Mary Sue Healing Chronic Lyme fund
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December 31st 2019 update –
To my team of supporters and allies:
At this Christmas time and Coming New Year, I am reflecting and strongly feel … my greatest gift has been you! Gratitude is filling my heart and soul, because of you! My last update was in March of this year which is just amazing to me – At that time I was so very sick, BUT so much has transpired since then. Continuing Bee Venom Therapy for 3 years just completing the protocol this last month and getting intensive treatment with Dr. Klinghardt in Seattle and his team as well as receiving bio magnetic therapy a few months ago has finally allowed me to turn the corner toward wellness after 8 years!
First and foremost let me say I am finally free of the Lyme bacteria and slowly coming fully back into the world again…. because of You!
So many like you have been a crucial part of my recovery from eight years of being debilitated and in bed most of the time, especially the last four years - they were the worst. Your donations were what allowed me to get the unique and expensive treatments for Lyme and 5 Co-infections.
Medical insurance does not pay for these treatments so without your help I might still be in bed or DEAD, so THANK YOU from every fiber of my being.
I will leave the GoFundMe page up for a few months, but donations are not necessary at this point I am working more and we are starting to catch up (yippee). I just want the story to be out there for a while longer, I hope it will help others over time to hear my story.
Setting up GoFundMe
In September 2016, I set up GoFundMe with my friend Mariya helping me pull information together. Previously, we had exhausted our savings and my husband was working several jobs to make ends meet. In the first year of medical treatments we spent $52,000.00 out-of-pocket – approximately $250,000 out-of-pocket managing my illness from 2011 until now, yep it has been going on for over 8 years! We realized we couldn’t survive without help. Through the three years using Go Fund Me to get my message out there, there were 78 donors and 135 donations that raised $19,650.00 dollars to support me in getting the treatment I needed as well as supplies for treatment. There were others who supported us with prayer, words of encouragement and support, grocery gift cards, some brought groceries to our home, and some send cards with money or visa gift cards. Many gave several donations over time - the kindness and consideration was just astounding!
It was very difficult initially to ask for help through GoFundMe, humbling and even embarrassing at first, but with the insistence and encouragement of one of my doctors (who had to do the same for her treatment at one point in her life) we did it. I learned I had to advocate for myself in a huge way. I am certain now that if we had not done this I would not have survived, most of my organs and parts of my brain had been affected by Lyme, 5 Co-infections and retroviruses, as well as massive persistent parasite issues - common with Lyme disease.
The ongoing suffering was beyond imagination or comprehension at times, isolating, oppressive and tortuous, but I kept living and doing all the external and internal work I could just to get through each day. Through the supportive encouragement from those that reached out to me, I knew I had to keep going, even when I just wanted to give up and stop what felt like a battle every day. I had to overcome the challenges daily and fight to survive; because of support and donations it was bigger than me now because people had given their money to help me I had to do my part in every way I could muster.
Research now shows Bee Venom Therapy is a CURE for Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)
Yep, the bee venom therapy (BVT) got the Lyme. I thank God for Ellie Lobel and her protocol for BVT and for coming to my home to show me how to get started 3 years ago - her book on treating Lyme with BVT is coming out soon! I am also so grateful to Norm my beloved husband who endured so mush through this ordeal and chose to stay by my side and even sting me with the bees when he could, it was nerve wrecking for him too. I am also very grateful to Deanna Dickman for being my “bee buddy” and now very dear friend, stinging me weekly for these three years, she definitely saw me at my worst like my sweetheart Norm had to, but they both kept showing up with acceptance, love and support.
Still the Co-infections were Terrible and complicated.
The other co-infections, retroviruses and parasites had to be addressed with aggressive costly treatments over time with a team of “Lyme Literate Doctors” I had to travel to see for assessments and treatments. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Klinghardt and his team of amazing doctors headquartered in Seattle at the Sophia Health Clinic. He really knows his most effective “stuff” after working in this field dealing with all chronic illnesses for over 40 years! Thank God I didn’t have to leave the country for treatment like so many have to do.
NOW-I am aiming at being a Thriver, not just a survivor!
It is so fabulous to be here now as not just a survivor but a thriver, after 8 years of not knowing if I would survive and often wishing I would die. I recently hired a trainer with her masters in kinesiology helping me regain function I had lost from so much time in bed, it feels great to see my body respond and now it is slowly getting stronger. I find the procrastination with going to get a workout, is the piece to overcome now (that stubborn ego!). I plan to be an ambassador for education and support for people with Lyme disease or any chronic illness in any way I can, I have learned so much through my desperate attempt to understand the root causes and cutting edge treatments.
I hope to see you all soon- so much love to you!
Here is a picture of me on my 65th birthday this past December - beaming and happy at Rocky Point restaurant- most could not tell I was sick most of the time by outward appearances I looked good and was miserable, but now I feel good deep inside and am so very grateful!
Gratitude makes us feel bursting with delight, just to remember the gifts we have received. Thus we are doubly blessed when we receive something: for the gift itself and later, in recall, for the miracle of having been given it. -M.J. Ryan
To my team of supporters and allies March 3rd update 2019
(long post but worth reading- links included for your reference and education)
It has been several months since my last update , I was feeling a bit better and then the last month I have been so extremely fatigued it has been very difficult to get out of bed each day. I am still working but with reduced hours, I love it once I get there, helping others always makes me feel more alive and hopeful. Dr. Klinghardt said it would be difficult and he was so right, I am glad he warned me. It is like having a horrific flu that just doesn’t go away. I have been aggressively treating my body under his direction for multiple parasites, heavy metal toxicity, and retroviral activity with a very compromised immune system. I also am still doing the Bee Venom Therapy (10 live bee stings 3 times per week) for Lyme and Co-infections, I have done 3,660 stings and it has been 27 months (talk about perseverance!J). I am so grateful to my bee stinging helpers Norm and Deanna.
Your support continues to makes a BIG difference in my future. I will see Dr. Klinghardt again next week in Seattle and get additional treatments, if we can afford them. I hope I have made some progress even though right now it doesn’t feel like it. It often it seems like I still have so long to go it can be discouraging but I must keep at it. Your words of encouragement and financial support have paved the way for me to be in his expert care. Because none of this level of treatment is paid for by insurance, I could have stayed stuck in not being able to get the level of care I needed. Your contributions are saving my life! I thank you all so very sincerely for continuing to reach out, without you I would be lost to unrelenting complicated illness with no treatment other than the bees and no hope for complete resolution. See my full story here: www.gofundme.com/mary-sue
I was exposed to a bunch of people last month at a memorial service for a dear friend and came home with a terrible infection in my sinuses and then bronchitis that has been going on for over a month now. I should have been more guarded, it was so good to be in their company I just wanted all the hugs I could share because so often I am isolated from social gatherings. Plus the perfume and cologne was just sickening and toxic, most people don’t realize that their scented body care products are toxic to them and others- this is another aspect of the environmental problem that is not well known or understood.
I have learned that parasites and heavy metal toxicity are much more common in everyone in this country than I ever realized. Parasites show up in our bodies because we are so toxic from the environment and have poor gut health due to the good bacteria being killed by environmental toxins, even if you live in rural area, they thrive in the toxic environments created in our bodies.
Many experts say “if you have a pulse you have parasites” but because there is a belief that creates a pervasive denial that “parasites infestation only happens in third world countries, that the US population does not have this as a significant problem”….and because testing for parasites is ineffective most of the time…..we often have parasites compromising our health and don’t even know it. If left untreated we can’t get better, it is a vicious cycle of toxicity.
Parasites carry the toxins in them, in a way they are protecting our bodies by storing toxins, viruses, mold spores and more. Yet while they are in the body they release these toxins in their excrement into our bodies daily. Yuck, right? And when you go after them with strong medication they die and they release the toxins which must be bound up with binders taken orally through the day, unless we can pass them whole. So an aggressive detox plan must accompany any parasite protocol, which is also what I am doing when I can rally my energy to do so.
