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Explore every episode of the podcast Tick Boot Camp

Dive into the complete episode list for Tick Boot Camp. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Episode 439: Paleo Path to Lyme Wellness - an interview with Kim Strother09 Nov 202401:50:10

Episode Summary: In this powerful episode, the Tick Boot Camp hosts speak with Kim Strother—celebrity fitness trainer, holistic health coach, yoga instructor, and model for brands like Ford, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Footlocker, and more. As one of LA’s top trainers, Kim shares her transformative journey from undiagnosed Lyme disease to becoming an advocate for holistic health and chronic illness recovery. Her battle with Lyme began with mysterious symptoms from a young age, leading to a 22-year struggle before finally receiving her Lyme diagnosis. Today, she uses her expertise to inspire others with a multi-modal, bio-individual approach to wellness.

Key Takeaways:

1. Growing Up in Tick-Endemic New Jersey and Early Symptoms
  • Kim’s childhood on a family Christmas tree farm in tick-endemic New Jersey involved frequent tick exposure but little awareness of tick-borne illness risks. She began experiencing fatigue, migraines, GI problems, and chronic infections as a child, but these symptoms were dismissed or misdiagnosed for over two decades, setting the stage for a lengthy, difficult journey before her eventual Lyme diagnosis.
2. Late Diagnosis and Complex Co-Infections
  • By age 28, Kim’s health had deteriorated significantly, with debilitating, multi-system symptoms. After years of seeking answers, she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease along with several co-infections and chronic conditions: Babesia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bartonella, Candida overgrowth, mold and heavy metal toxicity, parasites, and SIBO.
3. Holistic Healing Journey
  • Kim’s recovery involved a multi-pronged approach that combined traditional and alternative treatments:
    • Natural Supplements: Homeopathic herbs and Monolaurin (a natural antifungal) helped combat infections.
    • Diet and Detox Therapies: A Paleo diet centered on greens and protein reduced inflammation, and therapies like glutathione IVs, infrared saunas, colonics, and ozone steam treatments supported detoxification.
    • Innovative Devices: Kim used the FreMedica Wave frequency device, which provided symptom relief through frequency-based therapy.
    • Electromagnetic Acupuncture Testing: This testing helped Kim track her health status and adjust her healing protocol.
4. Patience, Body Awareness, and Resilience
  • Kim emphasizes the importance of tuning into your body, maintaining patience, and finding hope even during setbacks. She underscores that healing from chronic Lyme disease requires resilience and support from knowledgeable communities.
5. Professional Impact and Holistic Coaching
  • Her journey through chronic illness has deeply influenced her approach as a trainer and coach. Kim now focuses on bio-individual health strategies, mindfulness, and sustainable practices, helping clients achieve wellness with a balanced and holistic perspective.

Additional Highlights:

  • High-Profile Career: Kim’s career has included being a featured trainer on the Melissa Wood Health App and earning recognition as one of the most in-demand fitness models by racked.

Advice from Kim Strother:

  • On Lyme Healing: Stay hopeful, be patient, and celebrate small wins. Healing is a long journey, but each step forward is valuable.

Connect with Kim Strother: To learn more about Kim’s fitness programs and holistic health approach, visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Episode 438: Revive After Lyme - an interview with Janna Johnson02 Nov 202401:35:19

In this transformative episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, host Matt Sabatello is joined by Janna Johnson#1 best-selling author, keynote speaker, Functional Medicine Nutritional Therapist, and Lyme disease survivor. Janna’s powerful story of recovery from Lyme disease, breast implant illness (BII), and chronic illness showcases her commitment to functional health and the role of mindset, self-care, and lifestyle adjustments in healing. This episode offers listeners invaluable insights and actionable strategies for overcoming chronic illness with a holistic approach.

Guest Background: From Texas to Functional Medicine

Raised in Texas, Janna grew up with a sugar-heavy diet that led to chronic inflammation, gut health issues, and mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression, by her twenties. Her journey to healing began when she made dietary changes, emphasized gut health, and embraced the connection between chronic inflammation and neurological symptoms.

Healing Chronic Lyme Disease: Essential Oils, Diet, and Detox Protocols

Janna’s recovery from Lyme disease was rooted in holistic protocols, including essential oils and dietary changes. After years of misdiagnoses, she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease by Dr. Aviva Romm. Her treatment strategies include:

  • Keto Diet: Janna adopted a strict ketogenic diet, focusing on healthy fats, minerals, and low-sugar foods to reduce inflammation and restore gut health.
  • Essential Oil Protocol: She used a blend of essential oils such as cinnamon bark, thyme, oregano, and tea tree oil to target Lyme bacteria and biofilms. Janna mixed the oils with a carrier oil (organic extra virgin olive oil) and took them in veggie capsules, adjusting dosages based on muscle testing and practitioner guidance.
  • Lymphatic Detox Support: To assist her body’s detoxification, Janna incorporated infrared saunas, dry brushing, and regular exercise to support lymphatic drainage and symptom management.
  • Mindset and Die-Off Preparation: She emphasizes the importance of mental resilience through die-off reactions—normal but challenging responses to microbial “kill” phases—reinforcing her belief in the body's capacity to heal.
The Tick Boot Camp PARM Model: Prehab, Assist, Rehab, and Maintenance

Janna resonated with Tick Boot Camp’s PARM model, a framework developed to guide chronic illness recovery:

  • Prehab: Prioritizing detox and lymph support, as well as sleep, to prepare the body for treatment.
  • Assist: Helping the body through the microbial “kill” phase by supporting immune function and enhancing the body’s ability to clear out pathogens like Lyme bacteria.
  • Rehab: Focusing on healing the body from Lyme-related damage by incorporating nutrients, rest, and supportive practices that address neurological and physiological impacts.
  • Maintenance: Creating sustainable wellness habits, like a nutrient-dense diet, stress reduction, and routine exercise, to support long-term health and prevent relapse.
Breast Implant Illness (BII) Journey and Explant Surgery

After successfully managing Lyme disease, Janna encountered Breast Implant Illness (BII), experiencing symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, and chest discomfort. Muscle testing confirmed that her implants were contributing to these issues. Janna chose to undergo explant surgery, a process requiring meticulous removal of both the implants and surrounding capsules. During her six-month recovery, she revisited protocols such as keto dieting and lymphatic detox to support her healing.

Mindset and Resilience in Healing

At the core of Jonna’s journey is her commitment to cultivating a strong, positive mindset—a cornerstone of her approach to overcoming both Lyme disease and BII. She emphasizes that "our actions follow our thoughts," underscoring the power of belief in recovery. Jonna’s experiences reinforced that mental resilience, paired with self-compassion, is essential when facing the daily challenges of chronic illness. This belief in the mind-body connection enabled her to persevere through difficult treatments and stay committed to her wellness goals, demonstrating the profound impact of mindset on long-term healing.

Books by Janna Johnson

Janna is the author of _Unf*ck Your Mind, which explores overcoming life’s challenges through mental resilience and self-compassion. Her upcoming book details her Lyme disease journey and provides readers with more information on her personalized healing protocols.

Key Takeaways for Those on a Chronic Illness Journey
  • Dietary Changes are Foundational: Reducing sugars and carbohydrates can significantly impact inflammation and gut health, especially for those battling chronic illness.
  • The Power of Essential Oils: When used properly, essential oils like cinnamon bark, thyme, oregano, and tea tree oil can support the body’s defense against microbes and biofilms.
  • Detox Support is Vital: Methods like dry brushing, infrared saunas, and regular exercise help the body eliminate toxins and reduce Lyme symptoms.
  • Mindset and Perseverance: Janna emphasizes that mental resilience is just as essential as any physical treatment in the healing process.

Join Janna Johnson in this episode as she shares her inspiring journey, from Texas to full health, while discussing the strategies and mindset that helped her overcome Lyme disease, breast implant illness, and chronic health issues. Her message is one of hope, resilience, and the belief that recovery is possible with a dedicated, holistic approach.

Listen Now to Discover:
  • Janna’s essential oil protocol for Lyme disease
  • Her thoughts on the Tick Boot Camp PARM model for chronic illness recovery
  • Insights into breast implant illness and the explant recovery process
  • Tips on treatment, diet, mindset, and self-care for chronic illness
Episode 429: Forum Health - an interview with Doctor Andrew Petersen24 Aug 202401:42:06

In this enlightening episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, hosts Matt Sabatello and special guest co-host Justin Lindorf sit down with Dr. Andrew Petersen, a Lyme-literate medical doctor with over 24 years of experience in treating chronic Lyme disease and other complex chronic illnesses. Dr. Petersen shares his unique journey into medicine, driven by a desire to "stick up for the little guy," and how he transitioned from family medicine to becoming a leading figure in Lyme disease treatment.

