OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF DISEASE (PART 2)

I have learned that healing comes from within you. So if your healing journey happens to come across doctors, practitioners, therapies and modalities that resonate with you, and that you really, truly believe in, then I believe that healing is possible.

As I stated in Overcoming the Fear of Disease (Part 1), "In order for me to heal, I had to get away from the FEAR that was keeping me stuck and sick and find practitioners who believed that healing was possible."

Dr. Sharon Rasa, Dr. Michael Gurevich, Dr. Tia Trivosonno, Douglas Economy, and Kathy Sali are the practitioners who were instrumental in my healing and I feel truly blessed and grateful that our paths have crossed. Each of them, in their own way, helped me to shift out of my "pain body", to a balanced state of spirit, mind and body. As I healed, I became aware that the root of my illness was not physical. The root of my illness was unresolved emotional trauma, that had been in my sub-conscious since my birth. (Or before that, LOL!) When I began to release past trauma, thanks to the practitioners above, my physical problems began to subside.

I also started to notice that I was seeing myself, my family and everyone else in my life, in a more loving and kind way. I began to see my environment in a more loving and kind way. I was seeing the world in a more loving and kind way. And most of all, I was seeing my powerful and loving connection to God for the first time in my life.

Through spiritual readings and meditation, I have learned that God is the Love within me. God is the Love that is a  part of me. And God is Loving and Kind. And I believe that everything that God creates is Loving and Kind. With this new kind of thinking, I am learning to shift my perception of everything! Including disease! And to my amazement, the fear of getting sick from insect bites and germs is fading away.

Dr. Antoine Bechamp, the French scientist who discovered the cellular theory, found that germs are everywhere and "even existed inside of us in a symbiotic relationship." (See Overcoming the Fear of Disease, Part 1 for more on Dr. Bechamp and his rival, Louis Pasteur).  

Since Bechamp's time, research has proven that we indeed have billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi living in a "symbiotic relationship" in our gut. Research has also proven that we have other potentially threatening organisms living inside of us - one being cancer cells.

These cells also live in a "symbiotic relationship" with the other cells until a trigger or triggers cause them to manifest and lead to tumors / disease.

Can the same principle apply to bacteria, viruses and fungi as well? Maybe the Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) or even the West Nile virus (Flavivirus) are not only in insects but are a part of the billions of germs living harmoniously in our guts? Can a subconscious or even CONSCIOUS trigger (like FEAR of the disease), create the ultimate unbalance that actually creates sickness?  

Anita Moorjani, author of Dying To Be Me, clearly states that she believes that her dreaded fear of cancer was the cause of her cancer. When she went through an extraordinary experience that shifted her perspective from fear to love, the cancer disappeared within 5 weeks! (See Anita Moorjani...Fear Caused My Cancer and Anita Moorjani - Unconditional Love Heals for her inspiring story and insights)

I have learned and I truly believe, that each of our thoughts has an energetic and emotional connection to our physical bodies. And each and every one of our billions of cells is conscious of each thought! When we think that we are at the mercy of a bacteria or virus, we give power to that thought. When we think we can get sick from a bug, like a mosquito or tick, we are giving that thought POWER! And what does that make each and every one of us? 

A POWERLESS VICTIM!!

Through my experiences, I am learning to see that thinking like a victim is not who I am. And every day I am learning to let go of thoughts that make me feel fearful, powerless and isolated. Every day, I am letting go of the victim thoughts and replacing them with Connecting to the Higher Power Within Me thoughts. Every day, I am learning to see the Loving and Kind God Connection Within Me... and within everyone... and everything. And most of all, every day, I am learning to see and believe that this is my truth.

When we take back our power, through changing our physical, emotional and spiritual body, to a more loving and kind perspective, then our health will be more loving and kind to us. By believing that we are Love and Kindness, we are creating our world that will reflect this belief.