I have also learned so much about how our guts are being severely compromised by vaccines, petrochemicals and toxic heavy metals in our food, air and water. This leaves us with a gut micro biome that is altered to the point that we can’t make the neurotransmitters that make us feel optimistic, energized and balanced, or vitamins, antibodies and so much more that keep us healthy.
Dr Zach Bush (triple board certified MD) has many YouTube videos on this topic, he is a respected friend of peer of Dr. Klinghardt. He and Dr. Klinghardt speak publically about all this often now, but it is still not widely known yet. It used to be a topic only discussed in private conversations due to the threat of losing their labs or having their practices shut down by the FDA. I hope more and more people will get informed by taking the time to watch some of his videos, they are stunning! Watch with your significant others because it is difficult to explain and can sound unbelievable if not fully understood.
Here is link to one I really like filmed just in January 2019: https://youtu.be/X3aOQ0N74PI it is 154 minutes so get some organic popcorn and beverage and settle in, and watch with your significant others- it would be too complicated for children to understand. Always take your dose of RESTORE before eating to help the gut heal and protect you from environmental damage: https://shop.restore4life.com/
This is SERIOUS and CRITICAL for all of us to get informed. We are in a disastrous situation in the US. and it is affecting the food supply around the globe. We must get informed and learn what our part is in turning this mess around for the future of our planet. This is in large part why autism, auto immune disorders, chronic illness, obesity, and degenerative illnesses have been on the rise in the US, and many people think it is just signs of aging. We have been MISLED! It is shocking to learn how much of the mess is the result of money hungry huge corporations holding the FDA and farming community hostages.
But GRACE will prevail and I want to be a part of that change, we just don’t want it to take 40 years of more unnecessary human suffering. Take the time to watch some of his videos on YouTube, just search for Zach Bush MD and take personal action to protect yourself, your family and loved ones as well as our future generations.
At least this has helped me understand that my struggle is not singular, it is not because I had a poor constitution or bad genetics or a tick or vector bite alone, it is because I live in a world is being poisoned. My hope is that when all this treatment is over at least I’ll be less toxic in every way, and in that way be ahead of the game if I survive.
It is so BIG and pertinent to everyone, I think. I also hope in this way my suffering will be used to educate and prevent further unnecessary sickness. Many will have to travel this path or suffer from poor health and think it is just ageing or some “dis-ease”. Our children and grandchildren are also really paying the price for our ignorance to what is going on and what can be done to protect them. Get informed as I get informed and let’s turn this around together.
Dr. Zach Bush has a new non-profit that is helping farmers return to sustainable farming to save our soil and our health, there is a docu-series on this site:https://farmersfootprint.us
Love to you all,
Mary Sue Abernethy
To my team of supporters and allies - January 20th update
Great News! For the first time in 8 years I am noticing that I am feel better, and it seems to be lasting more than a few hours every once in a while! I am so encouraged and I pray that this relief remain constant.
I am still on numerous prescription shots, tons of tinctures, herbs , and 3 parasite killing prescriptions, but I think Dr. Klinghardt MD was right on in saying "we are going to use the big guns on you now, we are not messing around" (after 2 years of seeing other doctors trained by him). He also said”nothing about this will be easy" and he was right, but I am seeing a light now at the end of the tunnel.
I am just amazed how the body can hold pockets of pathogens for years. These pathogens have evolved to protect themselves in bio- film and nest deeply in organs and tissue where they are sequestered and protected from many treatments. Most testing for these issues is inadequate so we most often don't even know we are being attacked from within.
Plus the environmental toxins in our food, air and water that are poisoning us are worse than ever before in history. President Putin from Russia was quoted in saying "We don't have to worry about the defeating the Americans they are poisoning their air and food and killing their brains with Wi-Fi " He wants Russia to be the first organic country in the world, and they are protecting the Russian people from electro smog, glyphosate and other pesticides in the food, reducing air pollution aggressively and refusing tainted vaccination usage for their population.
I am so grateful to know more about how to live in this world and deal with what is going on with open eyes. I have realized we need to be educated and smart in using methods to clean this mess up in our bodies and in the environment. I hope you all can learn more about all this as well, for your future health and aging well.
By using tougher tactics to remove parasites and heavy metals and toxins I feel like I am finally coming out of a dense cloud I was living in.
The inflammation in my body has caused me to have severe insomnia as well as gain 20 lbs. At least I know it is not from what I am eating. It is a protective mechanism of the body, yet was painful to watch happening to my body, as my energy strength and flexibility slipped away. I will and have many months of rehabilitation to do for my body to recover its strength again and what I remember as vitality.
I am still stinging with live bees (10) three times a week; it has been 26 months now and 3460 stings! My hope is that by clearing the parasites in a big way and moving out the heavy metals more aggressively this will make way for the bee venom to shine through and reveal my full recovery. Most people who persevere in bee venom therapy (BVT) for 2 - 3 years are healed and the research is showing the venom kills the Lyme completely, no coming back unless you get bit again , not just remission! That is why I have stuck with it as painful as it is, if feels quite barbaric, but I trust Ellie Lobel's research and her full recovery, plus there is new research coming out all the time about the sustainable healing that occurs with BVT for many issues in additional to eradicating Lyme.
I have to remain on treatment until there is no trace of organ distress, so the expenses will continue that insurance doesn't cover. I am finally able to work a bit more now, thank God for that and I hope to market my services again soon. My husband Norm is still working three jobs (6 AM-9PM) and juggling all that I need help with- he is just an amazing partner and angel!
The responsive donations from my Go Fund Me campaign have helped us tremendously in paying for my ongoing and now more aggressive treatment. Those gifts from the heart have allowed me to get to this place of hope for recovery. So many efforts to support me/us in fighting for my life with money donations, amazon and grocery gift cards and words of support have fueled my perseverance on this long and difficult journey. I am deeply grateful and humbled by the continued surprises of support that arrive- thank you all so very much. I send you love, appreciation, and gratitude.
Mary Sue
To my team of supporters and allies –November 4th 2018- update
After my last update almost two months ago, the support sent to us was so tremendously helpful and heartwarming. The Gofundme cash donations helped pay for my supplies for treatment, and grocery gift cards for Safeway and Whole Foods Market got us through the month with much less stress. This generosity just brings me to tears and helps me feel supported on this very lonely and tortuous path. The goodness in people, some I don’t even know, is just astounding, I feel humbled and in awe of the sweet compassion and practical support. This gives me hope and encouragement to "keep up the good fight"! Believe me, I really hate to have to ask for help, it creates more stress in me but I have no choice. Because we live in a country where my illness is not paid for even by good insurance, the burden is too great (see Yolanda Hadid's brief video speech below).
Health update: I am having somewhat better days occasionally, I even took a short bike ride once with Norm this past week! What a joy those rare moments are. They help me to face the fact that most days are an immense struggle just to get out of bed. The insomnia with lower body pain all night, create a heavy fatigue that is difficult to push through and get anything done the next day. The pervasive “ brain fog” is so frustrating, I feel like I am under water or drugged all the time, except for the time I spend supporting my patients. That is when I feel most vibrant, but it doesn’t last, after they leave I crash. Mega-star Avril Lavigne's new song about her personal battle with Lyme disease is so fitting it is titled “Head Above Water.” See my previous post from Sept 22nd below.
I am now at my 2 year mark with 10 live bee stings 3 times each week- Whooohoo! They say to keep doing it until 3 months of no symptoms, I hope I live to see and experience that someday soon! This last month intestinal parasites made everything worse, this is common with Lyme disease and co-infections. The toxins they spew into the body when they are killed can create symptoms that can seem be alarming if you don’t know what is going on. At least I know the symptoms and how to take action, but it does take a lot of time in the day to deal with this additional aspect of already feeling terrible. Yes, it is a living nightmare so your prayers and financial support in any way are so deeply appreciated.
