[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome back to Integrative Lyme Solutions with Doctor Karl Feldt.
[00:00:05] Speaker B: I am so excited about the show.
[00:00:07] Speaker A: That we have ahead of us. We have some phenomenal information that could save lives.
[00:00:13] Speaker C: You're gonna need to tune in to.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: What'S going on today.
[00:00:16] Speaker D: The information is jam packed, so don't step away.
[00:00:24] Speaker C: Hello. Thank you so much for joining integrative Lime Solutions with Doctor Karl Feldt. I am your host, Doctor Michael Karlfeldt. I've been in clinical practice since 1987. I've seen pretty much everything under the sun. I 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 line 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'm excited. We have such a treat. We have Olivia Goodrow here, and she's doing so much for the line community. But you have your own story to tell.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Yes, and thank you so much for having me on here, and I would love to talk about my story with all of you guys.
[00:02:00] Speaker C: So tell us, I mean, how old are you now, out of curiosity?
[00:02:05] Speaker B: I actually just turned 20 yesterday.
[00:02:08] Speaker C: Did you really? Okay. And so, Lyme journey, I mean, you were. How old were you when you all of a sudden started to develop symptoms?
[00:02:18] Speaker B: Yeah, so I was bitten by tick going into my second grade year. So I was about seven years old, and I didn't see the tick, and I didn't have a bullseye rash. And, you know, only about 40% of people who get bit by ticks actually get that rash. And we call those 40% the lucky ones. And a couple weeks later, I started manifesting the telltale symptoms of a tick borne illness. I started having body aches, body pains all over. I started having flu like symptoms. I couldn't physically hold up my head and then it continued to progress worse and worse and to the point to where I was passing out and I was losing my vision from time to time. And that was from, you know, a couple seconds to minutes at a time. And this was during second grade. So, again, the teachers, at first, they thought that maybe second grade was really hard. Maybe I had ADHD or some kind of learning disorder, and that was making me struggle in school. And then my second grade teacher, Cindy Cheadle, she saved my life, and she called my parents and she said, you know, Olivia, this is not normal. This is not a learning disability. This is a flu or stomach bug. You need to take her in and see someone. Over the course of 18 months, I was tested for, I feel like, everything from late stage autism to types of cancers to genetic diseases like Wilson's disease, which I was misdiagnosed with. And at that time, I was eight years old, turning nine. And while everyone else was going off to spring break, I was being told that I would not live as long as my friends would. And, you know, as an eight year old, to hear that that is soul crushing. For my poor parents. To be handed a little pamphlet and say, you know, here's what you can do to support your kid, and, you know, make sure to take him to Disneyland and deal with that was really traumatic for us all. And then after that DNA test came back saying that, thankfully, I did not have Wilson's disease.
They misdiagnosed me with Munchausen syndrome. And for those of you who do not know what that is, that is the illness of faking illness. And so my mom and I were at a complete loss. We had seen almost 50 doctors at that point, and no one had figured out what was wrong until my 51st doctor came along, Doctor Hamilton. And she was the first female doctor that I had actually seen. And she looked at my symptoms and she looked at everything that I had, from ekgs to CAT scans, spinal taps, liver biopsies, everything.
She said, I've seen something similar with another patient of mine who has Lyme disease. I'm going to just do this random test. We'll see if it works. If not, we'll focus on something else.
I came back and it was off the charts, and it was, you know, a great moment of relief. But then also, you're back to square one, and you realize you now have a diagnosis, but that's such a far journey to recovery. And for those who are just recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses, the typical treatment is 30 days of doxycycline and I feel like if you see the tick bite, you pull it off and then immediately go on that there's a chance that it might work. But for me, I was already 18 months gone, 51 doctors deep. And unfortunately, those 30 days did not help at all. And that's when my parents realized that we need to find a Lyme literate doctor or an LLMD. And so three years later, seeing former doctors and trying to figure out what's going on, I finally ran into Doctor Richard Horowitz, who I truthfully think saved my life. And that is why I'm in remission today. And I'd be really happy to share that story with you as well.
