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. We have some phenomenal information that could save lives.
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 Michelle McCune with me here today. Thank you so much for spending some time with me.
[00:01:48] Speaker C: Thanks so much. I'm happy to be here.
[00:01:50] Speaker B: Well, so you've had quite a journey yourself and obviously that journey ended up. And yeah, you helping patients from all over the struggle of Lyme. But do you mind just kind of sharing your story to start with so that people can understand where you're coming from and then also, you know, so they can obviously connect with you with your journey, understand that you know their story.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: Yeah, it has been a journey.
So when I was 18, I had always, you know, I had always been very healthy growing up and I went from being super healthy to really debilitated all in one day.
And I was working at Fire island and as I was working there, my body completely started shutting down and I couldn't really speak. I didn't really have feeling over my legs or my arms. I thought they were going to have to helicopter me out.
Fortunately, I started getting feeling back, but I had full blown meningitis and so the tick that bit me not only impact infected me with Lyme disease, but also CO infections and unfortunately that's very common.
So I was infected with Lyme disease, I was infected with powison virus, which is one of the more fatal types of CO infections.
Also infected with bartonella, protozoa, rheumatica, mycoplasma pneumonia and yeah, so I had a whole soup of infections.
And at that time I was living right outside of New York City. So I was going to Columbia and NYU and Mount Sinai and I was getting tested for Lyme disease because Fire island is known for being very endemic with, with Lyme and ticks. And I kept on coming up negative. So for many years I was diagnosed with multiple different conditions.
And during that time I developed 70% nerve damage in my left inner.
So I had very bad like vertigo and dizziness.
And then I also developed a movement disorder called cervical dystonia, which is, I lost function over my neck.
And then I had to get botulinum injections every three months to have function over my neck.
And again, like when you're 18, like a cervical dystonia is so rare for an 18 year old to get. So that should have been like a huge clue of okay, we're missing something.
Usually if you were to get it, you would be in your 40s or 50s.
And so being healthy all my life and then all of a sudden developing these things, I was told, you know, I had some type of virus, the damage is done and I can move forward, but I just kept on having different flare ups and, and really the neuro symptoms were hard with brain fog and head pressure and, and so I still decided to go to school. I graduated, I became a fifth grade and I loved teaching.
But I, I remember one day I was at the board and I really was not able to process how to do this math problem.
And I ended up taking a medical leave and I was trying to figure out what am I missing. I knew that there was something very, very wrong. I did not feel like myself. And, and that's when I was reading a woman's story and it sounded so, so similar to mine. So I reached out to her and I, and I said, you know, I've been tested for Lyme so many times.
How did you finally get a positive? And she was like, you know, you need to go to a Lyme specialist or a Lyme literate md and so she recommended a few. I went to them. I was tested at Lyme literate laboratories that are a lot more reputable than Just general lab, lab co op or quest.
And I finally got my positive.
And that was only the beginning. You know, I remember that day and being like, oh my gosh. Like, I knew something was going on and it was so good to have answers, but I had no idea of what a journey this was going to be.
And so I did two years of treatments in the States and I just continued to get sicker. And unfortunately, when you have Lyme disease for a while, chronic Lyme disease, biofilms form around the spirochet, so around the infection.
And you can't, you can't always get antibiotics to penetrate through the biofilm to get to the infection. I was doing some, like, probiotics and supplements and glutathione IV and nutrient IV is to help support my system. But I was also doing a lot of IV antibiotics and I couldn't handle it. And because of all the biofilm, it really wasn't getting to the infection.
So that at that point it was really dire. I. I couldn't recognize my family or friends. I couldn't process.
[00:07:08] Speaker B: So you did this for 2, 2 years? 2 years of IV antibiotics with a little bit of kind of nutritional support, some supplements, and it was just getting worse.
[00:07:20] Speaker C: Exactly.
And so, so it was getting worse and I, I really didn't know what to do. And my doctor was kind of like, we've tried everything. I think the best route moving forward is hyperthermia treatment. And I was like, what? Hyperthermia treatment? They were like, yeah, you need to go to another country and heat your body up. And I was like, this, this sounds too scary. Like, I, it.
