Babesia is one of several nasty Lyme co-infections. For me, it was the most miserable of the Lyme co-infections. Since early childhood, there have been very few years that it has not bothered me. I am celebrating getting over the worse of it. Having “cool” parties because I can now feel cooler temperatures and desire the warmth of things like steaming tea.
If you too have Lyme and some of the co-infections, you know what I am talking about. They all hit us a little differently and they are all total yuck. Today, we are going to look at Babesia (Babesiosis).
Babesiosis = Babesia
Babesia is kind of like a cousin to malaria and it is actually a parasitic infection in the red blood cells…
Babesia are malaria-like protozoans that parasitize and reproduce within mammalian red blood cells. They have a complex life cycle involving several different stages and physical forms and are maintained in nature primarily via exchange between Ixodes ticks and various mammals. The first Babesia species was discovered in 1888 by Victor Babes, a Hungarian pathologist in whose honor the organisms were subsequently named. Over 100 distinct species have since been identified within the Babesia genus, though only a few of these are currently known to be human pathogens.
~ Columbia University, Babesiosis
It hits the body with the same symptoms, the chills, and the sweats, the air hunger and not just a malaise feeling but feeling like nasty flu that won’t go away for years sometimes.
- I remember having Babesia when I was 10-years-old when the neurological Lyme set in and the seizures started
- I remember having Babesia as a teenager when I was in the choir, I would stand and pour sweat and wish I could crawl under a rock while shaking through the chills
- I remember having Babesia in my 20’s when I would sit in church and the closeness of the people along with the strong smell of perfume would set off the sweats, and then I would sit there and shiver from the chills
- I remember having Babesia each time I was pregnant, the physical stress was too much
- I remember the 7 months straight of Babeseosis delirium a few years ago with nonstop chills and sweats
I have heard many of you tell the same kind of life stories with undiagnosed and untreated Lyme and other co-infections like Babesia. A lot of people have suffered.
When we have immune issues, it is hard to fight this infection.
In immunocompetent patients, symptoms of babesiosis usually begin one to six weeks after inoculation and are non-specific. Typical early manifestations include intermittent fevers accompanied by fatigue and malaise, headache, chills, and myalgias. Nausea, vomiting, reduced appetite, and depression can also occur. Some patients will develop enlarged livers or spleens… Coinfection with Lyme disease or anaplasmosis may complicate the clinical presentation and predispose the patient to more severe disease.
At the greatest risk for severe babesiosis are the elderly, asplenetic patients, patients with HIV or malignancies, and patients on immunosuppressive medications. In these populations, the disease course is longer and the fatality rate is in the neighborhood of 20%, even with proper antibabesial therapy. The most common serious complication of babesiosis is acute respiratory failure, but heart failure, liver and renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and coma are also well-recognized severe manifestations of babesiosis.
~ Columbia University, Babesiosis
Of that particular list, that increases the fatality rate to 20%, I have had…
- acute respiratory failure
- heart failure
- and coma
There is still a bit of shock in me that I lived through it all. Still here!! Here to say, THERE IS HOPE!
Babesia is difficult to treat. It is technically a parasitic infection and it hides and tries to hold on to the very end. Time to create a new “THE END” for this horror story!!!
Babesiosis is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells
~ CDC; Babesia
As soon as I was diagnosed with Lyme, I did the most logical next step, kill and destroy.
I treated Lyme disease for a few years, in the WRONG order. Treating Lyme first did not work. There are too many other things that have to come first like; effective drainage and support and building the body, building the immune system and creating ATP/energy. When I treated Lyme first, it stirred it up and it hit me even harder than the health crash in the first place.
Know the saying, “It’s like kicking a dog when it’s down?” When our bodies are crashed and trashed, it is not the time to kick the snot out of them by attacking, kill and destroy.
It set into motion a non-stop Herx reaction. You know, many of you have experienced Herxing before. That nasty die-off that is created from going after the Lyme and co-infections but it recycles in the body making one feel like death, literally.
Herx = Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction (JHR)
A herx reaction can take place whether one is treating Lyme and co-infections with natural substances or antibiotics. In a very basic explanation – it is the die-off of the pathogen that recycles and creates havoc inside the body and organs. Even natural products can create this reaction.
A Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction is a reaction to endotoxin-like products released by the death of harmful microorganisms within the body during antibiotic treatment (or natural treatment). Efficacious antimicrobial therapy results in lysis (destruction) of bacterial cell membranes, and in the consequent release into the bloodstream of bacterial toxins, resulting in a systemic inflammatory response.
~ Wikipedia; Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction
Jarisch–Herxheimer reactions can be life-threatening as they can cause a significant drop in blood pressure and cause acute end organ injury, eventually leading to failure.
When I was 10-years-old, the neurological Lyme had set in and I went through a year, in and out of hospitals and unable to attend school for a full year. Much of that year I do not remember clearly because of the pain, the neurological chaos, and the brain issues. Back then, they had no clue it was Lyme and Babesia. They also did not have common knowledge of what a Herx reaction was. So they kept pouring in the meds, unknowingly creating more of a storm.
During the last health crash that started 2012, it set off not only the Lyme going amuck, but the neurological elements of Lyme that triggered more seizures, vision issues, brain chaos, and a neurological Lyme pain that was relentless for years.
What I had created, by going after the Lyme and Babesia first, was a storm. A very painful one.