[00:05:55] Speaker C: I'd love to. Let's. So as a seven, eight year old, I mean, here you're having all these symptoms, losing your vision and running from doctor to doctor. I mean, that must have been so scary at that time.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: It was. It really was. And that's when I realized how left out of my own health I was. A lot of those doctors, I don't remember their faces because they never actually came in to say hi to me and to ask me how I was doing. They simply looked at my chart and they said, oh, you know, her copper's off. Let's go do a test and see what happens. Oh, I couldn't figure it out. Let's go pass it on. And so it was really almost dehumanizing to feel like just a math problem, just something that needs to be figured out and not, you know, they did not register my emotions. They did not register that, you know, I was eight years old and going into another spinal tap and, you know, not wanting this at all or, you know, being poked and prodded in the middle of the night because I had to change my iv and missing school. And I feel like the humanity and the emotions were just sucked out of that entire experience. And I felt, you know, like a problem that had to be solved. Not a person, a human who was sick and in pain, who needed not only to be fixed, of course, but also that support and comfort along the way. And that journey is super common for a lot of people. And unfortunately, that's just, you know, how some healthcare systems work. And that is a huge problem that definitely needs to be fixed. And so that is, you know, what I'm trying to do. That is one of the many things I'm hoping to do.
[00:07:37] Speaker C: And then as an eight year old, I hear they're saying that you're faking your disease. Say, here you're ahead, almost blind, and you've exhausted and you're, and as an eight year old, you kind of cleverly figured out that this is how I'm going to fake a disease.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. When they asked me that, you know, they asked it in a very meticulous way because they didn't jump out and say, oh, we think you're a liar. They said, do you think your parents love your brothers more than they love you? Do you feel like you have friends at school? Do you feel like you are more loved when you are sick? And so they started asking those questions. And then, you know, they told my mom, they were like, have you heard of Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy? And my mom, of course, she knew what it meant. She was horrified. I had to go look at the definition later on my mom's phone, and I was equally as horrified because I felt so awful and I had seen so many people. And for the ultimate conclusion, they went from, oh, you're in Denver, high altitude city, you must drink more water to you're going to die soon to you're faking it. And I was just crushed. And unfortunately, that is a very common, again, misdiagnosis for a lot of people with tick borne diseases.
[00:08:57] Speaker C: What a mind mess. I mean, mess. I mean, with the eight year old mind. I mean, you're dying, you're faking.
Yeah.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: I mean, yeah, it was extremely traumatic. And, you know, I am. I feel like, you know, some parts I forget even now. And when I was writing my book, which I'm sure we'll talk about, it was really hard for me to relive that because up until that point, I had, I think purposefully as my child, you know, defense mechanism, have, you know, stored those memories away of being so sick and being so, you know, I feel like, looked at just like a thing and not a human. And it was so incredibly difficult. And also, watching my parents try to figure out what to do, I, you know, that's where I saw my dad cry for the first time. And my dad never cries. And so when he cried, I knew that something was really wrong and it was truly, truly awful. But, you know, it's definitely something that has to be talked about and don't. For whoever is out there, the worst thing that you can do is bottle up all of those emotions and feelings and memories. The best thing that you can do is talk to people, and hopefully things will change after a lot of people talk about the same problem.
[00:10:15] Speaker D: Hello, dear listeners, this is Doctor Michael Karlfeldt. 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 IV's, 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 minutes 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, doctor Michael Karlthalz, 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
[email protected] 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 Doctor Karl Feldt. Remember, true health is not just the absence of disease, it's achieving the abundance of vitality. Let's discover yours together.
[00:12:15] Speaker C: And then, I mean, your parents, I'm sure you've kind of talked with your parents after all of this and kind of asked them, what were you thinking? What was your experience? I mean, what, do you mind sharing a little bit of that?
[00:12:31] Speaker B: Yeah. And I feel like what I was thinking, my experience, I mean, I've told you for sure. And I remember during the time where we thought that I had Wilson's disease. We have a really good friend who is associated with University of Michigan, and they are, I think, associated with one of the top centers for Wilson's disease. And we were planning to book tickets and fly out like in the next week and just go and, you know, drop everything and go. And I'm sure, you know, for my parents, it was.
