The Root of the Matter

I left you guys with somewhat of a dentistry cliff hanger that may or may not be related to my current health issue. Please except my apology for taking two months to follow up on my last post. I have thrown too many balls in the air at once. Currently my balls are bouncing all over the place and are totally out of control.

Before I dive into the topic of discussion I want to take a moment to thank all of my readers for your support, encouragement and questions. Two plus years of writing about my three plus years of treatment regarding the controversial topic of chronic Lyme disease is a long time for everyone involved. The process is slow moving and I have no shortage of things to write about. Stay tuned as this year unfolds.

What is integrative dental medicine?

Integrative dentists are traditionally trained dentists who are holistically oriented in their lifestyles and dentistry practice. Dentistry is often the missing link in integrative medicine strategies resolving the root causes of health issues.

Integrative medical dentistry blends traditional dentistry with a biological approach to dental health and healing with the belief that the mouth and all of its structures are intricately connected to the whole body. The teeth, jaw bones, gums and periodontal tissues, and the structural relationship of the jaw to the cranium can often be connected to, or the major root cause of many health issues. Dental problems often contribute to heavy metal toxicity and microbial infection and toxins, dys-regulation and neurological overload resulting in the body not being able to properly regulate (dys-autonomia), and structural dental stress issues. The dental conditions that lead to dys-autonomia are jaw bone infections, root canalled teeth and mercury fillings.

Do you believe all of what integrative medical dentistry is based upon? Once again, I find myself navigating another controversial topic that may or may not be linked to my on-going health journey, which is also controversial. In my last post I made light of the holistic doctor asking questions out loud to my body and using my responses to the muscle testing as the answers. Since then I have taken classes to get certified in reiki and now understand that you can indeed communicate with your cells and it is best to be positive at all times because too much negativity can halt forward progress when it comes to illness. It is very important that I view all of this as my health journey, and not my sucky health problems.

Allergy Elimination Testing Part II

A quick recap of the last questions, answers and final statement which I posed in my previous post: 

Q: What are Gutta Percha and A bak kieferostitis?
A: Gutta percha is a material used for root canals and A bak kieferostitis is a bacteria related to jawbone cavitations in connection with wisdom teeth and root canals.
Statement: I've had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed and I've had three root canals.

[Gutta percha and A bak kieferostitis were in two of the vials that I stressed to during the allergy elimination testing I discussed last time].

You are probably wondering what a jawbone cavitation is. Well, it looks and sounds disgusting. I don't recommend doing any searches for it. A jawbone cavitation is an unhealed hole in the jawbone caused by an extracted tooth, a root canal or an injury to a tooth. They occur when bone is deprived of its blood supply and dies. A hole in the bone than develops and bacteria migrate into the hole.

After stressing to the Gutta Percha and the A bak kieferostitis I was told it would be a good idea to have a consult with the holistic dentistry office which is affiliated with the practice of the doctor I am getting treated by. The dentist did additional muscle testing on me, and then recommended getting my root canalled teeth extracted. The minute those words left the mouth of the dentist I got really sweaty and started to squirm in the chair. NO WAY MAN is the first thing that ran through my head. I was so busy with the inner monologue in my head I think I missed a few things that were being explained to me. What I did hear was that in addition to the tooth extractions, the dentist wants to treat me with ozone therapy where my wisdom teeth used to be as well as the spots my root canalled teeth currently occupy. Ozone therapy consists of the introduction of ozone into the body, in my case, into my gums. The proposed reason for using it is that the bacteria can't thrive or grow in a high oxygen environment and will die off.

One other thing of note to mention is that all three of my root canals were caused by trauma to my teeth. I love accidents. One of the teeth which is on the chopping block so to speak is a back molar but the other two, are directly to the right of my front teeth. As the dentist was hitting me with a sea of information and I was still trying to get over the initial surprise of the tooth extraction recommendation, I was also told that due to the jawbone cavitations he doesn't recommend dental implants and he would rebuild the front of my mouth with a bridge and veneers and then bleach the rest of my teeth to match the new work.

I was not nearly as enthusiastic as the dentist and his assistant were regarding my mouth, and I declined to make an appointment to get the ball rolling on the extractions, ozone injections, bridge work... etc. This initial dentist appointment was at the end of November and I am still doing research.

In the meantime I have since returned to the holistic practitioner who did the original allergy testing and elimination work on me, and the only thing I am still stressing to from the original results is A bak kieferostitis. Both the holistic practitioner and my doctor refer to it as the "elephant in the room" and are attempting to gently steer me in the direction of tooth extraction.

Research

There is not much out there in the universe regarding research between root canals, jawbone cavitations and Lyme disease, trust me, I have looked for it. By not much, I mean nothing. The information that was given to me by the holistic dentist which doesn't focus on Lyme disease specifically, but chronic illness, makes for great reading about areas of focal disturbance. They are localized areas of autonomic nervous system (ANS) disturbances caused by electrical pathological tissues whose chronic discharge overwhelms the sensory ANS (I discussed ANS last time). They often also contain deposits of toxic metals and chemicals and chronic infestations. The areas of focal disturbances range from scars, chronically infected organs (sinuses, tonsils, appendixes) as well as chronic jaw infections (root canal, dead teeth, jaw cavitations). Root canals and jaw bone infections create toxins. And toxins can create or enhance chronic illness.

While a high percentage of my mind wants to write this all off as gibberish and the convenience of having a holistic dentistry practice attached to the integrative medicine practice I am getting treated at, there are three things that keep running through my head.

• Some of what I stressed to in the muscle testing, matched my blood work results and was an accurate portrayal of the current environment in my body (Not everything I stressed to is testable through blood work, urinalysis, etc).  
• In this post I wrote about a situation that occurred in December of 2013 which involved the most intense headaches I have ever experienced, and ended with the pain shifting from my head into one tooth. I commented on how it was weird that a root canalled tooth from years earlier felt like it had its own heartbeat. My doctor at the time told me it was a herx reaction and I had no reason not to believe him. This was long before I started taking this more holistic approach to my treatment. 
• For every 4 people that tell me the dentist is a quack and I shouldn't pull my teeth, there is one person who sends me information about how root canals can cause chronic pain issues and/or cancer. It is usually someone who has a family member suffering from a chronic illness that can sight medical literature about the danger of root canals and keeping dead teeth in your mouth.

* One thing I must say is that this dentist doesn't recommend that everyone get their teeth extracted if they have had root canals. In fact they perform root canals within this practice on generally healthy clients and they disclose the possible issues that could arise from getting the root canal. If the patient presents with a serious disease/chronic health problem and it turns out they have had root canals in the past, they recommend extracting the teeth. I most definitely have a chronic health problem.