And when we see Love and Kindness in everyone and everything, then disease will be a past memory long forgotten. Disease will not be in our subconscious. It will not make us victims. It will not have power over us. 

It just will not... exist.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF DISEASE (PART 1)

Back in 1998, I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and many other opportunistic bacteria, viruses and fungi. Some, I never heard of. Others, I could barely pronounce.      I was physically sick and emotionally devastated to learn that tiny microscopic organisms were invading my body and sucking the life out of me. 

And to top it all off, my LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor), told me that I could never get rid of the Lyme bacteria. I would always have Lyme.  I would always have some chronic issues related to Lyme. I could never be completely healed. (See Depression and Chronic Disease - A Double Dilemma)

Cluster of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme bacteria) in my blood in 2003.
Rapid Fluorescent Antibody Preparation - Bowen Labs

I couldn't believe it!  And I refused to accept this prophecy of doom from my doctor. I had to find a way to get better and never give up until I did! It wasn't until my son was diagnosed with Lyme in 2008, that I finally went  alternative to get well. And we did!! (See My Healing Story and My Son's Healing Story)

As I think back to that time, I realize now that I got well with therapies and treatments that were based on a different belief system then what  my former LLMD,  a doctor of Western medicine, was taught to believe. (See Fear Leads to Anger...)

Western medicine is based on Louis Pasteur's germ theory of disease. "Disease is caused by specific microorganisms that invade the body from the outside." from Pasteur vs. Bechamp: The Germ Theory Debate  And of course, he was famous for developing pasteurization - the process of heating a liquid (like milk) to kill pathogens (bad germs) to extend shelf life and make the product safer for consumption. This school of thought, that germs are bad and need to be killed in order to prevent sickness, is what Western medical doctors believe to be the right way to treat sickness and disease.

At the same time that Louis Pasteur was doing his research, another well-respected French scientist, Antoine Bechamp, was developing another theory known as the cellular theory of disease.

The cellular theory is a completely different belief system than the germ theory. "Bechamp found that germs were everywhere and even existed inside of us in a symbiotic relationship. Bechamp noticed in his research that only when the tissue of the host became damaged or compromised that these germs began to manifest in a prevailing symptom (not cause) of disease...Bechamp saw the infection as a footnote to the state of illness and not the primary cause. As the person restored health through diet, hygiene and detoxification, the infection went away on its own, without needing measures to kill it." from Pasteur vs. Bechamp: An Alternative View of Infectious Disease

Bechamp also found that "disease developed in the presence of an unhealthy environment caused by an unbalanced state in the body. He held that disease could not take hold without a preexisting weakness." from Pasteur vs. Bechamp: The Germ Theory Debate

"Dr. Julian Baldor, a surgeon, in a speech before the Florida League of Humane Progress, talked about Dr. Bechamp as one of the greatest scientists of all time. He said, 'Dr. Bechamp proved that our bodies become hostess to a germ only after chemical and mechanical changes have damaged our system and that as long as our bodies and tissues retain a high vitality and resistance, a germ, infection or disease will not make progress; and furthermore, the disease organism will not survive after its entrance in a healthy organism. for an example, we see flies on a manure pile, and other parasites also. Some of these parasites may be dangerous and capable of producing disease under favorable circumstances. If however, we remove the pile of manure, the parasites disappear at the same time. Which do you think is more intelligent: To fight disease by swatting flies or to remove the pile of manure? from Are Germs the Real Problem? Pasteur vs. Bechamp

I have to agree with Dr. Baldor. I saw my body as a pile of poop that attracted BUGS! But it was my emotional health, my GERMOPHOBIA, (the fear of germs!) that started my downward spiral. I was germophobic and so was my former LLMD! And come to think of it, Germophobia is pervasive throughout our society. In order for me to get well, I had to get away from the FEAR that was keeping me stuck and sick and find a doctor that believed that disease could be reversed and healing is possible. (See The Holistic Dr. Gurevich)

I also believe that Dr. Bechamp's research laid the foundation for the alternative practitioners of today. But there is one huge piece that Bechamp never thought of or was probably never aware of that made my healing possible.  It is the energetic part of who we are. Our emotional and spiritual self defines our health!