Key Takeaways:

  • Creating a Healing Environment: Dr. Petersen emphasizes that the key to overcoming chronic Lyme disease is creating an environment where the body can make more new cells than are being broken down, which promotes overall health and healing.
  • Promoting Cell Growth and Repair:
    • Ingredients for New Cell Formation: Ensuring the body has the necessary fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, oxygen, and water.
    • Proper Signaling Molecules: Maintaining the presence of hormones, peptides, cytokines, interleukins, enzymes, growth factors, and neurotransmitters.
    • Optimizing Cell Production: Addressing hormone and thyroid imbalances to enhance the body’s ability to make new cells.
  • Reducing Cell Death:
    • Managing Microbes: Implementing strategies to reduce the microbial load, including Lyme-specific treatments and immune support.
    • Detoxification: Actively managing and reducing environmental and internal toxins that contribute to cellular breakdown.
    • Addressing Stress and Trauma: Implementing therapies to reduce the impact of psychological and physical trauma, which can trigger immune dysfunction.
    • Mitigating Electromagnetic Frequencies: Reducing exposure to EMFs, which can disrupt cellular function and contribute to chronic illness.
  • Fecal Implants and Microbiome Health: Dr. Petersen discusses the use of ThaenaBiotic, a processed and sterilized form of fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), to help restore a healthy microbiome. This approach aims to reintroduce beneficial bacteria to the gut, which can be crucial for patients with Lyme disease and other chronic conditions.
  • Dr. Petersen’s Journey: Learn about Dr. Petersen's unconventional path to becoming a DO, inspired by personal experiences and a dynamic biology professor.
  • Understanding DO vs. MD: Dr. Petersen explains the differences between DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) and MDs, and why he chose the osteopathic path.
  • Challenges in Lyme Diagnosis: Dr. Petersen discusses the difficulties he faced in diagnosing Lyme disease during his early career, especially while working in tick-endemic areas without proper awareness or training.
  • Integrative Approach to Healing: Dr. Petersen shares his holistic approach to treating Lyme disease, which includes addressing the key factors that contribute to chronic illness alongside Lyme-specific treatments.
  • Justin Lindorf’s Perspective: As a Lyme patient himself, Justin offers valuable insights into Dr. Petersen’s compassionate and open-minded approach to patient care.

Subscribe: Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform.

Join the Conversation: Have thoughts on this episode? Share your comments and questions with us on social media, or join our online community for ongoing discussions.

Episode 339: It's All In Your Head - an interview with Dr. Susan Trachman15 Feb 202301:17:25

Dr. Susan B. Trachman, MD is a practicing psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience, an Assistant Clinical Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Clinical Associate Professor at George Washington University. Dr. Trachman is also a prolific author and a columnist at Psychology Today.

Dr. Trachman grew up in the Long Island, New York Lyme belt where a passion for law and medicine grew out of a childhood interest in “learning how things worked”. She merged her two passions by focusing her medical school training and attending physician work to become the go-to doctor for “mystery cases”.

In this comprehensive interview, the award-winning Dr. Tractman discusses with Tick Boot Camp:

  • How her passion for exploring medically unexplained illnesses taught her to focus on Lyme disease;
  • How her Psychosomatic Medicine Fellowship shaped her ability to diagnose and treat the neuropsychiatric presentations of Lyme disease;
  • How and why the acute care medical system in the United States is ill-equipped to diagnose and treat Lyme disease and chronic illnesses in general; and
  • How the shortcomings of the medical system are causing frustration and trauma to doctors and patients alike.

If you would like to learn more about how the author of the soon-to-be-released book on medically unexplained symptoms is using her medical detective skill set to diagnose and treat neuropsychiatric symptoms of Lyme disease, then tune in now!

PS Dr. Christine Arseneau special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 338: Mrs. USA Earth - an interview with Ann Pennington08 Feb 202301:11:14

Ann Pennington is a blogger, model, philanthropist, and multi-pageant champion. Her pageant achievements include Mrs. USA Earth 2023, Mrs. New Jersey Earth 2022, and United States of America Mrs. 2021.

Ms. Pennington grew up a daughter of the American west and was educated in Asia. She married and moved to the eastern United States to pursue professional opportunities in New York City. She was unaware that her move to the east coast would require her to protect herself and her family from the ever-present threat of ticks and Lyme disease.

Shortly after moving, she began to suffer from migrating health symptoms. Some of her 20 symptoms encompassed multiple joint pains, brain fog, memory loss, rashes, and fatigue.

Her illness progression stole her ability to work and walk without assistance. Despite having access to scores of New York City’s top doctors and medical centers, the cause of her symptoms remained a medical mystery. One of her medical doctor specialists suggested that her extreme weight loss, hair loss, and vision loss were the function of advancing to the “age of 40”.

After winning the Mrs. New Jersey Earth crown, she suffered from a symptom flare triggering her to call her sister. After hearing the description of her suffering, her sister recommended that she request a test for Lyme disease.

At her scheduled visit with an immunologist, she tested positive for Lyme disease with the traditional two-tiered blood test.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme inspired Mrs. USA Earth 2023 to construct and promote the “Spray Before You Play” campaign to help protect children from suffering caused by Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Episode 337: Living In My Purpose - an Interview with Tanya Miller01 Feb 202301:20:07

Tanya J Miller is a 40-year-old author, speaker, coach, strategist, and entrepreneur. She is the owner-operator of a Minority Woman’s Business Enterprise (MWBE) business.

Shortly after starting a “side hustle” passion project, she began to suffer from “major pain”. She initially believed the pain was related to a previously diagnosed chronic illness but quickly discovered “that it was something else”.

Her symptoms forced her to visit between 10 and 12 doctors, all of whom struggled to locate the cause of her cognitive issues, seizures, and “legs going out without notification”. The first hint of a diagnosis came from her chiropractor who noted that her symptoms were similar to a “teen patient that was diagnosed with Lyme disease”.

Following the chiropractor’s advice, she returned to a medical doctor to demand to be tested for Lyme disease. The initial and follow-up blood testing confirmed she was positive for stage 3 chronic Lyme disease.

The treatment that followed helped Ms. Miller to discover her purpose, faith, and resourcefulness. If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease taught a business professional that her God-given purpose was to represent others suffering from chronic Lyme, then tune in now!

PS Tiara Smith special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 336: The Road Back to Me - an interview with Adena Sampson28 Jan 202301:52:21

Adena Sampson is a best-selling author, singer-songwriter, coach, and founder of Outloud Productions and The Unbreakable Spirit Movement.

The multi-talented entrepreneur and artist constructed an almost magical life and career. She became a sought-after speaker, emcee, narrator, and presenter and she graced the entertainment stage across the globe as the opening act for world-renowned artists such as Patti LaBelle and Wayne Newton.

In 2008, everything changed for the worst. “Everything just fell apart - [her] health, [her] relationship, [her] finances. [Her] world came crashing down and so did [she]”. For the next 7 years, her health decline forced her to visit “too many doctors to count” until she was finally diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease.

Following her diagnosis, she traveled a long road to healing. During her travels, she learned 9 principles that allowed her to rediscover the road back to the version of herself stolen by chronic illness.

To share the healing principles she learned while healing, she wrote the 2021 Best Book Award Winner: The Road Back To Me - 9 Principles for Navigating Life’s Unexpected Twists & Turns.

If you would like to learn how Lyme disease taught an entertainment professional the principles for recovery and healing, then tune in now!

PS Cole Elbel special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 335: Kindness in Combat - an interview with Tony Felice21 Jan 202301:41:00

Tony Felice is the 58-year-old founder of Felice Agency, an award-winning branding, advertising, marketing, and public relations firm. He is a dual citizen of Phoenix, Arizona, and San Diego, California.

After a summer vacation trip to tick-endemic Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Mr. Felice returned home with an extensive skin rash, joint pain, brain fog, vertigo, and flu-like symptoms that lasted for months. For the next 2 years, his health steadily declined prompting him to visit 24 doctors in search of a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, the mysterious symptoms were not new to Mr. Felice. Two decades earlier, he lived in Maryland where doctors diagnosed him with “Lowland Swamp Fever” a diagnosis he believes may have been a precursor to the discovery of Lyme disease.

His diagnostic puzzle was finally solved when a Naturopath administered diagnostic tests confirming active infections for Lyme, Bartonella, and Babesia.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease redirected a marketing and public relations expert to lend his talents to Lyme disease advocacy and charitable works, then tune in now!

PS Dani Tygr special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 334: Leading Lyme - an interview with Dr. Kent Holtorf18 Jan 202302:12:32

Dr. Kent Holtorf, MD is the founder of the Holtorf Medical Group with offices in El Segundo, California and Marietta, Georgia. He is also the founder and director of the not for profit National Academy of Hypothryoidism and Integrative Science (NAHIS). His work has been featured on numerous TV shows including the Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, ABC News, ESPN, CNN and Fox Business.

Dr. Holtorf suffered from and managed a series of undiagnosed childhood and early adult illnesses that caused him to have difficulty getting out of bed. By the time he attended medical school, he suffered from terrible fatigue leaving him barely able to function.

He visited numerous medical colleague practitioners and specialists and was told that he was “depressed or stressed and needed to get more sleep and more exercise”. The standardized diagnostic tests he studied and learned to utilize in medical school “revealed nothing abnormal”.

His undiagnosed medical condition left him feeling hopeless until he tested positive for Lyme disease, Babesia, Bartonella, reactivated viruses and mold toxicity. Finally securing a diagnosis allowed Dr. Holtorf to resolve his symptoms by using innovative treatments including peptides, SOT therapy, NK cells and other progressive treatment practices.

If you would like to learn how a journey with Lyme disease inspired a doctor to open treatment centers to help others who are suffering the way he had, then tune in now!

PS Daisy White special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 333: Heart of Wellness - an interview with Doctor Miles Nichols14 Jan 202301:59:12

Dr. Miles Nichols is the 37-year-old co-founder of the highly regarded Denver, Colorado based Lyme and mold treatment clinic: Medicine with Heart. He also co-founded the Medicine with Heart Institute to provide professional training to clinicians in the treatment of complex chronic diseases.

Born into a high achieving Ivy League educated family, Dr. Nichols followed the family tradition and was accepted into gifted and talented educational programs through middle school. By the time he entered high school, a multitude of nagging childhood illnesses merged and presented as chronic fatigue causing his grades to decline.

