THANKSGIVING & GIVING THANKS

Thanksgiving is the time for the  traditional turkey feast, pumpkin pie (my favorite!), family get togethers,  the Macy’s Day Parade, football games, kids coming home from college, donating to the needy, and the beginning of  holiday shopping (aka the day before Black Friday!) But most of all, it is a time to give thanks for what you already have.

I'm thankful for my family!  Sharing a holiday meal in 1996.

When we are feeling thankful, we are physically, emotionally and spiritually, in a positive state. Being thankful improves your overall health. Being thankful enhances your immune system. So, starting today, why not make the spirit of Thanksgiving and the feeling of thankfulness as a part of your every day life, all year round?

So what are you thankful for?

In the book, 101 Exercises for the Soul, Dr. Bernie Siegel suggests writing a Gratitude List to change your thoughts and health into a more positive direction:

 “Gratitude is one of the best ways to improve your attitude and feel better. You can’t be troubled and grateful at the same time…Start by making a list of at least twenty things you are grateful for in your life. You might start with the basic necessities, like having a roof over your head, a chair to sit on, food to eat, a warm bed at night, and so on. Then continue with the more meaningful and personal areas of your life, such as your friends, family, work, pets and health. When you finish, display the list where you will see it often, especially when troubling thoughts start surfacing. Keep adding to you list over the next several weeks, and take the time to read it every day to remind yourself all the things in your life that you are grateful for.”

Drawing a Gratitude Mandala is another way of expressing thanks. This is a personal Gratitude Mandala by Donna Gentile –  artist, singer/songwriter and founder of the Community Mandala Project. I love this mandala and what it represents. I completely resonate with Donna’s uplifting and powerful words.

My personal  mandala would  be very similar to Donna’s, but  I would also like to add one more very important thing that I am grateful for.

I am grateful for having chronic Lyme disease ( Multi-Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome) and being chronically sick for almost 13 years. I am grateful for this life experience!  Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? I mean who in their right mind would be thankful for being sick?

Now that I am healed, I can see that this was a life lesson. My sickness was a lesson! A lesson in compassion, spiritual growth,  facing and dissolving fears, listening to my intuition, loving myself more, forgiving myself and others, spreading hope and awareness, and most of all, a lesson in being grateful every day!

I am grateful for my life! I am grateful that I chose the holistic path!  I am grateful that I am aware of my thoughts!  I am grateful for - just about everything!  And I thank God every day for my new found awareness. I have learned to make thankfulness a permanent trait.  And the best part is – if I can do this – anyone can!

So what are you thankful for? Have you ever stopped to think about it?

If you haven’t, start now! Keep the glorious spirit of Thanksgiving alive all year long! Let gratitude become a part of your life each and every day. Thank every one and every thing as much as you can. The more you give thanks, the more you will feel blessed. The more you feel blessed, the happier you will be.  And a life filled with happiness is what it's all about. Isn't this what you are striving for?

Well, isn’t it?

Or did you forget?

Well... I’m here to remind you.

You’re welcome….J

                                                         BE THANKFUL    

                                   
                   Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,

If you did, what would there be to look forward too?

Be thankful when you don’t know something

For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations

Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge

Because it will give you strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary

Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

~Author Unknown~

  

REDEFINING CHRONIC LYME

“Chronic Lyme disease needs to be redefined. The patients that come to me, they just don’t have Lyme disease. They have a multi-systemic illness…they have multiple tick born co-infections. They have parasites…You can get one tick bite and get multiple organisms into your body and it overwhelms the immune system…” Dr. Richard Horowitz on the Katie Couric Show.

Dr. Richard Horowitz , a member of ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) and one of the most sought after integrative Lyme doctors,  has a new definition for chronic Lyme. In his recently released book, “WHY CAN’T I GET BETTER? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease”,  he defines chronic Lyme as a MSIDS – Multi-Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome.

My first reaction upon hearing this was, “Thank You!!  Dr. Horowitz!”  Chronic Lyme IS a Multi-Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome.  (See My Healing Story for the grocery list of multiple infections that were happily partying inside my body!) As in my case, the Lyme bacteria was just part of the gang! But what intrigues me most about his new concept is that the word “Lyme” is missing! And that deserves another applause

The term “chronic Lyme” has become a pariah in our conventional medical society.  Does that surprise you? Most doctors don’t understand chronic systemic illness and don’t have their practices set up to be medical sleuths. The brutal, cold hard fact is that diagnosing and treating multi-systemic chronic illness  is not part of the medical school curriculum. (I bet you didn’t know that!)

In the documentary, “Smart Meters and EMR: Health Crisis of Our Time, Dr.  Dietrich Klinghardt, who specializes in chronic illness, states that “ chronic illness is not a static thing, the foundations and causes of illness are now quite different from what they were 30-35 years ago…the teaching in our medical schools, to a  large degree, are lagging behind the evolution of illness.” Dr. Klinghardt  admits that while attending medical school, there was not one single lecture on chronic fatigue or on chronic pain. “And unfortunately, that hasn’t changed very much since then.” (He graduated medical school in 1975.) 

Healing chronic sickness is complicated. But it can be done. I am living proof. But I had to seek out alternative therapies and doctors to get to where I am today.

In the informative book,  Beyond Lyme Disease: Healing the Underlying Causes of Chronic Illness in People with Borreliosis and  Co-Infections, author and  medical researcher, Connie Strasheim, examines and brings to light other problems that can lead to chronic illness. “Environmental toxins, mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity,  adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, parasites, gastrointestinal dysfunction, dental problems, Electromagnetic radiation (EMR),  emotional trauma, and other factors cause severe chronic illness in people with tick-borne infections.”

Dr. Gurevich knows and understands these underlying factors. He addressed all of the problems that Connie mentioned and then some! Do you think Dr. Gurevich learned any of this in medical school? Dr. Gurevich began his practice as a conventional doctor. When he saw that his patients weren’t improving with traditional treatment, he decided to change the direction of his practice to “the road less traveled.” He actually risked his livelihood for the sake of his new found beliefs. As a holistic doctor, he began to see many of his patients getting well and having productive lives. 

More and more doctors and health practitioners, like Dr. Gurevich and Dr. Rasa  are choosing the alternative path to help their patients recover from chronic conditions.

If you believe that you might have MSIDS  as the cause of your chronic symptoms ( See Lyme Research Alliance for symptom list) this may be the time for you to reevaluate your treatment plan. Does your doctor know what to test you for and which labs are the most reliable? Does your doctor know anything about addressing multi-systemic infections or the other underlying causes? Does your doctor know about detoxifying the body?  Does your doctor know anything about nutrition – such as avoiding anti-inflammatory foods or going on an anti-inflammatory diet? Or is your doctor prescribing pharmaceutical drugs for your symptoms but not getting to the root cause?             

                                                  Could this be your doctor?

This cartoon gets lots of laughs but unfortunately it is based on fact. If your doctor is NOT a medical detective, chances are he or she will not be able to get you on the healing track.

Chronic illness is increasing at an alarming rate. Coincidentally, there is a growing community of alternative doctors and health care practitioners who recognize and treat multi-systemic illness. It’s up to you to find the doctor and treatment plan that’s right for you.

You and you alone have the power to heal. You and you alone have the power to find a doctor who believes that chronic disease can be reversed. You and you alone have the power to find a doctor that believes that YOU can achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance. And last but not least, you must truly believe, think and feel deep down to your soul, that you have the power to get well and deserve optimal health, happiness and fulfillment.