Back to the Lyme

I read a book called "Freedom from Lyme Disease", by Bryan Rosner. I am going to take one small part of what I have read and sum it up, because I think it pertains to my current situation and it is an approach to viewing Lyme disease that I have touched on throughout this blog.

The way each individual case of Lyme disease differs are to numerous to list. Lyme disease affects each person uniquely with different co-infections and co-conditions, and it is important to work with a doctor and for the patient to do their own research to correctly identify the distinct aspects of their unique case. Some Lyme sufferers symptoms are primarily caused by infections, meaning that before getting sick with Lyme disease their bodies were not functioning properly and were burdened by toxins, nutritional deficiencies, etc. There are other patients whose symptoms are primarily caused by non-infectious problems such as hormones, metabolic irregularities, allergies, etc. Many patients have a combination of the two categories I just mentioned. An important part of treatment is realizing the fact that the most pressing need needs to be addressed and that the treatments continually have to change as the needs of the patient change. This is where the analogy of "peeling off layers of an onion" comes from regarding treatment and recovery. The act of peeling off layers of an onion is similar to the act of recovering from Lyme disease. In the beginning of recovery, the treatment focuses on peeling the outer layers off of the onion. As the patient and treatment advance through the recovery process, they encounter and address deeper and deeper layers of the onion. The infections can arrange themselves in layers so treating infection "b" can only be achieved once infection "a" has been removed. The non-infectious health problems also nest themselves in the layers, and can come and go as infections are removed. Some layers can include both infections and non-infectious problems. When are all of the layers of the onion have been removed, the patient has achieved recovery.

Final Thoughts

I put a high value on the conversations and opinions of my family and friends who have engaged in many discussions with me about my experience and treatment, and are just as passionate about my health as I am. Like I mentioned above, I am getting mixed signals about the tooth situation. I am firm in my belief that I do not want to get my front teeth extracted, but I am on the fence about my back tooth which caused me an immense amount of pain over Christmas of 2013. I am now three plus years into this journey and have completely overhauled the way I live my life. I continue to make progress but I still have a ways to go. The tooth situation has been the source of a bit of anxiety for me lately. I can't help but think that this may be one of the layers of my onion which must be peeled off in order for me to make a full recovery.

To extract, or not to extract, that is the question.

Heavy Metala Non Grata

***My spare time has been at a minimum lately, which is why I am now finally getting around to writing about something that occurred in November 2014. I've been focused on integrating my new treatment protocol and continually changing dietary restrictions into my every day activities. It has been time consuming to say the least, but it's all worth it. I am improving every day. Well maybe not everyday. It is still a roller coaster, but I can say my good days are really damn good!***

On November 5th I was introduced to, and participated in allergy elimination therapy for heavy metals. For the next few weeks, I was the recipient of  blank stares and questions about whether or not I still listen to Metallica, Rob Zombie, etc., after mentioning the words heavy metal detox in conversation. I am happy to say that three years into my treatment my appreciation for heavy metal in the musical sense still stands, but the heavy metals that have been hanging out in my body are no longer welcome. I am here to tell you more about this bizarre and somewhat painful experience. One other thing of note, November 25th marked the beginning of year three of my Lyme treatment. Thirty seven months and counting...

Q: What is allergy elimination therapy?
A: I am still learning about allergy elimination therapy. While I am not a holistic/integrative doctor, I can tell you about my experience and share some of what I have read regarding the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), Autonomic Response Testing (ART), and the Holistic Integrated Map to Health & Healing.

The ANS is our functional nervous system, it is responsible for normal bodily functions and abnormal adaptation to health problems. Detectable problems within the ANS are present in all chronic disease and dysfunction and all chronic disease and dysfunction has a treatable autonomic component to the problem. Not all doctors, both conventional and holistic, understand the role of the ANS in health and healing. Disorders of the ANS can affect any body part or process. Autonomic disorders may result from other disorders that damage autonomic nerves, or they may occur on their own.

The ANS has two main divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic. After the ANS receives information about the body and external environment, it responds by stimulating body processes, usually through the sympathetic division, or inhibiting them, usually through the parasympathetic division. Many organs are controlled primarily by either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic division. Sometimes the two divisions have opposite effects on the same organ. Generally, the sympathetic division prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations—fight or flight. The parasympathetic division controls body process during ordinary situations.

As my doctor explained, ART is the modern application of the lie-detector. In the beginning of the last century skin electrodes could measure changes in resistivity when the tester lied, the sweaty secretions of the sympathetic nervous system were activated and an ANS stress response is then measured. ART is measuring the same "yes or no" stress response. The ART test must first establish what a "yes" and "no" answer looks like through muscle resistance. Because muscle rigidity against an increasingly controlled force, is under the control of the ANS, an ANS stress response will be result in muscle weakness.

ART uses muscle testing through biofeedback of the ANS to determine disturbances and potential remedies. It is a functional assessment which measures bodily function (or dysfunction), not specific disease.

Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt developed a systematic model of healing in the 1980's which is tied in to all of the work that my current doctor is doing with me. Here is some information worth reading on the model, you will see that ART fits into the second level of the model.

Disclaimer

Prior to my appointment I did a lot of reading, some of which I just shared with you. I am not going to pretend that I understand how all of the information you just read about ANS, ART and the integrative map fit into my experience. Let me start with what I do know. After reviewing the initial results of my blood work in September with my new doctor, which included high levels of mercury in my system, I was told to make an appointment to do allergy elimination therapy in order to free up toxic heavy metals in my body, readying them for excretion. I thought it sounded a bit odd, which is why I didn't call right away to make an appointment.

In the second paragraph of this post, I referred to my experience as bizarre and painful. I want to make one thing clear, ART testing is not painful, and neither is the treatment to desensitize the body to what it stresses to during the testing. Now you are probably thinking that I was being dramatic for the sake of hooking you in to this post. Don't jump to conclusions. I wasn't being dramatic. Keep reading, it will all make sense soon... well about as much sense as Lyme disease makes.

The Appointment

After a brief introduction about how the allergy elimination therapy session was going to work, we got down to business. The holistic practitioner, I will refer to him as HP, did a brief assessment on me to see if he could elicit a fight or flight response, which is necessary for the testing. I was sitting on the exam table facing him with my right arm straight out in front of me at shoulder level. He asked me to resist when he pushed on my outstretched hand with his hand. My hand and my arm did not move. Next he touched the side of my neck with one hand, and pushed on my hand with the other, while asking me to resist again. My arm dropped down toward my leg, and this is what he referred to as a fight or flight response. [I am sure I am probably leaving something out of this description regarding the fight or flight response, but this is how I remember it]. Next he felt my temples, my sinuses and my jaw bone and he told me that I had a weakened jaw. I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that, or what it had to do with the task at hand but I distinctly remember thinking it sounded like a nutty statement. After the examination of my jaw, the real fun began. Pictured above are various vials filled with different metals and other assorted things. For example, there was a vial labeled "Mercury" with mercury in it, and a vial labeled "Lyme disease" with some liquid in it. Liquid Lyme disease? I didn't quite get that one either.