Debilitating fatigue forced Dr. Nichols to seek alternative educational models. He attended a school founded by a Buddhist Monk and then he gritted his way through graduate school. Unfortunately, his physician father and scores of doctor colleagues could not solve Dr Nichols’ chronic fatigue puzzle.

Finally, in 2016, Dr Nichols tested positive on a blood test for Lyme disease. In 2019, he tested positive for Babesia and Barronella. If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease inspired a doctor to build a heart centered treatment institute in an effort to end suffering caused by Lyme and mold diseases, then tune in now!

PS Micaela Hoo special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 332: Enlightened Wellness - an interview with Kristi Kusske07 Jan 202302:00:44

Kristi Kusske is a 37-year-old Registered Nurse (RN) and Functional Diagnostic Nutritional Practitioner from Lakeville, Minnesota. She is the entrepreneurial founder of Enlightened Integrative Wellness.

Ms. Kusske’s Lyme disease journey is both personal and parental. Despite suffering from classic Lyme disease symptoms, including brain fog and fatigue, she was not diagnosed by western educated medical practitioners until after her daughter was born with congenital Lyme disease.

Her dual roles as Lyme Mom and Lyme patient mandated that Ms. Kusske expand her medical education and training. In addition to her sturdy foundation that included RN, PICU, ER, and Certified Pediatric Nurse, she felt called to study and work with practitioners that would utilize traditional eastern protocols.

Treating for 2.5 years with Lyme Literate practitioners and developing an understanding of the necessity of connecting her mind, body and spirit during healing has allowed the Kusske family to overcome and manage the majority of their Lyme related symptoms.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease inspired a mom and registered nurse to construct and manifest an integrative wellness practice focusing on women’s health, preconception health, and pediatrics, then tune in now!

PS Ashley Belanger special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 331: Lyme Inspired Nurse - an interview with Briana Jamshidi04 Jan 2023

Briana Jamshidi is a 27-year-old Registered Nurse (RN) and certified personal trainer from Charleston, South Carolina. Ms. Jamshidi loved to lift weights, run races, dance, go to concerts, attend music festivals, and was a top performer on her National Guard physical fitness test.

At the age of 21, Ms. Jamshidi suddenly fell ill while attending her annual training with the Army National Guard in Virginia. Shew was first diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and then doctors said it was Interstitial Cystitis (IC) because her urine cultures never grew any bacteria.

Some of Ms. Jamshidi’s early symptoms included severe burning when peeing like glass slicing her bladder, spasms of her bladder and pelvic floor, frequent and urgent urination, urinary incontinence, and painful sex. Her symptoms worsened and she developed severe lower back pain, swollen lymph nodes, neck pain, hives, muscle spasms, hand tremors, extreme fatigue, cognitive decline, constipation, food sensitivities, and the feeling of bugs crawling all over her at night.

Ms. Jamshidi was finally diagnosed with Lyme and Bartonella when she was 24. She treated using antibiotics, Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), supplements, diet changes, and more.

If you’d to learn how a young woman realized her body is strong and resilient while going through the battle of her life, then tune in now!

PS Sara Brunner, the Lyme Dietitian, special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 330: Psychiatric Superhero - an interview with Dr. Rosalie Greenberg28 Dec 202202:16:26

Dr. Rosalie Greenberg MD is a Board-Certified Adult, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatrist from Summit, New Jersey. She is known for her expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex problems in children and pediatric psychopharmacology.

Dr. Greenberg earned her MD from the Ivy League Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she served as chief resident and then member of the teaching faculty after completing a fellowship in child psychiatry.

In practice for over 40 years, Dr. Greenberg brings her expertise to a wide range of topics including adolescent suicide, pediatric bipolar disorder, and the many psychological aspects of Lyme disease.

Treating patients living in Lyme endemic New Jersey has granted Dr. Greenberg the opportunity to discover that a large number of the children she evaluated for psychiatric disorders are positive for tick-borne illnesses, despite many never having recalled a tick bite.

Dr. Greenberg is a highly regarded author, researcher, lecturer, and host of an award-winning TV show related to children’s health. For the past several years, she has focused on the psychiatric manifestations of tick-borne illnesses in children.

If you would like to learn more about how a medical doctor is working to stem the tide of psychiatric disorders caused by Lyme disease, then tune in now!

PS Debbie Kimberg from Hijacked Brains special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 428: Lyme in Alabama - an interview with Luke Abroms17 Aug 202401:34:17

In this compelling episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we sit down with Luke Abroms, a firefighter from Birmingham, Alabama, to discuss his battle with Lyme disease. Luke shares his story, starting with his life before Lyme, the sudden onset of symptoms at the age of 32, and the difficult journey toward a correct diagnosis. Despite numerous visits to doctors, Luke's symptoms were often dismissed as anxiety or psychiatric issues, until he finally found a naturopathic MD who identified Lyme disease and multiple co-infections.

Throughout the episode, Luke opens up about the challenges of living with Lyme in a region where the disease is not widely recognized and the emotional and physical toll it took on him and his family. He also details the treatment regimen that ultimately led to his recovery, including pulsed antibiotics and herbal therapies, and how he was able to return to a normal life.

Luke's story is one of perseverance, hope, and the importance of being your own advocate in the face of a complex and often misunderstood illness. Whether you're a Lyme warrior yourself or looking to understand more about the disease, this episode provides valuable insights and inspiration.

Key Takeaways:

  • Luke’s career and life before Lyme disease, including his work in the fire service.
  • The sudden onset of debilitating symptoms and the initial misdiagnosis by medical professionals.
  • The long and difficult journey to finding a doctor who understood Lyme disease and provided a proper diagnosis.
  • The treatment plan that led to Luke’s recovery, including pulsed antibiotics and herbal supplements.
  • Luke’s reflection on his recovery and advice for others dealing with Lyme disease.
  • Special guest co-host: Ryan Courneya

Subscribe & Leave a Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more people and share more inspiring stories like Luke's.

Episode 329: The Lyme Boss - an interview with Heather Gray21 Dec 202201:12:27

Heather Gray is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner with a background in advanced DNA and mold from Colorado. She uses her skills to help other tick-borne disease patients heal.

Prior to getting sick, Ms. Gray experienced childhood trauma and didn’t have a “normal” child’s life. She contracted Lyme disease at the young age of 13 and aggressive symptoms began when she was 15.

Some of Ms. Gray’s symptoms included back pain, gut issues, a swollen knee, depression, anxiety, and more. She was sick for almost 20 years and was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was 34 years old. She was diagnosed with Lyme through a blood test and high-resolution dark field microscopy, which is a live blood analysis.

Ms. Gray treated using many modalities, including Disulfiram, antibiotics, herbs, rife, ozone, silver, MMS, and somatic experiencing. Today, she’s 110% recovered and is enjoying life.

If you’d like to learn how a determined young woman overcame 20 years of undiagnosed Lyme disease, childhood trauma, and more, then tune in now!

PS Pastor Dan Price special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 328: Migraine Solutions - an interview with Dr. John Allocca17 Dec 202201:15:47

Dr. John Allocca is a medical research scientist and biophysicist from “the Lyme capital of the world”: Long Island, New York. He is the author of more than 60 books on medicine, physics, nutrition, and photography and the founder of Allocca Biotechnology.

Dr. Allocca’s journey with Lyme disease began over 30 years ago when he began to suffer knee pain, headaches and fatigue. Despite his medical training and experience writing medical diagnostic software programs, he “could not figure out what was wrong with [him]”. He consulted with several medical doctor colleagues to help him unravel his personal medical mystery without success.

One day he used his own blood to calibrate his microscope and noticed spirochetes in his blood. By happenstance his medical mystery was solved. He treated with antibiotics, nutritional intervention, and supplements for detoxification and anti-oxidation.

In May 2022, Dr. Allocca took a hike at a local park and noticed a deer tick on his back. The bite resulted in a reinfection causing a bullseye rash and triggered the return of his previous Lyme symptoms. He also learned that wearing long pants while hiking does not offer adequate protection.

If you would like to learn more about how 2 Lyme disease infections inspired a doctor to build a 3 point wellness plan utilizing neuro chemical nutrition, brainicity brain biofield enhancement, and photography as a path to healing, then tune in now!

PS Tiffany Perez special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 327: Exposing Lyme - an interview with Alexis Raleigh14 Dec 2022

Alexis Raleigh is a 25-year-old reporter from upstate New York. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Binghamton University and a master’s degree in broadcasting and journalism from Syracuse University.

Ms. Raleigh was “able to do anything” before she got sick when she was 20 years old. Some of her symptoms included severe headaches, nerve pain, POTS, neck pain, and neurological symptoms.

Ms. Raleigh was misdiagnosed with Lupus, POTS, and migraines before receiving a proper diagnosis of Lyme disease 2 years later when she was 21 years old.

Ms. Raleigh first used IV antibiotics for 8 months to treat chronic Lyme disease, but she didn’t get better. Next, she went to Sanoviv Medical Institute in Tijuana, Mexico to get hyperthermia.

If you want to learn how a young reporter refused to give up and found solutions for chronic Lyme disease, then tune in now!

PS Dana Papadopoulos special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 326: Kitchen Remedy - an interview Dianna Brescia10 Dec 202201:27:26

Dianna Brescia is a holistic wellness coach, the entrepreneurial founder of Kitchen Remedy and native New Yorker residing in sunny California.

Ms. Brescia grew up in the bosom of an ethnic New York Italian family. The practice of daily food preparation during her childhood had nurtured and connected her with her culture and family despite being “unable to function like a normal person or do normal things”.

