Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome back to Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karl Feldt.
[00:00:05] Speaker B: I am so excited about the show that we have ahead of us.
[00:00:08] Speaker C: We have some phenomenal information that could save lives.
[00:00:13] Speaker B: You're gonna need to tune in to what's going on today. The information is jam packed, so don't step away.
Hello. Thank you so much for joining Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karlfeld. I am your host, Dr. Michael Karl Fe Belt. I've been in clinical practice since 1987. I've seen pretty much everything under the sun, worked with so many different Lyme patients, and I know what a devastating disease this is. That's why I'm doing this podcast to make sure that you are armed with the information that you need in order to be able to be successful in your struggle with Lyme. We'll be featuring authors, doctors, professors, and also people like yourself that have gone through the journey that you're going through, that have been where you've been and is now on the other side. And they get to tell their victorious story as to how they battle Lyme so that you can implement that in your life as well.
Be sure to like us and write a review on whichever platform that you're listening on. What that does is it enables other people to see us more so that they have access to this information as well. So I'm so excited that you're tuning in and get ready for this upcoming show. It is going to be amazing.
Well, I have the absolute pleasure of having Ali Moresco with me today.
Thank you so much for hanging out with me this afternoon.
[00:01:50] Speaker D: Thanks for having me. I'm excited.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: So you, I mean, you had your own journey. I mean, you're doing so much advocacy now. And I want to kind of talk a little bit more about the advocacy later on, but first I want people to really understand kind of what. What kind of brought you to that point and learning what lime was and the importance of identifying and addressing it. And so tell me a little bit about you. I mean, what's going on in your life when all of a sudden this.
Your Lyme became something on your radar?
[00:02:28] Speaker D: Absolutely. I think like most people, unfortunately, it's really not on your radar. Right. And it's really not on your mind. And I was in my young 20s when I got sick.
I was dating my now husband who is originally from Michigan, and I had gone up to Northern Michigan for the first time. And, you know, thankfully my family is originally from the east coast. So when I told my mom I'm going to Michigan.
She said, you have to wear a hat, you have to wear, you know, bug spray, you have to wear tall socks. And I did, I did it all.
You know, I'm neurotic by nature. So I took it seriously. I did it all.
And we came back from that trip in Northern Michigan and I'd say within four to five days I had cold and flu like symptoms and I had a rash that I used to call my spotted leopard rash from my head to my toes, which now I know was rickettsia.
And I went to my gp, who unfortunately, you know, and I know you probably hear this story every single day, just didn't recognize the acute symptoms of Lyme disease.
And I was just coming out of my undergraduate degree at DePaul in, in Chicago and I was working in entertainment PR and celebrity PR and living a very fast paced life and you know, for a long time either tried to ignore the symptoms because I was going from specialist to specialist and they were saying, oh, you're fine, your blood work's good, there's nothing wrong, you're stressed, it's anxiety, you need to rest more.
Until it hit a breaking point where I really couldn't, you know, I needed help direly. And I think that that is the perfect example of why it is so important to have people know the acute signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's, I mean, that is the issue is that, you know, the, the education is not there. I mean, I feel that it is a little bit better now than, than it used to be.
It's a little bit more awareness. And I think even, you know, there's been some governmental funding. I mean, not even close to enough. Yeah. For Lyme research. But it's the, the challenge is exactly that. I mean, the doctors are trained to deal with symptoms and so they manage symptoms versus then addressing, trying to understand what is causing the symptom and how do we, you know, how to identify it.
So I mean, what, what happened when you went to your doctor, you know, they didn't recognize that, you know, this was an acute, acute state of, you know, you're bitten by the rickettsia.
What, what did they do? Did it just like a steroid or what did they do?
[00:05:31] Speaker D: So unfortunately, the first time I went in with these acute symptoms, my doctor said to me, my GP at a very large hospital system, which is recognized internationally as one of the best systems in the world, said, oh, you have a summer flu, don't worry about it. If you don't feel better in two Weeks, call the office. Sure enough, two weeks I'm calling the office.
