Brown powder

There is always the patient you dread seeing. When I see this particular patient in the waiting room an uneasiness wells up from my gut. Don't misunderstand. She is a lovely person. Maybe it would be easier if she wasn't so nice. It is her disease I take issue with. Progress has been excruciatingly slow with regression the rule. After two years treating her I am frustrated. She knows I can help people. Her son and mother responded beautifully.

She was a park ranger. Now she is disabled, unable to work: Fatigue with a capital F, pain and scrambled brain. She experiences confusion and disorientation at times. She suffers with numerous areas of neurocognitive dysfunction. She has been troubled by severe mood swings with sudden uncontrollable tears.

She has been treated aggressively for co-infections and with intravenous antibiotics.

Finally I insisted again that we go down a different path(having suggested this many times in the past). I referred her to a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. She was skeptical given a background in science. Spiritual healing, cupping and acupuncture she felt were of little or no help. But herbs. Herbs were a different story. She was provided with strange bottles containing brown powder and hand written labels. The labels made various claims: anti-Lyme, anti-Bartonella, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, anti-biofilm and others. Neither she nor I have a clue what is in these foul tasting mixtures to be taken several times daily with water. But they Work. The combination of herbs and antibiotics has been particularly effective.

Unfortunately she regresses if she stops either the herbs or the antibiotics. Herbs, like antibiotics may be required as maintenance therapy.

Take her off the list.