My husband Norm and I are doing everything we can to keep letting go of what we can and work as much as possible to make ends meet, but the financial burden of paying for even the bare minimum treatment is tremendous.
Good News Creates more of a Challenge: I am privileged to have an appointment to see probably the greatest doctor in the world regarding my complicated multifaceted illness. I’ll see Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt on November 13th at one of his four clinics from around the globe, this one is in Seattle. It took over two years of pretty intense treatment with 4 of his trained doctors before I would be allowed to see him. We will stay with Norm’s family in Seattle so that helps so much and we get to see two of his precious grandchildren - so much fun to be with! We bought the plane tickets at their cheapest some months ago. The big costs are Dr. Klinghardt's fee and the IVs and other treatments at the clinic they want me to have while I am there. The hour with Dr. Klinghardt is 850.00. Yep, shocking I know, but that is common in this world of complicated sickness that insurance does not pay for. I ran out of most of my treatment supplies this month and we are not going to pay the mortgage or other bills at this point because this has to be a priority, but it creates so much stress on us and feels risky, but we feel it is the right thing to do at this point. Plus the week we are in Seattle we won’t be earning our weekly incomes. Just buying groceries or having gas money is a challenge at times much less paying monthy bills and paying for treatment supplies.
The ways you can help us- if you can are:
1. Online donations: www.gofundme.com/mary-sue
2. Food Gift cards for Safeway or Whole foods Market
3. Real estate referrals to Norm Nelson at [email redacted]
4. Visa or MasterCard gift cards
5. Sharing my www.gofundme.com/mary-sue page and your words about my story to encourage support.
It is such a lonely isolating illness and most people just have no idea what it entails. People see me out in the world and think I am ok, the truth is I am just good at faking being ok, just like the Beverly Hills Housewives TV star Yolanda Hadid said " I'm looking good but feeling bad" recently when speaking at a Global Lyme Alliance Gala -Yolanda Hadid speech at Global Lyme Alliance fundraiser.
She wrote the book titled “Believe Me” about her Lyme journey. Unfortunately she is no longer in remission. God bless her for being an ambassador for ending the crazy denial of this complicated Chronic illness.
I am so grateful for the Facebook groups I am in with people that use treatments from Dr. Klinghardt. They are my support system, at least there I feel understood. The wealth of knowledge and experience I have found there is astounding (10,000 plus members). I have learned so much over the last 3 years since knowing I have Lyme and 5 Co-infections and now retroviruses to deal with.
Many things I now know about chronic illness pertain to the average population in the US, unfortunately. The statistics reveal 65% of the US adult US. population have chronic illness, and Dr. Klinghardt has said a huge wave of more of this is coming our way, but most are not looking for the root cause. That is why I love working with Naturopathic Doctors, that is their creed….to get to the root cause of illness. I really look forward to being better someday soon, so I can offer the knowledge I have and experience as a health care provider more and more to so many seeking answers and suffering in silence.
Thanks for reading my post and caring to know my status.
So much love to you all,
Mary Sue Abernethy
update - September 22, 2018
OMG this is my prayer song (video below) on so many days right now ! Mega-star Avril Lavigne this week released her first new song in five years, about her personal battle with Lyme disease. Its title is “Head Above Water.”
Yep, it feels like I am drowning or dying so often, I just have to accept it even fall into it at times, after I have done everything I can to clear the sickness. Then I surrender to what is.... and let Spirit ...."hold my head above water".
So much love to any of you who are supporting me though this journey.
My update is below the video---
I am finally going to see Dr. Klinghardt himself on November the 13, it is very expensive but such a privilege - he sees the sickest of the chronic sick from all over the world. He is a kind and extremely experienced and wise man, a wizard in my view or an angel on this earth.
I will need to raise money to pay for this ((850.00 is his fee now) plus the flight there (thank God it is Seattle), and getting any treatments at the clinic all depend on donations. Then afterwards I will need to get the supplies for treatment he recommends. We are still struggling just to get my supplies each month and pay the bills, so any help financially will be tremendously appreciated and spread the word. So many pitched in after my last post I am so full of heart felt gratitude when I get their donation or cards with donations or supportive comments, those moments give me so much hope that I desperately need so often.
I have been getting longer hours of "ok" time here and there, I think the retroviral treatmentI am on now is a critical piece underlying the Lyme and Co-infections.
I miss being out in the world like a "normal " person, I miss hanging out with friends and laughing or taking a walk, I miss having dependable energy and clarity every day, I miss feeling strong , and I think I miss that feeling of being connected to the beauty and awe in the world and the delight of feeling vibrant......oh sweet memories, sad longing.... I am fighting to have all of that back in my experience. Don't ever ever take it for granted, I won't....ever....when I get it back. I miss you all.
Love to you and can't wait to hear from you,
Mary Sue
update-July 22nd 2018
Hello to my help team out there,
Since my last update on June the 7th I decided to go and see one of Dr. Klinghardt's recent residents up in Marin CA., so it was a bit cheaper (450.00 plus 50.00 for gas, versus 750.00 and airfare to Seattle and time off work). I was just too sick to keep waiting for income from our various jobs or funding. I am so grateful we had received donations to help make this doctor visit happen (because as you know insurance does not pay for the doctor or any treatments).
It always feels good to hope I am in capable hands, to get help in finding out what the issues are so I can focus on them and keep fighting in the right way to get better.
The good news was that active Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi ) and the 5 other co-infections I had showing up before are not active now, they are still there but not effecting me as much. So the Babesia, Bartonella, mycoplasma, klebsiella , and Erlichia are out of the picture for now and I want to keep it that way, so my continued treatment is critical! So at least some of the effort and expense of these last three years is paying off - and once again thanks to the wonderful donations that supported me in getting there. It seems I am peeling back the layers of this very complex illness and I have been in this for a while, so some layers have been dealt with- yay for that! I may still have a long way to go, it seems.
In the session the doctor told me right now Rickettsia (a co-infection to Lyme) is causing some of my symptoms like fevers, fatigue and myalgia (horrible body pain and insomnia). I also have symptoms relating to active viral infections and active retro-viruses (human Immune Viruses - they said this is like HIV- II or AIDS 2- based on the newest cutting edge research they think they may be at the root of the problem so treatment is essential). I also have aluminum, lead, and glyphosate toxicity and parasites that are causing problems (all common with this illness). Then she revealed my liver, bladder, kidneys, thyroid, lungs, and lymph system are all in trouble and needing help. She gave me numerous injections and an updated protocol to follow for daily treatment. So the daily toxic feeling still continues with pain, exhaustion, and fogginess that I have to try and treat every day.
So at first it feels good to know all that is troubling my health, even validating, because when you feel as bad as I do it is nice to know the current cause and focus. Also, to see a doctor that is trained by Dr. Klinghardt, I know that it is a very thorough and complete investigation so all factors that are keeping me sick are revealed. It is an amazing experience, I feel so blessed to know about this amazing groups of doctors and how they practice medicine and treatment.
But when I got home the next day, I just cried off and on all day, feeling beat-up , warn out and hopeless.....more things to buy, more ongoing detoxing and treatment that takes hours every day...and knowing I will still just keep feeling like crap most likely for a while.....miserable. Then the next day I picked myself up and ordered what I could and started to try to piece the protocol together as to when I take what, and how it is taken.
I am still doing bee stinging, 10 live stings, 3 times each week. I am up to 2,600 stings now and 20 months of that! Yes it hurts ....a lot...but it passes in 90 seconds. I just grown or growl and walk around the house for 90 seconds, sometimes I cry. Thank God Norm (my husband) and Deanna Dickman (my stinging buddies) are compassionate and patient with me and show up to capture the bees in their little home and sting me three times a week. A picture of my back after a stinging session is below.
In summary- It is all maddeningly expensive and somewhat barbaric treatment ...but what am I going to do? I just have to keep going on, hold to my faith and switch to determination.