And another two weeks I'm back.
And this time, my mom actually came in with me, because I don't care how old you are, sometimes you need somebody to help you advocate for yourself when you're not feeling well. There's no shame in that. No shame in asking for help.
And my mom actually asked her, can we test her for Lyme disease?
Because my mom actually was aware of the acute symptoms from growing up in Connecticut and New Jersey. And I'll never forget, my GP looked at my mom and said, I will not test her for Lyme disease. Anyone who tests you for Lyme disease is a charlatan. I get goosebumps even saying it. And somebody says something like that to you and it shuts you down, right? And unfortunately, I think there's a lot of people that have heard things like that in trying to get help when they know that something is wrong and they're not crazy.
So from there, they. They started testing me for lupus, for different forms of cancer.
I ended up.
We thought we had finally gotten somewhere, so I ended up going and see. Seeing an ENT that I had seen when I was in high school, who, Who I knew and really understood me.
And one of my really strange, seemingly unrelated symptoms was that my thyroid would get bigger and smaller. It looked like I had half a golf ball at times on my thyroid. And they said to me, we only see that in cases of thyroid cancer.
So they sent me for three thyroid biopsies, and I had three, because they. Every single time, they could not believe that I did not have thyroid cancer.
And so this kind of endless chase went on for two years until finally I started losing my memory and I felt like I had, you know, dementia. I could not remember basic words, I could not remember people's names. I could not remember conversations or things that had happened in my life.
And that was my moment of, like, something's really wrong here.
And thankfully, I ended up seeing a specialist. Then, ironically, within the same healthcare system that of course, looked at me and said, have you ever been tested for Lyme disease and only knew enough to order a western blot, but thankfully believed in the illness and knew people were at risk of it. And I came back with some of the bands lit up, but not, quote, unquote, the correct ones. But once again, thankfully, this doctor, his name was Dr. Lafgi, knew enough to say, I think you still have this, and I'm going to send you to an LLMD and sent me to an llmd and I, I got lucky that finally somebody put the pieces together.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: And so, and I'm curious because your mom was pushing for the Lyme test and the doctor said, you know, anyone that would do this is considered charlatan.
Did your mom just kind of okay or what? What was going on in her head during that time?
[00:09:08] Speaker D: Yeah, I think my mom was just trying to figure out, okay, then what else could this be? If you don't think it's Lyme, what else could this be? And I think, unfortunately, we have this innate trust in our, in our GPs and our healthcare providers. Right. And when they finally get to a provider like you, that's a good thing because somebody like you or an ILADS provider is actually going to get to the root cause and not try to fit you into a neat little box.
I think the stress points of that are when you are someone who, with unexplained mystery symptoms, you don't know what's wrong with you. They don't know what's wrong with you.
And that's when you feel like you have no answers. Right. And so in my case with my mom, I think my mom then just switched right into, okay, then what other testing are we going to do? What are we going to look at?
Because you trust your healthcare provider. So, and, you know, I feel bad, and I think there are a lot of parents, spouses, caregivers, loved ones that live with the kind of unjust and unfair guilt that they felt like they could have done more. And that's just such an unfair pressure, you know, to put on yourself. So I know if you were to talk to my mom, she would say, I wish I kept pushing, but you just don't know any better. You know, you really don't know.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: You're absolutely right. I mean, you, you trust the medical profession. You want to trust the medical profession. You know, they are the experts. And so, you know, if they say something, then you want to follow because you feel that, I mean, this is their training. Yeah. So.
And that, that's very hard when you're dealing with a kind of a symptom picture that the doctors really aren't understanding.
[00:10:59] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: So I'm curious. And you know, what did your mom say? You know, when, when the test came. Come back, came back positive.
[00:11:12] Speaker D: I think we were all, you know, it's a, it's, it's funny after you're searching for answers for so long and something finally shows up to confirm that something is wrong with you.
