Friends, family and extended community,
I am reaching out to ask for your help in my healing journey.
A few months ago, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. It turns out, I likely contracted Lyme 14 years ago, while tree planting the summer after my second year of university. Pulling ticks off my body was a regular activity that summer, but I was told at the time that ticks didn’t carry Lyme disease in that part of Ontario. I now know that information was wrong.
The diagnosis was both a blessing and devastation: late-stage/chronic Lyme disease is a serious illness that is difficult to treat, and yet I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel of confusion and crazy-making around my health. For over a decade now I have experienced cyclical ailments, from frequent infections and viruses; fatigue; low energy; headaches; digestive problems; immunological problems; arthritis and musculoskeletal issues; and in more recent years, insomnia; heart arrhythmia's; and nervous system, neurological, and mental health issues.
Over this time, I’ve seen a host of practitioners from family doctors, infectious disease specialists, immunologists and cardiologists; to chiropractors, physiotherapists, naturopaths, Chinese medicine practitioners, massage therapists, and osteopaths; to any number of independent healers without official titles. Without a diagnosis or effective treatment, I began to think I was crazy, or perhaps just a damaged, weak person.
My ability to navigate my symptoms has waxed and waned depending on their severity and my life circumstances. However, in the last year and a half or so, things became worse, and the symptoms impossible to ignore. My health began to severely interfere with my daily ability to function, go to work, or to experience any sense of normalcy. After another year of almost weekly appointments, and a slew of tests, I found a skilled naturopath who sent blood-work to Europe and accurately diagnosed me with Lyme disease, as well another tick-borne illness called babesia (commonly named “American malaria” – a parasite that inhabits red blood cells).
Finally, I am now able to see the possibility of wellness and take definitive steps towards healing. This is where you, my friends, family, and community, can help. Unfortunately, my condition is not covered by OHIP, or even recognized by the Canadian medical establishment.
Canada’s medical system is inadequate in both testing and treating Lyme disease, and in some cases, it’s actively repressing the evidence of its prevalence. It is difficult to be accurately diagnosed, and it’s even harder to receive adequate treatment, particularly if you have late-stage or chronic Lyme like I do.
It is for this reason, that I am asking for your help in financing the naturopathic and holistic treatment I need to heal from Lyme disease. It has been very difficult for me to tell my story and reach out for help. It’s hard asking for financial assistance in particular, but it is the support I need most right now.
My current cost estimate is $14 000 over the next 12 – 18 months.
This money is needed for: naturopathic consultations and appointments; medications, herbs and supplements and additional treatments to address damage to various body systems.
If I were to follow the advice of the traditional doctors I have seen, I would currently be taking beta-blockers, anti-inflammatories, steroids, anti-depressants, asthma medications, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and sleep medications. The list would likely go on, without ever addressing the root cause of my illness.
I am extremely lucky to have found a Lyme literate practitioner in my home community with experience successfully treating the disease. I am grateful for the level of well-being I still experience in my life, especially considering the length of time I have been afflicted with this illness.
The journey has been deep, and I often struggle to keep a positive outlook while navigating a range of sometimes debilitating symptoms. It has been hard to feel supported in the face of systemic under-recognition of my disease and invalidation from the medical establishment.
Yet I remain hopeful for the healing journey ahead. It is my connection to a supportive community and the healing practices I have cultivated through it that have nourished my resilience thus far. In this time of difficulty, I am asking my community to support me once again.
Thank you for hearing my story with an open mind and heart. Anything you can give is extremely helpful and will be received with deep gratitude.
Please feel free to share this as you see appropriate. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps significantly.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Bragg
More information
Treatment outcomes and next steps
My naturopath estimates my treatment may take about two years. She has experience treating Lyme and is the practitioner I am most confident in right now, not least of all because she is the only one to have accurately diagnosed me. Many Lyme patients in Canada have had success with naturopathic treatments and I am optimistic about the outcomes of this pathway.