So I am humbly determined to keep asking for help as well (even though it is really hard, and I am afraid it will turn people away from wanting to hear from me). I can't buy the current treatments she recommended so my treatment will be stalled without help. I need at least $2,000 right away to get me going, and close to that each month for a few months. Many hands of donations help make this additional burden lighter, so a sponsor of any sort is very appreciated.
I don't know if you can imagine the additional stress that is on us to have this financial burden ( or to have to ask for help). Because I am not able to work very much and my dear husband at age 72 is working 3 jobs, but we are still not making ends meet due to this financial burden of my illness. One donation last month was a Godsend of $500.00 as Safeway grocery card (at least I can get mostly organic there).
The National organization www.Lymedisease.org reported the conclusion of a projected cost of illness analysis for Lyme disease to the federal Tick-Borne Diseases Working Group that the number of people with chronic Lyme disease likely ranges between 1 and 3 million and the annual cost—for chronic Lyme disease alone—may top $75 billion a year - https://www.lymedisease.org/lymepolicywonk-costs-75billion/
Please help if you can and spread the word of my story and make some personal comments in your posts about my struggle- it really makes a difference because people get so much information these days.
Many don't realize people with Chronic Lyme disease need ongoing help. I will need monthly help for at least the next six months or year. It is humbling to ask but necessary.
Options for helping could be donations to help pay for treatment through www.gofundme.com/mary-sue,
OR ....grocery gift cards..... gas gift cards....amazon gift cards ( I buy a lot of my supplements through my amazon prime account) send to my address: 162 Hacienda Carmel, Carmel Ca. 93923.
I thank you in advance for any support you can send my way- God bless you and your loved ones- lots of love to you!
Mary Sue
June 7th 2018
Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I posted, I am still overwhelmed with sickness most of the time and the demands it puts on me. I need funding now for an ozone machine that is 2,000 so I can use it and add it in daily for my treatment protocol. I need 750.00 to get up to see my doctor and will need another 1000.00 after I see him to get my supplements. I have to advocate for myself or I get swallowed up in hopelessness from not having the funds to get the help I need. if you could help in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Please spread the word to others who might be able to donate for my ongoing treatment. I re-posted the link to my video of the bees before stinging me below, it should work now.
Thank you and love to you- Mary Sue Abernethy
May 3rd 2018
It has been 10 months since I last posted anything here and the month of May is Lyme awareness month, so I thought I should give an update. I continue to struggle with the awful symptoms of Chronic Lyme and 6 co-infections, heavy metal toxicity, parasites and now it looks like I may have retro-viruses affecting me as well. It sounds crazy I know to most people, but if you are in the Chronic Lyme world this is quite common.
I get worn out even thinking about asking for financial help but I must, or I might not beat this thing. Often I feel isolated and very alone (except for my sweet husband Norm ) while feeling horribly sick at the same time. Most of my waking hours are consumed by doing treatments or detoxing, it takes so many hours, and because my sleep is still so compromised I often can’t get out of bed until late morning or afternoon. I always feel like I have simply lost the day to my sickness, and just just goes on and on. I am still doing bee venom therapy (BVT)- see video below. I am using ten live bees to sting my back spinal area three times each week. I love my “bee girls” but they can sure hurt like hell- at least it only lasts 90 seconds of intense pain, now that I have done almost 3,000 stings it goes by quickly! Yeah me, right? And Yeah to Norm who has to gather them and sting me three times each week- he is my angel! But it has only been 1 year and 6 months, and I have to do it for 2 and ½ years at least. Oh well, I just keep on, keeping on. Here is a video to see the bees I sting with:
Why I still need donations?Unfortunately nothing has changed in terms of our CDC acknowledging Chronic Lyme and therefore insurance does not pay for any doctor visits or treatments- now that is REALLY CRAZY! It costs an average of 2,000.00 per month out of pocket for my baseline care. Not being able to get what I need for treatment or see my doctor as often as I need to just adds to the oppression I feel from all this. On top of that right now I need an ozone machine (2,195.00), oxygen concentrator (1850.00), cryotherapy ( in Germany- travel costs the most the treatment is only 400.00 per session and I will need two at least) and I need dynamic neural retraining system (280.00). I also need to see Dr. Klinghardt for 6 months, my regular doctor is now on maternity leave, he is 750.00 per session so I will probably only see him twice (if I can). Of course after I see my doctors they always want me to order new supplements/homeopathy tinctures/shots/and herbs (more $$). It begins to feel hopeless like a black hole we are pouring our money into. We have downsized as much as we can and sold everything we could but we still have to wait and don’t get treatment unless we get help (donations) or Norm sells a house (he is exceptionally good but the market is very flooded with Realtors here)- please refer to him if you can- [email redacted] . My income is very limited due to not being able to work like I did in the past. You can also donate at PayPal, contact me for that information.
As a nation we must wake up and know that this is a serious life altering illness that many have and don't even know it. It is a violation against human rights to fair medical treatment and decency for it to be denied by the CDC and insurance companies! So it is up to YOU to learn more and check out the links I have listed in other posts here, to get involved in signing petitions and donating to help those struggling with the illness or getting treatment (like me) and the organizations that are really trying to stand up against what is going on with the CDC and big pharma etc.
Also right now there is a wonderful/comprehensive Chronic Lyme Disease Summit going on conducted by Dr. Jay Davidson. If you jump in now you can still watch most of the interviews for FREE. Or if you want to buy the set of interviews for 79.00 (this price might go up soon) use my affiliate link (below) and I will get a donation to help me pay for treatment with each purchase through my link- Here is the link:
2018 Chronic Lyme Disease Summit #3 . Please check it out and pass it on.
I hope we can all play an active part in changing how people are treated (or not treated) with Chronic Lyme disease and many of the diagnoses that may be misdiagnoses ( many may actually be Lyme or co-infections).
I thank you for following my story, learning more about this terrible pandemic and supporting me and others in any way you can.
So much love to you,
Mary Sue
August 25th, 2017 update:
We had a wonderful event on August 18th- the picture is of everyone "Taking A Bite Out Of Lyme" together!
We showed the movie "Under Our Skin" and everyone was very moved by what the movie reveals. So much so we decided not to have the auction of items donated until a later date to allow for processing the information and discussion. We gave away some nice raffle items and had lots of information for everyone to read or take home. I will be posting more pictures in my next update.
I am so grateful there was $822.00 donated that night to go toward my treatment costs this month. Being surrounded by such supportive folks wanting to learn more about this pandemic and what they can do to change what is happening, was so tremendously uplifting to me.
I was overwhelmingly exhausted afterwards and it took me 7 days to feel like I was back on my feet a little bit. That is just what Chronic Lyme does. It is confusing to people who see me out in the world the little bit I am, they think I am better like getting over a flu, but it doesn't work that way and it is just maddening for it to go on and on for years!
I am dedicated more than ever to keep spreading the word. It is shocking to me how few people really know or understand what is going on and that so many are still at risk, children especially (and grandchildren), pets, gardeners, hikers, anyone that goes outside at all! Please continue to get informed and spread the word.
We closed the event with three important "take a ways".....they are.........1. Fight the Bite- learn the newer prevention strategies and don't get Lyme in the first place. 2. Get Smart & Be Vocal (share what you learn)
3. Be a Lyme Warrior – support people with Lyme disease and organizations fighting to help them- we need all the ongoing help we can get! I would add Get Ticked Off because once we learn what is going on assertive action needs to be taken to stop what is being perpetrated and Legalize Lyme (check out this link) .
Love to you all,
Mary Sue
July 6th 2017 update:
Please don’t forget me ! I am still here -- I still need your help to be able pay for my treatment- without your help and the help of others , I am lost in this sickness. I am trying to survive this terrible illness.