Yeah, I, I had only been in the world of conventional medicine, and integrative medicine was a whole field that I was not aware with, like, aware of. I was in my early 20s.
And then I did more research. I spoke to the doctors, and then I also spoke to different patients that had gone.
And, and, and I decided, you know what? I think this is the right path moving forward.
So it was tricky though, because I had 70% nerve damage, so they didn't think I'd be able to fly over there. We looked into boats, and it was in the middle of the winter, so there were only freight boats going over. And my dad used to be a pilot, so he had rented a small jet and we slowly went up and down to see how I would feel. It was painful but manageable. And we decided to fly over.
And so for those of you listening who have never heard of hyperthermia treatment and probably might be thinking hypothermia because that's more common where you're getting your body cold. But, but hyperthermia is heating your body up. And the point of hyperthermia treatment is to get above 105, as close to 107 as possible. And the higher you go, the more pathogens you kill. And it also boosts your immune system. They can do it in conjunction with, with antibiotics, use a low dose and, and then it penetrates the aspirates more effectively, it breaks down the biofilm and, and that was a game change.
You're also at hospitals that are inpatient, so you're getting a lot of detox therapies when you're there.
So when you do have hyperthermia treatment, your body is heated up and there's a pretty big die off reaction. When pathogens die, they expel toxins. Toxins create inflammation and then you have like a symptom flare up. So you're, you're there getting detox treatments all day so that you can feel more comfortable and get these now dead pathogens, these toxins out of your system.
So we did that and I, I kind of felt like going into it, it was going to be a silver bullet treatment because that's what I had heard and it was not a silver bullet treatment. And I feel like anyone who tells you that there's a silver bullet treatment for Lyme disease clearly does not understand how complex it is.
So what I like to explain to people is hyperthermia is a wonderful treatment for lowering your pathogenic load, boosting your immune system, allowing your body to be more resilient and more receptive to treatments. There's still work to do when you get home. And, and I got home and I still had work to do. And so I really dove into detoxification. Mitochondria support, mold and Lyme also go hand in hand. I didn't know anything about mold at the time we tested my apartment, which was clean. No, like didn't, didn't, didn't have a musty smell. But there was an issue. I moved out. That also made my progress go a lot faster. And I finally, for the first time after hyperthermia treatment was moving in the right direction.
And, and I, I looked into different modalities when I got back to support my system.
But at that time I was kind of going back and forth because I loved teaching, but I really wanted people to be aware of hyperthermia treatment. So I wrote a bunch of articles and, and then I connected with different hospitals that offer hyperthermia treatment and I and I started my company with referring people who are interested in hyperthermia treatment to hospitals that offer hyperthermia and other integrative therapies. And then I decided to go back to school to get my master's in the health field so that I can start my practice and help people pre and post.
Because again, it's not a silver bullet treatment and there's work to do ahead of time and work to do when you get back for the most sustainable results.
[00:11:53] Speaker D: 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 Karlfield 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 in 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 thecarlefulthcenter.com or call us at 208-338-8902 to schedule your free discovery call. At the Karlfeld center, we believe in healing naturally, effectively and holistically.
Thank you for tuning in into Integrative lyme solution with Dr. Karl Feld. Remember, true health is not just the absence of disease, it's achieving the abundance of vitality. Let's discover yours together with the hyperthermia.
[00:13:56] Speaker B: I mean, how long are you and so you mentioned you went out of the country, so is it only out of the country that exists now or is there Anyone in the country?
[00:14:06] Speaker C: Yeah, so that's a great question. For extreme whole body hyperthermia treatment, there is a company, a hospital that we work with in Florida that, that does it.
So there is one in the U.S. it's FDA approved. And then we work with hospitals in, in Switzerland, in Andorra, in Germany and in, in Mexico.
Yeah, and, and we've seen a lot of success.
We're also seeing that these hospitals are understanding that there's a lot more than killing pathogens to get better. So they have increase to their program to including treatments like plasma phoresis or apheresis. And I knew forresis, and for those listening who are unfamiliar with these terms, it's basically treatments to cleanse the blood.
