I have Lyme Disease, it sucks.
Donation protected
I have Lyme Disease, it sucks.
My name is Shayna and I am a 23-year-old design student currently living in Montreal. I need your support to help fund an innovative treatment in Germany to help cure the chronic Lyme disease that I have been suffering from for the past five years.
Many are not aware that for the past five years, I have been suffering horribly from Chronic Lyme disease. Due to my positive attitude and thirst for life, I present a normal façade, giving the illusion that I am a healthy young woman. I live my life based on passion and fulfilling all of my interests and dreams. I am extremely positive and I try very hard to “be myself” in order to keep moving forward. However, this is becoming unbearably difficult as I feel the effects of this terrifying disease more and more. Every day I wake up wondering if today is the day that I won’t experience pain. If I will be able to feel my true age and experience this life to the fullest. Days like this occur (at best) once a month and I celebrate by wearing silk and having a mini dance party to Aretha Franklin in my room. However, these days are rare. Normally, I never know how I’m going to feel and what sporadic symptoms will be present or migrate throughout my body. I recently received an MRI result of my spine that showed I have degenerative disc disease in my neck and first stages of arthritis throughout my spine. The bacteria has effected the cartilage surrounding my right rib cage and I constantly have to pull my ribs apart in order to breathe easier.
Lyme disease is generally caused by a tick bite that releases the bacteria borrelia into your system. The disease firstly affects the brain, by housing its toxins in our most subtle and fattest tissues and polluting majority of the organ. It then affects the entire nervous system, penetrating the toxins with a screw effect into the spine, the muscles and other organs. In most chronic Lyme disease cases people end up in wheel chairs and are eventually diagnosed with autism.
This disease is very abstract and complex, making it extremely difficult to cure. I think the hardest part is trying to explain to others why I feel fantastic one day and the next day feeling as if a transport truck has hit me. It feels as if both the evil and good characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have possessed my body. Teasing me with good health, energy and clarity then completely altering the day, making my life extremely unpredictable.
Generally I experience immense body aches, nerve pain, popping ribs, swollen and weak muscles, pelvic pain, stomach pain, tight chest, swollen and achy feet, brain fog, dizziness, double vision, muscle spasms and tremors, all accompanied by anxiety. All of these symptoms appear at various intervals throughout the day and somehow I’ve learned to cope with these as my natural state. How do I do it? I smile, oh boy, do I smile through the pain. I focus on being a positive person who uses the incredible power of the mind and intention to push through the pain. I distract myself with soulful music and focus on all the good I have in my life. I normally don’t tell anyone that I suffer from this disease, as it reminds me more of the pain. I hate the idea of being recognized as a sick person.
I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite during a visit to my family home in Niagara for Christmas in 2011. I woke up one morning feeling extremely dizzy, exhausted and disoriented. I remember being quite worried about getting on a plane in a few days to travel back to Rome for work, since I had begun to feel extreme flu-like symptoms. When I arrived in Rome I was horrified to discover a large red bump on my face that looked like a massacred pimple. It was hideous to say the least. A physician later confirmed that it appeared to be a bug or spider bite. I now plainly understand that this was the tick bite that infected me with Lyme Disease.
I was on a mission to understand why I had all of these mysterious pains. Not one MD has been able to help me. One even told me to seek a psychologist. With respect to the diagnosis and care of Lyme Disease, the Canadian healthcare system has been, for me, a nightmare.
I have spent the last five years fighting, truly, fighting to uncover the mystery of this illness. I have gone to every doctor imaginable, every drop of my blood has been examined and every physical test performed. Not one doctor could pinpoint exactly what was going on with my body or relieve the pain. All of the results came back negative, which contributed to the doctor’s hypothesis that it is “all in my head.”
I am happy; I surround myself with beautiful people and do exactly what I love. If it was really all in my head, then my body should be able to complete a triathlon without contemplation. Unfortunately, at times, I am unable to even go on a leisurely walk.
Finally after years of torment and searching for an answer, I found out that the symptoms I was experiencing were Lyme disease. In Canada, Lyme disease is slowly becoming an epidemic, but the government does not treat it past 30 days of antibiotics, even if it has been in your system for years. There is one regulated blood test called the Western blot performed in Canada that detects the disease six weeks after the infection has occurred. I took the test in 2013, but of course it came back negative, since I was already infected for two years. I then sent my blood to a specialized clinic in Palo Alto, California called Igenix to be tested, and every category for the disease came back double positive. A healthy individual has an immunity count of over 100 using the CD 57 test. This test examines your white blood cells and immunity, my results were 27. Another examination performed by the lab showed that the development of bacteria in my body was still in the “first stages,” even though at that point it had infected me for three years. My naturopath believes it is because I have been extremely attentive to my health and have keeping positive the entire time.