And I know it was such an awful time, not only because they're dealing with me and, you know, I'm also eight years old. I don't know what blood blackout are. I don't know what, you know, passing out is. I don't know what fainting is. I've never heard of that before. So what I would say is that, you know, the curtains are coming down. That's what it felt like. Like everything was just getting dark and I was falling over. And so it was hard, again for me to articulate everything that I tried to say to them, and it was really, really a struggle. And for my poor parents, I think that everyone viewed them like they were crazy, that they were, you know, totally making this up and creating this elaborate story. But then on top of that, they had two little boys to take care of as well. And, you know, they had to leave them with our grandma, and they had to, you know, make sure that, yes, I am focusing all of my time and attention to the sick child that I have, but also I want to make sure that, you know, my other sons feel loved as well, because when I was bitten by a tick, they were only three years old. So they do not remember me not being sick their entire lives and their entire memories. I've always been in and out of hospitals taking pills, vaccines, shots, everything. And they have been my biggest supporters, even though there were times where my parents would leave them alone for days at a time because they had to go and visit me. And I'm sure that for them, it was really difficult, too, to not fully understand why is this one kid getting so much attention and realize that this attention was not wanted and that this was not wanted at all. So it was very difficult for my family. But, I mean, we got to a really good place, and where we are, it's truly incredible.
[00:14:45] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah, it's so hard. And, yes, I mean, as a. As a child, you know, your brothers, I hear they understand. Well, it's hard to understand. They just cannot see what's going on. And then they wonder, where's mom and daddy?
[00:15:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:01] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:15:03] Speaker C: Well, so then you met doctor, and also I read. So didn't they think that it was your adenoids at one time as well?
[00:15:13] Speaker B: In the very, very beginning, they thought that I had severs disease. And that's, I think I don't even remember, you know, dealing with that. I just remember they would give you the little gel cups to put on, like, your heel on your shoe and, like, walk around on it. Was some type of illness associated, I think, with growth pains. And then, you know, they were like, you're not sleeping at night, you're so tired during the day you can't keep your head up. Like your adenoids are abnormally large. Let's get rid of that and it'll be fine. And that was the first procedure that I had of the, you know, extensive list. And, you know, when I, again, I never snore now because all my anoids are gone, so that's great. But that was, you know, the tip of the iceberg and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
[00:16:01] Speaker C: And you said spinal tap. So how many spinal taps have you had?
[00:16:04] Speaker B: Oh, gosh, I think probably I know at least one and I think most likely two. I know that I've had, you know, copper tests, ekgs, upper and lower endoscopies, adenoids removed. I've had over, I want to say at this point, I think I've had over 300 blood draws and I, the amount of, the amount of blood that has been taken from my body for, you know, testing and everything, I mean, it's a lot. I've had every test under the sun and, yeah, it was really, really difficult. And being in and out of the hospital so often, I can tell you that at the children's hospital in Denver, the baked beans and the chocolate cake are amazing. And that was all I had when I was in the hospital.
[00:16:50] Speaker C: Well, I'm glad you got some joyous moment, at least there with a chocolate cake.
And then you met Doctor Horowitz.
Talk me through that a little bit. What was that like and what happened? What did the evaluation, what did that look like and what do you conclude?
[00:17:12] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. So Doctor Horowitz has a ten year waiting list for new patients. And we had known about him for a while after my diagnosis with Lyme disease, and we had been on that waiting list for three years at that point. And my mom was hoping that, you know, by the time I get to college, I'll hopefully get my very first appointment with him and, you know, maybe I'll be able to even go to college and, you know, I won't be able to, you know, be homeschooled because that was a big fear was, you know, being so sick that I wouldn't be able to go to school. And school was my lifeline. I got to do what the normal kids did. I got to hang out with people who were normal. I felt normal there, whether I, you know, I faked it all the time during school. Everyone would ask, are you okay? I'd say, I'm fine. Which, again, don't recommend doing. It's not. Not a good practice. But I wanted to be normal there. And so he was on this huge waiting list that he had. And my mom noticed that he was coming down to a conference in Denver, and she had the idea to call his office and ask if he needed a driver from the airport to the conference. And she said, just let you know I will not kidnap him. And, you know, the person who answered the phone was like, oh, my gosh, this woman is crazy. And somehow, someway, miraculously, she let her drive him to the conference. And of course, you know, she cleaned out her car. She's like, I can't do anything. I got to clean the car. I got to get all of Olivia's medical records and put them in the trunk. In the trunk? Just in case he wants to take a look. Like, this has to be perfect. And it was a Friday. She was hoping for traffic. Of course, there's no traffic. So they whiz on by to the hotel and the conference center. And, you know, he's like, he. He was like, do you want to have dinner? We can talk about your daughter's medical records. And my medical records are, like, this big. They are bigger than any dictionary you will ever see. And he went through a lot of the medical records and not all of them, not yet. And he realized, oh, my gosh, this is incredible, just because of the sheer amount that I've gone through at such a young age. And he asked if he could meet me. And so I. The next day, he's presenting at this conference. I go out and I get to go watch him present. And I just met him, like, a couple minutes beforehand, I think, how old.
