(WJAR) - "One summer, the summer of 2000 I came down with this very strange sudden flu, a lot of vertigo with it, chills, clammy, sweat, stiff neck, bad headache, very disoriented."
At first Katina Makris was told she had the flu and that she would feel better in about 10 days.
"And I did not pull out of it in ten days and I started being really weak."
She was then diagnosed with walking pneumonia. And finally chronic fatigue syndrome.
"Sad to say over the next five years we watched my life deteriorate down and down and down so I'm completely bedridden."
Katina, a homeopathic practitioner and mom in New Hampshire says she lost her husband and her practice as a result. Fast forward five years
"So finally lo and behold a nutritionist, a colleague of mine I limped into his office really broken and fragile and was recounting the whole story to him and he says this sounds like lyme disease to me."
She was tested for this tick borne disease and it came back positive.
"And I was elated and furious at the same time."
It's all in her new book: Out of the woods: healing lyme disease--body, mind and spirit.
"It's two books in one."
The first part, her memoir, her ten year healing journey she calls it.
"And then it's a guide, the second half of the book is what I call the nuts and bolts and it's got the diagnostics, the proper labs to use and the tests to ask your doctor to make sure they run, there's the homeopathic herb section and antibiotics."
Katina used natural antibiotics
"And slowly slowly, I would see strides."
It took her five years to get back on track and well enough to write her story.
Her stop in Rhode Island is part of a book tour she hopes will promote Lyme disease and inspire hope.
Makris is donating 5 percent from the sale of her book to research.
At first Katina Makris was told she had the flu and that she would feel better in about 10 days.
"And I did not pull out of it in ten days and I started being really weak."
She was then diagnosed with walking pneumonia. And finally chronic fatigue syndrome.
"Sad to say over the next five years we watched my life deteriorate down and down and down so I'm completely bedridden."
Katina, a homeopathic practitioner and mom in New Hampshire says she lost her husband and her practice as a result. Fast forward five years
"So finally lo and behold a nutritionist, a colleague of mine I limped into his office really broken and fragile and was recounting the whole story to him and he says this sounds like lyme disease to me."
She was tested for this tick borne disease and it came back positive.
"And I was elated and furious at the same time."
It's all in her new book: Out of the woods: healing lyme disease--body, mind and spirit.
"It's two books in one."
The first part, her memoir, her ten year healing journey she calls it.
"And then it's a guide, the second half of the book is what I call the nuts and bolts and it's got the diagnostics, the proper labs to use and the tests to ask your doctor to make sure they run, there's the homeopathic herb section and antibiotics."
Katina used natural antibiotics
"And slowly slowly, I would see strides."
It took her five years to get back on track and well enough to write her story.
Her stop in Rhode Island is part of a book tour she hopes will promote Lyme disease and inspire hope.
Makris is donating 5 percent from the sale of her book to research.
