold-symptoms/understanding-the-illness
If you would like to help us you can:
1- Donate to my gofundme here: https://www.gofundme.com/HelpChamonixHeal
2- If you are not comfortable donating online, you can donate directly to us: Chamonix Sikora 25 High Street, Apt. 2B Milford, CT 06460
Please share this campaign on social media so that others can help and make donations.
If you are interested, you can learn more about the Hansa Center here:
http://hansacenter.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMsw0D6MwWc
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQorIPRBu2W/?taken-at=361356341&hl=en
There are 34 new Lyme cases per hour in the US and 25,000 new cases per month.
Organizer
Chamonix Olsen Sikora
Organizer
Milford, CT