[00:19:32] Speaker C: Are you at this point?
[00:19:34] Speaker B: I'm twelve years old. I think I had recently turned twelve years old. I think it was that fall of me being twelve. And so we're watching him present, and all of a sudden he says, and now I would like to introduce my newest friend, Olivia Goodrow, to the stage to talk about her story. This is the very first time that I've ever publicly spoken before, ever. And again, it's in front of hundreds of scientists and doctors and world renowned people. And of course, you know, I am so sick as well. So I'm pale. I, you know, my hair got super dark from all the medications, and I was weak. I was frail. And so, you know, I walk on up and I just. I tell my story like I've been telling it to you and to everyone else for, you know, the last few years. And they were all astonished. And I think, you know, I really hope that I gave them a reason to, you know, keep on fighting for that one person that you can't figure out. And I really, really hope that all those doctors and scientists who are there and, you know, who are hopefully here today, I hope that they're doing great, and I hope that maybe I said something that was a little bit meaningful, and, you know, I hope that they're, you know, doing better. So that's when I, you know, very first time I met Doctor Horowitz. And then I. This gets into how I started my nonprofit. I had this idea in my head to start a nonprofit. And as we were driving back to the airport to drop him off, I turned to him and I said, hey, I'm having a gala in the spring, and I would love for you to be my keynote speaker. I didn't have a nonprofit. I wasn't having a gala. I had nothing. I had nothing at all. And he said, oh, my gosh, that's wonderful. Like, that's incredible. You know, I can only do April 8. That is the only date that I can do. And I was like, perfect. We will have it then. We'll see you there. Drop them off. My mom turns around.
[00:21:24] Speaker C: How did you know that that was the date?
[00:21:30] Speaker B: And my mom turns around, and she was like, do you have something to tell me? Like, have you started a 501 c three without me? You're twelve years old, so that's not even legally possible. And we got right away onto creating a nonprofit. And so it was January 19 of 2017 when the Liveline foundation was first started. And it's called Live Lyme because my nickname is live, and I'm living with Lyme disease. And the goals of the nonprofit, which have not changed, and I am so, so, so proud of, just because of how much we've done, is to first give money to kids who cannot afford their tick borne disease medication because it is extremely underinsured and it is so expensive and so hard to get. And thankfully, my family can afford a lot of my medications, not all of them, but a lot. And the other goal for us was to get funding for scientists and for institutions and for research to hopefully find better treatments, better testings, maybe a cure in the future, but also make sure that when that happens, it's affordable and that people can afford it. Anyone who has this can afford it. And maybe one day you go to a Walmart, and you're like, hey, I got a tick borne disease. I need this one medication. And that's, that's it. That's the end of the conversation. I would love for that to happen. And so that has been active since 2017, and it's been wonderful so far. And we did end up having that gala on April 8. And it was incredible. And, oh, my gosh, it was just so wonderful. And also, you know, I feel like having this illness and doing everything that I do. I didn't realize that normal kids don't do this. And so I would do this gala and, you know, I would public speak and then I, you know, maybe get an award. And all of a sudden people are like, you know, kids your age don't do this. You know, I'm twelve years old. Like, this is not what they're hoping for. And, you know, working hard for, they're working hard for, you know, toys and maybe a phone. And I was like, really? And I think that, you know, being different from kind of the start made me, I don't know, I always thought that I was trying to be normal, and then I realized I'm just doing my own thing. And, you know, normal is kind of boring and it's a lot more fun to, you know, be doing the things that you love while they're also helping people. And so that's how I met Doctor Horowitz. And again, I can talk to you about how he put me into remission recently, and it's like, truly saved my life. And then again, that's how I started the Liveline foundation. And it's been incredible.
[00:24:02] Speaker C: So how can people help with the lib lime? I mean, where do they go?