One at a time, without me seeing the labels, each vial was placed in my left hand. I would make a fist and place it down at my side near my left leg. My right arm would be outstretched like it was during the fight or flight scenario I mentioned above. HP would touch the side of my neck and push down on my right hand, while I resisted. If my body stressed to what was in the vial, my right arm would drop down toward my legs. If the contents of the vial did not stress my body, my arm wouldn't move. Throughout this sequence HP would frequently ask questions out loud to himself, for example, "can this (referring to the vial in my hand that I reacted to) be treated along with the others"? Sometimes I could clearly hear the questions he was asking, and other times he was mumbling. After we got through the vials, we did the same testing with all of the supplements I am currently taking. I was asked to bring one of each to the appointment for testing. I ended up stressing to the following: mercury, nickel, lead, A bak kieferostitis, gutta percha, Lyme disease and iron glycinate (the only supplement I am currently taking that I stressed to).

Next HP put all of the vials, except for Lyme disease, that I stressed too into a mason jar and had me hold the jar in my left hand. He explained that he couldn't desensitize me for the Lyme disease this time around based on feedback he got from my body during the testing.  He then grabbed 9 pair of sunglasses, each with different color lenses, and then tested my arm again with each of the colors to find out which color "made me strong".  The indigo colored glasses were the ones I ended up with. I was given a sheet of paper that matches color associations with emotional issues and on the chart it said:  "Indigo is the color of understanding. Issues of logic and philosophy, issues of inner search, issues of ordered thinking and issues of attention to everyday details of living". I am not exactly sure how the color associations relate to the work I was doing with HP so I don't have much to add about this part except I must admit, I do have issues of logic.

I put the sunglasses on and was instructed to lay down on the exam table while holding the jar. As I was laying there wearing the indigo glasses and holding on to a mason jar with vials of material my body stressed to, I thought to myself, this is weird. And then the allergy elimination therapy began, and everything got even more weird. Tapping, breathing, back stimulation, and lasering acupressure points and some of my organs with an Erchonia laser is what it entailed.

Q: What is an Erchonia laser?
A: It is a certain kind of laser that is used for cold laser therapy; a way to treat pain and range of motion issues, and it can also be used to calm the autonomic nervous system.

Q: What do you mean by tapping?
A: By tapping I mean tapping the pointer finger from my free hand on an acupressure point of the wrist attached to the hand holding the jar with the vials.

I wasn't wearing a watch but I would say the tapping, breathing, back stimulation, acupressure and lasering took 15 minutes or so. The lasering of my acupressure points and some of my organs was the last part of the desensitization session. HP left the room for ten minutes and I just rested and completely zoned out. And then I was done.

Post Desensitization:

Within twenty minutes of getting on the metro to head into my office after the treatment was complete, I started to experience discomfort in my lower back. By the time I left work that day I could barely sit or stand up straight. I had intense pain in my lower back/kidneys, along with my neck and upper back/shoulder area. That night I barely slept because I was so uncomfortable. In my head it made sense that my kidney's were causing me a lot of pain because I had read about how heavy metals that your body can't process and get rid of tend to congregate around your organs. Since HP had used the laser on my back and neck as well, I figured it was all par for the course. I did wonder why the possibility of discomfort wasn't discussed with me during my appointment, but I went about business as usual for the next couple of days slightly hunched over because I truly couldn't stand up straight due to the pain in my lower back. The day after my allergy elimination therapy appointment I made the following comment to a friend. "Wow, something major happened. I am in a lot of pain and there was material evidence in the toilet this morning that my body expelled a lot of junk. It was just like what happens when I have a herx reaction". I can see the pained expression on your face after reading that. Think about it though, when a person experiences die off of tick-borne bacteria (herx reaction) how do you think it exits your body? I hope you are not eating anything while you are reading this. If you are, I'm sorry.

As it turns out, the pain I felt after the allergy elimination therapy had nothing to do with the therapy, and was in fact a herx reaction. I found this out a month later when I spoke with HP again and told him about the intense reaction that I had. He was taken back by the level of pain I described and told me that was not a normal response. He asked me if anything else of note happened, and I mentioned the material evidence in the toilet and that is when he told me that I had a herx reaction.  Did the therapy cause me to have a herx reaction? Possibly, but who really knows? All I know is, I was in a lot of pain.

Q: So exactly how does this work again?
A: I really don't know. At this point I am sure you are hearing ducks quacking in the background. I am going to write more about this soon, because there is additional information that needs to be discussed. For now though, I only have time for one more question.

Q: What are Gutta percha and A bak kieferostitis?
A: I am glad you asked, but technically that is two questions. Gutta percha is a material used for root canals and A bak kieferostitis is a bacteria related to jawbone cavitations in connection with wisdom teeth and root canals. I've had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed and I've had three root canals.

Now I bet you have even more questions. Till next time...

The New Protocol

Flashback: About four months ago I started experiencing "random itching attacks" which lasted three to five minutes at a time. My nose and the bottoms of my feet would get really itchy, and then my feet would start stinging. Since the majority of the itching occurred mid-morning while sitting at my desk, I was quick to tell everyone that I was allergic to work.

Flash forward (but still a flashback): This past September 11th, while I was discussing the test results that I detailed in my last post with my doctor, I let out a laugh when he started reading the list of foods that I had allergies to and said "What? That is ridiculous. I eat some of those frequently and without issue. I'm not allergic to them." On Friday September 12th as I sat in my office eating almonds, my usual mid-morning snack, I felt a little foolish as my nose and my feet began to itch. List of food allergies: Almond, Banana, Basil, Pinto Bean, Cashew, Clam, Cocoa, Ginger, Gluten, Lettuce, Malt, Cows Milk, Mushroom, Mustard, Nutrasweet, Orange, Peanut, Black Pepper, Black Walnut, Wheat, Bakers Yeast, Brewers Yeast and Yogurt.

Pictured above is my work "kitchen". I know. I know. Before you point your finger at me and tell me that I am THAT health-food nut who has a blender in her office, I would just like to say it is temporary. How temporary? I don't know. I guess it could turn into one of those long-term temporary situations. You've heard of those, right? Stop making fun of me.