And we've seen it to be very beneficial not only for people with Lyme disease, but also for people with autoimmune conditions. If you got Covid or the COVID vaccine and are dealing with spike proteins, it helps get out spike proteins, it helps get out heavy metals and mold, mycotoxins. So it's a really great way to detox. And then they also have fmt, fecal microbial transplant, which again, if you're listening, it is, it is creating a microbiome that if you do have gut issues, it's helping you to heal your gut and, and a lot of your immune system is in your gut and there's that gut brain connection. So not only does it help with decreasing the inflammation in your gut and heal, healing it, but it also helps the immune system and different areas of your body that you could be experiencing inflammation that you don't realize is connected to your gut. So there's a lot of different things that they offer. They're really trying to look at all the different aspects and factors to help people get as healthy as they can.
[00:16:04] Speaker B: And, and so that's like fecal transplant or is it like poo pills that you're taking?
[00:16:10] Speaker C: It is, it's, it's dependent on the hospital. We work with some hospitals that have donors that go through a plethora of tests to make sure that they are healthy donors.
And some of the clinics do pills and some of it is more suppository and almost like a colonic. And then we also work with hospitals where they are making this, this microbiome in a laboratory and then they are, they are introducing it into the system that way. And at first I was kind of like, like, you know, we're seeing so much success with fmt, I wonder how effective it's going to be. If it's made from a laboratory and I've been really impressed, it's been very effective. So.
So yeah, those are some of the treatments that, that are offered at these hospitals.
We also work with people that have cancer as well. So, so hyperthermia, not only can it be effective for people with tick borne infections but, but also for cancer and they offer moderate hyperthermia and extreme whole body and then they also offer localized. So if you do have a certain area that your cancer is at, they can go to higher temperature on that localized area and then they do something called insulin potentiated chemotherapy. So you're starving your cells of sugar as you heat your body up and they're using a very low dose of chemotherapy or a different type of anti cancer agent and they're able to implement that in at a low dose so it's less toxic. And when your body is able to be heated up, it's able to penetrate these tumors and cancer cells more effectively. Also boost your immune system. And there are these heat shock proteins that form around the cells so it is helpful in the process as well. And, and while they're, they are doing hyperthermia, they have many other treatments to detox and support their system more as like a whole body approach.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: That's great. So, and let's go back to the FMT or the fecal transplant.
[00:18:19] Speaker D: So what have you seen?
[00:18:21] Speaker B: What kind of impacts have you seen with that? Because that I know that's a little, kind of a new concept. Well, both hyperthermia and fecal transplant is a little bit of a, a new concept I'm sure for the majority of the listeners.
[00:18:35] Speaker C: Yeah, I, I've been very impressed with FMT and my partner, my boyfriend is, has always had gut issues and we've gotten them a lot better. But he's someone, when he travels it's like I want to experience everything. And, and when we were traveling over the summer visiting these hospitals, we left and we were like, yeah, like you should, you should do fmt. Let's like.
And, and he was on board. So we're going to be doing that. But, but also from the success that I've seen with so many of the people that I work with and the patients at the hospital, I have been blown away.
But I really think that it's so important that if you were to look into FMT to understand how the clinic is doing testing and the whole process because we want to make sure that if they're using donors that they are healthy so that you have the best results as Possible.
So we've, we've done a lot of research and only working with certain hospitals that do very, very thorough testing and, and working with the Lyme community and people with chronic inflammatory illnesses and mold exposure. Their gut has definitely been impacted with candida and Sibo and leaky gut. And it's. It's been hard for them to almost get over the hump to be receptive to supplements, but also receptive to food. And food is nourishing. We need to be able to have food, and they have so many sensitivities. So it's been amazing to see people go from like, only being able to eat five foods to now being able to, like, go out to restaurants and go to their friend's house to eat.
So I've, I've been very impressed. And, and then I've also seen it. A lot of my clients have symptoms that are impacting their nervous system. So not only have I seen it help with their gut symptoms, but I've also helped seen it help with their neuro symptoms as well.
Yes, I'm a, I'm a big promoter of fmt and if I had got issues, luckily I have a pretty strong gut, but if I had got issues, it would be one of the things that I would ser. Look into.
[00:20:54] Speaker B: And that's the thing. I mean, we have such an extensive neural network along our intestinal lining. Yeah. Some people call it even our first brain.