And I want to ask some more questions about your speaking at twelve years old, but where can people go to help and to learn more?
[00:24:20] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. So if you look at the Liveline foundation or go to www.livelinefoundation.org, i believe everything will be laid out there. And there are ways that you can donate, whether that's, you know, through doing a giveaway or, you know, posting it on your social media. Anything that you can do to spread awareness helps us immensely. And then we also have merchandise as well. We like to call them like Schwag. So there's like bags and, you know, during COVID there were masks, there's t shirts, there's hats that say ticks suck. And, you know, there's all these amazing little goodies there. And it's truly incredible. And then also we have an annual liblime summit that happens every year. And this is a scientific summit that is free and virtual and it brings all of these international scientists and doctors from around the world to present about what they're learning and what they're presenting and finding. And it's truly incredible. And anyone can join. It's amazing. We've had over 26,000 viewers so far and it's been just such a hit also because it's good for our nonprofit, because we do not have to put, you know, a lot of funds into something like that. And on top of that, all of these scientists are now not only connecting with one another and collaborating with one another, but also connecting to the public. And so I really enjoy being that connecting force that connects the public to the scientists, to the science, to the politics. I love being, you know, the mouthpiece for all that and helping people get networked and, you know, connected and stay connected.
[00:25:58] Speaker C: I thought this was what every twelve year old did.
[00:26:02] Speaker B: Me too.
[00:26:04] Speaker C: Exactly. That's incredible. This is awesome.
That's amazing. Yes. I mean, yeah. Speechless. This is incredible.
I'm curious. So the first time you presented, yeah. You didn't feel like your curtains were going down when he called you up on the stage?
[00:26:22] Speaker B: Shockingly, no. And I'm really glad that they didn't because I feel like once I got, I feel like everyone talks about public speaking as like, a huge fear, and rightfully so. It's a terrifying concept when you go up and talk to a bunch of strangers about something that you know is important to you and you really just put yourself out there and you're alone on that stage, there's no one that can help you. You know, I couldn't ask my mom for help because she was sitting in the stands. It was just entirely me. And I realized that once you get up there, like it's go time. You either do it or you don't do it. And it's a lot better when you do it. And even if it's, you know, shaky and you stutter and again, you're twelve, so hopefully a lot of these scientists might understand. But, you know, when it's not perfect, it's still something. And that's your voice that you're using. And I think your voice is one of the most powerful things that you have. And it is so incredible for people to just talk. I feel like that has, you know, gotten me through so many doors and has connected me with so many incredible people and has allowed me to help all these amazing kids, scientists, everyone. So my voice is my favorite thing. It's my superpower. And I love it. And I am so glad that, you know, he really did shove me onto the stage and said, go for it, you know, do your thing. And I don't know if he had a little foresight into, you know, what was going to go on. And I really do thank him for that day.
[00:27:51] Speaker C: And has he said at any time what it was that made him feel, I mean, because he must have seen something, because he's seen hundreds and hundreds and thousands of Lyme patients, and so here's you, and there must have been something unique and something different with you that kind of made him. I need to put her on stage.
[00:28:18] Speaker B: Well, I can't speak for him. You might have to ask him yourself. But, you know, if I was looking back on my younger self and as a total stranger, I would probably say, you know, this kid's got guts, just, you know, standing up and being there, but also truthfully, looking so awful and looking so frail and so pale. And I think that also just hearing a little bit about probably what my mom said to Doctor Horowitz and realizing, oh, my gosh, this kid's been through the wringer, she's not even ten years old yet. And, oh, my gosh, 51 doctors, 18 months, all of these tests from you're going to die to you're a liar. I think that all of these things happen, but I, it is, I don't think, as common for all of them to happen at the same time with so many people with so many losses and then not be, you know, over the age of 18 and be super, super little. And I feel like, you know, there are a lot of common symptoms, but every single case with tick borne diseases is entirely different. And I think that that's what makes it such a difficult illness to pinpoint and to understand is because I have symptoms that my colleagues don't. They have symptoms that I don't, but, you know, we have different strains still the same illness, and it's just completely different for every person. So I think that he realized, you know, this kid has something to say. And I think it's been waiting a while to say it since, you know, 18 months and 50 doctors did not listen, and here's hundreds of doctors now. So here's her chance to finally say what she's been trying to say for the last couple of years. So I think maybe something along the lines is hopefully what he thought of me.