Okay, let's start again. Hey, why do you have a blender in your office? I think it is weird but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. Due to my new treatment protocol that I am following I am supposed to consume three protein shakes a day since I am protein deficient due to the maldigestion. Oh wow, that is a lot of protein shakes. Yes it is, and most of the time I only have two. What other changes have you made? Thanks for asking. Here is some more information about the protocol that has imposed an insane amount of structure and planning upon my every day life. Quite frankly I don't care for it:

Supplements: My kitchen counter looks like a bigger pharmacy than it did a few months ago. There are supplements and digestive enzymes that I take 2-3 times per day either an hour before I eat, right before I eat, with meals, after I eat or between meals.  I am constantly packing supplements in plastic containers to take everywhere with me in my purse.

Powders: As if the protein shakes weren't enough, I also have to mix Glutamine powder in water and drink it an hour before I eat, three times a day. Supplements are not the only things packed in plastic containers in my purse. This doesn't look suspicious at all, does it?

Medication: A half an hour before breakfast and lunch, I have to take my thyroid medications, and three times a day, I have to dissolve some rather nasty tasting lozenges in my mouth that I can't eat or drink 15 minutes before or after taking.

I recently got the green light from my doctor to discontinue my antibiotics, and am working on phasing those out! The ones I am still taking all need to be consumed after meals. Since cutting back on my antibiotics I've had a couple of symptom flare ups. My shoulder blades have been feeling rusty, my knees have been very sore and stiff, sometimes I can't make a fist or hold on to anything with my left hand due to thumb joint pain that comes and goes and I experienced a minor occurrence of vertigo a few weeks ago, but it is no longer an issue.

Herbal Supplements: A half an hour before I eat in both the morning and evening I take herbal supplements known as microbials. There are six different herbal supplements I am rotating between, and they target the different tick borne illnesses that I am being treated for. I take two at a time for two month intervals, adding a new one and discontinuing one every two months. The microbials are ingested in 4 ounces of water, and as long as I am tolerating them, I increase the amount daily by a drop each.

Food: I would be remiss if I left out the additional food restrictions I now have. You are probably wondering how a girl who is red meat, gluten, dairy, processed sugar, alcohol and caffeine free could have additional restrictions. I often wonder that myself. For the most part, I am having minor allergic reactions to the food I listed earlier, some of which is food I was eating daily leading up to this point. Due to the leaky gut issue I talked about last time, [WARNING: ABOUT TO GET REALLY TECHNICAL HERE] stuff is getting into places it shouldn't be getting in to and is causing these random reactions. After eliminating the foods mentioned above for awhile, I should be able to reintroduce them back to my diet. There is one more major food related thing I must mention. Due to my fungal issues, I have gone almost completely sugar free. The only thing I eat now with any sort of sugar in it are granny smith apples. Eventually down the road I will be able to eat fruit, dates, honey, etc again, but for now since fungus feeds on sugar, I cannot. I've had to get even more creative in the kitchen, but rest assured I am not starving.

In my quest to kick Lyme disease to the curb I continue to make time consuming lifestyle changes and I often get the "I don't know how you do it" response from my friends and family while discussing new developments. I don't know how I do it either.  I am focused on my recovery and I find a way to do what I need to do, but that doesn't mean that all of this is not absolutely exhausting and frustrating. I struggle from time to time with what seems to be an expanding mountain of stuff that I need to climb to the top of, without any idea of whether the end is in sight. Sometimes I feel like a rusty car sitting in a field of overgrown grass, and other times I feel pretty good, all things considered.

Time for another flashback: In May I wrote about my experiences with reiki and at that point in time I had nothing but relaxing and positive things to share. This past August I had an unforgettable experience that occurred while I was between doctors. I had a bad headache and was feeling very frustrated and uncomfortable when I arrived for my reiki session. It didn't take long before I was sobbing uncontrollably while laying on the table with my eyes closed. The sobbing went on for quite some time. By the end of my treatment I was feeling drained and exhausted and tears were no longer pouring out of my puffy red eyes.

An emotional release is a healing reaction which may occur during reiki sessions. It can present itself in a variety of ways, and it appears to relate to pent-up emotion of the negative kind. These emotions may need to flow to the surface in order to be released for full healing to take place. As the reiki master was explaining to me what an emotional release was, I asked, "are emotional releases supposed to make you feel like you are going to throw up"? As I was driving home a wave of nausea hit me and I contemplated pulling my car over to the side of the road but it passed and I drove on. Around the time I parked my car another wave of nausea came over me and this time I knew it was not going to pass. I concentrated really hard on not throwing up in the street as I hurried towards my building. The minute I hit my driveway I threw up in the bushes. I wish I could say it was a stealth operation. Many thanks to my friend Alexis for making me tea and dinner and for talking through my experience with me after she found me looking pale and slumped up against the side of my building making sure I had nothing left to give to the bushes. This experience did not deter me from continuing my reiki practice, and to date I have not had any more emotional releases.

I feel like I should end this on a non-vomity high note. The other day while I was trying to relax I was feeling very disinterested with being at home and resting and it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. I was bored. I wasn't even tired. I wanted to be outside doing something and I had already had a weekend jam-packed with activity.This particular emotional state is not one that I have registered since my Lyme experience began. I was so excited I almost skipped around my place with my hands above my head yelling "I'm bored", but I didn't (mostly because my shoulder blades felt like they were rusty and my knees and hips were really sore), instead I sat on my couch plotting my return to swimming in 2015. I still have too much discomfort in various body parts to start right now, but I have early spring slated as my goal for getting back in the pool. Watch out boredom, I'm coming to get you.

Search and Discover

Month 34 of my treatment is in full swing and I still have no idea how to answer the "when are you going to get better" question. The review of this book is short and worth the read. It explains, at a high level, why I still can't answer that question. Here are two points that speak to my current situation:

• “You should never believe someone who says, ‘this is the best treatment for Lyme disease, period.’
•  “I have observed that the patients who do the best are those who take control of their own recovery, become educated, and learn to be the captains of their healing ships.”

As I mentioned last time, the new doctor ran a lot of tests in order to figure out what is disrupting the balance of my body. It has been a little over three weeks since my follow up appointment, and to say the results of the testing were a lot to digest would be the understatement of the year. The good news comes in the form of no autoimmune diseases or additional tick borne illnesses on top of what I'm already being treated for. Below is the list of newly discovered issues that are plaguing me:

1. Elevated DHPPA -- I am producing a large amount of DHPPA which led the doctor to tell me that I have "tetanus of the intestines". From what I can understand there is a class of bacteria called anaroebes (which are unfriendly germs which live in the intestines) and they secrete neurotoxins which paralyze the muscles surrounding the intestine and cause constipation. Clostridia bacteria, the tetanus germ, is one of these anaerobic organisms. The germ’s presence is easy to spot in an organic acids urine test through the DHPPA (dihydrophenylproprionic acid) marker. This marker itself is not dangerous but the tetanus germ secretes many other damaging toxins, some of which get to the brain to cause autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

2. Thyroiditis -- My thyroid gland is inflamed but it is not autoimmune related and most likely related to the Lyme disease or to the antibiotics I am on, or both. We'll be keeping an eye on my thyroid as my new treatment progresses.