At the age of 25, she began to lose her vision and brain function. The severe symptoms caused her to visit a hospital and several doctors including a a neuro ophthalmologist. After she tested negative for Lyme disease, her doctors diagnosed her with intracranial hypertension caused by “bad luck”.

Hopeful that a change of environment would offer her an opportunity to overcome a healing plateau, she moved from New York to California. There she connected with folks on social media and was told by Micaela Hoo (Tick Boot Camp Podcast episode 318) that her health symptoms “sounded kind of Lymie ” and recommended that she visit LLMD Dr. Erica Lehman.

Utilizing IGeneX testing, Ms. Brescia tested positive and began treatment for Lyme disease. She was also inspired to serve the chronic illness community by building a business around the physical, emotional and spiritual healing powers of food.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease took a holistic wellness coach back home to the nurturing power of food, then tune in now!

PS Daisy White special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 325: Customized Care - an interview with Katie Bork07 Dec 202201:32:26

Katie Bork is a 23-year-old nurse from Loveland, Colorado. She is currently on a healing sabbatical from her passion profession.

Although she was symptomatic since the age of 10, she largely enjoyed an idyllic childhood. However, in 2011 her health bounced back and forth between “failure to thrive” to weight gain in “excess of 60 pounds” trigging her to regularly visit the hospital

Last year, her health took a “terrible turn” causing her to feel pain all over her body that she “could not seem to remedy”. In December, she also discovered a “rash that progressively spread throughout [her] whole body”.

Her visits to medical professionals resulted in misdiagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), rheumatoid arthritis, depression, anxiety disorder, and anorexia. She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease (Borrelia Burgdorferi, Borrelia Afzelii, Borrelia Garinii, and Borrelia Andersonii) after “begging a doctor to test her”.

Ms. Bork has utilized a variety of treatments including antibiotics, ozone, herbals, IV glutathione, and probiotics to reassemble 60% of her health.

If you would like to learn how a young nurse is utilizing customized care to manage the challenges of Lyme disease, then tune in now!

PS Jenn Hyla special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 324: LymeLight Foundation - an interview with Phyllis Bedford03 Dec 2022

Phyllis Bedford is the founder of LymeLight Foundation, a not-for-profit whose mission is to provide grants which enable eligible children and young adults with Lyme disease to receive proper treatment and medication as well as to raise awareness about Lyme disease.

Ms. Bedford is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Economics. She uses her God-given talents to help the chronic Lyme disease community and she’s given over $8,000,000 to 1,150 Lyme patients since starting LymeLight.

Ms. Bedford, her husband, and two daughters all have Lyme disease. She’s a congenital Lyme disease advocate and gave a presentation about it at the LymeMind Conference.

As a mother, Ms. Bedford is passionate about helping other parents advocate for their children and she wants all parents to trust their gut and never give up when it comes to their children’s health.

If you’d like to learn more about how a family’s Lyme disease journey led to the creation of a multimillion-dollar Lyme disease not-for-profit, then tune in now!

PS Christina Kovacs, from Lady of Lyme, special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 322: From Covid to Lyme - an interview with Tiffany Perez26 Nov 202201:11:16

Tiffany Perez is a 35-year-old professional tattoo artist from Pine Brook, New Jersey.

Ms. Perez led a very busy and productive life and owned her own business before getting sick with Lyme disease.

Ms. Perez had a stroke and then was diagnosed with COVID. Next, shortly after COVID, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Some of Ms. Perez’s symptoms included extreme brain fog, Bell's palsy, hallucinations, short term memory loss, neck pain, depression, full body pain, and swelling of her joints.

Most of Ms. Perez’s symptoms were dismissed as being related to COVID, but she kept fighting and eventually tested positive for Lyme disease through a blood test from a cardiologist.

Ms. Perez was treated with antibiotics, antivirals, herbs, vitamins, and steroids. She also practices regular nervous system regulation and detox regimens.

If you’d like to learn how a professional tattoo artist overcame getting hit with a stroke, COVID, and Lyme disease all around the same time, then tune in now!

PS Rosmeyris Estrella special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 321: Sculpting Recovery - an interview with Flora Deborah23 Nov 202201:21:34

Flora Deborah is a 38-year-old artist, sculptor and photographer from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ms. Deborah was born in Evian, France and raised in Milan, Italy. During her childhood in Italy, she discovered an aptitude and love for the drawing arts.

In 2015, she moved to Israel to attend graduate school. Shortly after earning a master’s in fine arts degree and beginning a career as a sculptor, a friend noticed a bullseye rash on the back of her arm and urged her to visit a doctor to be tested for Lyme disease.

Approximately one month later, she discovered a second bullseye rash on her calf. Despite visiting 30 doctors and asking to be evaluated for Lyme disease, she was not treated for Lyme. In less than two years, she progressively developed chronic symptoms that rendered her bed bound.

Desperate for a diagnosis, Ms. Deborah stepped out of the public health care system and had “blood work privately” tested by Armin Labs in Germany and she tested positive for Lyme disease.

If you would like to learn more about how a bed bound artist rediscovered her childhood love for the drawing arts while treating and healing from Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Episode 320: Silent Suffering - an interview with Lauren Murphree19 Nov 202200:52:30

Lauren Murphree is a 29-year-old certified IV technician from Tennessee. She’s also the author of Silent Suffering: Finding God's Faithfulness in Chronic Lyme Disease.

Ms. Murphree was flourishing and working full time. She was an athlete and was very social.

Ms. Murphree was first diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was 9 years old, but it didn’t “wreak havoc” in her life until she was around 20 years old.

Some of Ms. Murphree’s symptoms have included neuropathy, neck and back pain, brain inflammation, loss of energy, jaw pain, tremors, sharp shooting pains in her head and body, heart palpitations, body weakness and numbness, cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, heat intolerance, memory loss, insomnia, chest pain, panic attacks, Lyme rage, depression, anxiety, loss of appetite, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, POTS, heart and lung weakness, muscle spasms, tinnitus, exercise intolerance, dizziness, and more.

Ms. Murphree’s Lyme relapse wasn’t diagnosed until her early twenties after two years of suffering. She was finally diagnosed with a Lyme relapse through a Western Blot blood test and an IGeneX specialty test.

Ms. Murphree was treated with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), Disulfiram, Low Dose Immunotherapy (LDI), Bee Venom Therapy (BVT), Cowden Protocol (Nutramedix), various antibiotics, rife, ozone, and more.

If you’d like to learn how a young woman has used an arsenal of treatments to treat chronic Lyme disease and wrote a book about her experiences to help the millions of people suffering with this horrible disease, then tune in now!

PS Michelle McKeon, the Lyme Specialist, special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 427: Lyme and Alpha Gal - an interview with Nicholas Perfumo10 Aug 202401:08:35

In this enlightening episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, host Matt Sabatello and special guest co-host Candace Matthis from Two Alpha Gals sit down with Nick Perfumo, a 37-year-old from Greensboro, NC, who shares his challenging journey with Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Nick discusses his life before and after the diagnosis, detailing his symptoms, the impact on his personal and professional life, and his ongoing battle to regain his health.

Key Topics Discussed:

  • Nick's active outdoor lifestyle before Lyme and how frequent tick exposure gradually took its toll.
  • The onset of severe symptoms in his early 20s, leading to a significant impact on his quality of life.
  • His experiences with various treatments, including the Desert Bio (DesBio) protocol, Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN), Japanse Knotweed (Boba BB VII), testosterone hormone therapy, Methylene Blue, and the Cowden Protocol.
  • Candace Matthis provides insights into living with Alpha-gal syndrome and co-hosts a deep dive into managing this complex condition alongside Lyme disease.

Guest Bio: Nick Perfumo is an outdoor enthusiast and former air traffic controller whose life was drastically altered by Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Now managing a 911 dispatch center, Nick is a vocal advocate for proactive health management and tick disease awareness.

Subscribe and Review: If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast platform of choice, as it helps us reach and assist more people in managing and preventing tick-borne diseases.

Episode 319: Self Healer - an interview with Jennifer Sala16 Nov 202201:35:55

Jennifer Sala is a 32-year-old herbalist and research writer from Ellsworth, Maine.

Ms. Sala was a healthy baby, and she was accepted into her school’s talented and gifted program at a young age. She was bit by ticks all throughout her life but didn’t know what they were.

Ms. Sala’s health started to decline after a tick bite when she was 4 years old, and she crashed at the age of 10 shortly after developing a bullseye rash from another tick bite. She was then infected later in life while living in Texas when she was 18 years old from another tick bite with Relapsing Fever and Mycoplasma.

Some of Ms. Sala’s symptoms included Lyme rage, heat intolerance, dizziness, fevers, body pain, and a brain infection. She first heard of Lyme disease from friends when she moved back home to Main at 23, but she wasn’t properly diagnosed until she was 29 by a naturopath.

Ms. Sala treated her tick-borne illnesses with high dose antibiotics, cryotherapy, herbs, a mitochondrial optimizer, supplements, and more.

If you’d like to learn how Ms. Sala has been able to recover 85% of her health after a lifetime of Lyme disease and co-infections, then tune in now!

PS Liza Blas special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 318: Healing in Harmony - an interview with Micaela Hoo12 Nov 202201:28:57

Micaela Hoo is a 28-year-old freelance content creator, social media manager, Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) peer mentor, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California. She is the co-creator of My July, a clean skin care brand.