So by correcting then the biome along your. In your intestinal tract will then obviously then shift the nerve signaling and how the inflammatory signals that are sent and are being modulated and controlled and, and the different neurotransmitters are produced along the intestinal lining. They can be produced more in a balanced fashion. And so there's so much going on along the gut other than just digesting food.
[00:21:36] Speaker C: Exactly.
And really also supporting the immune system. I would say that mast cell activation syndrome that has really blown up in the past few years and, and a lot of it is impacting your gut. So.
So yeah, I originally was a little bit nervous when my clients were looking into hyperthermia treatment because heat can flare up mast cells, and I wanted to make sure that their body would be able to tolerate hyperthermia treatment and not have a flare up. So one of the things that we did ahead of time, we did a lot of detoxing and stabilizing of the mast cells and supporting their mitochondria and their gut, but some of them received FMT prior to stabilize everything, and, and their body was a Lot more receptive to and resilient to, to hyperthermia treatment. So I feel like where people go wrong in the Lyme community is implementing treatments in the wrong order. There are so many great treatments out there, but Lyme is so complex and there's so many factors. So there's like, you know, people will come to me, and it's hard to figure out, well, what is running the show. We have pathogens. We have possibly a dysregulated immune system from one hit after another after another.
We have environmental toxins like heavy metals. And mold is such an issue in a Lyme community.
And then we also have the limbic system and regulating the nervous system.
So I like to kind of figure out what's running the show.
And then I. Before really doing any killing or any binding, I do a lot with supporting your body and. And getting your terrain ready.
So really that. That looks like supporting your gut and diet and opening up your drainage pathways.
So supporting your liver and your kidneys and your lymphatic system, stabilizing those mast cells and your mitochondria is a powerhouse. It is what helps with brain fog and fatigue and. And supporting that. And then once we have those bones ready and we've also looked into the home, I'm a certified mold practitioner as well, so I do testing on people's home and testing on their body.
And once we have their home and know that they are in an environment that's conducive to them moving forward, and that's when we really look into what type of treatments do we want to use to kill these pathogens or to get these. Or bind these toxins out of your system so that it's not one step forward, two steps backwards.
Because I found when you do too much killing and the body's not ready, then these dead pathogens have nowhere to go, and they circulate and create a Herxheimer reaction and die off reaction. So really just making sure.
I feel like it's more low and slow that, you know, fast is slow. If you go too fast, it's kind of like, oh, we. We just took a few steps backwards. And slow is fast, which is a really hard lesson to learn. And, you know, we don't. No one has time to be sick. So they're kind of like, all right, put me on an aggressive protocol. Let's do it. I'll be able to handle it. And I need to get back to work. And unfortunately, the body doesn't always work work that way. And that was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn, but the most important lesson that to learn.
[00:25:04] Speaker B: Yeah, and, and that's the thing. I mean, people then been, been sick for, you know, a lot of times it's been sick for so long and, and they just want to get back to normal life and. Yeah, so patience is not something that people have when they deal with such a kind of devastating disease that hits them in so many different level.
So I'm, I'm curious, you know, when they start, you know, with these kind of foundational therapies, you know, start open up the detox pathways, you know, bring in nutrition, you know, in the mitochondria, healing cell wall membranes and all these kind of things.
What, what do people experience during that process? I mean, do they most of the time start to feel relief of symptoms or do they feel, you know, no change because the pathogens are still there?
[00:25:55] Speaker C: That's a really great question.
Honestly, I feel like we can make a lot of progress without even killing pathogens.
Even with people that, you know, say, say they're, they were in an environment that had mold. Mold suppresses your immune system, which keeps these pathogens active. So I've actually been able to work with people and figure out the mold piece and their environment and then retest and their pathogens have been in remission and they don't have symptoms. So I do feel like environment is so, so key. But it's usually like there's three months for a, a starting of a protocol and then at three months then we kind of reevaluate and see how far we have come. And again, everybody is different. And I work with a very sensitive population, so it may take a while to implement some of these supplements. It may take three months to implement the things on the protocol. But, but I, I would rather that than, than do too much.