3. Maldigestion -- Maldigestion is the inability of an individual to digest food in the gut. I am not digesting fats or carbs very well and I am also protein deficient. Q: What caused the maldigestion? A: Exposure to mercury. I tested high for mercury, yet I don't eat sushi or tuna or have mercury fillings which are the usual culprits.

4. Amino Acids -- Amino Acids help produce antibodies, among other important things, and the majority of mine are low. Here are a couple of highlights:

• My glutamine is very low. By low I mean depleted. Glutamine helps improve immunity and plays a key role in protein synthesis. 
• My levels of tryptophan and tyrosine are also extremely low. Low tryptophan and tyrosine are markers of depression. But I am not depressed.
• The doctor told me that my body is very economical in the way it is using what is available to it, because it is producing a lot of dopamine and serotonin even though the amino acids I just mentioned are so low. During our conversation he said, "It is actually ridiculous that your body is able to do this. Your body is efficiently using its limited amount of amino acids like you are either a long time athlete or you've been a vegetarian for your whole life". I told him I was a long time athlete on a temporary hiatus. 
• I am waiting for the results of more blood work to see if my body is producing antibodies and how much I have in store. If my stores are low or my body isn't producing them at all I will have to start getting monthly immunoglobulin shots before the doctor will work with me on discontinuing the use of the antibiotics I am on. Fingers crossed that my amazingly efficient body is producing antibodies even though my amino acids are so low.

5. Nitrogen Deficiency -- I am very deficient in nitrogen and my body is trying to hold on to it. The body needs nitrogen in order to make proteins in its muscles, skin, blood, hair, nails and DNA. The body obtains nitrogen from protein-containing foods. The body needs the nitrogen in amino acids from protein foods to make other amino acids it uses to synthesize human proteins.

6. Drug Resistant Bacteria -- I have two different bacterias in my gut that are drug resistant to 4 out of the 5 antibiotics they were tested against and one fungus that is drug resistant to 1 of the 3 antibiotics that it was tested against.

7. Candida -- Overgrowth of yeast confirmed.

8. Leaky Gut Syndrome -- "Leaky gut syndrome" is something of a medical mystery, it is said to have symptoms including bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities and aches and pains. Leaky gut syndrome isn't a diagnosis taught in medical school, it really means that you have a diagnosis that still needs to be made. A possible cause of leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability. This can happen when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don't work properly and allow substances to leak into the bloodstream.

• Here is a list of food that I now have allergic reactions to: Almond, Banana, Basil, Pinto Bean, Cashew, Clam, Cocoa, Ginger, Gluten, Lettuce, Malt, Cows Milk, Mushroom, Mustard, Nutrasweet, Orange, Peanut, Black Pepper, Black Walnut, Wheat, Bakers Yeast, Brewers Yeast and Yogurt

9. Iron Deficiency Anemia-- This is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States and it causes a lot of fatigue. Fatigue occurs because the body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts.

10. Etc. -- I also have multiple vitamin and fatty acid deficiencies... no need to bore you with the endless list.

I am not going to lie, I was both overwhelmed and relieved while receiving this information from the doctor. Overwhelmed by the amount of issues discovered, but relieved that none of them were autoimmune diseases. Without a baseline for the majority of the tests that were run, coupled with the fact that I never asked the doctor for his thoughts on cause (like I mentioned, I was overwhelmed), I cannot give you a definitive answer regarding the origins of my numerous maladies. My opinion is that while the majority of this stems from long-term antibiotic use, some of these issues were brewing before my Lyme treatment began and have gotten worse. The one thing I do know is that I am glad that I decided to steer my healing ship in a new direction. 

The "H" Word

The germ theory of disease states that diseases are caused by infectious microbes that impair both the function and the structure of different organ systems. This model is the basis for the use of antibiotics to destroy the invasive microbes, and vaccines with low doses of the microbe to challenge the body’s immune defenses, and thereby prevent systemic infection.

The cellular theory of disease states the importance of balance in the body’s internal environment. The body becomes susceptible to infectious agents only if the internal balance is disturbed. There are billions of microbes and bacteria inhabiting our bodies. When a bacterial or viral infection is being passed around, why do some people get sick while others remain healthy?

On July 22nd I was prepared to voice my concerns with my doctor about the following issues:

Candida - Two weeks prior to my appointment I met with a holistic nutritional counselor who is in remission from Lyme disease. We discussed Lyme treatment and dietary topics, and she voiced concern about the quantity of medication that I have been taking (as have many others including myself). She also spoke about her own experience and told me that I was not going to get better until I got my Candida (yeast) issue under control. This is a post from awhile back regarding my experience with candida when it first appeared in November of 2012. I am way more informed about this topic now and will discuss it in depth at a later date. In the post, I stated that it was my understanding that I wouldn't be able to get rid of the candida until I was off of all my medication. In your head right now please imagine the buzzer and the red "x" that appears on the screen behind the contestants on the Family Feud when someone answers a question wrong.

Toenail fungus - The toe nail that I wrote about in the post referenced above has been continually growing back and falling off due to the never-ending fungal issue. By falling off, I mean I remove it myself. It doesn't hurt. The nail bed and nail are dead. The fungus recently appeared in my other big toe, and that nail has been peeling off in sheets. In what can be viewed as a good news/bad news scenario, the toenail is not completely dead yet. The first time I yanked a portion of my toenail off because it was catching on the inside of my shoe, I saw stars. And then I saw blood. My toenail was bloody and sore for a good month and a half. Thank goodness for band-aids with cartoon characters on them, they have been a staple this summer when I dare to wear open toe shoes.

Gastrointestinal issues - In my previous post I mentioned the situation with my gut. It has been an on-going problem now since March. It fluctuates between me not being able to go to the bathroom, and me not being able to stop going to the bathroom. This past April my doctor told me I had gastroparesis, a condition in which the muscles in your stomach don't function normally which prevents your stomach from emptying properly. A host of medical issues, including extended use of antibiotics, can lead to this condition.

Body temperature regulation - If I am indoors and the AC is on I am freezing. Once the sun goes down if I am outside I get chilled very easily, even if it is 80 degrees out. I have to take an extra later of clothing with me everywhere. 