Born in the eastern United States Lyme belt, Ms. Hoo’s childhood was interrupted by persistent illness, learning difficulties, issues with word recall, and heightened sensitivity. She made frequent trips to doctors and medical centers without securing a diagnosis.

Ms. Hoo’s health did not improve when her family moved across the county to pursue professional opportunities on the west coast. Frustrated by the medical community’s failure to diagnose the source of her chronic symptoms, she turned to social media where she was told she “sounds very Lymie”.

As a graduation present, her dad offered to pay for a visit to a highly regarded California based Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD). Her gift included an IGeneX Lyme disease test that answered the multiyear medical mystery.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease inspired a digital creator and entrepreneur to build a social platform that bravely represents “what it looks like when you do not feel well”, then tune in now!

PS Randi Goodman from Think Lyme special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 317: Lyme Support - an interview with Doctor Christine Arseneau09 Nov 202201:22:59

Dr. Christine Arseneau is a 38-year-old pharmacist who spent 6 years training at a hospital before managing an integrative compounding pharmacy where she now works today. She is the founder of Lyme Support which serves clients suffering with Lyme disease and tick-borne infections, is certified in Clinical Cannabinoid Pharmacy, and has a Functional Medicine Certification in Health Coaching.

Despite moving around a lot as a child because her father was in the Army, Dr. Arseneau was a straight A student and excelled at everything she did. Although her life seemed perfect from the outside, she never felt important or valued as a child since her mother had narcissistic tendencies and anxiety resulting in her emotionally abusing Dr. Arseneau.

Dr. Arseneau was bit by a tick and became sick at 9 years old, but she didn’t begin to have major health issues until she was 27 with things like meningitis, a rare form of cancer, debilitating fatigue, and pain. Finally, at the age of 29, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, Babesia, and Bartonella.

Dr. Arseneau treated using Byron White Formulas (A-L Complex and A-Bart), Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), plant medicine (psilocybin and ayahuasca), and more.

If you’d like to learn how a determined pharmacist refused to stay sick and overcame chronic Lyme disease to now help others heal, then tune in now!

PS Amanda Millie special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

PPS get Dr. Arseneau has a free virtual training for anyone struggling with chronic Lyme disease, pain, fatigue, and chronic complex health challenges titled How I Cured My Chronic Lyme Disease: The #1 Thing You Need to Know That Doctors Aren’t Talking About.

Episode 316: Reclaiming Embodiment - an interview with Dana Papadopoulos05 Nov 202201:56:03

Dana Papadopoulos is a 30-year-old not-for-profit Media Director residing in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ms. Papadopoulos was transformed from an active, healthy, athletic child and young adult to a chronically ill 18-year-old woman. Then, for almost a decade, she battled a series of seemingly separate symptoms including anorexia, extreme GI issues, gastroparesis, POTS, EDS, fibromyalgia, ovarian cysts, hypotension, anemia, PCOS, leaky gut, and more.

Despite treating with over 50 medical doctors and medical centers, including the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, she continued to suffer from poor health while collecting an array of diagnoses. Finally at the age of 27, a local chiropractor diagnosed her with Lyme disease utilize blood testing.

Her Lyme disease diagnosis became a blessing in that it permitted her to locate a focus for healing. After treating for one year, she successfully abated her symptoms and moved into a new apartment. Sadly, the new apartment had mold that reignited Lyme causing her to lose functionality.

Today, she is preparing to revisit Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) by rebuilding her gut, utilizing routine detox tools, exercising, and performing breath work and chanting.

If you would like to learn more about a young woman had to rebuild trust in herself, get back into her body and listen to body signals to overcome the challenges caused by Lyme disease, then tune in now!

PS Katie DePaola, from IGC Coaching School, special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 315: Grace Walk Farm - an interview with Amber Benge02 Nov 202201:37:34

Amber Benge is a 39-year-old young woman from Hickory, North Carolina who is now a sustainable farmer growing her own food and medicine at Grace Walk Farm. She’s a trained victim advocate and her professional background is in working with women who have addiction issues and are victims of sex trafficking.

Ms. Benge was bit by a tick when she was 5 years old during a family vacation. She got a bullseye rash, became sick, but Lyme disease went undiagnosed for the next 34 years.

Ms. Benge was sick for decades after her family vacation and she was misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In her early 20’s, she battled infertility, had multiple miscarriages, had preterm births for both of her children, and finally had to have a hysterectomy at age 24.

In her late twenties, Ms. Benge developed severe arthritis in her hands and feet and had her gallbladder, tonsils, and adenoids removed. During her mid-thirties, things really fell apart and she was constantly sick and had to quit her job as a counselor at a drug rehab center for women.

Ms. Benge was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease and Bartonella this year when she was 39 years old by a naturopath through bioresonance. Her husband and youngest child both also tested positive for Lyme.

Ms. Benge and her family treated with DesBio homeopathy. This included 15 different supplements, a very strict diet (no gluten, dairy, caffeine, or sugar), along with a very intensive detox program.

If you would like to learn more about how a strong woman is fighting back Lyme disease after over 30 years of being sick, then tune in now!

PS Bianca Michele special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 314: Lyme in the Limelight - an interview with Daisy Ilchovska29 Oct 202201:36:05

Daisy Ilchovska is a 36-year-old nutritional therapist, researcher, and author from Bournemouth, England. She is the founder of Optimal Health Nutrition, a virtual clinic established to help people overcome health challenges through evidence-based strategies.

At the age of 26, Ms. Ilchovska was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and doctors told her to expect to be permanently disabled in less than a decade. Shortly thereafter, she suffered a tick bite causing her to health to deteriorate from a myriad of neurological symptoms.

After working with a half dozen conventional doctors, she discovered that she had to take responsibility for developing her own treatment plan because none of her doctors knew how to treat her. She overcame Lyme through her own research and seeking out hypothermia treatment in Germany.

Her recent work includes publishing a research paper in the December 2020 issue of Autoimmunity Reviews, publishing a book titled “Lyme in the Limelight” in 2022, and contributing a chapter on Lyme disease and autoimmunity in the 3rd edition of Infection and Autoimmunity to be published in early 2023.

If you would like to learn how Lyme disease inspired a young researcher to study nutritional intervention, Lyme disease, and autoimmunity, then tune in now!

PS Christina Kantzavelos, Lyme literate therapist, special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 313: ChroniLyme - an interview with Christèle Dumas-Gonnet26 Oct 202201:38:05

Christèle Dumas-Gonnet is the 48-year-old co-founder of ChroniLyme, a patient advocacy association dedicated to improving diagnosis and treatment of chronic Lyme disease, based in Lyon, France. She is also a member of the European Lyme patient engagement collective PREFACE (Patient Resource Facilitator Europe).

Shortly before the end of her university studies, she began to suffer from fatigue, aches, pains, and “a white fog that prevented [her] from concentrating”. For the next 20 years, her health slowly and steadily declined requiring her to seek treatment from “dozens of doctors” and hospitals.

In 2014, she was hospitalized for “left side paralysis that lasted several days”. During her hospitalization, she underwent several diagnostic tests including a spinal tap and a brain MRI. Despite the “highly positive results” for “Lyme neuroborreliosis” from the spinal tap, the hospital released her with a single diagnosis of “atypical migraines”.

For the next two years, she was not treated due to her silent diagnosis resulting in a rapid health decline. Her illness prevented her from performing any social or professional activities and she was deemed fully disabled by the French government.

In 2016, she sought treatment with a general medical practitioner known as “Doc Lyme” who diagnosed her with and initiated treatment for Lyme disease. Following the diagnosis, Ms. Dumas-Gonnet collected her medical records and discovered that she had unknowingly tested positive for Lyme disease two years earlier.

Her experience with diagnostic and treatment nightmares typically faced by Lyme patients caused Ms. Dumas-Gonnet to use her education and training to advocate for patients in France and across Europe.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease inspired a patient to build two Lyme advocacy organizations and to appear before the French National Assembly and Senate, then tune in now!

Episode 312: Redefining Wellness - an interview with Dr. Jaban Moore22 Oct 202201:30:39

Dr. Jaban Moore is a Doctor of Chiropractic and founder of the Redefining Wellness Center located in Kansas City, Missouri. The mission of Redefining Wellness Center is to educate people about the root causes of chronic illness to help them to find true healing.

The foundation of Dr. Moore’s passion for restoring health through a multi therapeutic approach was informed by witnessing his mother struggle with chronic illness and health decline during his childhood.

Later, during his time at chiropractic school, he began his own rapid health decline. His search for answers for why he was suffering from extreme fatigue, joint pain, and low testosterone began by utilizing his access to a wide range of doctors at medical conferences. After many misdiagnoses, he attended a conference for functional medical doctors where he accepted a recommendation to test for Lyme disease.

Testing positive for Lyme disease gave rise to a journey of personal and professional development for Dr. Moore. After consulting several doctors and utilizing a wide range of treatments, he found relief and has been symptom free for over 5 years.

If you would like to learn how Lyme disease inspired a doctor to build a wellness center to educate people about the root causes of chronic illness, then tune in now!

Episode 311: Socially Serving - an interview with Sarah Lombard19 Oct 202201:47:03

Sarah Lombard is a 27-year-old social media marketing, management, and creation professional from Scottsdale, Arizona.

Prior to attending college, she enjoyed a very social teen life that included “the worst diet known to man”. She would “eat candy and cookies for lunch with some fries and coming home, starving, eating frozen dinners and spoons full of sugar”.

At the age of 17 she began to get sick. She suffered monthly infections, stomach aches, lethargy, lack of motivation and anxiety. Her symptoms forced her to seek treatment from so many doctors she “lost count”.