I did not know a human could endure that kind of pain, for that long. During the parts of the 2-3 years that I was conscious, I described it as wracking pain. It would move from one part of my body to the next. It would suck me into oblivion for weeks, sometimes months, before I could be alert enough to have a working thought. My hands were in so much pain I could not use them. I remember using my wrists to hold a glass of water up to my mouth to drink because my hands could not bear the weight.
2-3 years — the pain and barely consciousness was so intense that I lost touch with time. It was 2 straight years of the intense Lyme neurological pain and the third year was the slowly coming out of it with more consciousness.
Through the neurological Lyme pain, I also had the worse of my Babesia. Seven months straight of a Babesia delirium. I could not begin to tell you much about those 7 months. What I do remember is that I had to carry a towel and 2 quilts with me at all times. I was able to make it from the bed to the sofa during those months.
The chills came with shaking because I could feel the chill deep in my bones. I would curl up in the two quilts and shiver-shake. Then suddenly it would flip to the sweats. I would sweat so fast, so heavy that I needed the towel to sop it up. It felt like acid. Many people describe that specific acid feeling. Very different than hormonal hot flashes that feel more like a hot iron on the skin.
The acid feeling was so strong and so burning hot that it was not possible to lay in bed or sit on a sofa. Had to stand until it passed. That is not an easy task during a 7 month Babesia delirium. I would do rounds of chills and sweats, 24 hours a day, for 7 full months. My sole job in life was just to survive the ride. I appreciated the delirium from it because I was barely conscious enough to remember it.
THAT is NOT the way to do it…
Now I know, DO IT IN THE CORRECT ORDER, or I will suffer needlessly…
- Prepare the body for a successful true detox experience, through drainage and support
- Remove pathogens, toxins and undesirable elements
- Build momentum for a deeper detox
- Restore – eliminate heavy metals and restore the natural state of health
Now… it seems so logical.
Oh, the suffering. Many have gone through what I did. Many have died. Many have sadly taken their own lives because of their intense suffering.
The Order of it All is the Key to it All
I had to go back, start over, try again. It was using the correct order and products THAT WORK, that got me out of the Lyme and co-infection chaos that was creating the intense suffering.
Without PROPER EFFECTIVE drainage (bowels, kidneys, liver, bile ducts, lymph so that there was effective peeing, pooping, sweating, in abundance to get IT OUT) it was simply recycling inside of my body. When I put proper effective drainage into place, I was able to get the toxins OUT.
Without PROPER EFFECTIVE support to my organs and body systems, they literally shut down. That is when my organs and systems shut down to 1% and my heart had 100% blockage at the ascending aorta. My resting heart rate was 176. I was eating the cleanest diet possible. It takes more than diet alone to support the body in this chaos. Supplements THAT WORK and doing all this in the right order is what I used to get out of this chaos.
Without PROPER EFFECTIVE energy to my body, I did not have enough energy to overcome the chaos. Supporting my mitochondria using MitoATP gave me the energy to rise above the chaos and walk out of it. When I supported my mitochondria, that is when my immune system had enough energy to do some of the heavy lifting.
Without PROPER EFFECTIVE momentum I could not maintain the progress. I would make a little progress, taking 2 steps forward, then crash falling backward 3 steps. I stayed on the CellCore Protocol. I rested more than what seemed reasonable. I had to allow my body to recover from decades of Lyme, co-infections and a heart condition. I took care of myself so that I could recover. It was hard work and worth ALL of it!!!
Mold was part of the chaos as well. I lived in a black mold apartment for a solid year. That is what triggered the severe health crash in 2012. My bucket had overflowed with health issues and this was the tipping point. It had invaded my chest cavity and both lungs. All that had to be cleaned up as well, in the correct order. Am I making this clear, THERE IS A CORRECT ORDER to this.
Looking back I can see my errors in history. Many long years ago, I remember having amalgam fillings removed by a non-biological dentist. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the dangers of such. Clearly remember the elephant standing on my chest, me gasping for air, the pain in my chest and heart failure while still at the dentist’s office.
I can look back and remember the Lyme diagnosis from a lab test and clinical diagnosis. I remember being more than willing to fight the battle and go after the Lyme as a warrior would go to battle. That usually is a character trait. When one has had untreated neurological Lyme since early childhood, that can be a death sentence.
Oh, the progress we have made…
Now there are so many with more valuable knowledge, experience, training, and products THAT WORK.
Health coaching is part of the support that we all need while going through intense chronic illness. Having someone who has experienced the depths of chronic illness creates a bond with trust. Having someone who has walked out of that intensity of physical destruction and illness chaos helps to create hope. Having a health coach with access to products THAT WORK fills your toolbox with support for your body.
Contact me if you desire that kind of health coaching; double certified health coach and CellCore practitioner, trained by CellCore’s doctors and scientists. I try to take the “war” out of chronic illness, not add to it. Working with our bodies, supporting our bodies with nourishment in all forms creates a healing journey, not a battle.
Thought of all of this today when I was making some hot tea. During the intensity of Babesia, hot anything was not possible. For one, the change in temperature would send me into chills and sweats. Today, I can now sit here in the 40-degree temperatures and feel the coolness of it while enjoying hot tea (and not feel like a broken thermostat). There is hope. Lyme and co-infections like Babesia can get under control so that we can get back to productive meaningful lives.
A couple of weeks ago I was caught in an early winter storm, in TEXAS, mid-October. Wild stuff and I loved it because I could finally FEEL the cold. With Babesia, I could not feel the cold, for years!!
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