The first five minutes of my doctor's appointment went well, but when we started discussing my GI issues the conversation took a turn for the worse. I mentioned that I had spoken with a holistic nutrition counselor who is in remission from Lyme and she said that the candida could be the cause of my GI issues. I swear, the minute I said the "h" word, steam started pouring out of my doctor's ears and he became incredibly belligerent with me. Here are some highlights: 

• He was adamant about the fact that I don't have Candida. Please note that I referenced my blood work from November of 2012 which clearly showed that I tested way above normal for an active candida infection. I was only on an anti-fungal for about two months, in addition to the probiotics that I have been taking throughout my whole treatment, which didn't prevent the candida in the first place. I couldn't understand why he was telling me it was not an issue. Five minutes after we had moved on from the candida discussion, he printed out the blood work that I had referenced from November of 2012 and while holding it by the corner of the paper like it was a dirty diaper, he thrust it across the desk at me. He told me he would order a candida test for October.
• He also told me that my toenail fungus issue is not related to Candida, which contradicts what I was told in his office when the issue with my toenail originally started (also mentioned in the blog post I referenced above). 
• He also reiterated that my stomach issue was not from Candida, it was gastroparesis. When I pointed out to him that I had researched it after leaving his office the last time and that I was not exhibiting some of the major symptoms listed,  he snapped at me and told me that those symptoms were only for extreme cases and I definitely had it. 
• After telling him that my body temperature regulation issues were getting worse he showed me my latest blood work and in addition to my T3 being low (which was discovered a few months ago), my T4 was also low. I am now on two thyroid medications. He mentioned that he didn't think I had a thyroid problem per se, he thinks that one of the antibiotics I'm taking is blocking my thyroid from functioning properly.  
• I asked if I could stop taking the medication he thought was affecting my thyroid and he looked at me like I had five heads. Then he proceeded to produce blood work from a year and a half ago, pointed out a protozoa that was detected and then wrote me a prescription for a new antibiotic. While I kept my mouth shut, I really wanted to tell him that we had used a different antibiotic about a year and a half ago to go after it when it first appeared in my blood work and I was never retested to see if it was still there. 
• In the end, he agreed to let me stop taking one of the antibiotics I am on (not the one he thinks is causing my thyroid issue) and he agreed to let me cut back the dosage on two others that I am taking. I did not start taking the antibiotic that he hastily wrote that prescription out for based on blood work from a year and a half ago.
• My blood pressure was so low that he took it three times, but never commented on why he thought it might be lower than usual. By that point, if anything, my blood pressure should have been sky high because I was in a small office with my doctor who was acting like a four year old who had just had his favorite toy stolen on the playground. 

Needless to say when I left that appointment I didn't have a good feeling about what had transpired between me and my doctor. After the discussion with the nutritionist about the candida I spoke with a few other people either in remission from Lyme or other chronic illnesses and they all shared with me that going after the candida was the turning point in  their treatments. Candida overgrowth can cause many medical issues and painful symptoms, and is also another controversial subject in the medical community in regards to how bad it is for your body and how to treat it. 

After a few days of thinking everything through and becoming increasingly disgusted with the way my doctor treated me after learning that I had spoken with a nutritional counselor because I am concerned about my health, I made an appointment with a new doctor whom I'd heard speak about Lyme disease treatment a couple of weeks earlier at a district wellness event. He is of the belief that the majority of illnesses are due to cellular malfunction caused by cellular toxicities and cellular malnutrition, both of which can be avoided and overcome naturally. During his Lyme disease discussion he talked about the importance of keeping candida under control throughout treatment and about how the maintenance of health and prevention of disease involves conscious attention given to factors of life-style, environment, nutrition, exercise and recreation, as well as psychological well-being and spiritual practice. Seeing how I have drastically changed my life-style and nutrition and have taken up yoga, reiki and acupuncture and had just had a major disagreement about Candida with my doctor, I figured it couldn't hurt to make an appointment with this one. While I have made great progress with my current treatment, ignoring the secondary issues that have cropped up would be a recipe for disaster. 

My appointment was 4.5 hours, and I am waiting for the results of my blood
work. While things may be rough as I transition to a new treatment, in the long run I think I am going to benefit greatly from the changes that are going to be implemented. The new doctor and his team were quite thorough and informative. As you can see I had a lot of blood drawn as part of my initial work up. 

At this point you are probably dying to ask me if I almost passed out in the lab due to the fact I had been fasting since dinner the night before and didn't get the blood drawn until the end of my appointment around 11 am.  Well thanks for asking guys, yes, I did almost pass out. You are probably also wondering why the heck I needed to get all that blood drawn if we already know I have Lyme and 3 additional tick-borne illnesses. Once, again, thanks for asking. I am getting tested for additional tick borne illnesses, a few autoimmune diseases and mycotoxins. Did someone just say something? Oh,  you want to know what the new doctor thinks about all of the antibiotics I am currently on? I'll save that answer for next time. 

I am sure you have a lot more questions, but I am running out of time tonight. I also have a lot of questions. Something tells me I will not have a shortage of information to write about in the coming months as soon as the answers start rolling in. 

Asymmetry, Digestive Disorder, and Rock & Roll

A lot has happened since I last wrote in May. First I am going to share a smorgasbord of experiences that could have spawned individual posts if I had been keeping up with my writing and then... well I haven't thought that far in advance yet.

This past April I was struggling to hold bridge pose in my yoga class when I suddenly realized that half of my rib cage appeared to be missing.
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In early June I wore dresses to work every day for a week and received many compliments. I neglected to mention that the reason I wore the dresses was because I was bloated and couldn't button my pants since I hadn't had a bowel movement in about 4 weeks.
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Have you ever injured your coccyx? Right about now you are probably wondering how a girl with Lyme disease, who spends a lot of her time resting and not doing much physical activity that would put her coccyx in danger, ended up with an injured coccyx. You may also be wondering what the heck a coccyx is.
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At the end of June I took a break from DC and work and went to Cape Cod to visit my family. Please take a look to the left and feast your eyes upon the mega pill organizer that I purchased that wasn't even large enough to house all of the antibiotics and supplements I had to bring with me to ensure I kept up with my treatment for 12 days. Please don't let your jealousy consume you.
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This past Sunday I was on my feet all day enjoying all there is to enjoy at the Mayhem Festival (heavy metal music event). I went to work on Monday and that night I went to see a Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails show and got home at 1 am Tuesday morning. Later that same morning I was sending a message to a friend of mine letting her know I was really sore but surprisingly not tired at all when I realized I was drooling all over my arm and my keyboard while sitting in front of my computer in my office.
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Before I go any further here is a diagram and description of bridge pose if you are not familiar with yoga.

Back to the rib cage...

There I was toward the end of my yoga class struggling to hold bridge pose (with zero flexibility in my lower back due to inflammation this pose is my enemy) when I realized the left side of my rib cage was jutting out really far and the right side of my rib cage looked like it was missing. I was alarmed yet strangely calm about the whole thing. And then I started laughing as I pictured Chris Rock asking for one rib in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka". My mind works in mysterious ways.