After being misdiagnosed with various illnesses and undergoing several procedures and tests, a co-worker recognized her symptoms and referred her to a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD). A blood test confirmed her co-workers suspected Lyme disease diagnosis.

Post diagnosis treatment began with clearing her “gut from yeast and parasites” followed by the “Cowden protocol with liquid tinctures for 9 months”. She then turned to “Disulfiram but it’s an extremely hard regimen and it made [her] too sick to function so [she] had to stop”.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease inspired a young woman to use her professional skill set to socially serve the community, then tune in now!

PS Ashley Marba special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 310: I Can't Wait - an interview with Vanessa Nolet15 Oct 2022

Vanessa Nolet is a 29-year-old young woman from Quebec, Canada. She is working on finishing up a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management.

Prior to getting sick with Lyme disease, Ms. Nolet had a great life filled with friends and sports. She worked at a spa while going to college and was exposed to Freon during an accident which changed her life.

Around this time, Ms. Nolet was bit by a tick and within a month she became very ill. She had chronic fatigue, whole body spasms, light sensitivity, body burning, ulcers, arthritis, irregular periods, autoimmune symptoms, and more.

She visited many doctors, specialists, and hospitals in Canada before going to America for help where she was finally diagnosed. Nobody could figure out why she was sick. Some doctors misdiagnosed her with conditions such as Fibromyalgia, other pain disorders, and Lupus.

Finally, at the age of 27, Ms. Nolet was diagnosed with Lyme disease in part thanks to Dr. Richard Horowitz’s Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (MSIDS) questionnaire. She was treated with Doxycycline, Rifampin, Azithromycin, Naltrexone, AGE, and more with a specialist in Canada.

If you would like to learn how a young woman from Canada fought for a root cause diagnosis and is now on the path to health, then tune in now!

PS Johanna Laliberte special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 426: Battling Babesia - an interview with Ryan Cassata03 Aug 202401:22:31

In this episode, Tick Boot Camp welcomes Ryan Cassata, a 30-year-old musician, activist, and Lyme disease warrior based in Los Angeles, CA. Ryan shares his compelling journey from a bustling music career to grappling with chronic illnesses like Babesiosis and Rickettsia. Through his candid discussion, Ryan provides insights into the challenges of living with tick-borne diseases and the importance of perseverance and community support.

Highlights:

  • Introduction to Ryan Cassata: Learn about Ryan's background as an award-winning singer-songwriter and activist, his life in Los Angeles, and his early passion for music.
  • Life Before Lyme: Ryan describes his vibrant life filled with music recording, touring, social activities, and running a music blog, which changed drastically after debilitating symptoms appeared in October 2023.
  • Early Health Challenges: Ryan shares his first experiences with severe joint pain and paralysis in his left toe in 2021, which were initially misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
  • Diagnosis Journey: Discover Ryan's path to a correct diagnosis of Babesiosis and Rickettsia shortly after his 30th birthday, following consultations with at least six doctors.
  • Treatment Regimen: Ryan details his ongoing treatment since November 2022, including supplements, ozone and UV light therapy, anti-malarial and anti-parasite drugs, herbs, IV glutathione, and CBD, with plans to start infrared sauna therapy.
  • Impact on Life and Career: Ryan discusses the significant impact of his illnesses on his ability to work, tour, record music, and socialize, sharing how he navigates these challenges.
  • Advice for Others: Ryan encourages those battling Lyme disease to hold on, seek second opinions, visualize overcoming the illness, and rely on loved ones for support.

Educational and Professional Background:

  • Master of Art in Social Transformation from Pacific School of Religion, graduated May 2023
  • ASCAP award-winning singer-songwriter
  • Recording Academy Voting Member (GRAMMYs)
  • Certificate of Congressional Recognition

Quotes from the Episode:

  • "Picture yourself as a superhero and the mission is to beat the illness. That has been helping me get through."
  • "It's okay to cry. It’s a very stressful illness."
  • "Wear the proper clothing and take the extra precautions when hiking or being in areas where ticks are often present."

Conclusion: Ryan Cassata's episode is a testament to resilience and the power of community in the face of chronic illness. His story provides hope and practical advice for those dealing with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and valuable insights from the Tick Boot Camp Podcast.

Thank You: A special thanks to Ryan Cassata for sharing his journey and to our co-host, Maria Mooney, for contributing to this enriching conversation.

Stay Connected: Subscribe to the Tick Boot Camp Podcast for more episodes featuring stories of perseverance, hope, and valuable information on Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses.

Episode 309: Two Monies - an interview with Kahlil Fuller12 Oct 202202:06:05

Kahlil Fuller, stage name “Two Monies”, is a singer, songwriter, musician, and entertainer from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Shortly after graduating from North Carolina A & T with a degree in marketing he “noticed a huge rash on [his] left leg” while working out at the gym. He assumed the rash was from a harmless “bug bite” until he began to limp 5 or 6 days later.

Prompted by left leg paralysis, Two Monies called his primary care doctor of 15 years. Expecting his doctor to diagnose his “problem and… fix it” he was surprised to “be let go by his doctor” without a diagnosis.

The medical surprises continued for Two Monies when his next set of doctors diagnosed him with a “complex and controversial” medical condition named Lyme disease. His diagnosed illness moved him from a stable independent life to “stressed, depressed and anxious”.

Working with a Lyme Literate Chiropractor in North Carolina and a Lyme literate practitioner in San Francisco became a game changing experience for Two Monies. Treatment with herbs, Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), probiotics, CBD oil, IV glutathione, infrared sauna, and IV antibiotics modulated his symptoms and expanded his quality of life.

If you would like to learn more about how two co-infections and Lyme disease gave Two Monies a bad rap, then tune in now!

Episode 308: Canadian Fortitude - an interview with Lexi Czar08 Oct 202202:08:04

Lexi Czar is a 27-year-old young woman from Creston, BC, Canada. She created Lyme disease awareness apparel and is and is thinking about relaunching her brand in the future.

Prior to suffering the extreme symptoms of Lyme disease, Ms. Czar was a full-time student with a part-time job and was involved in many extracurricular sports and activities. She traveled throughout British Columbia and Alberta and was an extremely happy person with a great group of friends.

Ms. Czar struggled with health issues as a child after a bad case of mono, but once she entered college her symptoms became more persistent. She had severe migraines and chronic fatigue which were dismissed and attributed to being a stressed college student.

Unfortunately, Ms. Czars symptoms continued to worsen and expand, including body pain, insomnia, restless legs, bone issues, anxiety, and depression. After contracting dengue fever and being exposed to toxic mold, she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was 22.

Ms. Czar was bit by another tick and reinfected with Powassan virus, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Babesia, and Bartonella after making progress recovering from her initial Lyme diagnosis. Some of the treatment modalities she has used over time include stem cells, kambo, peptides, microdosing (with psilocybin), herbal antibiotics, ozone, light therapy, Rife, the FREmedica WAVE device, and more.

If you would like to learn how a young woman from Canada is using a variety of non-standard treatment protocols to recover from chronic Lyme disease and co-infections, then tune in now!

PS Emma Pikoulas special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 307: Strength from Sweden - an interview with Åsa Rydmark Kersley05 Oct 2022

Åsa Rydmark is a 48-year-old woman from Sweden who has traveled all around the world. She’s worked in the medical field as a Registered Nurse (RN), research nurse at a gynecological ward, and for the last two years as a research coordinator at Linköping University.

Ms. Rydmark had many tick bites throughout her life, got a bullseye rash when she was 14, and Lyme came out and wreaked havoc when she was 39 due to mold exposure and environmental toxins weakening her immune system while performing home renovations. At first, she thought her symptoms were due to “sugar addiction” after reading an article in the newspaper about it. Removing sugar and gluten from her diet helped her feel a little bit better.

Ms. Rydmark quickly realized there was more to the picture and saw many doctors, all of which told her she was fine and her tests all came back normal. She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease at the age of 46.

Ms. Rydmark and her doctors believe she suffers from Acrodermatitis Chronica Atrophicans (ACA), a late and chronic manifestation of European Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia afzelii), which is characterized by red or bluish-red lesions and leads to extensive flaccid atrophy of the skin.

Ms. Rydmark was treated with Doxycycline for a month, but her doctor wouldn’t do any more for her and she only made minimal health improvements. She started researching and came across the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Dr. Rawls’ work on chronic Lyme, and Dr. Horowitz’s Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (MSIDS) all of which solidified her gut feeling that she was still sick with Lyme disease and needed more help.

Ms. Rydmark started her treatment with Dr. Rawls’ herbal Restore Kit and Gut Revival Kit from Vital Plan, but the international shipping costs weren’t practical so she had to stop despite feeling better and kickstarting her true healing journey. Next, she tried some Microbe Formula products that built upon the improvements started with Dr. Rawls’ products. She also discovered Swedish Fascia Vibes which helped improve lymphatic flow and aided her body to rid itself of toxins more easily. This was a gamechanger for Ms. Rydmark.

If you’d like to learn more about how Ms. Rydmark “found a new complete and whole sense of self and a belief in the power to heal and help others,” then tune in now!

PS Rachel Barnes, a Life, Health, and Wellness Coach, special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 306: Furry Friends - an interview with Karen Widaman01 Oct 2022

Karen Widaman is a 62-year-old certified dog trainer and owner of a large dog training company from Glendora, California.

Despite working in a high-risk industry, Ms. Widaman was unaware of that her contact with thousands of dogs increased her Lyme vulnerability. In 2015, she began to suffer from stomach, foot, and hand pain her doctors believed to be unrelated symptoms in part because she tested negative for Lyme disease.