If you get bothered by e-mails or posts about Lyme Disease…just know on the other side of that message is someone just wanting IVs or medication for their treatment and wanting to spread the word to save the lives and suffering of others going forward.
Please help out if you can and spread the word. It takes$ 2,500 to $3,000 EACH month to get treatments recommended by my Doctor for this chronic late stage neurological Lyme disease and the co-infections ( I have 7 other difficult co-infections ). I only have $102.00 left in my account as of today (7-6-17) and I can't pay for the treatments my doctor recommended.
Small monthly donations from a lot of people will allow me to get treatments each month. Or any creative ideas you may come up with for fundraising are appreciated so very much.
I will work more in my profession as soon as I can to earn a living (I have so much to offer), and my husband is working day and night 7 days/week with 3 different jobs, but we still can’t afford to pay for what the doctor is recommending as a bare minimum. It is just criminal that insurance does not pay for anything, even if I got on MediCal and disability these treatments would not be covered.
We will also put on fund raisers whenever we can, in fact one is coming up in August in Monterey CA.- check this link and spread the word please if you can. (Website: http://lymeawarenessevents.weebly.com/ )
EVERYONE should learn more about LYME – what people don’t know could kill them or cause terrible suffering and disability for them and those they care for. Many people have Lyme Disease and think it is something else.
We can change this as we become more informed and stand up for change with the CDC, IDSA, Insurance companies, and what Doctors are being taught about Lyme. Please get informed it is a Pandemic that is undercover!
So much love to you all!
Mary Sue
JUNE 2017 UPDATE:
On August 18th, I am hosting a fundraiser and educational event with a screening of the riveting, award winning movie "UNDER OUR SKIN". This movie takes viewers on a journey beneath the surface of one of the least understood diseases of our time - Lyme disease. It is a must-see as we face what is predicted to be the worst tick season in recent history. You'll realize how much you don't know about this global pandemic until you see this movie.
MOVIE SCREENING & EDUCATIONAL reception:
Date: Friday, August 18, 2017
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Place: Unity Church in Monterey, CA.
601 Madison St, Monterey, CA 93940
(Free refreshments will be served. $20 suggested donation gives you 3 tickets for some great prizes. You'll also have an opportunity to bid on some wonderful silent auction items)
I would love to see you at this event. If you cannot attend, any donations toward the cost of the movie, event expenses and my continued treatment would be a blessing.
So much love to you - Mary Sue
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(Start of Initial Post)
August 7, 2016
Dear Anyone who has ever watched a friend or family member suffer from a Chronic Illness,
My name is Mariya Cree and I am writing about my dear friend of twenty-five years Mary Sue Abernethy who is suffering terribly from Chronic Lyme Disease. She needs funding for leading edge medical treatments not covered by medical insurance.
Her doctor told her to set up a "go fund me" page and get help setting up this site, her Doctor said "you have been helping people all your life, now it is time to ask for help and be ok with that, you cannot neglect doing this in order for you to get well". So I am helping her with this site and fundraising ideas.
Mary Sue has put others first above herself for her entire life and she has always done what she could do to change people’s lives for the better. She truly has an altruistic heart with a lifelong passion and commitment to helping others in her personal and work life.
We are determined to raise money in order to pay for her comprehensive care. Treatment will also involve time off of work and she is self-employed which means she will be losing income while away in treatment. There will be thousands of dollars in follow-up appointments, supplements, and prescriptions for up to two years. The costs for treatment for this disease are astronomical and insurance does not pay for these treatments. Mary Sue’s life has been severely limited over the last five years due to her ongoing illness. She has variations of good and mostly bad days, her immune system is severely compromised.
In 2011 Mary Sue started seeking medical help for insomnia, which progressed to heart palpitations and burning pains in her head and abdomen. Since then she has seen over 20 doctors and spent thousands of dollars in medical tests and procedures. She went through numerous costly treatments with very little relief, focusing on the symptoms and not the main root cause which had not really been identified.
In the fall of 2015 she was retested with a different laboratory and properly diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and the co-infection Babesia. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan and if this tragic disease is left untreated Late-State Chronic Lyme Disease has the potential to cause severe disability or death.
Before Mary Sue became ill, she was an athletic, strong, optimistic, and vibrant woman. Throughout her career she held leadership positions in her community helping people turn their lives around. She has spent her whole life focused on others because she believes in the goodness within people. I too believe in the goodness within people and that we can come together as a community movement to help restore Mary Sue’s health.
I hate to see my dear friend suffering from this disease and not getting the more comprehensive help she needs. It is my fear that she will continue to get progressively worse as I have noticed over the last five years. I want her to get the treatment she needs to stop this horrific disease in its tracks!
Mary Sue has a great deal of knowledge about and experience with Chronic Lyme - once she has been treated she wants to “Pay it Forward” in sharing what she has learned.
Whether or not you know Mary Sue, I hope this letter will touch you in some way so that you are “called to action” and will want to donate to her cause and the cause of ending Lyme in this country and elsewhere.
The world continues to need this amazing, talented, and special human being! We all would like to have the glowing, happy, fun, special, caring, loving, friendly, intelligent, organized, kind hearted Mary Sue back to her vibrant healthy self. I am privileged to call her my friend.
Any donation will be appreciated to help Mary Sue on her road to recovery. Her deepest desire is to find the purpose out of this very negative experience and turn it into good by helping with preventing others from having to go through the suffering she and so many have had to endure.
In summary, we need your donation to help Mary Sue get better as soon as possible! Please pass this page link www.gofundme.com/mary-sue on to any Social Media Websites that you find are appropriate. If you are willing, please make a compelling comment regarding why you think your contacts should make a donation as well as asking them to pass it on to others. We would love for you to respond to us with any information about Chronic Lyme Disease that you may come across and any information on additional fundraising ideas to help Mary Sue.
"Many hands make the burden light".
Thank you for reading this and thank you again so much for all of your help.
Sincerely,
Mariya Cree (Mary Sue’s loving Friend)
(Above picture Alana Cree, Mary Sue & Mariya Cree)
Norm (Mary Sue’s Husband) Shares His ExperienceAs I reflect on our recent 10th Wedding Anniversary, I remember Mary Sue on our Wedding Day as the picture of health - a woman in her prime with a deeply caring essence, personally and professionally.
Above picture 2006-Kittylu (Mary Sue's Mother), Norm (her husband) and Mary Sue before sickness- Happy Day!
Sadly, over the past 5+ years, I have witnessed firsthand the insidious effects Chronic Lyme Disease has wreaked on her – she is now a shadow of her former physical self.
We have focused our time and funds on trying to determining the source of these symptoms and get treatment. We have spent out of pocket between $25,000.00 - $50,000.00 each of the past 5 years seeking a cure for her affliction – our financial reserves have now been exhausted.
In the Fall of 2015 a different more detailed test for Lyme Disease was performed. We discovered that she unequivocally has Chronic Lyme Disease; it has progressed from acute to chronic with the co-infection Babesia and other infections. This advanced stage of Lyme disease requires immediate attention only offered by leading edge Lyme Literate Doctors. We need the proceeds from our fund raising effort so that Mary Sue can to receive specialized treatments to rid her of the effects of this terrible disease and stop it from progressing.
My fear is that the love of my life is in an uninterruptable downward spiral to physical impairment and premature death - unless she receives this leading edge treatment for her advanced stage of Chronic Lyme Disease.
The world will be robbed of a treasure - her expertise as a Nutritionist and Psychotherapist taking on the most difficult cases - returning war veterans and others with PTSD, survivors of abuse and those with eating disorders and genetic challenges. She is very limited in how much she can work to earn a living at what she loves to do, we don't want this to get worse!
I will continue to work 7 days a week to provide funds for our living expenses and what extra I can for her medical treatments – but we need more.
Thank you for considering our request. We are grateful for your financial assistance.