Earlier that same week, I kept getting compliments on the asymmetrical neckline of the shirt I was wearing at work. I was perplexed, mainly because it was a scoop neck shirt, and not asymmetrical at all. One of my shoulders was much higher than the other, which caused my shirt to play visual tricks on people. My shoulder, combined with the rib cage led me to make an appointment with my Active Release Technique (ART) doctor. ART is a combination of myofascial tissue manipulation and chiropractic care. My thoracic spine was very inflamed and had twisted, taking my rib cage with it. Since April the inflammation has gone down a bit, but my rib cage is still listing to the left. The inflammation in my neck and shoulders is also an issue, which leaves my upper body in a state of constant crookedness. Luckily I get temporary relief and symmetry each time I get adjusted.

In addition to the limited flexibility and soreness in my lower back, I have been dealing with an injured coccyx for the past few months, which at times makes it unpleasant to sit. I had no idea what a coccyx was until I hurt mine, here is a description just in case you are not familiar with this body part either. Since I can't remember the last time I fell and landed on my butt, and haven't recently birthed a child, I most likely injured it doing yoga. Apparently certain yoga poses can knock it out of position. My coccyx is still slightly out of place due to the ebb and flow of inflammation I experience, but it certainly feels better than it did when I first noticed the issue.

Around the time that my newly injured coccyx was causing me a lot of pain and discomfort, I realized that I was having trouble going to the bathroom. At first I didn't think anything of it... I could go into a lot of detail here but I am going to keep the poop talk to a minimum. Long story short, I was so uncomfortable that not having to put extra pressure on that area was okay with me. Butt after a couple of weeks (pun intended) feeling majorly backed up and bloated was adding to my overall misery. Around three weeks into my being backed up I had to start wearing dresses to work because I couldn't button my pants. At the beginning of week 4 while at an appointment with my Lyme doctor he gave me some supplements that got everything moving again. RELIEF! Now for all of my dear friends who told me I didn't look bloated at all during this harrowing situation, I would like to share the following fact. On July 22nd I had an appointment with my doctor, and he asked me if I was maintaining my weight as I was stepping on to the scale and I said "I don't think I have lost any weight since my last appointment". He looked at the number on the scale and sighed and said "Julie, you are 7 pounds less than you were a few months ago". As it turns out, the last time I had been there was toward the end of the 4 week stretch when I was constipated and bloated and couldn't button my pants.

On June 23rd my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. On June 27th my sister, her boyfriend and I headed to Cape Cod to surprise them and take them out to dinner. And then on June 29th we surprised them again with a party at their house. In addition to having a lot of fun hanging out with family and friends, a few other great things happened during this trip. I didn't get vertigo from flying (first time I can say that since the Lyme treatment began), I went walking every day on the beach and while I was very sore and achy, I didn't have to take naps in the afternoon, and I was told that compared to last July I am like a totally different person (in a good way). I've got my fingers crossed that by next July when I go to visit my parents in Cape Cod I will not be lugging the mega pill organizer with me, that damn thing took up a lot of room in my suitcase, room that an extra pair of shoes could have comfortably occupied.

Shortly after the drooling episode at work this past Tuesday morning, I sat at my desk in a state of confusion trying to figure out why my breasts were suddenly feeling very tender. I kept thinking to myself, it's not that time of the month (girls you know what I am talking about) so why is this an issue? And then my mind wondered back to Sunday at Mayhem Festival and the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Here is a mention from last year about what Mayhem Festival is in case you are not familiar with the event. Ice T and his band Body Count played at Mayhem this year, and Laikisha (my concert going partner in crime) and I positioned ourselves very close to the stage as evidenced by the picture of Ice T to the right. Being this close to the stage always involves getting jostled around by folks in the mosh pit while making sure body surfers don't land on your head. I got a good arm and pectoral workout "bench pressing" a variety of different sized people throughout the show, since they were literally dropping from the sky the whole time. As Tuesday wore on my chest and neck pain got worse and I became incredibly exhausted. My eyes were stinging and all they wanted to do was close while I struggled to stay awake and get work done. But it was all worth it. I had a blast and the fact I was able to go out two nights in a row and enjoy myself like that is some sort of milestone in my Lyme treatment. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I am now in my 33rd month of treatment. Physically I have a lot of issues that I am still trying to work through. Energy wise I am doing the best I have been doing since my Lyme journey began, and the same can be said for my mental state. I recently had a disagreement with my doctor regarding the direction of my treatment, and I have an appointment with a different Lyme doctor towards the end of August. While I am between doctors I am going to continue to over do it and enjoy my summer while sticking to my current Lyme protocol, because I know I am in for a bit of a rough road ahead with the new direction I want to go in. I shall discuss this all in more detail next time. I lost motivation to write for awhile because I felt like I was stuck in a Lyme rut, but things are changing and I am feeling optimistic.

Om Namo Bhagavaate Vasudevaaya

I am 100% certain that the word spiritual and my name have never been used in a sentence together.  That being said, you are probably wondering why the title of this post is a mantra of Krishna. Oh, you had no idea what that was until I just mentioned it? I must admit that I learned what it was about five minutes before I started writing this post, even though I chanted it repeatedly about two months ago with a group of people in a theater.  I also just learned that Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. Vishnu is the Supreme God of Vaishnavism, one of the three main sects of Hinduism... I could go on, but I know you are probably waiting with bated breath to find out what led a nonreligious girl to talk about spirituality, chanting and Krishna in her blog about Lyme disease.

About a year ago a friend of mine took a yoga teacher training class and told me that during a discussion about chanting the instructor mentioned that she had suffered for years with Lyme disease and Bartonella and credited the vibrations from chanting with helping her go into remission. When asked what my thoughts were regarding the claim made by the instructor I said something along the lines of  "it sounds weird but I will look into it".

"When you sing, you pray twice" - St. Augustine.

The quote from St. Augustine above that I kept reading in many articles about the health benefits of chanting is not what led me to try it out. Chanting is a centuries-old technique that connects humans with themselves, the universe, and Spirit. Chanting raises vibrations of the individual practicing and as a result, people who chant feel alive, peaceful, and centered. We all know that in order to attain good physical health and happiness, the body requires adequate exercise, proper diet, and rest. More importantly and more overlooked is the health of our inner self which also requires nourishment and attention. When we neglect our spiritual, inner self, we become imbalanced and negative in attitude and emotions.

I read about various studies done on chanting and here are just a few things that stood out in my mind:

• Chanting sounds have a therapeutic effect on the body. It soothes all our bodily systems and activates the body’s natural healing process.
• Chanting helps block the release of stress hormones and increases immune function.
• Chanting is an effective means of enhancing people’s moods in the immediate present, as well as over an extended period of time.
• Using chants as part of our exercise regimen, helps facilitate movement and flow of the body during exercise.

