4 Women 4 Ways

This year I have taken it upon myself to help multiple people finally get the right diagnosis.
beckydsmith.com

Happy Lyme Disease Awareness Month!  This year I am introducing 3 amazing women who are taking control in the fight against Lyme disease!

Meet Melissa: Melissa was the first person in Spokane who really started talking to me about my Lyme disease.  I think a lot of people fear bringing it up because they don't know quite what to say to me about it.  Not Melissa.  She's a super bad ass woman who is a single mother of two boys. She was also raised by a single mother.  Melissa is one hard core hockey mom and athletic trainer.

Interests:  
Exercise, health and wellness, being outdoors, backpacking, camping, and lake adventures.
She recently decided that she wanted to help volunteer building trails.  She has helped build/repair two trails in Spokane; Fishtrap and Manresa Grotto.  This year she took on a 52 week hike challenge.
Lyme education:
With hiking comes ticks. Melissa has found a tick in her vehicle and spotted numerous ticks on her dog during a tick check after hiking. She has since stopped taking her pooch along for adventures in danger of bringing home ticks.  Melissa has without my help taken it in her own hands to educate various hiking groups on Facebook, friends, fellow hikers, and clients about the dangers of ticks and Lyme disease.  That is why I wanted her to be a part of the Lyme disease awareness month!
What she does to stay healthy:
Melissa eats a healthy diet and exercises.  She eats a gluten free and mostly dairy free diet with no processed foods.  She takes a multi-v, fish oil, vitamin D, iodine, bee pollen, phytisone, amino acids and more.  She uses essential oils and drinks a ton of water!


Meet Allison (A wonderfully beautiful woman coming to terms with her new Lyme diagnosis who does not want her photo shared):  I met Allison right when she was waiting on her Lyme disease results!  You don't hear many people in Spokane talking about heavy metal chelation, so I had to spark up a conversation.  Our conversation led straight to Lyme disease.   She had been talking with a doctor via Skype who suggested she get tested for Lyme after decades of degrading health and autoimmune disease.  After she received her positive IGeneX Lyme results she asked me if treatment of Lyme disease would resolve her autoimmune conditions and I told her yes, besides hypothyroidism.  Let this be an eye opening experience to those who suffer from ANY autoimmune condition.
Interests:
Allison is a mother of two.  Her hobbies include yoga, holistic health, hikes, family outings, and prior to her worsening Lyme symptoms, live music shows.
Lyme education:
Allison was first diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis at age 19.  By then she had knee pain, body aches, and felt like she was running marathons although she hadn't been.  As time progressed she was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and multiple viruses such as, Epstein-Barr.  Ultimately throughout the years things weren't adding up and she was given the autoimmune diagnosis of Undifferentiated connective tissue disease.  In her mid twenties she had several emotionally traumatic events and her symptoms progressed to brain fog, and massive digestive issues.  By her thirties she was having children and her symptoms had subsided until her last postpartum flair that eventually led her to the ER with Pericarditis.  At that time Allison was a mother and knew she needed to take control of her health.  Allison found a homeopathic doctor in another state and via Skype consults was eventually led to her Lyme disease diagnosis, just one month ago at age 37!  It is infuriating that so many people have to suffer for so many years before they can get help.
What she does to stay healthy:
The greatest thing about Allison is that she was already doing everything in her power prior to her Lyme diagnosis to benefit her health.  Allison currently takes tons of supplements, follows an aip/keto type diet, she works out, does intermittent fasting, meditation, infrared sauna, sleeps 8-9 hours a night.  Drinks celery juice and lemon water. She has also done heavy metal detoxes.
Final note:
As a mother with Lyme Allison faces the challenges of Lyme guilt and the perceived idea of laziness.  Being a very social person she has since had to learn to say no more and reevaluate everything in her life.  She recommends those suffering from poor health, unable to find answers to find a good functional medicine doctor!  If you have been diagnosed with ANY autoimmune condition I highly recommend getting tested for Lyme through a trusted lab.

Meet Andrea:  Andrea and I clicked right away.  She is a great friend that has been there for me throughout these last few chaotic months.  I'm happy to have her in my life.  She is a single mom of two who lets me sleep over her house and teach her kids how to fart... the right way.

Interests:
Andrea is a massage therapist who enjoys mountain biking, hiking, kayaking and skiing.  She has been volunteering for the Washington trails association and is a new puppy momma.
Lyme education:
Andrea recently found a tick in her home and took a photo of it.  One evening while out walking with her children I asked to see the photo;  Although wanting to see it I hesitated quite dramatically because it was a real photo of a tick in her home!  Her children had sensed my anxiety and she briefly explained that it was a "bad type of bug."  Andrea later went home and educated her children as to why I had the reaction I had.  She informed them of how one single bite from a tick could change your life and make you very ill.  That is why I wanted Andrea to be involved this year!  Had I been educated in my youth about the dangers of ticks, tick bites, Lyme disease, ANYTHING I may have not had to endure all of what I have endured over the last 9 years of having Lyme disease.  Please educate your children about ticks.
What she does to stay healthy:
Andrea stays active, goes outdoors often, and eats a healthy diet!

These ladies are saving lives and they don't even know it!

Thanks ladies and thank you for reading!

Booney took a bite out of Lyme for his momma

Thank you Boone and I love you.