Meet Leanne
My story is similar to many others. Maybe it will seem repetitious to you or perhaps not. I am telling it to offer whatever it might afford by way of hope, encouragement or new information to anyone who might benefit.
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I was bitten July 1st weekend, 2011. I got the rash, had the ten days of antibiotics and was told I had been cured. Over the next 4 years I struggled with declining health until October 21, 2015 when I woke with a migraine and dizziness so badly I could not work. Those symptoms were as follows: brain fog, memory loss, inability to find the words I wanted to speak, insomnia, heart palpitations, feelings of dizziness/fainting, migraines, joint and nerve pain, muscle twitches, auditory and visual disturbances, inability to read and remember what I just read and others.
I went to every specialist I could convince my GP to send me to and since all their tests came back clear, demeaning assumptions were made that the problems were "self serving," the result of my weight, gender or age, or simply too much time on social media. Labeled as a hypochondriac, every symptom was dismissed or lumped into a diagnosis of depression.
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After several months, my GP prescribed an antidepressant saying it might also help with migraines. It did do one thing for sure, it cured the insomnia. I began to sleep 16 -20 hours per day! Numerous incorrect diagnoses, medications and therapies over the next 2 years did nothing to help.
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Finally, in 2017 my sister found a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) in BC willing to treat me. For a year prior to that, I was forced to use a cane because balance and fatigue were so problematic. My family would not put me on the plane before speaking with the airline company directly to arrange extra check ins and a wheelchair for the transfer between gates in Calgary. The airline staff were amazing! After seven weeks of treatment with intravenous antibiotics and other treatments I went home greatly improved, no longer needing the cane and continued to work with both that ND and another locally in Ontario.
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In January of 2018 my sister tracked down a Lyme Disease support group meeting regularly in Port Dover. She announced that we were going, no questions asked. The wealth of information and comfort of connection with others impacted by this little known thief of life and health inspired the two of us to start the Waterloo Region Lyme Disease Support Group closer to home. It grew rapidly with 20 attendees by the second month and 50 by the end of 2019.
As 2020 unfolded, the Covid crisis set in along with drastic efforts to control it. The College of Naturopathic Physicians put a stop to all out of province treatment. I was one of a surprisingly large number of Lyme Disease warriors who suddenly lost desperately needed support. The impact of that loss along with the ongoing demands of everyday life took a heavy toll on my health once again also forcing the group to meet online. This time I was almost entirely bedridden; summer 2021.
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Ever faithful, Bob always believed that if he shared our story with enough people someone would have the piece of the puzzle that we were missing. Late in August of that year, one of his long term clients called saying "I need to tell you about Sarah and you need to talk to Michelle."
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After ten grueling years getting well seemed like an impossible pipe dream. Reluctant to face yet another disappointment, I didn't make an appointment until a full month later at the end of September. At that point after having tried, traveled and spent so very much only to find myself still sick, I did not want to be responsible for yet another hefty expenditure which yes, working with Michelle did mean. Besides, I wasn't sure I had enough fight left to do it.
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Bob saw things differently. He was fully convinced that Michelle held the missing puzzle piece with her Bioenergetic Feedback Program along with many years of training and experience. His confidence that her decisions about which supplements would serve me best with the detox and cleanse protocol she recommended was rewarded. By day 4 he noticed a difference and continued daily to encourage me to follow through with the recommended supplements and magnesium chloride baths. Amazing friends even made their infrared sauna available to me ongoing.
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With no real faith in the efforts, I simply went along with it because they all cared so much. After the first month of cleansing, we added in Lyme killing herbs. Again Bob noticed improvements I could see no signs of, until surprising clarity and energy presented in December, usually a month of extreme lows. Our family enjoyed an exceptionally joyful holiday because those small signs offered the first real hope.
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After the New Year we added in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Tracy, the Owner Operator of the facility handled the trepidation I felt like the seasoned pro she is. As she "took me down" (as if in a diving bell), slowly to minimize the ear popping discomfort, fear of pain in my very sensitive ears and a touch of claustrophobia melted away. Over the next 7 months of 10 treatments scheduled around the moon cycles, I spent my time coloring, napping, chatting and eventually also enjoying things I had been unable to do for years like reading and Sudoku.
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Among the few clear memories I have of that first meeting with Michelle is the moment she said "Just give me six months and you'll start to feel so much better!" and my unspoken reaction "Yeah right, hasn't happened so far." At the end of March, it really did. The migraine/dizziness that had been a part of every single day since October 2015 disappeared. I felt like I must be dreaming and was reluctant to tell Bob for days; much longer for anyone else. The turning point when I truly believed I could beat this horrid disease arrived. Michelle already gave a number of bang on recommendations, but this one outdid them all.
Since then I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing her abilities not only in my own healing journey but in other Lyme Warriors as well. Improvement continued while she pressed on telling me about even greater successes her patients enjoy in their healing journeys when they address and clear past trauma. Again initial resistance melted with solid research revealing nearly everyone has trauma of one type or another to deal with. My own resulted from being the fat kid that endured bullying, a long distance move from extended family members and most recently, near phobia about being outdoors risking another tick bite.
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So June saw the addition of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) to my protocol and yet another hugely beneficial step in healing, not just physically but in relationships as well. It did not mean reliving all of those unhappy events as I feared and the results were surprisingly instantaneous. This technique oft maligned as a form of manipulative mind control can be profoundly beneficial in the hands of a capable practitioner like the one I was privileged to work with.
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I still have daily struggles like anyone else but now I have a bunch of new tools to help me deal with things as they come up. I believe I’m Lyme Disease free at last but will continue to test and do maintenance going forward. I’m also going to continue seeking Michelle’s help in my ongoing health journey as I discover just how amazing this new and improved 13 years older me can be! In this last year I have not only regained the ability to read but went on to successfully complete training as a Certified Health Coach and am loving each new opportunity to help others in their healing journeys.
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