I am lucky, as I mentioned above, that I have found someone who will treat me in Peterborough. Countless others have needed to go to the US for treatment, racking up costs of tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars more than my current cost estimate. In the worst-case scenario, if my treatments are not as successful as anticipated, I may need to look at that option. For now, I have hope that my current treatment will work. Taking things one step at a time has been essential.
Why do I need financial assistance now?
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in February and been doing treatment with my naturopath ever since. I work at a non-profit and have a low income, but I was able to scrape by with my wages and some savings until my contract ended in April. Now on employment insurance since May and making 55% of my usual wage, I simply cannot afford the treatments. I will be returning to work in September, but at reduced hours and I will not be able to afford the treatments as I move forward. Depending on how things go, I may need to reduce my work hours even more or stop working altogether for a while, but again, one step at a time.
How is it going so far?
Things seem to have been slowly getting better. However, it is not a linear process, nor will it be a fast one. The symptoms are unpredictable and sporadic. There are many days when I feel well, and others where it feels like I am back to square one or worse; and many others still that are somewhere in between. The treatments themselves can cause symptoms to flare up, so I am trying to be patient with the process and cherish the times of well-being along the way. I will post more updates as things proceed.
What’s the deal with Lyme in Canada?
Lyme is a complicated disease and as a result, research and scientific consensus regarding testing, treatments and treatment outcomes still have a long way to go. Additionally, there are institutional and systemic issues impeding progress and access to available effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Canada is, unfortunately, particularly lacking in recognition and treatment of the disease. Getting into the breadth of it here feels like a rabbit hole I neither have the time, energy nor expertise to go down. However, here are some resources where you can learn more:
https://canlyme.com/
https://www.ilads.org/
https://www.ilads.org/research-literature/controversies-challenges/
https://www.canlyme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/healthcare-06-00125.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/237437351773638
https://www.ilads.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Distribution-PARIS-June-25-2018-JLuche-Thayer-C-Perronne-C-Meseko-18fr060041.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/49/htm
https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/best-lyme-tests
https://lymesciencealliance.weebly.com/
http://www.mtalymenetwork.ca
https://www.lymehope.ca
http://lymeontario.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXcCXFdDi20
I am reaching out to ask for your help in my healing journey.
A few months ago, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. It turns out, I likely contracted Lyme 14 years ago, while tree planting the summer after my second year of university. Pulling ticks off my body was a regular activity that summer, but I was told at the time that ticks didn’t carry Lyme disease in that part of Ontario. I now know that information was wrong.
The diagnosis was both a blessing and devastation: late-stage/chronic Lyme disease is a serious illness that is difficult to treat, and yet I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel of confusion and crazy-making around my health. For over a decade now I have experienced cyclical ailments, from frequent infections and viruses; fatigue; low energy; headaches; digestive problems; immunological problems; arthritis and musculoskeletal issues; and in more recent years, insomnia; heart arrhythmia's; and nervous system, neurological, and mental health issues.
Over this time, I’ve seen a host of practitioners from family doctors, infectious disease specialists, immunologists and cardiologists; to chiropractors, physiotherapists, naturopaths, Chinese medicine practitioners, massage therapists, and osteopaths; to any number of independent healers without official titles. Without a diagnosis or effective treatment, I began to think I was crazy, or perhaps just a damaged, weak person.
My ability to navigate my symptoms has waxed and waned depending on their severity and my life circumstances. However, in the last year and a half or so, things became worse, and the symptoms impossible to ignore. My health began to severely interfere with my daily ability to function, go to work, or to experience any sense of normalcy. After another year of almost weekly appointments, and a slew of tests, I found a skilled naturopath who sent blood-work to Europe and accurately diagnosed me with Lyme disease, as well another tick-borne illness called babesia (commonly named “American malaria” – a parasite that inhabits red blood cells).
Finally, I am now able to see the possibility of wellness and take definitive steps towards healing. This is where you, my friends, family, and community, can help. Unfortunately, my condition is not covered by OHIP, or even recognized by the Canadian medical establishment.
Canada’s medical system is inadequate in both testing and treating Lyme disease, and in some cases, it’s actively repressing the evidence of its prevalence. It is difficult to be accurately diagnosed, and it’s even harder to receive adequate treatment, particularly if you have late-stage or chronic Lyme like I do.