[00:30:08] Speaker C: That's awesome. And so he started then working with you. So what did that look like? I mean, because you've had the experience all these other 50 some doctors, and now you're working with Doctor Horowitz. How is that different?
[00:30:22] Speaker B: Yeah. So with Doctor Horowitz, he is out of state. He's in Hyde Park, New York. And that is like tick mania over there. Dense woods, it's nuts over there. So there's a ton of Lyme disease patients and tick borne disease patients there. And it was the first out of state doctor that I had ever visited, besides that one scheduled appointment for the Wilson's disease doctor that I was going to go see. So we fly out, and it's my entire family, my brother's included. And this was our, like, first trip to New York as well. And we, you know, we didn't do a ton of sightseeing. We were just really going there to figure out what was wrong. He said, though, which I've never heard a doctor say this, he said, bring snacks. And I didn't know what that meant until we got there. And he flipped through every single page of my entire medical record, signed off on each page, and I think it took at least 6 hours to go through. So we were there for 6 hours, and he's flipping through the pages and he's like, oh, my gosh, if this doctor had known this, boom. Done. And so every single doctor, he would point out exactly what they missed, exactly the signs that I had, everything. And that moment, I was like, this is like the godfather of tick borne diseases. This is, he knows everything. And he has a New York accent, of course. So it's really, really funny to me because he would get so angry and I can't do a good New York impression, but imagine it in your head that, you know, he's yelling at these doctors and being like, oh, my gosh, you missed a this. Like, how did you miss this? And when he came to the Munchausen syndrome misdiagnoses, he quite literally banged his head on the wall. He went over to the wall and he banged his head on the wall and he was like, oh, my gosh. And he was like, I need to go to that hospital and like, personally train each and every person because they're missing so many things. And he thoroughly, I mean, he went down the scale, and then during that one appointment, he said, not only do you have Lyme disease, you have bartonella, Babesia Potts syndrome, relapsing fever, and an anti one trypsone deficiency in your liver. Congratulations. He was like, you're a petri dish, and that's not uncommon for a lot of tick borne disease patients, a lot of ticks don't carry just one disease. They carry a whole menagerie of them. And so, but for, again, for him to just find all of those other ones in just one appointment and with a couple of blood tests, it was incredible because it didn't require, you know, a procedure, a crazy procedure. It didn't require me to stay overnight, it didn't require my parents to, you know, worry and stress and, you know, feel this awful feeling of just impending, like, doom. And it was just everything that we had hoped for in the first appointment that we had ever taken for this illness. And I wish that there were a million doctor Horowitz's out there for any and all diseases and illnesses, because the amount of devotion that he has towards every single patient who is entirely different is unmatched. And I think that that's why he has a ten year waiting list, is that he is incredible. And again, he put me into remission because he found out that Dapsone, which is a 100 year old leprosy drug, has really good effects against tick borne diseases, especially Lyme disease. And he found that out because one of his patients was on not just one dose of Dapsone before times the doses of Dapsone that they were supposed to take. And they came back saying, oh, my gosh, I feel great. And he did the necessary test and was like, well, you just put yourself into remission by accident, so let's do a study on this. And I was the youngest patient with the smallest body weight to ever do the first treatment, which at that time was double dose dab zone. And I did that before my freshman year in high school, which I think got me from 50% feeling better to about 70%. And that pushed me through high school, which was incredible. But again, I'm working at, you know, 70% where at the end of the day, I could feel my body was just like, done, you're done. Occasionally I would pass out and fall over every now and then. I would get super sick every now and then. But it was a lot better than, you know, being in the hospital. Twenty four, seven, and then senior year. So two years ago, almost two years ago, I did the quadruple dose Dapsone. And it was over the course of nine weeks, 42 pills in total, with, you know, antibiotics, probiotic supplements, all the, everything that you could have. It was like a giant cocktail, and even methylene blue was in there. And for those of you who know, that dyes your insides blue so I looked like Violet Bogard. From Charlie and the chocolate factory. And I started turn grayish blue, but.
[00:35:18] Speaker C: After you could see it through your.
