Rebecca's Treatment 4 Lyme Disease
Donation protected
Rebecca Anstett suddenly experienced weakness in her legs starting in June of 2010. This got worse with every passing day until she needed a wheelchair full-time after 18 months.
Her doctor said it was fibromyalgia. But it got worse. Then she got an MRI and was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS.
But there were clues it was something else. Rebecca tried many treatments (we could write a book!), but she just kept getting worse.
Finally, in August 2014, a naturopath said he thought she had Lyme Disease, caused by a tick bite. She had been tested for this several times before but the results were always negative. She was tested again in October at the leading lab, IGENEX, and the test came back positive. For the first time there was hope we could reverse the condition!
So, we started the treatments. The prescribed course is antibiotics for 2-3 years. The best treatment is antibiotics administered by IV, as this treatment really penetrates the nervous system. Rebecca had a course of 20 IVs in November, and it made a big difference!
Her problem is that the IVs cost $2,250 per month, and this is not covered by the British Columbia health system. Rebecca has been unable to work due to her condition and has exhausted all of her savings, and we in her family have spent many tens of thousands of dollars in the past four years searching for a way to turn this around.
Rebecca is able to get oral antibiotics currently, which is helping. In fact, her brain fog has cleared and she seems to have really turned a corner. She is full of optimism and hope, but she needs a helping hand to afford the IV antibiotics. We are trying to raise $2,250 so that she can get the next round of IVs. After that, we will do it again.
We have met over twenty people in the past few months who were misdiagnosed with MS and in fact had Lyme Disease. Once they were treated, they were able to get out of their wheelchairs and walk again! This is our dream for Rebecca.
Today, her legs are badly atrophied and her hands shake so bad she needs to drink with a straw as she spills any glass of liquid. She is unable to use the toilet and is in diapers full-time. But her spirit is strong and she is determined to get better!
You can see more of her story here:
http://help-me-walk-again.org/
Rebecca was a yoga teacher and very athletic person. One little tick bite has destroyed her life. If the medical system had caught this earlier, we could have stopped the decline much sooner. But now we know what we are dealing with, and we are seeing her getting stronger. Unfortunately, the medical system does not fund her needed treatments, as the diagnosis of Lyme Disease is still quite controversial (despite the fact that so many people have seen improvements after treatment!).
If you are able, we would be eternally grateful for any assistance you can share. Blessings to you!
This is Rebecca before the disease gnarled up her body. Please help her get out of diapers, get back on her feet, and living a better life again!
For more information on Lyme Disease, check out Rebecca's Facebook page, where she posts her research:
Rebecca's Facebook page
Her doctor said it was fibromyalgia. But it got worse. Then she got an MRI and was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS.
But there were clues it was something else. Rebecca tried many treatments (we could write a book!), but she just kept getting worse.
Finally, in August 2014, a naturopath said he thought she had Lyme Disease, caused by a tick bite. She had been tested for this several times before but the results were always negative. She was tested again in October at the leading lab, IGENEX, and the test came back positive. For the first time there was hope we could reverse the condition!
So, we started the treatments. The prescribed course is antibiotics for 2-3 years. The best treatment is antibiotics administered by IV, as this treatment really penetrates the nervous system. Rebecca had a course of 20 IVs in November, and it made a big difference!
Her problem is that the IVs cost $2,250 per month, and this is not covered by the British Columbia health system. Rebecca has been unable to work due to her condition and has exhausted all of her savings, and we in her family have spent many tens of thousands of dollars in the past four years searching for a way to turn this around.
Rebecca is able to get oral antibiotics currently, which is helping. In fact, her brain fog has cleared and she seems to have really turned a corner. She is full of optimism and hope, but she needs a helping hand to afford the IV antibiotics. We are trying to raise $2,250 so that she can get the next round of IVs. After that, we will do it again.
We have met over twenty people in the past few months who were misdiagnosed with MS and in fact had Lyme Disease. Once they were treated, they were able to get out of their wheelchairs and walk again! This is our dream for Rebecca.
Today, her legs are badly atrophied and her hands shake so bad she needs to drink with a straw as she spills any glass of liquid. She is unable to use the toilet and is in diapers full-time. But her spirit is strong and she is determined to get better!
You can see more of her story here:
http://help-me-walk-again.org/
Rebecca was a yoga teacher and very athletic person. One little tick bite has destroyed her life. If the medical system had caught this earlier, we could have stopped the decline much sooner. But now we know what we are dealing with, and we are seeing her getting stronger. Unfortunately, the medical system does not fund her needed treatments, as the diagnosis of Lyme Disease is still quite controversial (despite the fact that so many people have seen improvements after treatment!).
If you are able, we would be eternally grateful for any assistance you can share. Blessings to you!
This is Rebecca before the disease gnarled up her body. Please help her get out of diapers, get back on her feet, and living a better life again!
For more information on Lyme Disease, check out Rebecca's Facebook page, where she posts her research:
Rebecca's Facebook page
Organizer
Mark Vanderkam
Organizer
Kelowna, BC