Sincerely,
Norm (Mary Sue’s loving husband)
If you are not comfortable sending funds electronically you may send a check or money order to the following:
Check/money order made out to:
Mary Sue Abernethy Fund
Put the account number on the bottom of the check where it says "For" write account number 9054007084. Also put this number on the back of the check.
Mail to:
Mary Sue Abernethy Fund
C/O Wells Fargo Bank
P.O. Box 3488
Portland, Oregon. 97208-3488
What is Lyme disease?
Please check out the links below and get informed about what Acute Lyme Disease is and the symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease and spread the word.
The difference between Acute Lyme Disease and Chronic Lyme Disease is generally that the Borrelia from the infected tick bite has migrated to many parts of the body, including any organs, joints and the central nervous system. It is dormant but lying in wait for a time to opportunistically rise up again in the body in many forms and with many additional infections, called co-infections. This is why treatment is so critical as soon as the disease is determined, not to "wait and see", it tends to continue to advance in the body sometimes secretly until an illness or stress wears the immune system down and then Lyme takes over, with mysterious and often horrific symptoms as you will see in the movie links provided.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 329,000 people are diagnosed with acute Lyme Disease in the U.S. every year. That’s 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the U.S. However because diagnosing Lyme can be so difficult and there are so many false negative results, many people who actually have Lyme may be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Many experts believe the true number of cases is much higher because of the false negative tests. They also don’t consider Chronic Lyme in these statistics. Therefore many believe it is at pandemic levels and not being addressed.
Although the Center for Disease Control (CDC) continues to study Lyme Disease and has promoted a treatment protocol for Acute Lyme Disease, they have yet to acknowledge that Chronic Lyme even exists by establishing better testing and protocols for treatment ! Because of this, Medical insurance does not cover any treatment for chronic lyme. For all of these reasons Mary Sue needs your financial help to get to a clinic as soon as possible in order to prevent further complications from the effects of Chronic Lyme Disease. Some of these links will cover the controversy of why the testing is often incorrect, doctors or clinics are difficult to find that treat Chronic Lyme and why treatment is not covered by insurance.
Links:
Lyme disease organizations and all the related issues:
Lyme Disease.org
Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Tired of Lyme
Lyme Information Organization
What is Lyme
International Lyme & Associated Disease Society-ILADS
-Book Excerpt from: Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments- great excerpt on why chronic lyme treatment is not paid for by insurance.
Great Videos on Lyme
ILADS videos about Lyme Disease
Under our skin video trailer ( below)
Under Our Skin 1 or 2 Emergence-to rent or buy
Under Our Skin Video 1 or 2
Under Our Skin 2- Emergence- trailer below
Clinics for treatment of Chronic Lyme
Mary Sue hopes to go to this clinic depending on the funding- there are others out of the country and a few others in the US. (this where family is available for Mary Sue to stay with while receiving her treatment)
Sophia Wellness Institute
To my team of supporters and allies:
At this Christmas time and Coming New Year, I am reflecting and strongly feel … my greatest gift has been you! Gratitude is filling my heart and soul, because of you! My last update was in March of this year which is just amazing to me – At that time I was so very sick, BUT so much has transpired since then. Continuing Bee Venom Therapy for 3 years just completing the protocol this last month and getting intensive treatment with Dr. Klinghardt in Seattle and his team as well as receiving bio magnetic therapy a few months ago has finally allowed me to turn the corner toward wellness after 8 years!
First and foremost let me say I am finally free of the Lyme bacteria and slowly coming fully back into the world again…. because of You!
So many like you have been a crucial part of my recovery from eight years of being debilitated and in bed most of the time, especially the last four years - they were the worst. Your donations were what allowed me to get the unique and expensive treatments for Lyme and 5 Co-infections.
Medical insurance does not pay for these treatments so without your help I might still be in bed or DEAD, so THANK YOU from every fiber of my being.
I will leave the GoFundMe page up for a few months, but donations are not necessary at this point I am working more and we are starting to catch up (yippee). I just want the story to be out there for a while longer, I hope it will help others over time to hear my story.
Setting up GoFundMe
In September 2016, I set up GoFundMe with my friend Mariya helping me pull information together. Previously, we had exhausted our savings and my husband was working several jobs to make ends meet. In the first year of medical treatments we spent $52,000.00 out-of-pocket – approximately $250,000 out-of-pocket managing my illness from 2011 until now, yep it has been going on for over 8 years! We realized we couldn’t survive without help. Through the three years using Go Fund Me to get my message out there, there were 78 donors and 135 donations that raised $19,650.00 dollars to support me in getting the treatment I needed as well as supplies for treatment. There were others who supported us with prayer, words of encouragement and support, grocery gift cards, some brought groceries to our home, and some send cards with money or visa gift cards. Many gave several donations over time - the kindness and consideration was just astounding!
It was very difficult initially to ask for help through GoFundMe, humbling and even embarrassing at first, but with the insistence and encouragement of one of my doctors (who had to do the same for her treatment at one point in her life) we did it. I learned I had to advocate for myself in a huge way. I am certain now that if we had not done this I would not have survived, most of my organs and parts of my brain had been affected by Lyme, 5 Co-infections and retroviruses, as well as massive persistent parasite issues - common with Lyme disease.
The ongoing suffering was beyond imagination or comprehension at times, isolating, oppressive and tortuous, but I kept living and doing all the external and internal work I could just to get through each day. Through the supportive encouragement from those that reached out to me, I knew I had to keep going, even when I just wanted to give up and stop what felt like a battle every day. I had to overcome the challenges daily and fight to survive; because of support and donations it was bigger than me now because people had given their money to help me I had to do my part in every way I could muster.
Research now shows Bee Venom Therapy is a CURE for Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)
Yep, the bee venom therapy (BVT) got the Lyme. I thank God for Ellie Lobel and her protocol for BVT and for coming to my home to show me how to get started 3 years ago - her book on treating Lyme with BVT is coming out soon! I am also so grateful to Norm my beloved husband who endured so mush through this ordeal and chose to stay by my side and even sting me with the bees when he could, it was nerve wrecking for him too. I am also very grateful to Deanna Dickman for being my “bee buddy” and now very dear friend, stinging me weekly for these three years, she definitely saw me at my worst like my sweetheart Norm had to, but they both kept showing up with acceptance, love and support.
Still the Co-infections were Terrible and complicated.
The other co-infections, retroviruses and parasites had to be addressed with aggressive costly treatments over time with a team of “Lyme Literate Doctors” I had to travel to see for assessments and treatments. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Klinghardt and his team of amazing doctors headquartered in Seattle at the Sophia Health Clinic. He really knows his most effective “stuff” after working in this field dealing with all chronic illnesses for over 40 years! Thank God I didn’t have to leave the country for treatment like so many have to do.
NOW-I am aiming at being a Thriver, not just a survivor!
It is so fabulous to be here now as not just a survivor but a thriver, after 8 years of not knowing if I would survive and often wishing I would die. I recently hired a trainer with her masters in kinesiology helping me regain function I had lost from so much time in bed, it feels great to see my body respond and now it is slowly getting stronger. I find the procrastination with going to get a workout, is the piece to overcome now (that stubborn ego!). I plan to be an ambassador for education and support for people with Lyme disease or any chronic illness in any way I can, I have learned so much through my desperate attempt to understand the root causes and cutting edge treatments.
I hope to see you all soon- so much love to you!
Here is a picture of me on my 65th birthday this past December - beaming and happy at Rocky Point restaurant- most could not tell I was sick most of the time by outward appearances I looked good and was miserable, but now I feel good deep inside and am so very grateful!