On one hand, you have this moment of almost like, thank God something's actually wrong with me right there. There's something wrong. Hopefully there will be a solution.
So I think we. It was that, you know, in one hand and in the other hand, we just had no idea what we were up against.
And that was like a whole challenge, you know, in itself is trying to peel back the layers of, okay, now what? Like, now how do we address this? So.
[00:11:58] Speaker C: Hello, Dear listeners, this is Dr. Michael Karlfeld, your host of integrative Lyme solutions. Today I'm excited to share an exclusive opportunity from the Karlfeld center, where we blend healing power of nature with groundbreaking therapies to combat Lyme disease and its associated challenges.
At the Karfeld center, we're not just fighting Lyme. We're revolutionizing the way it's treated with cutting edge therapies like photodynamic therapy, full body ozone IV therapy, silver IVs, brain rebalancing, autonomic response testing, laser energetic detoxification, and more. We aim to eradicate Lyme. Our approach is comprehensive, supporting your body's immune system, detoxification processes, hormonal balance, and mitochondrial health, ensuring a holistic path to recovery. Understanding Lyme disease and its impact is complex, which is why we're offering a free 15 minute discovery call with one of our Lyme literate naturopathic doctors. This call is your first step towards understanding how we can personalize your healing journey, focusing on you as a whole person, not just your symptoms. Our team, led by myself, Dr. Michael Karlfields, is here to guide you through your recovery with the most advanced diagnostic tools, individualized treatment plans, and supportive therapies designed to restore your health and vitality. Whether you're facing Lyme disease head on or seeking preventative strategies, we're committed to your wellness. Take the first step towards reclaiming your health. Visit us at thecarlfulthcenter.com or call us at 208-338-8902 to schedule your free discovery call. At the Karlfield center, we believe in healing naturally, effectively and holistically. Thank you for tuning in into integrative lyme solution with Dr. Karlfeld. Remember, true health is not just the absence of disease. It's achieving the abundance of vitality. Let's discover yours together.
[00:13:59] Speaker B: And so he referred you then to a lime literate doctor.
And. And so tell me a little bit about what that meeting looked like. And, and, yeah, what. What kind of additional tests and what kind of program were they talking about?
[00:14:17] Speaker D: So my first llmd, you know, you walk into that appointment, that initial appointment, and it's like nothing you've ever done before because you're walking in, you know, they're spending tons of time with you, they're going through all of your medical history, all of your symptoms clinically and, and I also had all of the blood work. You know, I was one of those people, I think like most Lyme and tick borne illness patients where I had all of the igenics lab work done, all of the other lab work that gets done that I'm like, I can't even name off the top of my head, but I think I sat and had like 30 something vials, you know, of blood drawn and that's what that first appointment was like.
It was very emotional, you know, it was very overwhelming. But I also remember just feeling so relieved that somebody believed me and somebody could help me. That was huge.
[00:15:16] Speaker B: Yeah, just, just feeling heard. I mean that, that's the biggest challenge for a lot of Lyme sufferers, you know, being, being heard and the medical community and also family, I mean, a lot of times they're not heard within their family. So I mean it's wonderful that you had a mother that was aware and yes, she, it is hard as a parent.
You should have, you could have and all of that, but obviously you only operate with the knowledge that you have and kind of the background.
And it's nice then for you to be able to have that support around you, you know, family wise.
[00:15:57] Speaker D: I was so lucky. You know, my parents understood my husband, my boyfriend, fiance, and now my husband at the time, you know, understood and that. I know that's often not the case.
So I'm very grateful for that.
[00:16:17] Speaker B: Because that's one of the things is that lime is not a single person event, it's a multi person event because it impacts the whole family.
How did your now husband, how did he experience that whole process?
[00:16:35] Speaker D: I think I got lucky that I have a great partner.
We support each other like endlessly. And I think because he knew me when I was well and he had the comparison of, as I like to call it, my first life of being, you know, very, very ambitious, very fast paced, having a lot of goals, being involved in a lot of things to you know, my second life where now thankfully I'm, I like to say I'm mostly well and my life looks very different than it did seven or eight years ago.