When I began to change the way I saw myself, that is balance my emotional, mental and spiritual components, my physical being began to reflect my balanced state of being. And I could only do this with alternative and holistic practitioners who helped me to heal - without killing anything! (See Overcoming the Fear of Lyme Disease)

Dr. Valerie Hunt, scientist, physiological researcher of human energy fields and author of Infinite Mind: Science of the Human Energy Field, found in her research and clinical studies that changes in the human energy field (aura) affect our physical and mental states. When the energy field is unbalanced, then problems leading to sickness or disease, are  shown up in the body.

This is the concept of energy medicine. And it was through this belief system that            I became completely healed.

To be continued...

Overcoming the Fear of Lyme Disease

This is a  picture of my lower front leg.  Yes, that is some type of rash and most likely a bite from a mosquito or some other flying insect. The funny thing is that I don’t remember any insect biting me.  I hadn’t been on the grass. I wasn’t hiking that weekend. The “bite” seemed to pop up out of nowhere! 

The mysterious rash...

But what I do remember was that this spot started to itch when I was  hearing a very angry speaker at a discussion group.  And what is more bizarre was that I was sitting next  to a woman with a huge black rose tattoo on her thigh and I thought to myself “How could she do that to her leg?” As I was becoming irritated  by the speaker and annoyed by the tattooed girl, that spot on my leg was also becoming more and more irritating and annoying!

Was this a coincidence or a connection? Was this “bite” some kind of emotional reaction?

Within a few days, the  bite expanded and the itching became insanely unbearable. To my horror, I realized that this “bite” looked similar to the original  bullseye  “bite”  that was on my chest back in the spring of 1996.  Memories of that first bite, that plunged me into chronic Lyme disease, flooded my thoughts with fear, panic and dread.

Oh My God, why is this  happening all over again?  Am I’m going to get sick!  I can’t believe it! What is wrong with me? This is not fair! This sucks! I’m screwed!....were the thoughts that were hysterically looping around in my mind.

I also realized that my past trauma was causing me to react on the physical level.  That is “my fear of suspicious bites, triggered my fear of chronic illness (aka chronic Lyme), which triggered my immune system to react.”  (See I Think I’m Getting the Fear - for a  fascinating  therapy session with Dr. Gurevich in which he helps me to overcome the fear of bites and sickness back in 2012).

But with this  new trigger, comes the realization that  I still had more work to do! I was in a complete state of panic! I took a deep breath in order to gather my thoughts and within  a matter of seconds, I became aware that I caught myself  thinking like a victim!

“Why am I telling myself  that I’m going to get sick? Why?  My sickness was in the past. I feel great now!  So why am I screaming to myself “You’re going to get sick!!”

Why would I be wishing misery and sickness for myself? Do I subconsciously want myself to be sick?

Or could this be a thought pattern that I said to myself many, many  times and was just not aware of?

I have learned that every physical condition starts with a thought! This “bite” was my trigger to let me know that I had more healing to do. My fear of bug bites leading to chronic illness had not been fully resolved back in 2012 with Dr. Gurevich. This new trigger was now  my opportunity to shift my perspective from being attacked, to healing  at a deeper emotional and, yes, spiritual level.  And...I had to act quickly before my thoughts had time to manifest into an alter reality of my own creation. In other words, I had to put myself in a healing state before my powerful, influential thoughts became real physical symptoms.

So within a few days…

I began to drink the Lime Medicine Tea - a natural anti-malarial blood cleanser and effective detoxifier, that boosts your immune system! (Click Lime Medicine Tea for the article and recipe.)

Started a course of doxycycline.

Practiced Tapping (Mental Field Therapy) - to help me to overcome the fear of recurring Lyme disease. But since this  fear was so huge and so out of control for me, I could not overcome this fear on my own. I needed help.

