How has Lyme Disease affected your life? What inspires you?
Hi! My name is Sara and I am The Healing Mama. I am a daughter of the King, a devoted wife, homeschool mama to 3, and a health foodie. When I was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease, my road to healing began. I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. But, I wanted a place to share my food, my recipes, and my healing journey. So, here it is. My hope is that you leave here encouraged and inspired, and let your healing begin.
My Journey
Three years ago, my life changed in a big way. But, let’s back up. After having my first two children, I started to have health issues. After my second child, I was thrown into extreme anxiety and insomnia, so much so that after four full nights of absolutely no sleep and feeling like I was going to have a heart attack, I left the kids with my husband and headed to the hospital. The emergency room doctor diagnosed me with postpartum and quickly medicated me. Over the next few years my medication was changed numerous times, I was having stomach issues, and later was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. I stayed on meds and went on with my life. Then, we decided to have another baby.
After our little miracle baby was born (that’s a whole different story) I became very sick. I had gone off of all medication for the first time in 6 years to get pregnant. And, after he was born, the anxiety and insomnia hit me again full force. I began having many other symptoms that were unexplainable and no doctor could find what was wrong with me. My body was so full of inflammation that I literally had full body hives from head to toe every single night and morning for 18 months. I had sores on my head from inflammation due to an extreme case of psoriasis that no medication or steroid would calm or heal. A doctor prescribed me an antibiotic for my head, and one night I got up to use the bathroom and felt so sick and dizzy I could barely make it back to the bed. I fell to the floor and weakly cried out for my husband who picked me up and carried me back to the bed. I had no idea what had caused such a reaction until later…
After a series of events, I ended up at a Naturopath in Vernon, BC who, though I didn’t know at the time, turned out to be a Lyme Specialist. After speaking with her and answering her questions she mentioned that I most likely had an internal infection and I was later tested for Lyme Disease. On October 31, 2016, I was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease which was most likely a result of a tick bite I received 20 years earlier. I was so shocked. I had been living with this for 20 years. It explained so many of the symptoms I had experienced over the years and was still experiencing. It explained so much.
In the beginning I was so devastated. I did what so many people do (and shouldn’t)… I got on Google. Now, if you’re wanting information Google can be your friend. But, it can also be your worst enemy. I was so full of fear and worry and I believed everything I read about this disease and what it meant for my life. It was essentially a death sentence. I don’t mean it kills you (although it most certainly can). But a life filled with pain and a ridiculous amount of health and mental issues, as well as constant relapse and co-infections is no life to live. Not to mention, this disease isn’t even recognized as a “real” disease by most doctors. And, living in Canada, Lyme Literate doctors just don’t exist. So, what was I to do? I’m a mother to 3 children, 2 that I homeschool and one toddler. I not only wanted to live, I needed to live. I wasn’t going to be bedridden and helpless. I just don’t have time for that. I want to be present for my kids, for my husband. So, with the grace of God and by His strength, I took my health into my own hands. And, that is where my journey began…
I started small, but I knew I needed to get better. I’m so thankful I stumbled across the specialist who helped me find out what was wrong with me. I had prayed for answers for years, and He had answered those prayers by pointing me in the right direction. She’s been a huge help even from far away, and has me on an intense herbal protocol. But, I know that a huge part of my healing has to do with diet and healthy living. I’m far from where I need to be. I still have many struggles. But I have seen improvements and victories and am believing for full remission in the near future. Some days I have to remind myself of that constantly. And some days my faith is strong. But, I keep pushing forward and doing my part, all the while trusting God to continue to do His. In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24 it says, “by His wounds you have been healed”. I believe it, and on days when I don’t I give my doubts to God and keep going because there’s no other choice: you have to keep moving.
So, that’s my story but certainly not all of it. This is just the beginning. My prayer is that I can share my healing journey, the good and the bad, in hopes that it will inspire others to enter their own healing journey. We’re in this together.
Click here to view Sara’s blog.
Note from Life in Lyme Light (Lauren) – Sara had messaged me to share her story to spread awareness in the beginning of May, that same day her husband got in a very serious car accident. He was rescued with the jaws of life extracting him and will remain in the hospital with extensive fractures throughout his body and amnesia. This family is asking for prayers! A fundraiser has been started to help them out, click here for the link if you can please share it. As Sara had written in her story prior to this accident, “we’re all in this together“.