Around the time that I decided I was interested in exploring chanting, my yoga studio sent out information about the Grammy award nominated Krishna Das who was making a tour stop in DC in support of his new album. I purchased a ticket to the show. I told a few people about my plans and while nobody actually expressed the desire to join me, many wanted me to report back to them on my experience after the event. After work on March 26, 2014 I headed to the theater at the University of the District of Columbia for the show without having done any research on Krishna Das or chanting. I have since learned that Krishna Das is a U.S. vocalist known for his performances of Hindu devotional music known as kirtan. With eight albums released since 1996, he is perhaps the best known U.S. singer of kirtan-style music. He is also sometimes referred to as the "Rockstar of Yoga". Kirtan is call-and-response chanting which involves chanting hymns or mantras with the accompaniment of the harmonium, various percussion instruments, bass, and hand cymbals.

Upon my arrival at the venue I stood in line waiting for the doors to open with a group of the most friendly and relaxed people I have ever laid eyes upon anywhere in the Washington, DC area. It was the opposite of what it is like to stand in line waiting for the gates to open for Mayhem Fest. As we filed into the theater we were handed a chant sheet. There was a large advertisement off to the side of the stage for the Krishna Das satellite radio station that read: Music transporting listeners to a deeper place where they can quiet the mind and open the heart featuring Krishna Das and more (Channel 360 on Sirius radio in case you are interested). After reading the ad, and listening to the people around me discuss Krishna Das, Buddhists and chanting, I had a brief moment where I got a little sweaty and questioned why I thought coming to this event was a good idea. Perhaps it was like a mini-Buddhist panic attack. Shortly thereafter, Krishna Das (pictured above) walked on the stage, sat down, said a few words to the audience and began chanting. He would chant first, and then the audience would repeat what he said. He did not go in the order of the chant sheet so it was hard to follow since the chant sheet made as much sense as the title of this post. It literally would take me a few minutes to figure out what he was saying each time a new chant began. Everyone else around me seemed to know all of the mantras being spoken and were not having any issues with the response. At one point he started singing "Let It Be" by the Beatles and everyone joined in. It was a welcome change from mumbling my way through the evening.

The show was 3 hours long. Yes, 3 hours. You are probably wondering if I got bored. I didn't, but I think I took a little nap. Actually it may not have been a nap. Half way through the show for about 20 minutes I got really sleepy and closed my eyes. But I was still chanting, so I really wasn't asleep. Perhaps I was meditating. Krishna Das had a deep soothing voice and the chanting was kind of hypnotic. 

Toward the beginning of the evening, I spent a great deal of time studying the instrument that he was playing. It looked like an accordion with a keyboard attached to it (pictured to the right). One hand would move back and forth like it was strapped into an accordion while the other hand played the keyboard. I had never seen or heard anything like it. I eventually asked the lady sitting next to me what it was. The instrument is called a harmonium.

When I wasn't obsessing over the musical instrument or trying to figure out which response we were supposed to be calling back, I was studying the audience. The man sitting next to me was really in to it. He had his eyes closed for most of the time and was swaying to the music with his hand in the air. I really thought that at some point he was going to yell out "Can I get a witness?". I chose to stay seated the whole time but on numerous occasions during more upbeat chants many people in the audience were dancing in the aisles, and/or looking up towards the ceiling with their arms raised. I will admit that part of me wanted to laugh as I kept envisioning the scene from the "Blues Brothers" with James Brown and Jim Belushi in the church (if you're familiar with the movie feel free to chuckle since you are not in the theater right now chanting), but I refrained. People were really engaged and I enjoyed observing the crowd more than the participation part. I left the show with a smile on my face and the desire to continue to explore chanting. I was also starving, but that was because I didn't know how late I was going to be there. 

In what I am referring to as a windfall of chanting opportunities, I saw two notices about Kirtan call-and-response events at two different local Washington DC yoga studios, one in March and one in April. I signed up for both. Two nights after the Krishna Das concert, I found myself at the Flow Yoga studio listening to the Hanumen (pronounced “Ha-new-men”). This group of four men performed a mix of song and story and call-and-response chant in English and Sanskrit during their show. They mixed some American blues songs in with the music of India.  It was a more intimate setting then the concert at the theater. We all sat on the floor surrounding the Hanumen and their instruments. There were no chant sheets and I butchered all of the responses, but it was fun. A few times they encouraged us to stand up and dance during more upbeat songs, but for the most part we were seated. There were two women sitting next to each other off to my right side that were chanting in falsetto voices and they were very distracting. One of the women was doing a lot of hand gesturing and moving around while sitting on the floor. Once again, instead of concentrating on myself and my own experience I was observing the audience and trying not to giggle. I lost interest in the distractions for a period of time until I realized that one of the falsetto voices was suddenly coming from my left side and the other one had gone silent. I will never know what transpired between the dueling falsettos, and I am kind of sad about that. It must have been something good since one of the ladies got up and moved to the other side of the room, and the other one continued her hand gesturing and began chanting in a much lower and quieter voice. 

At the end of April I attended an event at Buddha B Yoga studio, with Wynne Paris and Gaura Vani. At the beginning of the evening Wynne Paris talked about Kirtan and I learned that the enlivening spiritual practice is an integral part of the tradition of devotional yoga called Bhakti yoga that originated in India many centuries ago. He also mentioned that it should be like a pentecostal revival for Buddhists so he wanted to see people really getting caught up in the spirit and energy of it all. His comment made me smile because I felt like my initial reaction to the audience at the Krishna Das concert was justified. The participants on this particular night were a lot more subdued than the ones I had encountered during my other two experiences, however, at one point we were all encouraged to form a conga line during one of the more upbeat songs and things got very lively. I had a great experience and was able to focus on myself because I didn't have any distractions. 

I have not been going to chanting with any regularity; that coupled with the fact I am easily distracted by people around me probably negates any of the health benefits that I have read about. I plan to dive deeper into chanting and seriously explore it since I found a Buddhist center near my condo which leads chanted meditations. I suspect that the chanting, in addition to my reiki and acupuncture regimen, will play a big part in my recovery.

Over the past few months as my energy has increased and I've been more upbeat, I have begun socializing a lot more. That being said, I often over do it on the weekends and find myself limping around my office during the week like I need a knee and hip replacement.

A few new issues recently cropped up but I am just going with the flow, and keeping my eye on the prize. What's the prize you ask? A full recovery. Currently, my mind and spirit are thriving and my body still has a lot of catching up to do. More on this next time. Till then, here is an article from 2008 about chanting in mainstream music for you to read.