These tests were performed nearly two years ago. Since then I have done rounds of antibiotics, herbal protocols, Rife machines, Vitamin C IVs and every detox method possible in Canada to kill the bacteria. I must visit a massage therapist, osteopath or chiropractor at least once a week to relieve the pain. All of these treatments have been paid out of pocket, including the antibiotics. I was feeling tremendoulsy better for a while, but the disease had made a significant return. My family has exhausted their financial resources on recovering my health and unfortunately I have not made any progress.
The health system in Canada does not recognize chronic Lyme disease as an illness and has no regulated treatment to cure it. Even though I was infected by the disease on this soil, I have to travel internationally to receive treatment. As a result, I am asking for your help and support to travel to a specialized Lyme disease and Cancer clinic in Germany. This clinic specializes in using a hyperthermia treatment. Hyperthermia increases the body temperature to induce a fever, which eradicate many strains of the Borrelisosis and other pathogens brought by Lyme disease.
This clinic has been highly successful in treating Lyme disease and receives patients from all over the world. I have witnessed the success first hand by a ‘Lyme’ friend that I met while getting a Vitamin C IV. When I met this young girl she was walking with a cane and barely able to have a conversation since the bacteria had greatly affected her body. When she came back from Germany, she was walking without a cane, had a glow in her eyes and has since been remarkably better.
http://lymeandcancerservices.com/
I believe I am not this disease. Despite feeling the effects everyday, I will not stop pursuing my interests and believing I am healthy and strong. I understand my character too well; if I stop my curiosity of creating and learning then this disease will truly have its grips on me. I still attend design school full-time in Montreal. However, it’s extremely difficult to feel that I am reaching my full potential when I can’t concentrate on the professor because my muscles are weak and burning.
My intentions are feeling good for the rest of my life. At this point, I am willing to try anything and need your support. Any size of donation is truly apprecaited. I realize that many of you are not financially able to donate, but please support me by creating awareness about this disease. Protect yourself from ticks and be aware of the symptoms. I will be updating my progress and results throughout the treatment.
My name is Shayna and I am a 23-year-old design student currently living in Montreal. I need your support to help fund an innovative treatment in Germany to help cure the chronic Lyme disease that I have been suffering from for the past five years.
Many are not aware that for the past five years, I have been suffering horribly from Chronic Lyme disease. Due to my positive attitude and thirst for life, I present a normal façade, giving the illusion that I am a healthy young woman. I live my life based on passion and fulfilling all of my interests and dreams. I am extremely positive and I try very hard to “be myself” in order to keep moving forward. However, this is becoming unbearably difficult as I feel the effects of this terrifying disease more and more. Every day I wake up wondering if today is the day that I won’t experience pain. If I will be able to feel my true age and experience this life to the fullest. Days like this occur (at best) once a month and I celebrate by wearing silk and having a mini dance party to Aretha Franklin in my room. However, these days are rare. Normally, I never know how I’m going to feel and what sporadic symptoms will be present or migrate throughout my body. I recently received an MRI result of my spine that showed I have degenerative disc disease in my neck and first stages of arthritis throughout my spine. The bacteria has effected the cartilage surrounding my right rib cage and I constantly have to pull my ribs apart in order to breathe easier.
Lyme disease is generally caused by a tick bite that releases the bacteria borrelia into your system. The disease firstly affects the brain, by housing its toxins in our most subtle and fattest tissues and polluting majority of the organ. It then affects the entire nervous system, penetrating the toxins with a screw effect into the spine, the muscles and other organs. In most chronic Lyme disease cases people end up in wheel chairs and are eventually diagnosed with autism.
This disease is very abstract and complex, making it extremely difficult to cure. I think the hardest part is trying to explain to others why I feel fantastic one day and the next day feeling as if a transport truck has hit me. It feels as if both the evil and good characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have possessed my body. Teasing me with good health, energy and clarity then completely altering the day, making my life extremely unpredictable.
Generally I experience immense body aches, nerve pain, popping ribs, swollen and weak muscles, pelvic pain, stomach pain, tight chest, swollen and achy feet, brain fog, dizziness, double vision, muscle spasms and tremors, all accompanied by anxiety. All of these symptoms appear at various intervals throughout the day and somehow I’ve learned to cope with these as my natural state. How do I do it? I smile, oh boy, do I smile through the pain. I focus on being a positive person who uses the incredible power of the mind and intention to push through the pain. I distract myself with soulful music and focus on all the good I have in my life. I normally don’t tell anyone that I suffer from this disease, as it reminds me more of the pain. I hate the idea of being recognized as a sick person.