But to not being able to get out of bed. And I sent, I spent essentially two years bedridden. You know, I needed help getting up out of bed. To, to walk across my bedroom to go to the bathroom.
And it was a gradual decline, you know, into that because I went misdiagnosed for so long. And he was really endlessly supportive, but was that kind of tag team effort between him and my mom, you know, to really make sure I had help and caregiving.
[00:17:51] Speaker B: So, yeah, yeah, that's, that's wonderful. And yeah. Do you, do you mind just kind of when you were at your worst, I mean, what was going on? I mean, you talked about your, your mind losing memory, you. Than the exhaustion. It sounded like pain. I mean, what, what were kind of all your symptom pictures, you know, for listeners so they can kind of relate to what's going on.
[00:18:16] Speaker D: At my worst, I was losing my memory. I had massive neurological issues like the word search and the name block and you know, I was, I was shaking, I had tremors, I had twitching, I had intensely painful muscle and joint pain, body pain. My stomach stopped working. I couldn't swallow or digest food.
I had heart palpitations, I had the horrible rib pain from babesiosis, I had horrible mood swings from Bartonella.
It really encompassed every aspect of my body, mentally and physically.
And whenever I talk about that, you know, I don't share that to make anyone and anyone sad, but now I share it, hopefully to give people hope because I am so high functioning and I had thought, oh, I, I'll never get better. I am so sick. I am never going to get better. And it took a long time, but, but it happened for me. So I'm like, if it can happen for me, it can happen for other people too.
[00:19:31] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. So what was going on in your mind? I mean, you're saying, I've never. And it's very hard to understand that when you're that low that there is a possibility that you can get better. I mean, you think that this is going to be the rest of your life almost. I mean, what were all the things that are kind of going through your head, you know, through this whole journey before you started treatment?
[00:19:56] Speaker D: Now you feel trapped.
You feel trapped in your body, you feel trapped in your mind. You feel like no one understands you. Right. No one's going to be able to figure me out.
And I think a lot of patients are told that they're a very complicated case, which I, you know, I think every patient is probably very complicated and that's not unique. And, and, but at the time, going into it as the patient, you're like, oh my God, I'm so complicated and I'm so Unique, that this is something no one's ever seen before. And I get a lot of messages like that on Instagram too, from patients, I think, kind of looking to explore that conversation. So that is kind of what was going through my head is like, wow, I'm so unique. This is such a rare disease. Which is so funny. Cause now I know this is not a rare disease, but, um, how is anybody ever going to fix me? And then once I started actually going through, through treatment, I feel like that was a whole other than, you know, battle to get through because you're, you feel horrible from the treatment, you're hurting.
It feels like you're just constantly trying to figure out what's working, what's not working.
So then you have like those mental hurdles of, of trying to actually get through the therapy and, and eventually start to believe you're going to get better.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
And so now you, you did Digenics. And I'm curious, did you just check for Borrelia or did you check for all possible, you know, co infections as well?
[00:21:33] Speaker D: I think you name it, we checked for it.
You know, my, my big ones was, you know, Lyme. So Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesiosis, bartonella.
I had Ehrlichia, I had relapsing fever. And some of those, thankfully with initial treatment, did kind of peel back right away.
But for me it was the Lyme Babesian Bartonella that really hung around for a really, really long time.
And it was only about three years ago that I feel like we really got those under control.
[00:22:10] Speaker B: So, so how many years was that then? From, from early 20s to.
[00:22:17] Speaker D: Yeah, so I, I have had from my initial infection, it's been 10 years, which is crazy to think about.
But I think just because of that two year delay in diagnosis and treatment, it was able to really make itself at home. So.
[00:22:39] Speaker B: So, so essentially it took you about five years until you felt that, you know, it was finally, we have it all under control.