So...

During my weekly spiritual discussion group, I talked about my problem and Douglas Economy offered to help me with a constellation process . Through the constellation, Doug guided me into seeing the bite through a  higher, loving perspective.  With this shift,  I was able to observe the rash without fear or judgment. (Click Systemic Family Constellation - A Miracle Therapy for more info)

I also was lucky enough to see CranioSacral Therapist, Kathy Moser, the following day. Kathy helped me to connect to the love,  healer and Holy Spirit within me. Through Kathy’s powerful therapy, I was able to shift out of a state of fear into a state of unconditional love, forgiveness and wellness.  Through this shift, I was seeing myself in a new perspective. I began to see that  my thoughts of recurring Lyme symptoms, are not a part of who I am.  Kathy guided me into seeing my fear of brain fog and fatigue as flowing water, naturally moving from my head through my spine down my legs to my bite and back. This visualization shifted my awareness to a state of inner relaxation and peace.  (Click CranioSacral Therapy & Somato Emotional Release for a past healing session with Kathy)

The fear of Lyme is not who I am and I forgive myself for believing this. Thoughts of fear are beliefs that I created. But they are not real. They are just an illusion that I believed was real. When I shift to my state of unconditional love, I am in a state of peace and wellness. I am learning to see that this is reality. It simply is reality for it cannot be changed. Thoughts of fear - any kind of fear - are not real. - These thoughts can be changed.

When you believe fear is real, then you create  drama in your life. When you see yourself as love and peace, then your life will reflect your inner thoughts.

So with this new perspective in my thought process,  am I out of the panic zone?

Yes!  

But I can honestly say... only for now….

My 2012 Lyme panic and now this new one were not the only times I have had large, irritated itchy, horrible looking, questionable “bites" on my body.  Since my first bite back in 1996, I have had a history of “suspicious bites” like the one  pictured above.  The question that is rolling around in my mind is how can I prevent this “trigger” from happening again? Can it be done?

Yes - I believe it can!

But learning that my reality is unconditional love  - a state of ultimate health and wellness of the body, mind and spirit,  is a belief that is new to me. And this is the healing journey that is ahead of me.

My healing journey has become a spiritual journey of healing my mind. For this, I believe, is the source of all my fears.

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF GETTING SICK

Looking back into my early childhood years, I remember one thing very vividly: 

I would get sick A LOT! 

I wasn’t a sickly child, but it just seemed that if there was a bug going around the school or someone in my family was sick, I would for sure be the next victim. I especially dreaded catching a cold. Or even worse, a cold accompanied with a COUGH! And it would all start with a little tickle in my throat, which became  a scratchy throat, which would then snowball to a mucousy stuffed head causing this annoying  drip in the back of my throat, which caused this horrible nagging cough and one restless, torturous night after another! Ugh!! It was pure hell!!  

Grandma babysitting me cause I'm sick...again!! (Age 6)

This fear of “getting sick”  followed me into adulthood and manifested in the spring of 1996 when I came down with flu-like symptoms after a tick bite and was later diagnosed with Lyme disease. My worst nightmare was unfolding before me. I had become chronically sick. Slowly over many years, my healing journey led me to holistic and alternative therapies and thankfully, I am now healthy and well. Part of my healing process was learning how powerful our minds are.  Our thoughts have a huge impact on our physical selves. (Read I Think I’m Getting the Fear  about my fear of getting Lyme disease before I actually got sick!)  

I have also learned that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, begins with a thought.

The fear of getting sick...is a thought! The fear of even catching a cold...is a thought!  Don’t believe me? Well, then think about this for a moment. What is the first thought in your head if someone,  who is obviously sick, sneezes or coughs in your direction? Or if you’re introduced to someone who just blew their nose on a very used tissue and goes to shake your hand?  Do you want to embrace this person and get closer to them? Or do you back  away because your thoughts are telling you “I don’t want to get sick”?  