And so, so yeah, I meet with my clients pretty fre and, and there are some that do have flare ups even, you know, even things that are good for you if, if your body's sensitive or if your nervous system is dysregulated because it's, you know, had too many things that have really stirred things up in the system, it's going to be fearful of new supplements or new treatments.
So when I see that happen, then oftentimes we'll, we'll pause, will reevaluate. Like okay, I, you know, we used this probiotic like Saccharomyces velardi that it also has some antifungal properties and is a binder for a mold. Mycotoxin gliotoxin. And it's usually pretty good for people with sibo, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and mast cell. But if I see people have a little flare up from that, then I'm like, there might be fungal issues going on in your system. And then I put them on a different probiotic.
So just really implementing things one at a time so I can figure out what is the thing that flared you up and what does that mean and then, and then navigate it in a different way.
[00:28:12] Speaker B: And so when you then also go through kind of that foundational when, when do you know that, you know, now this person is ready to start to go after some path pathogens. I mean, when, when I mean it seems like, you know, mold, you know, frequently we want to deal with mold, you know, in the earlier part after kind of opening up detox and, and kind of supporting mitochondria and all that. But you know, when do you know that? Now I feel confident we can go after like Bartonella and then these other confections on amborelia.
[00:28:47] Speaker C: Yeah. So everybody is different. Sometimes we can start as early as two to three months depending on how long they've had Lyme disease and the severity of their illness, how they detox. So looking at their genetics and if they're going to tolerate die off reaction better than others and, and then you know, if they're thinking of hyperthermia treatment, if you're dealing with a very virulent infection that is making you go downhill very fast, I say let's go over there sooner rather than later and stop this active are stable. Then I say let's get your body ready and, and then we kind of reevaluate with, with people that I, that I work with in my practice. We do a lot of antimicrobial herbals that get through biofilms and, and then at that time they're kind of like do I feel like this was enough?
Do I want to, you know, do another three months of herbals or do I want to see results a bit faster? So hyperthermia, it's not like the one and done and only treatment. There' treatments you can do in the US that can get you better.
But, but there is like, like if I, I knew everything that I knew now I wish I could have just done hyperthermia sooner rather than later because I didn't know about it. And I waited and it was harder to see the results just because of how sick I got. So it's not just for people that are super, super Sick. We see people receive hyperthermia at, at all different levels.
And it's also for people listening like it's not the only thing to get you better.
A lot of these treatments are expensive and we actually do work with insurance companies and we are getting a lot back from, from these treatments. So it, while Lyme has a long ways to go in and being supported through, through finances, there are ways around it to get reimbursement for people that, that really need and, and financially are looking for additional support financially.
[00:31:01] Speaker B: And so when, when a person then go, I mean in your case and you, you said hypothermia was a game changer. You know, what, where were you at before and what was the change after? I mean what, what was the difference just with the hyperthermia and how long were you there for? Were you there for a week? For a month? Yeah, two months. What, what, what length of stay did you deal with?
[00:31:29] Speaker C: So I went about 13 years ago and I stayed for two weeks. They had a two week inpatient program.
Now they have a two week to five week program.
So they've added on different programs with this and my program included two hyperthermia treatments and then detox therapy is like glutathione, IVAs, Myers cocktails, ozone therapy, colonics, things like that.
Prior to going for treatment, I, I was less than 90 pounds and, and I didn't even like realize how skinny I was, but I was not able to absorb nutrients.
I, I had 24, seven, vertigo, didn't have function over my neck, had extreme pain in my ear, extreme head pressure and then such, such bad anxiety to the point that it was derealization and depersonalization and I never had anxiety before. So when I see, see people come in with derealization, depersonalization, I usually, that's a huge red flag for mold or bartonella, the co infection. And I go to a lot of therapists and I talk to them about this because yeah, with, with these disassociative disorders, oftentimes it could be inflammation in the brain from toxins and pathogens. And so my anxiety was terrible, very bad depression. And again, I never had anxiety or depression prior to being bit and then processing. I could not process information.
I was gone. Like my friends would come over and I was, I was like turning into a vegetable. And I remember my, my aunts and uncles and cousins came over before I, I flew out of the States for treatment and I remember looking at my uncle and being like, I know you're my uncle, but I have no like There I don't feel any connection.