[00:22:50] Speaker D: Yeah, I, thankfully not my current llmd, but the one right before him thought to test me for an immune deficiency because I, I had a PICC line on and off for two years. I was doing IV antibiotics. I was, I was doing, you know, quote unquote, all of the right things and it really wasn't moving the needle. I would get a little bit better and then I would relapse and I would get a little bit better and I would relapse and sure enough, I had specific antibody deficiency. So I did sub qig immune globulin therapy. For a handful of years.
And it was brutal. I'd say the first six months, it took every bit of energy that I had out of me. But one day, you know, I started doing it. And after the infusions, the, the downtime wouldn't be as long, and I would notice that, you know, infusion to infusion, and I'd say it took about a year, But I noticed a slight improvement in all of my symptoms.
And I really think that that missing piece of the immune deficiency and IVIG and building my body back up and my immune system back up so that I could actually fight all of the infections, you know, alongside the treatment for me was huge. And that's when I really started to believe, okay, we can figure this out. I, you know, I can. I can get my life back, if in some semblance.
[00:24:25] Speaker B: So how did you have. Yeah, because here you're several years into the treatment.
I mean, it, it must be hard to kind of keep that hope up and, and know that the direction you're going is actually going to take you to the end.
[00:24:41] Speaker D: Yeah, you know, it was. I think it was starting to see the slight improvements. I think also it's when I, I started to work with a psychologist, I started using, like, mindfulness techniques, and I got mental health help, and that made a huge difference for me. And then I started three years ago working with Dr. Richard Horowitz, who cobbled me together like nobody ever had and figured things out like nobody ever had before.
And I think it was his deep belief that he could get me well that helped to make me believe that I could get well and really pushed me forward.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: And I know he has kind of a antibiotic stack, so to say for people. Is that what he was using for you to.
And kind of move. Move you through or. Or what were some of the tools that you feel were really. Other than the igg, obviously, you know, for, you know, addressing that immune deficiency.
What else do you feel really kind of moved the needle for you? Obviously, every person is different.
[00:26:01] Speaker D: Absolutely. And I always like to emphasize that, you know, what works for me might not work for you, and what works for you might not work for me. And that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, and there doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. That's just the nature of the disease. Right.
So I would say the first year that I started working with Dr. H, we were trying to figure out all of the other things. We were trying to get. Get me sleeping again. We were trying to figure out. Why couldn't I digest food?
You know, all, all of these things. We were peeling the layers back, you know, I have dysautonomia. We were getting my dysautonomia under control so, so that I would stop blacking out, you know, all the time.
And we really spent a solid 12 months just trying to get my body in a better place and detoxifying and treating mold illness and the things that every patient goes through.
So it really wasn't a year, wasn't until a year in that I took any type of antibiotic therapy and then I did my first round of dapsone therapy for four weeks with which is a combination, short term, combination therapy.
And I always say it was hard. It was not for me, it was not the hardest treatment I've ever done, but it was hard.
And then I would say it was about six to eight weeks later that I saw the first symptom improvement.
And then following that I did, I want to say, two to three rounds of double dafzone.
And thankfully that really helped me.
So I know at least it's something.
I know patients tend to live in fear of relapse or symptom return. And I'm not 100% symptom free and I don't claim to be, but I know at least there's something I can go back to and that I feel like mentally is very helpful.
[00:28:00] Speaker B: So did you do any kind of career changes, lifestyle changes through this whole process? I mean, before you started this, you were go get it and really kind of a type, a type of personality, it sounds like.
So did you shift any of that when you now are doing better?
[00:28:26] Speaker D: I absolutely did. You know, I.
When I became the consumer of something that no one ever plans on, right. The healthcare system.
And I saw the gaps not just in patient care, but also in how patients are spoken to and how patients are marketed to and PR and things like that.
Somehow, you know, by like the chance of God, when I started to get better, I realized, you know, I have the skills to close that gap.
So instead of going back into entertainment pr, I went into healthcare PR and started my own healthcare PR firm.
And I like to say, you know, we're mission driven. So every single one of our clients is making patient lives better, you know, not worse.
