Auto Immune Disorder Diagnosis: Could it be Lyme Disease?

CFS/ME, MS, Fibromyalgia, Lupus

This article on auto immune disorder and Lyme disease is by Katina Makris, author of Out Of The Woods - healing Lyme disease - body, mind and spirit. I am delighted to welcome this inspiring lady to a-spiritual-journey-of-healing.com.

Katina had many years with an undiagnosed illness.

Eventually she was diagnosed with Lyme disease.It was not an easy journey, but she has gone from severe illness to being fully recovered.



I have read this book on Lyme disease cover to cover.Much of it is a beautifully written memoir of a journey with illness: a great book for anyone who feels the isolation and frustration of illness, or wants to understand how it is for their loved one to go through the same.

The last sections give practical advice on Lyme disease specialists labs and treatment for Lyme disease.

By reading this book, you will know that you are not alone in experiencing the losses that come with illness, the self doubt, the effects on relationships and the fears for the future.

By seeing Katina’s beauty and resilience, you will be better able to see your own.

Who gets Auto Immune Disorder? Within the past thirty years the incidence of auto immune disorder disease has increased at a startling rate. The majority afflicted are women, often in the 30-60 age bracket, though men are not exempt. Why Is Auto Immune Disorder on the increase? One view point is that recognition and diagnosis of auto immune disorder has improved in our modern era. Another theory is that the stressors placed on recent generations of high achieving, multi-tasking women, residing in the fast paced westernized cultures make them susceptible to an auto immune disorder as their adrenal glands and hormonal balances are taxed. What Are The Symptoms of an Auto Immune Disorder? Buy Paperback From Amazon UK UK Kindle The common symptoms of an auto immune disorder include the following: violent headaches pronounced fatigue profound body pain weakness mental dullness depressive pall Specifically, an auto immune disorder may manifest with severe issues, such as violent headaches palsies skin rashes neurological problems like tremors speech impediment cognitive dysfunction anxiety too ill to function, bed bound. For many years I lived with these symptoms of auto immune disorder; unable to cook, drive, walk, shower without assistance. My homeopathic career of 18 years washed away, along with my financial savings, marriage, home, and friendships. Isolation, sickness and a broken spirit is an abysmal vortex to plummet through.  Lyme Disease Diagnosis Multitudes of doctors, hospitals and dollars later, a savvy nutritionist finally gave my CFS/ME, fibro, migraine complex the correct Lyme disease diagnosis. “What?” I pathetically screeched. “I’ve had the test three times in five years. Each test was negative.” “The commercial Lyme disease test is grossly inaccurate, with a 70% false negative finding,” he informed me. “Practitioners must use a Lyme disease specialists lab.” Thus began my initially shocking, but ultimately successful road to recovery. What is Lyme Disease? Lyme disease is an infectious illness started by a tick bite, often a deer tick. Lyme disease is found in 89 countries of the world. The USA, Germany, Scandinavia, Belgium, France, and Australia are currently at epidemic status. Much of Canada and Eastern Asia are under siege as well. (Note from Ed: It is in the UK too.) The majority of doctors are working with outdated data and diagnostic information on this auto immune disorder, from the 1970’s. This old answer for ‘What is Lyme disease?’ was: a short term infection caused by a bacterial organism, known as borrelia burgdorferi, easily eradicated with two weeks of antibiotics. Thirty five years later, clinical findings and millions of auto immune compromised individuals paint a different portrait. Chronic Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed as an auto immune disorder. Lyme disease treatment: The borrelia bacteria is aggressive and replicates quickly. Two weeks of early antibiotics are insufficient, according to ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Disease Society) current understanding. Six weeks is needed up front. Older cases, festering as CFS/ME, MS, IBS, fibromyalgia, bells palsy, dementia, require an integrative medicine approach to achieve recovery to wellness. Chronic Lyme disease recovery is a long, slow, arduous road. I elected not to undergo the 24 months of IV antibiotics offered to me, but embraced alternative treatment for Lyme disease: a regime structured with powerful herbs known for their antibacterial qualities. Equally critical was assessing the damage and depletions affecting multiple body systems- immune, gastrointestinal, neurological and endocrine-by the vehicle of metabolic profile analysis. From there with the help of a certified nutritionist, the treatments were a detoxification diet, and supplements supervised by an Integrative Medicine physician. Still bedridden, it took time and patience. Homeopathy and acupuncture gavea dditional alternative treatment. Where can you find Lyme disease specialists testing labs? Lyme disease test: Currently, the gold standard Lyme disease specialists test labs of the world are Igenex, Clongen in USA; Borreliose Centrum, Augsberg, Germany.(Note from Ed: The Lyme disease practitioners who treated Katina in the USA, New Hampshire are named in her book.) Spirituality and Mind Body Spirit: Alternative Treatment To recover from auto immune disorder or chronic illness, of any form, necessitates a journey to your soul’s center. With enormous loss and trauma ransacking a once stunning life, my spirit broke in the process. Depression, anxiety and despair are common feelings for those compromised in chronic illness. Learning to change our thoughts, by specific visualization exercises, positive affirmations, healing prayers and clear intention statements can initiate a trickle of immune enhancing brain neurotransmitters which helps our mood as well as prompts healing. The human being is an amazing resilient creature. My ten year healing journey through Lyme disease projected me into unknown caverns, and unveiled remarkable discoveries. Ultimately, I view the experience as one of personal transformation and spiritual growth. I was asked to change. Stubbornly, I held onto my former belief systems and structures for many years. During the solitude of confinement in illness, I realized my spirit was asking me to expand. In doing so, I explored metaphysics, embraced change and healed at a core level. Spirituality helped me move beyond the grip of traditional societal expectations and onto a new vibration, where the borrelia organism no longer needed to exist. Happy and whole now, I offer hope and inspiration to the all too many living with chronic auto immune disorders. Spirit is calling you! Listen within. Honor your intuitions and the guidance rising. Each path is unique and you can heal: mind body and spirit included.

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AUTHOR'S BIO: Katina I. Makris, CCH, CIH is author of Out of the Woods. She has worked in health care for 27 years, as a Classical Homeopath, Intuitive Healer and Natural Health care educator. She is a former popular newspaper columnist and a past board member of The Council for Homeopathic Certification. Katina is a graduate of Duke University and The Stillpoint School of Integrative Life Healing. She lectures extensively about Lyme disease treatment and healing.