It is for this reason, that I am asking for your help in financing the naturopathic and holistic treatment I need to heal from Lyme disease. It has been very difficult for me to tell my story and reach out for help. It’s hard asking for financial assistance in particular, but it is the support I need most right now.
My current cost estimate is $14 000 over the next 12 – 18 months.
This money is needed for: naturopathic consultations and appointments; medications, herbs and supplements and additional treatments to address damage to various body systems.
If I were to follow the advice of the traditional doctors I have seen, I would currently be taking beta-blockers, anti-inflammatories, steroids, anti-depressants, asthma medications, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and sleep medications. The list would likely go on, without ever addressing the root cause of my illness.
I am extremely lucky to have found a Lyme literate practitioner in my home community with experience successfully treating the disease. I am grateful for the level of well-being I still experience in my life, especially considering the length of time I have been afflicted with this illness.
The journey has been deep, and I often struggle to keep a positive outlook while navigating a range of sometimes debilitating symptoms. It has been hard to feel supported in the face of systemic under-recognition of my disease and invalidation from the medical establishment.
Yet I remain hopeful for the healing journey ahead. It is my connection to a supportive community and the healing practices I have cultivated through it that have nourished my resilience thus far. In this time of difficulty, I am asking my community to support me once again.
Thank you for hearing my story with an open mind and heart. Anything you can give is extremely helpful and will be received with deep gratitude.
Please feel free to share this as you see appropriate. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps significantly.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Bragg
More information
Treatment outcomes and next steps
My naturopath estimates my treatment may take about two years. She has experience treating Lyme and is the practitioner I am most confident in right now, not least of all because she is the only one to have accurately diagnosed me. Many Lyme patients in Canada have had success with naturopathic treatments and I am optimistic about the outcomes of this pathway.
I am lucky, as I mentioned above, that I have found someone who will treat me in Peterborough. Countless others have needed to go to the US for treatment, racking up costs of tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars more than my current cost estimate. In the worst-case scenario, if my treatments are not as successful as anticipated, I may need to look at that option. For now, I have hope that my current treatment will work. Taking things one step at a time has been essential.
Why do I need financial assistance now?
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in February and been doing treatment with my naturopath ever since. I work at a non-profit and have a low income, but I was able to scrape by with my wages and some savings until my contract ended in April. Now on employment insurance since May and making 55% of my usual wage, I simply cannot afford the treatments. I will be returning to work in September, but at reduced hours and I will not be able to afford the treatments as I move forward. Depending on how things go, I may need to reduce my work hours even more or stop working altogether for a while, but again, one step at a time.
How is it going so far?
Things seem to have been slowly getting better. However, it is not a linear process, nor will it be a fast one. The symptoms are unpredictable and sporadic. There are many days when I feel well, and others where it feels like I am back to square one or worse; and many others still that are somewhere in between. The treatments themselves can cause symptoms to flare up, so I am trying to be patient with the process and cherish the times of well-being along the way. I will post more updates as things proceed.
What’s the deal with Lyme in Canada?
Lyme is a complicated disease and as a result, research and scientific consensus regarding testing, treatments and treatment outcomes still have a long way to go. Additionally, there are institutional and systemic issues impeding progress and access to available effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Canada is, unfortunately, particularly lacking in recognition and treatment of the disease. Getting into the breadth of it here feels like a rabbit hole I neither have the time, energy nor expertise to go down. However, here are some resources where you can learn more:
https://canlyme.com/
https://www.ilads.org/
https://www.ilads.org/research-literature/controversies-challenges/
https://www.canlyme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/healthcare-06-00125.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/237437351773638
https://www.ilads.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Distribution-PARIS-June-25-2018-JLuche-Thayer-C-Perronne-C-Meseko-18fr060041.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/49/htm
https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/best-lyme-tests
https://lymesciencealliance.weebly.com/
http://www.mtalymenetwork.ca
https://www.lymehope.ca
http://lymeontario.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXcCXFdDi20
Organizer and beneficiary
Catherine P Bragg
Beneficiary