Unrelenting symptoms forced to treat with a plethora of medical doctors including internists, neurologists, gastroenterologists, oncologists, and infectious disease doctors. In desperation, she sought out a “natural doctor” who retested her for Lyme utilizing a test from IGeneX.

Testing positive for Lyme disease offered Ms. Widaman a path forward. The Integrated Natural Medical Clinic began treatment with herbal supplements utilizing the Buhner protocol and ozone therapy followed up with stem cell, nutritional therapies, and SOT therapy.

Today, Ms. Widaman is pain free and functioning at a high level utilizing supportive therapies to reduce inflammation and support for her immune system. If you would like to learn why a professional dog trainer had to leave the old dogs in the medical community to learn new tricks from an integrative medical discipline to heal, then tune in now!

PS Tiara Smith special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 305: Patient Zero - an interview with Casey Fillian28 Sep 202201:14:08

Casey Fillian is a 45-year-old personal trainer, massage therapist, and competitive runner from Marlboro, New Jersey.   Ms. Fillian is also a Lyme disease pioneer: during her childhood she was one of the first people in the United States diagnosed with Lyme. After suffering a tick bite while attending a summer camp, she “developed a fever, general malaise… a bad flu, [her] knee blew up to 3 times its size, and [her] torso was covered in a rash”.   Although her parents did not believe the “knee swelling was related to the flu”, the family pediatrician “was suspicious of a new disease [thought] only in Connecticut at the time”. “He sent us to Yale University Hospital and the doctors were able to confirm and start me on an oral antibiotic protocol” followed by “admission to Monmouth Medical Center… for IV therapy”.   Her childhood experience inspired her to make “fitness and exercise a priority in [her] life”. She pursued a career as a fitness professor and trained for and ran in several distance and marathon events. In 2017 after returning home from a marathon training event, she discovered a tick embedded on her hip.   The second/adult tick bite was followed by a bullseye rash, sepsis, and chronic illness. She has since treated with 3 courses of antibiotics via PICC line and herbal supplements allowing her to return part time to work serving the senior population in a fitness facility for people 62 and older.   If you would like to learn how a Lyme disease pioneer was twice knocked down by Lyme but got up each time twice as strong, then tune in now!

PS Adina Bercowicz, founder and president of Lyme TV, special guest co-hosted this interview with Rich from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 304: Numb - an interview with Grace Anderson24 Sep 202201:26:25

Grace Anderson is a 21-year-old Lyme disease advocate from the coast of Maine. She's currently studying mental health and human services.

Ms. Anderson first became sick with symptoms of Lyme when she was 12 at a Taylor Swift concert with the following symptoms: dizziness, nausea, swollen feet, excessive sweating, and vomiting. These symptoms quickly subsided, but they came back a month later and never went away with the addition of migraines, fatigue, difficulty walking, full body pain, and body weakness.

Ms. Anderson tested positive for Hashimoto's disease and the rest of her symptoms were dismissed as "just anxiety". Her health continued to decline, and she saw many doctors and specialists, including those at Boston Children's Hospital.

Finally, Ms. Anderson's mother brought her to a naturopath when she was 16 where she was tested for Lyme, and it came back positive. She was also diagnosed with POTS and through trial and errors found a treatment that was very effective at controlling her symptoms.

After making progress with her treatment, Ms. Anderson became very sick again a few years later and was diagnosed with Bartonella and active Lyme disease which likely was from a new tick bite. She used a wide variety of treatments including antibiotics like Doxycycline and Rifampin.

If you'd like to learn more about a young woman who fought back against childhood Lyme disease and is now helping others in their healing journeys, then tune in now!

PS Carly Taylor special guest co-hosted this interview with Matt from Tick Boot Camp!

Episode 302: Balance is Key - an interview with Rosmeyris Estrella17 Sep 202201:27:51

Rosemeyris Estrella is personal trainer and health and nutrition coach from Pennsylvania. She grew up and spent most of her adult life residing in the urban New York City borough of The Bronx.

Recently, Ms. Estrella and husband decided to offer their 4 children the opportunity to trade city living for the freedom, fresh air, and open spaces offered in rural Pennsylvania. Shortly after moving to their new home, Ms. Estrella discovered she had suffered a bug bite on her left leg after spending time tending to her garden.

Shortly after the bite, she “got a bulls eye rash” at the bite site. Having “no idea about ticks or Lyme” disease, she did not plan to seek medical intervention until a neighbor told her “to go to the ER” where she was diagnosed with a skin infection. Two months later, she woke up with a swollen leg, radiating pain, and swollen lymph nodes causing her to return to the emergency room where she tested positive for Lyme disease.

Despite taking the prescribed 21 days of antibiotics, her health continued to decline kicking off a “journey of researching and learning… about [chronic illness and Lyme] disease”. Her research taught her that the joint stresses of an extreme fitness regimen and the move to a new community were immunosuppressive resulting in vulnerability and illness.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease taught a fitness and nutrition professional the importance of moderate exercise and stress relief for immune health, then tune in now!

Episode 301: Overcoming Trauma - an interview with Evangelia Vensel14 Sep 202202:03:02

Evangelina Vensel is an author, life coach, certified Master PSYCH-K facilitator, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, and certified Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) practitioner from Washington State.

Although she had been symptomatic and ill since early childhood, she was not diagnosed with Lyme disease until surpassing her 40th birthday. She sought treatment with over 20 health care providers and was misdiagnosed with a plethora of mental and physical health disorders including Multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, dementia, autoimmune disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and fibromyalgia.

After treating with a naturopathic doctor and receiving a Lyme disease diagnosis she “received many, many treatments and protocols… before [she] discovered a path to [a] cure”. By “taking a road less traveled… and treating with a Holistic Dr. in Tijuana, Mexico [she] only needed 9 months to get to full remission”.

In addition to treating at the Mexican health care facility, she “did brain rewriting, subconscious reprogramming, and trauma release… to [emotionally] heal for [her] treatments to be a success”.

If you would like to learn more about how an author and health coach remitted Lyme disease in 9 months utilizing subconscious rewiring and taking the road less traveled to work with a Holistic practitioner in Tijuana, Mexico, the tune in now!

Episode 300: Ahead of the Curve - an interview with Dr. Alan McDonald10 Sep 202202:13:58

In this powerful return appearance on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Dr. Alan MacDonald joins hosts Matt Sabatello and Richard Johannessen for a deep, unfiltered conversation about the research he spent a lifetime pursuing — research that remains controversial, increasingly validated, and deeply consequential for patients with chronic Lyme disease.

Recorded decades after his earliest discoveries, this interview captures Dr. MacDonald in his later years: reflective, candid, and still fiercely committed to uncovering the truth about Borrelia burgdorferi, chronic infection, and neurodegenerative disease.

This episode serves as both a scientific masterclass and a historical record of how far Lyme research has come — and how far it still has to go.

A Pioneer Still “Ahead of the Curve”

Dr. MacDonald, a retired hospital pathologist trained at Columbia University and NYU Bellevue, dedicated his career to diagnosing disease through direct tissue, blood, and molecular evidence, rather than relying solely on indirect antibody testing.

Long before Lyme disease entered mainstream awareness, he was documenting Borrelia in human tissue, identifying alternative bacterial forms, and warning that chronic infection could persist, evade treatment, and drive long-term neurological damage.

Dr. MacDonald recently passed away, but this interview preserves his voice, his science, and his insistence that medicine must follow evidence — even when it challenges entrenched narratives.

Major Themes Explored Chronic Lyme Disease as a Persistent Infection

Dr. MacDonald explains why Lyme disease cannot always be viewed as an acute, easily treated illness. He outlines how Borrelia survives by:

  • Changing form (spirochete, cystic, granular, L-form)

  • Embedding in protective biofilms

  • Persisting in tissue, blood, and the nervous system

Biofilms and Why Treatment Often Fails

A central focus of this episode is biofilm biology. Dr. MacDonald describes biofilms as organized microbial communities that shield Borrelia from antibiotics and immune attack, making chronic Lyme especially difficult to treat.

He discusses biofilms found:

  • In Lyme-related skin lesions

  • Circulating in blood

  • Embedded in brain tissue

  • Within Alzheimer’s disease plaques

He emphasizes that biofilms are a hallmark of chronic infection, not acute disease.

Lyme Disease and Alzheimer’s Pathology

Dr. MacDonald revisits his groundbreaking work identifying Borrelia DNA, proteins, and biofilms in Alzheimer’s brains. He explains how amyloid plaques may function as an antimicrobial response, coating infectious biofilms rather than forming randomly.

Drawing parallels to tertiary syphilis, he argues that infection-driven dementia should not be dismissed — only rigorously studied.

Lewy Body Dementia and Neurodegeneration

Beyond Alzheimer’s, Dr. MacDonald discusses evidence linking Borrelia infection to Lewy Body Dementia, reinforcing the idea that chronic infection may play a role in multiple neurodegenerative conditions.

DNA-Based Diagnostics vs. Antibody Testing

Dr. MacDonald details why standard Lyme antibody tests fail many patients, particularly those with chronic illness. He explains the advantages of DNA-based detection, including:

  • Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

  • Direct visualization of Borrelia DNA in tissue and fluid

  • Reduced false negatives compared to serology

Parasites, Coinfections, and Lyme Persistence

The conversation explores Dr. MacDonald’s research identifying parasitic organisms in Lyme patients, including evidence that parasites may harbor Borrelia internally. He explains how this relationship could:

  • Protect Lyme bacteria from antibiotics

  • Contribute to symptom flares

  • Help explain why antiparasitic treatment benefits some patients

The Politics of Lyme Disease Research

Dr. MacDonald speaks candidly about:

  • Being accused of fraud for publishing pathology findings

  • Barriers to publication in major medical journals

  • How “standard of care” is shaped by politics rather than patients

  • Why clinicians fear treating chronic Lyme

Despite this resistance, he expresses hope that modern science is finally revisiting long-dismissed evidence.