[00:35:20] Speaker B: Skin, actually, I started turning gray. And, you know, during my, like, towards my fingertips, they were like, purpley blue. And all of my friends, I think, thought that I was, you know, dying. I, like, was looking like I was decaying. I was, became. I feel like during that nine week period, I went down to 40%. I could barely focus. I was in and out of school, thankfully. My school was, you know, really supportive and knew what was going on and was like, take all the time you need. Like, this is your make it or break it moment. And so during those nine weeks, it was awful and it was horrible. And 42 bill pills in your gut is the worst feeling ever. But I was not.
I was, mmm. I was not unused to it because I was taking 86 pills before then every day. 86 pills, that's what, 43 in the morning, 43 at night. And it was brutal, but I managed that. And then 42 pills, but they always made you feel awful. And the last week was when you did the quadruple dose, and that was the most brutal week. And it was, you know, do at least four days if you can get to seven, that's great. And I was, oh, there you go.
And I was only able to get to six days. And I, you know, I could not do one more day. And actually, on my last day, where I was feeling the worst, I had my scientific summit last year. So if you look back at that video, you will see I am gray. I am, like, half asleep. And during that summit, I did my speech, went to bed. I introduced the next speaker, went to bed. I was sleeping throughout the entire day. And I watched, of course, the replay so I could see what all the amazing scientists said. But after that whole treatment, 95%. And I want to say 95 because I don't want to jinx myself and say 100% because I don't want to go back to there. But I have never felt this good before. I feel like a little kid again. I feel like I can finally play soccer again, and I can go outside and I can do all these incredible things. And I think that that treatment is why I'm at college day, why I'm at UCLA and having the time of my life, and, you know, getting to meet all these incredible people who are also doing amazing things in the world. So that treatment, it was awful and it was brutal, and it is some of the worst feelings you will ever feel, but the ending is so incredible. And I have been pill free since then, I've not taken a single pill. I've not done anything in regards to Lyme disease or tick borne illnesses. And now what we talk about is, hey, you're in college, don't get whatever bug is going around. Those are our conversations now, not, oh, how are all of your tick borne diseases? Let's go down the list like normal. It's now, hey, don't get bit by another tick again or I'm going to be really upset. And it's been wonderful. So for anyone out there who is really desperate and looking for something that's close enough to a cure, that's probably the best thing we got right now.
[00:38:27] Speaker C: That's incredible. So that's what we want, you know, when we go to Walmart.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. I feel like we need to make it a lot better and have it not be 42 pills a day, maybe one pill a day. I think that if it was one pill a day, it would have been a completely fine treatment. It would have been totally okay. But because the sheer amount in your gut and you're trying not to get C. Diff and you're trying, you know, to hold it all in throughout the day, it was brutal. But yes, if we could get that at Walmart, that would be perfect.
[00:38:58] Speaker C: And you've given this feedback to Doctor Horowitz, so he knows that he needs to cut it down to one pill.
[00:39:04] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. I mean, he, you know, asks everyone who does this treatment very thoroughly, you know, what was going on. He is very, very involved in, you know, the everyday life of, you know, this awful but really beneficial treatment. And that was one thing I said. I kept on saying. I was like, if this was one pill, it would be fine. It's the sheer amount in your gut and then having to go to school and walk and then eat and then, you know, function like a normal human. But you have, like, this ball of just medicine in you. And I was like, that's what makes this so awful. And, I mean, he recently published a study about it, and I'm sure that we could, you know, I don't know if we want to link it down below or anything like that, but it is definitely worth the read. It is so incredible.
[00:39:52] Speaker C: Yeah, I love. Yes, I'll put the link in the description so people can go to it and obviously link to your nonprofit as well, and a link to your book. Tell me about your book.
[00:40:08] Speaker B: Absolutely. So basically, this entire story that I've been telling you is just, again, the tip of the iceberg of really what, you know is going on throughout my entire life, and, you know, going to all of these meetings, but then having to take pills and then going to go speak at the White House, but then getting too sick and having to leave early and all these incredible things. And it talks about how I created my apps, tick tracker, which allows you to track and report ticks in real time using geolocation. And I created that.
I think it was 13, and that it's been incredible. The CDC uses it. Tons of companies and organizations use it. We have a pakistani goat farmer who uses it for their herds. So it's global, it's multilingual, and, of course, it's free. And it's so incredible. And then, on the other hand, after Covid hit everyone, I noticed a lot of symptoms between Covid long haulers and people with chronic illnesses like tick borne diseases. So I created the long haul tracker, which can track any range of symptoms from any disease, and it puts it into a easily readable.