And, and it, it was like I just had this feeling like I need this treatment to work or else this is like, this is really bad and like I need this to work.
And so that's how I was prior to going.
When I came back, I was only a little bit better. I actually cried for the first two weeks because I was in my mid-20s and I, I neurologically was very debilitated and, and I had spoken with people that came back and were feeling so much better. And so I was like, did it not work on me?
But that's when I realized that I looked into my genetics and I have a lot of genetics, like snips or defects where I don't detox properly. So I was still dealing with a very high die off and yeah, dead pathogenic load.
So, so then I did a huge deep dive into different ways to detoxify. And I looked into phosphatidylcholine infusions, phenyl butyrate infusions, glutathione and felinic acid IVAs, and that every time I got these IVAs, my brain came a little bit back.
So the more I detox and the more I supported my mitochondria, the more of me came back. But it was a process and for the first time I was actually responding to treatments. So while every day was difficult, I would see little changes every day and I would hold on to those little changes. And really it was like every three months I would look back at that three month point and I'd be like, okay, you know what? I'm actually doing a lot better than three months ago. This feels slow, but I am moving in the right direction and my body is finally receptive to, to treatment.
So then six months after I actually retested and prior to going for, for hyperthermia treatment, we did a blood smear test so we could see how substantial these infections were in my blood. And it was, it was bad enough where my doctor looked at it and they were like, antibiotics are not working. We to need to send you over there right now.
And then so I did these tests again and everything came out negative.
And I was like, wow, I, you know, like I, I knew I was moving in the right direction, but this is, this is great to actually see this on paper.
I will say at that point I still was dealing with some symptoms and I wouldn't be able to go back to work full time. So I knew I was missing something. And that's when I looked into the mold piece and I moved out of my apartment and my progress was a lot faster.
I still did a lot with, with my diet and, and supporting my mitochondria and detoxing and gut support but, and dental issues and things like that. But yeah, it, yeah, it was a process for me, I would say because of how sick I was prior to going. It took me longer than other people. But I wanted to explain this because even if you're really, really sick, that doesn't mean that, that this is your forever. A lot of this is inflammation and not damage.
And it's so important to remember that especially when you have so much inflammation in your brain.
It's not, it's not damage. This is inflammation that when we get the, the toxins out and the pathogens out, you can feel like yourself again and to be consistent and persistent and to really listen to your body.
So that is when like I came back and I was like, like okay, like I don't have room for any mess ups. I need to listen to my body and if my body is telling me to go slower, I'm going to go slower.
And, and yeah, that was probably the most important lesson I learned throughout this whole process that I am a very go, go, go person and I have a plan, I like to follow it and my body had a very different plan for me and, and I listened to it and, and I was able to really move forward.
[00:37:27] Speaker B: Yeah, that's. And how, when were you at a point where you said that I'm, I'm healed now. I have no evidence of Lyme disease.
[00:37:39] Speaker C: So with the pathogens I feel like it was six months after that. I wasn't really dealing with Lyme disease.
But I also feel like when you have a history of tick borne infections and you are as sick as I was for a while I was, you know, very cognizant of kind of what I ate and, and still detoxing and taking some supplements. But I ended up moving to Brooklyn, I went back to school, I started a business and then I also had a job on the side to support myself and pay for school. So my schedule was really, really packed of going to school full time, working full time and starting a company and my body was able to handle it pretty well.
So, so yeah, it, I would say it took like two years before I really felt like myself. And, and it was a process of like, okay, well let me try this job part time, see how I do and let me start a little bit of, of, of creating this company and, and See how this pans out? And then I was like, okay, like, I can handle it. What. What else can my body handle? Well, I'm really interested in going back to school, so let's. Let's go for the prerequisites and see how I do.
And so it was one step over after another step, and. And my body continued to become more resilient.
[00:39:01] Speaker B: That's amazing. And. And what do you do now? I mean, do you do any kind of maintenance now for. Do you still do any kind of, you know, herbs to go after the lime, like cat's claw or whatever? What, What. What do you do now?
[00:39:17] Speaker C: Yeah. So I will say that I had a very bad mold exposure a few years ago, and that flared my system up, not really activating any pathogens, but really activating my immune system and dysregulating my immune system.