And number two, our firm is like four patients by patients. I'm a patient. Every single person who works for me has had some type of experience either with Lyme or a chronic disease. And I think that's really important because we know what patients need, and it's very rewarding. I take it very seriously that I get to elevate clinician and expert voices in the media to a level of national, international awareness. And I think that that is critically important because of how much misinformation we see out there about Lyme and tick borne conditions and autoimmune conditions.
So I feel very lucky that I got to marry my passion with my purpose and my career.
[00:30:05] Speaker B: I love that. Yes.
Tell me about this firm.
What is it? I mean, what do you do and how does it benefit people?
[00:30:14] Speaker D: Yeah, so public relations essentially is the practice of managing someone's public image. Right.
So typically that is not associated with, with any type of like mission informed work.
However, for us, you know, I have been lucky enough to be sought out by individuals who align with my beliefs that everything we do in healthcare needs to be benefiting the patient in some way.
So the type of PR work that I focus on, it's very modern media.
So like, yes, we do traditional media, so like newspaper placements or getting somebody on a national talk show, so on and so forth. But we also do things like digital strategy, where we're working with our clients to provide like free, accessible education through platforms like Instagram, through platforms like YouTube and Substack and news letters, because patients need that. Like, critically, we're working with our clients to build podcast strategy plans. You know, something that we've really seen in the last year and a half is that there is no platform that is building public figures as effectively and as quickly as podcasts. And a lot of these big players, you know, like Wal Cole, like Josh Axe, the reach of their shows is exponentially more than traditional media now.
And the individuals that are listening are looking for actionable advice. They need help.
So if I can be the missing link to help these really, really good thought leaders have a voice in some of this health conversation and in turn get people like me the information that they need.
Then I'm like so happy, you know.
[00:32:11] Speaker B: And this your focus with the PR work you're doing is online then, or is it just kind of health as overall and kind of seeing the missing links, so to say, within the healthcare system overall.
[00:32:27] Speaker D: We started exclusively in the Lyme and tick borne disease space. Now we do a lot of work in adjacent spaces like MCAs, like gastroparesis, like EDS, you know, long Covid and Covid and autoimmune conditions. As you know, they're often so tied together that we get lucky enough to touch a lot of different diseases and a lot of different patient communities and really learn a lot along the way.
[00:32:56] Speaker B: And with your work, I mean, what. What kind of impact have you seen?
[00:33:02] Speaker D: So, thankfully, you know, I think one of the best examples is, you know, I'm lucky enough to work with ilads, and I absolutely adore them. I think they are filling the gap in educating medical providers in a way no one else is.
And last year, the ILADS conference in the US had their very first official media partner, Tick Bootcamp, and we hosted Tick Boot Camp to do four days of live mini interviews. And we're doing the same exact thing this year, thankfully, because it was so successful last year.
And we were having this kickoff call a few weeks ago where one of the co hosts of Tick Boot Camp, Rich, was telling us that most of these episodes touched about 60,000 unique listeners.
And I think when we talk about podcasts, it's. People are not grasping how many lives they're actually touching by doing what you do. And, you know, Matt and Rich doing what they do, actually, it's. It's really helping a lot of people exponentially. So.
[00:34:18] Speaker B: Yeah, and. And that's. I mean, that's. I mean, this is why I'm doing. What I'm doing is that, you know, you have people out there that, you know, the diagnosed and they.
It's so much to consume and so much to understand and then to be able to listen to people that are in or have been in a similar spot.
And, you know, and then seeing that there is a way out, like for you, you know, when you are, when you were in that position, you know, thinking that this is going to be the rest of my life, then to be able to hear a story of someone like yourself that has gone through it, then you know that if it could happen to someone like that, it can happen to me. And I think that is so, so important, just having that hope. And maybe you haven't found the right doctor yet, maybe you haven't found the right treatment, or maybe there's a lot of maybes, but you know, that there is a way out. No matter what, there's a way out. And it may not take a year, may not take, you know, five years. Some people take 10 years, you know, but there is a way out. This is not the whole life. And, and that's. That's why it's so. I feel so important to, you know, share, you know, this message and empower people through these journeys because it is so confusing and it's so difficult and it's so overwhelming and, and you Feel so powerless when you're in the middle of it.