The phrase”catching a cold” or “catching your death of cold” or even “you’ll get sick if you ( fill in the blank)” is a learned  negative thought pattern that has been in our Western society for generations. As a young child, I remember my mom telling me “Wear a hat or you’ll catch cold” or button up or you’ll get sick!” or “it’s too cold to go out, you’ll get sick! “  My mom learned this from her mom and her mom learned this from her mom and  so on and so on. And, like most kids, I believed in the powerful  words of my mom which seemed to come true! 

This negative thought pattern stayed with me until I became aware of my thoughts and I realized I had a “fear of getting sick and catching a cold.”  As soon as the seasons changed,  I believed that I was going to get sick. And I would! But what I didn’t realize was that I was seeing myself as a victim. A victim of my own beliefs!  When I began to dissolve the fear of seeing  myself as a victim to a  “cold”, I became stronger and healthier! (Read Are You a Victim of your Thoughts  about being aware of your thoughts and releasing negative thought patterns.)

Changing negative thought patterns to healthier empowering thoughts is not easy but it can be done little by little, one day at a time. One first step is to ignore the messages that are in the media that suggest that  you will get a cold during cold season! Commercials for cold and flu medications would have you believe that when weather gets colder (that’s cold or flu season ), there is no escape - you will be the victim of a cold or the flu. Well, if you think about it enough and the fear of getting sick is subconsciously looping around in your mind, chances are you WILL get sick!

The concepts of “cold season” and “flu season” are negative messages that you can choose to ignore. You can choose not to get a cold! You can choose to reject the idea that there is a season dedicated to sickness. Does the weather affect your health? Only if you believe it! (Are people living in cold climates always sick? Is there a cold season during the  rainy season in tropical regions?) 

I am an independent piano teacher and make a living teaching children so it is not uncommon for many of my students to come to their lesson  with runny noses, coughing and sneezing in my face, blowing their nose on used tissues, and playing the piano with sticky fingers, etc. When I was still dealing with chronic Lyme symptoms, I would be terrified that one of my students would infect me and make me even sicker.  I used to call my students walking Petri dishes! (I kid, I kid!!)  But since I’ve changed my perspective, I’ve changed my tune. Now when a student walks in with an obvious cold, I smile and say that I don’t get colds anymore! And the mom always asks,  “What do you do so you don’t get sick?

And this is what I tell them:

I  believe that getting sick, like catching a cold, starts with the fear of getting sick. Since I’m working on overcoming this fear, I need a few healing aids to help me stay in a healthy frame of mind and body:

The first thing I do is wash my hands!! They say that washing for about 20 seconds kills germs so I hum  the song “Happy Birthday” when I wash my hands and that seems to do the trick!

If I get a tickle in my throat, I gargle with ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ( I use raw, organic and unfiltered vinegar)  and ¼ cup warm water a few times throughout the day. I also find spraying my throat every 3 hours with Zicam really works great too.

If I get a scratchy throat and start sneezing, I add Yin Chiao Classic  by Planetary Herbals, to the Zicam and/or apple cider vinegar routine. This herbal supplement was recommended to me by my acupuncturist, Lauren Daniels of TLC Acupuncture and is a wonderful boost to the immune system.

And last, but far from least,  Lime Medicine Tea is my best remedy for overcoming not only the fear of getting sick, but the viruses as well. I usually  make a few batches and by the time I finish the second batch, I feel great!  Lime Medicine Tea is a recipe from the Amazon. ( Read Lime Medicine Tea for the amazing story and recipe.)  Lime tea  is a natural blood cleanser, detoxifier  and has an alkaline effect on the body.  In other words,  it brings you into a healing state.

These healing aids help me to feel  strong, protected  and empowered.  And the fear of being sick  is slowly becoming a memory.  A past experience.  And who knows, maybe, one day, just the thought of good health and balance... will be all I need to stay in a state of wellness.

It’s just a thought...