Homeschooling & sons' activities are keeping me very busy this fall; I wanted to say hello to everyone and acknowledge that I'm alive & well-- thanks in part to my homemade colloidal silver!
I'm recognizing an important milestone in my life this month. One year ago (Oct., '96), I decided I would try an inexpensive commercially prepared CS product (5ppm). I had been (Finally) diagnosed in Aug., 1994 with Lyme disease, having had numerous strange, seemingly unrelated symptoms for years-- onset of allergies, mitral valve prolapse (MVP) with a pronounced click, candida, fatigue, hair loss, night sweats (in my early 30's!), bouts of mild to moderate stiffeness of my neck, back & shoulders, dizziness, brain fog, blurred vision, optical migraines, elbow & knee arthritis, "pins & needles", ear buzzing, dyslexia... The list could go on and on. I had had known tick bites (but no subsequent rash or illness) & live in an endemic area, but even my "good" doctors never thought to test me for Lyme disease until I finally got a rectangular shaped rash all over my body and ALL bones & joints ached as though I slept in a barrel of ice water, my muscles as though they had been depleted of all blood. I didn't need a test by then, to tell me it was Lyme. But my original family doctor denied I had already had it for some time despite high titers. She wanted to believe it was caught early and that I would recover quickly with routine dosage of antibiotics. After 26 months under the care of 2 different doctors, rotating on various very potent antibiotics (i.e., Orals: Suprax, Vantin, tetracycline, doxycycline, Zythromax, ampicillin and 4 weeks IV Rocephin), I reached a plateau in my healing (about 85% restored). My 2nd MD had already discussed with me the idea of self-medicating colloidal silver as an alternative or conjunctive therapy. I had the bottle of CS for 4-6 weeks before I opened it. I had just finished a round of doxycyline and found it had lost it's punch. Six weeks later, I returned to my doctor and as he took my history, he (as I) had concluded I was improving once again. He said, "You're taking Ceftin now?" I replied, "I haven't touched it. I've only had 1-2 tsp. of 5ppm CS daily. My ears are ringing less and even considering it's fall allergy season, I seem to have less fatigue than last visit." So I kept up with that routine and got online by the end of November. At that time, I started doing extensive research on CS and how to make your own, wondering how scientific it was, and how safe & effective it was. I had spent time in prayer, hoping God would guide my path in searching for truth and finding something to sustain me while off antibiotics (which have their own way of making you feel sick, altering digestion and appetite). No sooner than I had found http://news:sci.med.diseases.lyme , had I found a bold testimony of our list-member, Marsha (then of Kenosha). She told of how homemade CS had cured her of Lyme disease. I wrote her and found her discovery was also an answer to her specific prayers. She sent instructions on how to make your own CS with your own generator. At Christmas, I presented an unusual gag gift to my parents, a humorous (amatueur!) video I made with my kids. My brother-in-law commented, "Whatever you're doing, Nance, keep it up!" No one had seen that lively side of me for years, having had 4 kids and feeling under the weather the last 15 years. By the end of December, I was making my own CS, and thus was able to economically increase the dose I was taking. Each time I increased the dosage, (gradually up to 20-30 ppm/day) I noticed a temporary increase in symptoms: headache, fatigue, some aches/pains for the next few days (called "herxes", short for Jarisch Herximer effect). You see, when the bacteria causing Lyme disease is killed off, this is a normal result of the effects of the toxins released. It was the same kind of experience when I was on effective antibiotics previously (but not as dramatic as I wasn't as sick any longer). I could tell the CS was helping. I was not on any other medication since Oct. By this time, I was about 90% better, with barely negligible relapses (which had occured regularly every 4 weeks and lasted from 5 days to 2 or 3 weeks during the peak of my illness.) I mistook at least 2 kidney stone attacks for relapses. [The stones did not contain silver either!] :) I went from Oct. to Feb. without any remarkable Lyme disease relapses. My last distinct relapse was in February, '97. Symptoms were primarily bone pain and fatigue, accompanied by some ear-ringing and dislexic symptoms. I've sustained a 90-95% recovery since then. That's a substantial 10% improvement while on colloidal silver alone, long after antibiotics were out of my system. Oh, I must credit my physical therapist too; she helped me overcome "encapsulitis" or frozen shoulder in just a few weeks time that I had for about a year (resulting from joint damage due to Lyme infection.) Lyme infection is very difficult to erradicate if not caught in it's early phase. (Note: vaccines may mask this early phase: stay away from the Lyme vaccine!!!) It is often difficult to detect or culture in the blood as well. Many people are misdiagnosed with various syndromes & diseases (MS, fibromyalgia, Lupus, Alzheimers, ADD, cardiac arrhythmias, etc.) that in fact are caused by Lyme bacteria (borrelia burgdorphi). I thank God today, publicly, for his guidance in my care. Colloidal silver has played a big part in my healing and helped me gain a sense of control over my health that no doctor or prescription could do. There was a time that all I could think about was sleep. Yet I've found that, like Marsha, now that the silver has taken effect, I feel so good, I almost don't know what to do with myself. I've got too many "great" ideas for homeschooling my 4 boys, and not enough hours in the day --or their full cooperation to do them. (They have plenty of ideas themselves!) It's funny how some people on our lyme newsgroup have called CS "snake oil." When I sincerely prayed for help, would God have sent me snakeoil? Not my God. I believe his Word is absolute truth. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil,know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up th e Law and the Prophets." Matt. 11: 9-13, NIV. As well as thanking Jesus for mediating to the Father for me, I thank Him for using Marsha, Reid, Scott and others too in guiding me to wellness. Although I can't claim cure scientifically for lack of an accurate, affordable test, I will reiterate, colloidal silver has apparently made a worthwhile difference in my well-being, going beyond what the antibiotics did for me. I have not experienced any side effects other than the "herxes." This month, I celebrate 12 months off all antibiotics*. I'm not sure what date, but anyway, just had to share my joy & thanks regarding this victory in the battle for good health! (*the only exception being palliative amoxicillin I have to take routinely for dental work due to MVP. I no longer take CS daily either.) Sincerely, Nancy mailto:[email protected] http://www.connix.com/~berntsen/ Lyme Borreliosis info: http://www.connix.com/~berntsen/bb-lyme/lyme-njb.htm Proverbs 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