[00:35:42] Speaker D: Yes, you do. There's nothing more important then elevating good factual thought leaders and also patient stories because we need that hope. And it's something I'm lucky enough that I also touch through a lot of my volunteer and philanthropic work. You know, I'm lucky that I get to do a lot of volunteer work. I serve as board chair for Project Lyme, which is a national 501C3. We're funding research, we are, you know, supporting advocacy, we are supporting, you know, legislative advocacy and education and all of these things.
And if some of these organizations can, can help patients get help and connect the dots or see a patient story and realize that, you know, they can get through this, then I feel like I'm living my purpose.
[00:36:37] Speaker B: Yeah, it was amazing. I mean, yes, there's nothing wrong working with entertainment industry, but what a blessing you're bringing to the world to connect.
Like you're saying these thought leaders and also this type of information that people are looking for and presenting it, creating, allowing people that platforms to really connect with the people that need it. I mean, that's phenomenal.
[00:37:05] Speaker D: Yes, I feel very, very, very blessed. Very lucky.
[00:37:09] Speaker B: Any, any kind of words of wisdom that you would like to share to, you know, the audience? I mean, you know, these are people that are, yeah. Either currently struggling or have been struggling or they have a family member that's struggling. You know what. Is there something that you feel is really important that you would have liked to know?
Yeah. When you were in your position?
[00:37:36] Speaker D: I think there's a few things. I think the first thing is the importance of community.
Like I said when I, when I got diagnosed, I thought I had a rare disease because that's what I was told and I didn't realize that in reality, you know, there's millions of other people like me out there. And don't be afraid to seek community, you know, online, whether it's through platforms like Instagram, whether it's that you attend a meetup with Generation Lyme or that you find a peer to peer mentor through Global Lyme alliance or sign up for an ambassador program with Project Lyme or ilads.
I have met some of my dearest, closest friends through this disease and I'm so grateful for them and they have made my journey so much better.
So don't think you're alone and don't be afraid to seek out friends somewhere that get you and understand you. That's very validating. And number two, I always like to share One of my very dear friends said to me, don't give up before the miracle occurs. And that has always stuck with me because you never know when that miracle is going to happen. And in my journey, right, it's been a 10 year journey and it was only three years ago that my pieces really came together and it, it did feel like a miracle and it still does today.
But if you're listening and you're feeling hopeless or like you're never going to figure it out, all I can say is keep going and don't give up before the miracle occurs.
[00:39:11] Speaker B: I love that. That's so, that's so important. Yeah, I know. You know, for people that are running marathons for maybe the first time, that's kind of right before the goal line is always. It's so hard, that last stretch. And so it is such a strong desire just to give up just before that, that final little push that will take you to the goal line.
[00:39:39] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: Well, Ali, this has been amazing and thank you so much again for everything that you're doing.
I truly appreciate it.
[00:39:51] Speaker D: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:40:00] Speaker A: The Information this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not designed to diagnose or treat any disease. I hope this podcast impacted you as it did me. Please subscribe so that you can be notified when new episodes are released.
There are some excellent shows coming up that you do not want to miss. If you're enjoying these podcasts, please take a moment to write a review. And please don't keep this information to yourself. Share them with your family and friends. You never know what piece of information that will transform their lives. For past episodes and powerful information on how to conquer lyme, go to integrativelimesolutions.com and an additional powerful resource, resource lymestream.com for Lyme support and group discussions. Join Lyme Conquerors Mentoring Lyme warriors on Facebook. If you'd like to know more about the cutting edge integrative Lyme therapies my center offers, please visit thecarlfeldcenter.com thank you for spending this time with us and I hope to see you at our next episode of Integrative lyme Solutions with Dr. Karl Feld.