Exclusive Tick Boot Camp Presentation by Dr. Alan MacDonald

In addition to this interview, listeners can also view an exclusive Tick Boot Camp presentation created by Dr. MacDonald.

This special presentation features:

  • High-resolution microscope images of Lyme bacteria

  • Visual examples of Borrelia in tissue, blood, and biofilms

  • Clear descriptions of the various Lyme disease forms

  • Visual context for the topics discussed in this interview, including chronic infection, neurodegeneration, and diagnostic challenges

This presentation offers a rare opportunity to see what Dr. MacDonald saw under the microscope — and understand why his conclusions were so difficult to ignore.

A Living Legacy

Episode 300 stands as a testament to a scientist who refused to stop asking difficult questions, even when doing so came at personal and professional cost.

Update: Though Dr. Alan MacDonald has recently passed away, his work lives on — in emerging research, in the patients he helped, and in a growing scientific willingness to revisit infection-driven chronic disease.

As new studies explore Lyme-related neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, his contributions remain foundational.

Episode 425: Sacred Space - an interview with Claudia Arias27 Jul 202401:26:48

In this enlightening episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, co-hosts Matt Sabatello and Kaitlyn Oleinik sit down with Claudia Arias, the founder of Sacred Space Counseling. A Lyme literate therapist specializing in EMDR, Claudia brings her own Lyme journey to the forefront, offering invaluable insights into how her personal experiences have shaped her professional approach in helping the community.

Key Discussion Points:

  • Introduction of Claudia Arias: Learn about Claudia’s background, her work in mental health, and how her own battle with Lyme disease led her to specialize in trauma and EMDR therapy.
  • Claudia's Lyme Disease Journey: Claudia shares her initial symptoms, the challenges of diagnosis, and the integration of her experience into her therapeutic practices.
  • Healing Techniques and Therapies: Claudia discusses the benefits of EMDR and other healing therapies she used during her Lyme disease treatment.
  • Advice for Lyme Disease Sufferers: Drawing from her professional expertise and personal experience, Claudia offers advice to those currently battling Lyme disease.
  • Impact of Lyme on Mental Health: Exploration of how Lyme disease affects mental health and how Claudia’s practice addresses these complex challenges.
  • EMDR and Its Role in Lyme Disease Recovery: Detailed discussion on how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be a powerful tool in the healing journey for those suffering from Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.

Conclusion: Claudia's story is not just one of overcoming illness, but also of transforming personal adversity into professional advocacy. Her insights provide hope and actionable advice for anyone affected by Lyme disease. Join Matt, Kaitlyn, and Claudia as they delve into the intersections of mental health and chronic illness, shedding light on the path to recovery and empowerment.

Connect with Us: Stay connected with the Tick Boot Camp community and join the conversation on social media to share your own Lyme disease story and insights.

Whether you're a Lyme disease patient, a mental health professional, or someone interested in the healing journeys of others, this episode is a profound resource filled with guidance and inspiration.

Episode 299: Artistically Healing - an interview with Carley Rudd 07 Sep 202201:40:01

Carley Rudd is a 34-year-old second generation artist and Travel Photographer from Portland, Maine. Her work has taken her across the globe and has been featured in Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller, National Geographic, Architectural Digest, and Travel & Leisure.

Ms. Rudd suffered from Lyme disease for 10 years before she was diagnosed in 2021. She balanced her pre-diagnosed symptoms and travel by visiting over 50 United States (US) and international doctors.

Eventually her body said no to her rigorous professional schedule, and she was forced to put her career on pause. Knowing her body was out of balance, she pursued a wide variety of medical diagnostic testing; including, bio-resonance, blood, and clinical.

After locating a diagnosis, Ms. Rudd tapped into her artistic skill set to build a healing plan. She utilized multi-sensory treatment tools such as blue, red, and sun light, diffused lavender oil, 54321 sensory exercises, adaptogen herbs, ozone, parasite and mold cleanses, meditation, Qigong, and energy healing.

Today, Ms. Rudd continues treatment, but she has returned to work and her social life. If you would like to learn more about how an artistic mindset can be used to accelerate healing from Lyme disease, then tune in now!

Episode 298: Cure the Causes - an interview with Dr. Christina Rahm03 Sep 2022

Dr. Christina Rahm is a medical, clinical and research scientist, entrepreneur, author, Chief Science Officer for ROOT Wellness, and Chair of the International Science Nutrition Society from Brentwood, TN. Her resume includes working for pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson & Johnson, UCB, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Pfizer and she has created multiple provisional patents, proprietary formulas, and trade secrets.

Dr. Rahm’s journey with Lyme disease and chronic illness began when she suffered multiple bites from a “bed of seed ticks” at the age of 19. Within two weeks, she became chronically ill causing her to suffer memory loss, headaches, fever, fainting, and to feel “generally sick all over”.

Driven by a desire to help the patient community avoid the physical, emotional, and spiritual trauma caused by chronic illness, Dr. Rahm managed her own disease symptoms while earning undergraduate and graduate degrees (BA, MS, Ph.D and Ed.D) and post graduate certificates from Ivy League Harvard University and Cornell University.

In her adult life, Dr. Rahm has survived multiple bouts of cancer that she believes were stimulated by Lyme disease.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease has inspired professional, spiritual, emotional, and instinctive discoveries that have granted Dr. Christina Rahm the opportunity to help patients in more than 80 countries, then tune in now!

Episode 297: Zack of All Trades - an interview with Zack Jones31 Aug 202201:47:24

Zack Jones is a 48-year-old professional guide, trainer, trip designer, and photographer residing in Frankfurt, Germany. He is the “Zack of all Trades” with his current company and “recently added smitten father to an amazing baby girl to the CV”.

Mr. Jones described his life before Lyme as “pretty good and at the same time full of blissful ignorance”. While on a trip to Honduras, he and a travel companion began to suffer from neck and back pain that progressed to fever, intense body aches, and diarrhea that rendered him “barely able to function”. After treating with an infectious disease doctor, he returned to work but suffered from 5 years of lingering mental health issues.

Ten years after his initial symptoms, he traveled to Chile for work where he suffered relapsing mental health issues including anxiety attacks, depression, and insomnia. Thereafter he began to suffer physical symptoms including jaw pain, fatigue, neuropathy, bone pain and air hunger.

After treatment with “30 to 40 medical professionals for one symptom or another” he was tested for Lyme disease and co-infections through Armin Labs in Germany and IGeneX labs in the United States.

Today, Mr. Jones is in the midst of treatment utilizing genetic testing from traditional naturopath Bob Miller to guide him through the use of herbals, the Wave 1 bio resonance device, and the Patricia Kane protocol.

If you would like to learn more about how a professional guide and trip designer is mapping his treatment plan through genetic testing, then tune in now!

Episode 296: Congenital Advocate - an interview with Jeni Quante27 Aug 202202:26:21

Jeni Quante is a 29-year-old Registered Nurse (RN) and chronic illness patient advocate from San Antonio, Texas. She has earned high regard from the Lyme disease community for producing creative educational content on social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram.

Ms. Quante was born with Congenital Lyme disease, but the undiagnosed illness did not become debilitating until the age of 14. Her disability activated her medically educated and trained parents who dedicated all their resources to advocating for their daughter. In total, the family visited “well over 100” doctors before she was diagnosed by a primary care physician. Her diagnosis took more than 12 years.

Despite debilitating symptoms, Ms. Quante graduated from college and nursing school, earning a BS, BSN, OCN, and RN. She also dedicated time to “engaging others in the chronic illness community and found some wonderful lymies who kept her going through the hell”.

This far, her 3-year treatment plan has included the use of several western and eastern treatment modalities, including, hyperthermia, SOT, herbs/tinctures, detox work, disulfiram, and biofilm busters.

If you would like to learn more about how Lyme disease played a role in transforming a Registered Nurse into a highly regarded chronic illness and social media advocate, then tune in now!

Episode 295: Balance 4 Gold - an interview with Axel Roelants24 Aug 202201:29:21

Axel Roelants is an entrepreneur and former athlete from Belgium. He is the co-founder of 4Gold, an athletic supplement, health, and performance company.

In 2016, Mr. Roelants suffered a broken neck in a dirt bike accident. Shortly after the injury, he began to suffer from a diverse and progressive set of classic Lyme disease symptoms that his doctors attributed to his traumatic injuries.

Trusting his intuition and relying on his entrepreneurial and athletic skill sets, he built a team of doctors, therapists, and friends to help him to “look at [his] disease like a project”. After much trial and error, one of the team members suggested his “strange health issues” should be evaluated by an ILADS doctor in Belgium where he tested positive for Borrelia Miyamotoi.

Mr. Roelants’ healing journey included the use of IV antibiotics, disulfiram, samento and banderol from NutraMedix, Meyers’ Cocktails, ozone therapy, and detoxification. Unfortunately, his discipleship in the church of the athletic “suck it up” culture caused healing setbacks because he “over exercised” and pushed through treatments too quickly.

If you would like to learn more about how a professional athlete and entrepreneur utilized his professional skill sets to heal from Lyme disease, then tune in now!

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