Lyme Disease And The Journey Back To Health

“Let the truth be known and the country is safe”
Abraham Lincoln

What if all of modern disease states and maladies were found to be operating on an entirely new paradigm….one existing largely outside the best understanding and tenants of standard medicine? How would one ever find their way back to restored health if the very basis of their disease state were predicated on an illusive, yet extraordinarily powerful, microbe and it’s cast of co-conspirators?
Such is the dilemma of many of the as yet unheard voices of those suffering silently from Lyme Disease, a pathogenic opportunist that has found a niche in humankind, thriving off of a perfect storm of conditions, allowing it to exist as a modern day pandemic. While there exists a handful of visionaries who have recognized, managed, and researched the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of this disease, they are a small minority of the medical community, with much of standard medicine relying on antiquated and flawed diagnostic tools and treatment approaches. Such a disconnect acts to further facilitate the stronghold of this disease, and only those who choose to think ‘outside the box’ can be effective in managing a modern day plague such as Lyme Disease.  An increasingly toxic air and water supply, along with a dangerously altered food source, have contributed to increasing genetic fragility and compromised immunologic mechanisms in the general public.  Such conditions, combined with increasingly virulent microbes that have genetically outsmarted modern day super drugs, (through either extreme evolutionary forces or those of man made genetic alterations), have allowed these pathogens to exist within our bodies, largely undetected, resulting in chronic infectious and toxic states that have created a perfect matrix for chronic, often debilitating, diseases to flourish.

What if an infection and/or toxic state were the cause of your neurodegenerative, rheumatoid, orthopedic, bladder, thyroid/endocrine, reproductive, cognitive disease, or even emotional imbalances? What if you were to find out that the primary cause of your debilitating illness was in fact a treatable infection or reversible toxic state?  You would find yourself on a journey back to wellness.  Therefore, the journey back to wellness involves dramatic shifts in consciousness. An increased awareness is necessary as to the true nature and identification of this illusive, virulent disease, as well as management of toxic background issues such as Mercury, Lead, radiation, pesticides, and other neuroimmune toxicities. The addition of adverse dietary choices, dental mercury amalgams, chronic dental infections and interference fields (see Dr. Bill Wolfe’s ad and related article in this issue), found in the presence of restrictive, myopic attitudes, yields limited understanding in recognizing and treating Lyme related diseases.

Upon recognition as to the possible presence of Lyme and Lyme related organisms, the next step is to find a Lyme Literate physician who can safely and carefully guide you through the diagnostic and healing process (see www.ILADS.org for such a listing).  The good news is that modern day heroes, including celebrities, authors, and politicians afflicted with Lyme Disease, are exerting their efforts to help increase both awareness in society and in the medical community, allowing for better testing and more appropriate, effective treatments. See the JumboTron ad on Lyme Disease Awareness at this year’s Superbowl, as well as the ongoing JumboTron ad in NYC’s Times Square.  Additionally, there are numerous medical pioneers whose hard work has allowed for insights into the successful diagnosis and treatment of this disease, in all of it’s many clinical manifestations. As more patients become aware of the ‘outside the box’ thinkers, the tide of public opinion will forcibly move the medical community and insurance industry to become open to this disease reality.  Thankfully, there indeed exists a road back to wellness. There is hope, and many of us who are in a position to help are willing to help you find this road.

Please refer to my ads for appointment information and to www.drpamelacostello.com or to www.ILADS.org website for further information.

Holistic Neurological Physician

Lyme Disease is transmitted by a biting insect, often a tick, and is caused by a spiral shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. As insects and those organisms that get bitten by them (deer, pets, humans), migrate and travel, this disease recognizes no boundaries. The diagnosis of Lyme Disease is a clinical one, in conjunction with supportive lab testing, a physical exam, and thorough history taking. This diagnosis now includes a number of co-infecting organisms, known to travel within the transmitting insect with the Borrelia bacterium – specifically Babesia, Bartonella, Erlichia, and a number of other associated bacterial and viral species. Each organism causes it’s own set of symptoms.

Chronic Lyme Disease is a Lyme infection that has been either incompletely treated, or the diagnosis has been missed altogether. The organisms can go on to invade the tissues of the nervous system, often causing damage that can lead to debilitating illness. The organisms causing Lyme Disease, as well as many of the co-conspirators such as heavy metal and other environmental neurotoxins, have a great affinity for the insulation that surrounds or comprises much of the nervous tissue of our brain, spine, and nerves. Many cases of Chronic Lyme Disease are contracted from a remote exposure, including the possibility of an infection from mother to fetus.

The elusiveness of correctly diagnosing Lyme Disease has been the result of a number of factors, many of which are due to widely held misconceptions by both health care professionals and the public. This perfect storm of misinformation includes the overall poor sensitivity of standard available lab testing in detecting the organisms, the general lack of awareness of the wide array of clinical manifestations, and the widespread confusion over appropriate, effective treatments.

What we now know, and is important for the public to know, is that many of the most severe maladies affecting the nervous system today are actually related to an occult Lyme Disease infection. Neurologic and pain syndromes such as Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, the Autism Spectrum, Attention Deficit Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Dementia (including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Neuropathy, chronic neck and low back pain, chronic headaches and mental fog, are often an acquired manifestation of a missed diagnosis of a Lyme Disease infection. While there are many other known contributing factors to these clinical syndromes, Lyme Disease is often a hidden, treatable, conspirator.

Once a chronic Lyme infection is suspected, the next step is to seek a licensed health care professional who is formally trained to diagnose and treat Lyme Disease. You can inform yourself of the complexities of this disease through organizations such as ILADS (International Lyme Associated Diseases Society) before seeking professional care. Such organizations provide both current and accurate information on the disease, as well as provide a tremendous resource of sponsored ‘Lyme Literate’ practitioners, support groups, and other valuable references.

As an ILADS trained and sponsored physician, as well as a practicing physician of holistic integrative neurological medicine, I effectively diagnose and treat Chronic Lyme Disease. If you feel you might be suffering from a chronic Lyme infection, or might have been recently infected, you may contact my office for an appointment at 505-503-8325 or go to www.ILADS.org for further helpful information. Additional information and links can be found on my website athttp://www.drpamelacostello.com.