I think I said that right, easily readable graph. And you can really see your progress, and you can see how you're doing. And then on top of that, you can then send all of your information off to any healthcare providers or family members, if you so choose. So, for example, my mom has my brother's profiles on her phone in case, you know, she's the one who's primarily taking care of them, and they're not filling it out all the time. And so it's truly, truly incredible. And we're having a couple universities use both apps and their studies that they're doing with the NIH. So it talks about, you know, all of these incredible things that I've been able to do with something that sounds and seems and really is so awful. And it really talks about how I turned Lyme disease into Lyme aid and, you know, made the best out of a situation and, you know, use something that hurts me, but use something that hurts me and turned it into this amazing tool that I can have to help other people and, you know, be connected with this amazing community. So that's what my book talks about. And it talks also about, you know, while I'm doing this, I'm dealing with middle school mean girls, and I'm dealing with bullies, and I'm dealing with, on top of that, you know, normal high school things, of stressing out about a test, but then, you know, knowing that I have to get blood drawn the morning before and how it feels to have this double life of, you know, being a student and being someone who tries to convince other people that they're normal while also flying out and, you know, going to go speak at Congress. And it's. It's really. I love the book, and it was very therapeutic for me to, you know, relive this past. And I hope that for everyone who gets to read it, whether they have a tick borne disease, whether they have another chronic illness, any struggles at all, or, again, are in middle school and, you know, want to find a good read or a parent who's dealing with something like this, I think that everyone can take something away from this book, and that was my goal, so. But they will have to figure it out for themselves. They'll have to read it and figure it out for themselves.
[00:43:16] Speaker C: Well, I'm excited. I will definitely read it. That's awesome. That's really awesome.
Yeah. I'm still kind of stuck trying to visualize you being blue.
[00:43:29] Speaker B: Right? Yeah. Wasn't like blue blue, but it was a. It was a solid Gray. You would see me and. And it was odd.
[00:43:36] Speaker C: So how. How much methylene blue did you do? I mean, because I. I know we do iv's here, and I have people do pills, but I don't think I've gotten one to be blue yet, so I have to work harder.
[00:43:48] Speaker B: Yeah. A lot. I can tell you that now. I do not. I feel like that whole treatment, again, it was a blur just because it's super hard on your body. And I think that a part of you, I think, minimizes the impacts by, you know, forgetting some details. So the amount of methylene blue that I took, I don't know. But what I can tell you is that it turns everything blue.
So you're like. I kid you not. You're crazy. Your urine turns blue, bright blue. I've never seen it before in my entire life. It was the craziest thing in the world. And that was that for nine weeks. And I'm glad that that was over. That was definitely something.
[00:44:30] Speaker C: I love it. Well, Olivia, this is so amazing, and you're doing so many incredible things. I mean, I can't even fathom. What are you studying over at UCLA? What's your focus?
What's the end story?
[00:44:46] Speaker B: If I were to give you an opportunity to take a guess, I'm sure that you would get it. But the answer is public health, to no one's surprise. And I really hope to go into epidemiology. And I also hope to figure out a way to connect business and medicine and public health and help these institutions and these amazing scientists who have incredible inventions make profit off of these amazing inventions, but not in a way that harms the patients who are there for. So I think my journey is trying to find that amazing balance that I'm sure lies somewhere. But again, I have a lot to do before that and I have a lot ahead of me and I haven't even applied for the major yet that's happening this fall. So it's been amazing though. It's been really wonderful.
[00:45:34] Speaker C: Well, it's going to be so cool to see your journey and looking ahead ten years, because this is what you've done the last ten years. Just imagine what the next ten years are going to do now as an adult. And that's incredible. Well, Olivia, this has been amazing and I'm so at awe of everything you're doing. Thank you so much.
[00:45:57] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:46:06] 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 lime, go to integrative limesolutions.com and an additional powerful resource, limestream.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 of Lyme Therapies MyCenter offers, please visit thecarlfeldcenter.com. thank you for spending this time with us, and I'll hope to see you at our next episode of Integrative Lyme Solutions with Doctor Karlfeldt.