Gratitude makes us feel bursting with delight, just to remember the gifts we have received. Thus we are doubly blessed when we receive something: for the gift itself and later, in recall, for the miracle of having been given it. -M.J. Ryan
To my team of supporters and allies March 3rd update 2019
(long post but worth reading- links included for your reference and education)
It has been several months since my last update , I was feeling a bit better and then the last month I have been so extremely fatigued it has been very difficult to get out of bed each day. I am still working but with reduced hours, I love it once I get there, helping others always makes me feel more alive and hopeful. Dr. Klinghardt said it would be difficult and he was so right, I am glad he warned me. It is like having a horrific flu that just doesn’t go away. I have been aggressively treating my body under his direction for multiple parasites, heavy metal toxicity, and retroviral activity with a very compromised immune system. I also am still doing the Bee Venom Therapy (10 live bee stings 3 times per week) for Lyme and Co-infections, I have done 3,660 stings and it has been 27 months (talk about perseverance!J). I am so grateful to my bee stinging helpers Norm and Deanna.
Your support continues to makes a BIG difference in my future. I will see Dr. Klinghardt again next week in Seattle and get additional treatments, if we can afford them. I hope I have made some progress even though right now it doesn’t feel like it. It often it seems like I still have so long to go it can be discouraging but I must keep at it. Your words of encouragement and financial support have paved the way for me to be in his expert care. Because none of this level of treatment is paid for by insurance, I could have stayed stuck in not being able to get the level of care I needed. Your contributions are saving my life! I thank you all so very sincerely for continuing to reach out, without you I would be lost to unrelenting complicated illness with no treatment other than the bees and no hope for complete resolution. See my full story here: www.gofundme.com/mary-sue
I was exposed to a bunch of people last month at a memorial service for a dear friend and came home with a terrible infection in my sinuses and then bronchitis that has been going on for over a month now. I should have been more guarded, it was so good to be in their company I just wanted all the hugs I could share because so often I am isolated from social gatherings. Plus the perfume and cologne was just sickening and toxic, most people don’t realize that their scented body care products are toxic to them and others- this is another aspect of the environmental problem that is not well known or understood.
I have learned that parasites and heavy metal toxicity are much more common in everyone in this country than I ever realized. Parasites show up in our bodies because we are so toxic from the environment and have poor gut health due to the good bacteria being killed by environmental toxins, even if you live in rural area, they thrive in the toxic environments created in our bodies.
Many experts say “if you have a pulse you have parasites” but because there is a belief that creates a pervasive denial that “parasites infestation only happens in third world countries, that the US population does not have this as a significant problem”….and because testing for parasites is ineffective most of the time…..we often have parasites compromising our health and don’t even know it. If left untreated we can’t get better, it is a vicious cycle of toxicity.
Parasites carry the toxins in them, in a way they are protecting our bodies by storing toxins, viruses, mold spores and more. Yet while they are in the body they release these toxins in their excrement into our bodies daily. Yuck, right? And when you go after them with strong medication they die and they release the toxins which must be bound up with binders taken orally through the day, unless we can pass them whole. So an aggressive detox plan must accompany any parasite protocol, which is also what I am doing when I can rally my energy to do so.
I have also learned so much about how our guts are being severely compromised by vaccines, petrochemicals and toxic heavy metals in our food, air and water. This leaves us with a gut micro biome that is altered to the point that we can’t make the neurotransmitters that make us feel optimistic, energized and balanced, or vitamins, antibodies and so much more that keep us healthy.
Dr Zach Bush (triple board certified MD) has many YouTube videos on this topic, he is a respected friend of peer of Dr. Klinghardt. He and Dr. Klinghardt speak publically about all this often now, but it is still not widely known yet. It used to be a topic only discussed in private conversations due to the threat of losing their labs or having their practices shut down by the FDA. I hope more and more people will get informed by taking the time to watch some of his videos, they are stunning! Watch with your significant others because it is difficult to explain and can sound unbelievable if not fully understood.
Here is link to one I really like filmed just in January 2019: https://youtu.be/X3aOQ0N74PI it is 154 minutes so get some organic popcorn and beverage and settle in, and watch with your significant others- it would be too complicated for children to understand. Always take your dose of RESTORE before eating to help the gut heal and protect you from environmental damage: https://shop.restore4life.com/
This is SERIOUS and CRITICAL for all of us to get informed. We are in a disastrous situation in the US. and it is affecting the food supply around the globe. We must get informed and learn what our part is in turning this mess around for the future of our planet. This is in large part why autism, auto immune disorders, chronic illness, obesity, and degenerative illnesses have been on the rise in the US, and many people think it is just signs of aging. We have been MISLED! It is shocking to learn how much of the mess is the result of money hungry huge corporations holding the FDA and farming community hostages.
But GRACE will prevail and I want to be a part of that change, we just don’t want it to take 40 years of more unnecessary human suffering. Take the time to watch some of his videos on YouTube, just search for Zach Bush MD and take personal action to protect yourself, your family and loved ones as well as our future generations.
At least this has helped me understand that my struggle is not singular, it is not because I had a poor constitution or bad genetics or a tick or vector bite alone, it is because I live in a world is being poisoned. My hope is that when all this treatment is over at least I’ll be less toxic in every way, and in that way be ahead of the game if I survive.
It is so BIG and pertinent to everyone, I think. I also hope in this way my suffering will be used to educate and prevent further unnecessary sickness. Many will have to travel this path or suffer from poor health and think it is just ageing or some “dis-ease”. Our children and grandchildren are also really paying the price for our ignorance to what is going on and what can be done to protect them. Get informed as I get informed and let’s turn this around together.
Dr. Zach Bush has a new non-profit that is helping farmers return to sustainable farming to save our soil and our health, there is a docu-series on this site:https://farmersfootprint.us
Love to you all,
Mary Sue Abernethy
To my team of supporters and allies - January 20th update
Great News! For the first time in 8 years I am noticing that I am feel better, and it seems to be lasting more than a few hours every once in a while! I am so encouraged and I pray that this relief remain constant.
I am still on numerous prescription shots, tons of tinctures, herbs , and 3 parasite killing prescriptions, but I think Dr. Klinghardt MD was right on in saying "we are going to use the big guns on you now, we are not messing around" (after 2 years of seeing other doctors trained by him). He also said”nothing about this will be easy" and he was right, but I am seeing a light now at the end of the tunnel.
I am just amazed how the body can hold pockets of pathogens for years. These pathogens have evolved to protect themselves in bio- film and nest deeply in organs and tissue where they are sequestered and protected from many treatments. Most testing for these issues is inadequate so we most often don't even know we are being attacked from within.
Plus the environmental toxins in our food, air and water that are poisoning us are worse than ever before in history. President Putin from Russia was quoted in saying "We don't have to worry about the defeating the Americans they are poisoning their air and food and killing their brains with Wi-Fi " He wants Russia to be the first organic country in the world, and they are protecting the Russian people from electro smog, glyphosate and other pesticides in the food, reducing air pollution aggressively and refusing tainted vaccination usage for their population.
I am so grateful to know more about how to live in this world and deal with what is going on with open eyes. I have realized we need to be educated and smart in using methods to clean this mess up in our bodies and in the environment. I hope you all can learn more about all this as well, for your future health and aging well.
By using tougher tactics to remove parasites and heavy metals and toxins I feel like I am finally coming out of a dense cloud I was living in.
The inflammation in my body has caused me to have severe insomnia as well as gain 20 lbs. At least I know it is not from what I am eating. It is a protective mechanism of the body, yet was painful to watch happening to my body, as my energy strength and flexibility slipped away. I will and have many months of rehabilitation to do for my body to recover its strength again and what I remember as vitality.
I am still stinging with live bees (10) three times a week; it has been 26 months now and 3460 stings! My hope is that by clearing the parasites in a big way and moving out the heavy metals more aggressively this will make way for the bee venom to shine through and reveal my full recovery. Most people who persevere in bee venom therapy (BVT) for 2 - 3 years are healed and the research is showing the venom kills the Lyme completely, no coming back unless you get bit again , not just remission! That is why I have stuck with it as painful as it is, if feels quite barbaric, but I trust Ellie Lobel's research and her full recovery, plus there is new research coming out all the time about the sustainable healing that occurs with BVT for many issues in additional to eradicating Lyme.
