The Silver Lyming: Episode 65 with Rita Rhoads
The Silver Lyming
Sadly, there are not that many Lyme medical specialists. This week I interview the one that I saw in Southeastern PA. Rita helped save my life and I am incredibly grateful. She is also a regional leader for PA Lyme Resource Network, a group that I am also involved with. I know she is incredibly busy and can have a three month wait list. Rita is particularly passionate about helping those with Lyme and tick-borne illness because it has affected many people in her personal life. Thank you for all you do Rita! May God bless you and your family and give you many years of practice yet! If you are...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 64 with Abby Fernald
The Silver Lyming
Imagine that you suddenly started having leg tingling, jaw chattering, and facial twitching and doctors telling you it was from anxiety. Then your symptoms amplify and include severe vertigo, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue and still not getting any answers from the "standard" medical community. This is what happened to Abby Fernald and gratefully she was connected to a functional medicine doctor a few years into her quest to understand what was happening to her body. The damage was already done however, as Lyme and tick-borne illness are TIME SENSITIVE. The sooner you get treatment,...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 63 with Jackie Confalone
The Silver Lyming
This episode is near and dear my heart. Jackie is the patient coordinator for PA Lyme Resource Network (my parent organization for the support group I host) and is also a resident of Berks County, PA (my hometown). Jackie is an amazing soul and gives back so much to the Lyme Community. She has fought tick-borne illness for decades, like so many do, and never gives up. She writes a blog called Hope Through Chronic Illness (https://hopethroughchronicillness.com) and does her best to guide people back to wellness. She is also a fitness instructor at the local gym. It is an honor to know Jackie...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 62 with Kathy Dolan
The Silver Lyming
Kathy Dolan is a true warrior. She not only overcame Lyme disease but is also turning it into something beautiful by becoming an advocate through the Illinois Lyme Assoicate. She struggled with Lyme disease and a lack of resources available to help her when she was at her darkest times. Gratefully she has the support of her loving family to help carry her through the toughest parts. Kathy is now healed from Lyme and is putting together a concert series called "Music Heals" to bring people together and provide support for those struggling to heal their bodies. Through this experience, Kathy is...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 61 with Cara Peebles
The Silver Lyming
Cara's story is rather remarkable. Cara has made a full recovery from Lyme, tick-borne illness, and breast implant sickness. Cara and her family had moved to Northern Virginia about 9 years ago. She was training for a triathlon and noticed some abnormal aches and pains which she chalked up to getting older and the hardcore training she was doing. She then went to Mexico for a business trip and got so sick, her boss sent her home a day early. She felt like she had the flu (common early onset Lyme Symptom btw) and was diagnosed with a double ear infection, bronchitis, and strep throat. She took...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 60 with Kami Kiritsis
The Silver Lyming
Do you practice yoga? This is something that completely changed the way I healed (and my life), and I am incredibly grateful for finding it. My guest on this episode is one of my teachers and someone I have known for most of my life. I was excited when she reached out to me to be a guest on my show. I had never really thought about the similarities with healing and a yoga practice. I have thought plenty about how much yoga has helped me heal but they really are so much alike in that you have to continually practice both to get any better. Kami Kiritsis owns Aqua Om Paddle, and has also...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 59 with Tanya Hoebel
The Silver Lyming
I absolutely love this episode. Tanya and I met through a mutual friend, and it is uncanny how many similarities our stories share. Tanya is a true kindred spirit and also hosts a podcast to spread hope and awareness about Lyme and tick-borne illness called "Lyme & Beyond with Tanya" which is a fantastic show that I have added to my play list. She went for seven years without a proper diagnosis, and she is incredibly passionate about helping others heal. She is a beautiful soul who has gone through much trauma but has come out better for it on the other side. Take a listen to her...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 58 with Sami Kirschbaum
The Silver Lyming
This week's guest is another amazing soul. Sami Kirschbaum is not only someone who has gone through Lyme disease, but she has also suffered through mold toxicity as well. Sami has gone from being bedridden to owning her own practice called the Lyme Resilience Collective to help guide others toward healing. She has spent many hours training to become a resource for those afflicted with Lyme and other vector-borne illnesses. At her worst, Sami was unable to walk, experienced temporary blindness, collapsed frequently, had short-term memory loss, suffered from Chronic migraines, and had 50+...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 57 with Katie Maguire
The Silver Lyming
I am loving this episode as Katie and I have been friends on social media for years. I have enjoyed watching her growth and healing right before my very eyes. Katie lives in Ireland so please note, this is not just a US-based health issue. Lyme and tick-borne illness affect people on all 7 continents. Katie's journey with Lyme started in 2007 with the bite of an infected tick. She was unaware of what that meant however and suffered for 11 years with failing health. Her grandmother was watching TV one night and saw show talking about Lyme and told Katie she needed to get tested for it as that...
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The Silver Lyming: Episode 56 with Wendy Schell
The Silver Lyming
In this episode, Wendy Schell and I discuss the importance of viewing illness, particularly Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses, as a healing process rather than a sickness. Wendy is a Lyme disease survivor and genomics health coach from Pennsylvania, who has been advocating for others with the illness. Wendy shares her personal journey with Lyme disease, describing how she disintegrated from the condition, losing the ability to drive for four years, and her subsequent advocacy work to help protect others. She expresses her gratitude for being able to participate in events and advocate for...
info_outlineImagine that you suddenly started having leg tingling, jaw chattering, and facial twitching and doctors telling you it was from anxiety. Then your symptoms amplify and include severe vertigo, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue and still not getting any answers from the "standard" medical community. This is what happened to Abby Fernald and gratefully she was connected to a functional medicine doctor a few years into her quest to understand what was happening to her body.
The damage was already done however, as Lyme and tick-borne illness are TIME SENSITIVE. The sooner you get treatment, the better your chances are of stopping it before it becomes chronic and thoroughly infiltrated throughout your body. Abby unfortunately wound up bedridden and using a wheelchair due to the severity of her tick-borne infections combined with mold toxicity. Once she got to a doctor that understood what was happening to her, she was able to start on the right protocol, and within four weeks, she was able to walk again. This is a great reason why it is important to get to a specialist that fully understands tick-borne illness. Although it can be rather expensive to see one because typically, they are not covered by insurance.
Please take the time to reach out to our elected officials to let them know this is unacceptable and please take the time to listen to Abby's story. She has healed herself enough to be able to practice jiu jitsu and freely shares her journey on TikTok under @Abby.healthandwellness. Her vulnerability and willingness to educate others is absolutely amazing.