So I worked on.
I did Primal Trust, which I really like. It helps regulate your nervous system so you can feel safe in your body again.
[00:39:43] Speaker B: I love Kathleen King. I mean, she's a dear friend. Yeah, she's amazing job.
[00:39:48] Speaker C: So that, that really helped. And then I, I do detox.
Whether it's like a colonic or a sauna, I try to exercise.
I. I like hiking and walking. I live in Colorado, so I love hiking around here. I'm just, you know, I'm smart about being cognizant on staying on the trail and having my. Take preventatives and checking myself.
But.
But. And then. And then I have a sweet tooth. So, like, you know, I, I eat healthy for the most part, but I also, I indulge, like if we're going out to eat and.
Yeah. And sweets and things like that. So I think it's important to have balance because you also need to get that normalcy back.
For so long, it was like, okay, like, this is what I need to do. And if I don't do this, I might have a flare up. And it's. Then slowly I got used to, like, okay, my body is safe and I can move forward. And I do things for maintenance, but for the most part, yeah, I'm doing well.
And. And I just. I just.
We're in the process of looking for homes, so I'm trying to be very cognizant of testing the home beforehand and not. Not getting into a situation that isn't healthy for my environment. So.
So, yeah, making sure that I have a healthy environment and keeping up with detoxing and living an active lifestyle and rest.
If I don't get enough sleep, I feel like that's tough for me. So learning to not always go, go, go, but also let my body rest, it's been a learning process.
[00:41:33] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a big deal.
And how, how much does like EMF and things impact you?
[00:41:40] Speaker C: Do you feel I am not impacted by EMFs? I do have clients that are impacted by EMFs and when I help them find homes or even when I'm looking for homes for myself, I have a tri field meter which is, which is a good meter. It's not one of the best of the best, but I also work with a ton of building biologists, so.
So yeah, for clients that are EMF sensitive, there's so many recommendations that I have in regard to look, looking for to make sure that you're not setting yourself up to become even more sensitive.
Fortunately, that part has not impacted me, but it's definitely very real for many people. And, and when I look for homes, I'm, I'm testing the home. So, and even when I rearrange my furniture, your sleep, sleep is, is your rest area. So I'm, I'm going to be putting my bed on, on the wall that is lower in, in EMF frequency is.
Yeah. So just trying to do all of the things to create a healthy environment to allow my body to be as resilient as possible.
[00:42:49] Speaker B: Yeah, that's the key. Well, yeah, Michelle, thank you so much. I mean you, you, you've, what a, what a journey and what a fighter to, to get through all of this. I mean, because it's not easy when you are under the influence of Lyme, so to say, you know, to be able then, to navigate that and then find, find a solution, find an end because obviously your brain is not fully functioning and then you're needing to rely on your brain to figure out solutions and you were able to do that, which is incredible.
And now being able to help people, obviously with your story, you have then that full compassion and understanding what people are going through and that's so helpful as people are needing somebody to lean on.
How can people find you? What's the best way?
[00:43:47] Speaker C: Yeah, so my website is thelinespecialist.com where there's also a contact page. My email is michelleinespecialist.com.com. i'm also on social media. My handle is the line special specialist.
And then I have a Facebook group as well. I have a public one and then a private one as a support group or, or contacting me through my phone number which is on the website.
And yeah, if you are going through this. I've, I've been there in those very dark times where I feel like, like, almost like a cloud was over me of like a lime cloud and, and there was only a little part of me left in it.
And again, like you're still in there.
And, and there are really good treatments out there. So, so don't give up. And, and remembering to really listen to your body whisper before it screams because that really helps us navigate your treatments and how slow and fast we should go. And, and yeah, it's, it's a really misunderstood disease that needs a lot more support. So if you are dealing with it and needing support, I'm happy to help.
[00:45:05] Speaker B: Well, thank you so much, Michelle. Thank you.
[00:45:07] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:45:16] Speaker A: The Information this podcast is for educational purposes only and it's 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, limestream.com for lime support and group discussions. Join Lyme Conquerors Mentoring Lime warriors on Facebook. If you'd like to know more about the cutting edge integrative Lyme therapies my center offers, please visit thecarlfeltcenter.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.