I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite during a visit to my family home in Niagara for Christmas in 2011. I woke up one morning feeling extremely dizzy, exhausted and disoriented. I remember being quite worried about getting on a plane in a few days to travel back to Rome for work, since I had begun to feel extreme flu-like symptoms. When I arrived in Rome I was horrified to discover a large red bump on my face that looked like a massacred pimple. It was hideous to say the least. A physician later confirmed that it appeared to be a bug or spider bite. I now plainly understand that this was the tick bite that infected me with Lyme Disease.
I was on a mission to understand why I had all of these mysterious pains. Not one MD has been able to help me. One even told me to seek a psychologist. With respect to the diagnosis and care of Lyme Disease, the Canadian healthcare system has been, for me, a nightmare.
I have spent the last five years fighting, truly, fighting to uncover the mystery of this illness. I have gone to every doctor imaginable, every drop of my blood has been examined and every physical test performed. Not one doctor could pinpoint exactly what was going on with my body or relieve the pain. All of the results came back negative, which contributed to the doctor’s hypothesis that it is “all in my head.”
I am happy; I surround myself with beautiful people and do exactly what I love. If it was really all in my head, then my body should be able to complete a triathlon without contemplation. Unfortunately, at times, I am unable to even go on a leisurely walk.
Finally after years of torment and searching for an answer, I found out that the symptoms I was experiencing were Lyme disease. In Canada, Lyme disease is slowly becoming an epidemic, but the government does not treat it past 30 days of antibiotics, even if it has been in your system for years. There is one regulated blood test called the Western blot performed in Canada that detects the disease six weeks after the infection has occurred. I took the test in 2013, but of course it came back negative, since I was already infected for two years. I then sent my blood to a specialized clinic in Palo Alto, California called Igenix to be tested, and every category for the disease came back double positive. A healthy individual has an immunity count of over 100 using the CD 57 test. This test examines your white blood cells and immunity, my results were 27. Another examination performed by the lab showed that the development of bacteria in my body was still in the “first stages,” even though at that point it had infected me for three years. My naturopath believes it is because I have been extremely attentive to my health and have keeping positive the entire time.
These tests were performed nearly two years ago. Since then I have done rounds of antibiotics, herbal protocols, Rife machines, Vitamin C IVs and every detox method possible in Canada to kill the bacteria. I must visit a massage therapist, osteopath or chiropractor at least once a week to relieve the pain. All of these treatments have been paid out of pocket, including the antibiotics. I was feeling tremendoulsy better for a while, but the disease had made a significant return. My family has exhausted their financial resources on recovering my health and unfortunately I have not made any progress.
The health system in Canada does not recognize chronic Lyme disease as an illness and has no regulated treatment to cure it. Even though I was infected by the disease on this soil, I have to travel internationally to receive treatment. As a result, I am asking for your help and support to travel to a specialized Lyme disease and Cancer clinic in Germany. This clinic specializes in using a hyperthermia treatment. Hyperthermia increases the body temperature to induce a fever, which eradicate many strains of the Borrelisosis and other pathogens brought by Lyme disease.
This clinic has been highly successful in treating Lyme disease and receives patients from all over the world. I have witnessed the success first hand by a ‘Lyme’ friend that I met while getting a Vitamin C IV. When I met this young girl she was walking with a cane and barely able to have a conversation since the bacteria had greatly affected her body. When she came back from Germany, she was walking without a cane, had a glow in her eyes and has since been remarkably better.
http://lymeandcancerservices.com/
I believe I am not this disease. Despite feeling the effects everyday, I will not stop pursuing my interests and believing I am healthy and strong. I understand my character too well; if I stop my curiosity of creating and learning then this disease will truly have its grips on me. I still attend design school full-time in Montreal. However, it’s extremely difficult to feel that I am reaching my full potential when I can’t concentrate on the professor because my muscles are weak and burning.
My intentions are feeling good for the rest of my life. At this point, I am willing to try anything and need your support. Any size of donation is truly apprecaited. I realize that many of you are not financially able to donate, but please support me by creating awareness about this disease. Protect yourself from ticks and be aware of the symptoms. I will be updating my progress and results throughout the treatment.
Organizer
Shayna Dwor
Organizer
Port Colborne, ON
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