I have to remain on treatment until there is no trace of organ distress, so the expenses will continue that insurance doesn't cover. I am finally able to work a bit more now, thank God for that and I hope to market my services again soon. My husband Norm is still working three jobs (6 AM-9PM) and juggling all that I need help with- he is just an amazing partner and angel!
The responsive donations from my Go Fund Me campaign have helped us tremendously in paying for my ongoing and now more aggressive treatment. Those gifts from the heart have allowed me to get to this place of hope for recovery. So many efforts to support me/us in fighting for my life with money donations, amazon and grocery gift cards and words of support have fueled my perseverance on this long and difficult journey. I am deeply grateful and humbled by the continued surprises of support that arrive- thank you all so very much. I send you love, appreciation, and gratitude.
Mary Sue
To my team of supporters and allies –November 4th 2018- update
After my last update almost two months ago, the support sent to us was so tremendously helpful and heartwarming. The Gofundme cash donations helped pay for my supplies for treatment, and grocery gift cards for Safeway and Whole Foods Market got us through the month with much less stress. This generosity just brings me to tears and helps me feel supported on this very lonely and tortuous path. The goodness in people, some I don’t even know, is just astounding, I feel humbled and in awe of the sweet compassion and practical support. This gives me hope and encouragement to "keep up the good fight"! Believe me, I really hate to have to ask for help, it creates more stress in me but I have no choice. Because we live in a country where my illness is not paid for even by good insurance, the burden is too great (see Yolanda Hadid's brief video speech below).
Health update: I am having somewhat better days occasionally, I even took a short bike ride once with Norm this past week! What a joy those rare moments are. They help me to face the fact that most days are an immense struggle just to get out of bed. The insomnia with lower body pain all night, create a heavy fatigue that is difficult to push through and get anything done the next day. The pervasive “ brain fog” is so frustrating, I feel like I am under water or drugged all the time, except for the time I spend supporting my patients. That is when I feel most vibrant, but it doesn’t last, after they leave I crash. Mega-star Avril Lavigne's new song about her personal battle with Lyme disease is so fitting it is titled “Head Above Water.” See my previous post from Sept 22nd below.
I am now at my 2 year mark with 10 live bee stings 3 times each week- Whooohoo! They say to keep doing it until 3 months of no symptoms, I hope I live to see and experience that someday soon! This last month intestinal parasites made everything worse, this is common with Lyme disease and co-infections. The toxins they spew into the body when they are killed can create symptoms that can seem be alarming if you don’t know what is going on. At least I know the symptoms and how to take action, but it does take a lot of time in the day to deal with this additional aspect of already feeling terrible. Yes, it is a living nightmare so your prayers and financial support in any way are so deeply appreciated.
My husband Norm and I are doing everything we can to keep letting go of what we can and work as much as possible to make ends meet, but the financial burden of paying for even the bare minimum treatment is tremendous.
Good News Creates more of a Challenge: I am privileged to have an appointment to see probably the greatest doctor in the world regarding my complicated multifaceted illness. I’ll see Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt on November 13th at one of his four clinics from around the globe, this one is in Seattle. It took over two years of pretty intense treatment with 4 of his trained doctors before I would be allowed to see him. We will stay with Norm’s family in Seattle so that helps so much and we get to see two of his precious grandchildren - so much fun to be with! We bought the plane tickets at their cheapest some months ago. The big costs are Dr. Klinghardt's fee and the IVs and other treatments at the clinic they want me to have while I am there. The hour with Dr. Klinghardt is 850.00. Yep, shocking I know, but that is common in this world of complicated sickness that insurance does not pay for. I ran out of most of my treatment supplies this month and we are not going to pay the mortgage or other bills at this point because this has to be a priority, but it creates so much stress on us and feels risky, but we feel it is the right thing to do at this point. Plus the week we are in Seattle we won’t be earning our weekly incomes. Just buying groceries or having gas money is a challenge at times much less paying monthy bills and paying for treatment supplies.
The ways you can help us- if you can are:
1. Online donations: www.gofundme.com/mary-sue
2. Food Gift cards for Safeway or Whole foods Market
3. Real estate referrals to Norm Nelson at [email redacted]
4. Visa or MasterCard gift cards
5. Sharing my www.gofundme.com/mary-sue page and your words about my story to encourage support.
It is such a lonely isolating illness and most people just have no idea what it entails. People see me out in the world and think I am ok, the truth is I am just good at faking being ok, just like the Beverly Hills Housewives TV star Yolanda Hadid said " I'm looking good but feeling bad" recently when speaking at a Global Lyme Alliance Gala -Yolanda Hadid speech at Global Lyme Alliance fundraiser.
She wrote the book titled “Believe Me” about her Lyme journey. Unfortunately she is no longer in remission. God bless her for being an ambassador for ending the crazy denial of this complicated Chronic illness.
I am so grateful for the Facebook groups I am in with people that use treatments from Dr. Klinghardt. They are my support system, at least there I feel understood. The wealth of knowledge and experience I have found there is astounding (10,000 plus members). I have learned so much over the last 3 years since knowing I have Lyme and 5 Co-infections and now retroviruses to deal with.
Many things I now know about chronic illness pertain to the average population in the US, unfortunately. The statistics reveal 65% of the US adult US. population have chronic illness, and Dr. Klinghardt has said a huge wave of more of this is coming our way, but most are not looking for the root cause. That is why I love working with Naturopathic Doctors, that is their creed….to get to the root cause of illness. I really look forward to being better someday soon, so I can offer the knowledge I have and experience as a health care provider more and more to so many seeking answers and suffering in silence.
Thanks for reading my post and caring to know my status.
So much love to you all,
Mary Sue Abernethy
update - September 22, 2018
OMG this is my prayer song (video below) on so many days right now ! Mega-star Avril Lavigne this week released her first new song in five years, about her personal battle with Lyme disease. Its title is “Head Above Water.”
Yep, it feels like I am drowning or dying so often, I just have to accept it even fall into it at times, after I have done everything I can to clear the sickness. Then I surrender to what is.... and let Spirit ...."hold my head above water".
So much love to any of you who are supporting me though this journey.
My update is below the video---
I am finally going to see Dr. Klinghardt himself on November the 13, it is very expensive but such a privilege - he sees the sickest of the chronic sick from all over the world. He is a kind and extremely experienced and wise man, a wizard in my view or an angel on this earth.
I will need to raise money to pay for this ((850.00 is his fee now) plus the flight there (thank God it is Seattle), and getting any treatments at the clinic all depend on donations. Then afterwards I will need to get the supplies for treatment he recommends. We are still struggling just to get my supplies each month and pay the bills, so any help financially will be tremendously appreciated and spread the word. So many pitched in after my last post I am so full of heart felt gratitude when I get their donation or cards with donations or supportive comments, those moments give me so much hope that I desperately need so often.
I have been getting longer hours of "ok" time here and there, I think the retroviral treatmentI am on now is a critical piece underlying the Lyme and Co-infections.
I miss being out in the world like a "normal " person, I miss hanging out with friends and laughing or taking a walk, I miss having dependable energy and clarity every day, I miss feeling strong , and I think I miss that feeling of being connected to the beauty and awe in the world and the delight of feeling vibrant......oh sweet memories, sad longing.... I am fighting to have all of that back in my experience. Don't ever ever take it for granted, I won't....ever....when I get it back. I miss you all.
Love to you and can't wait to hear from you,
Mary Sue
update-July 22nd 2018
Hello to my help team out there,
Since my last update on June the 7th I decided to go and see one of Dr. Klinghardt's recent residents up in Marin CA., so it was a bit cheaper (450.00 plus 50.00 for gas, versus 750.00 and airfare to Seattle and time off work). I was just too sick to keep waiting for income from our various jobs or funding. I am so grateful we had received donations to help make this doctor visit happen (because as you know insurance does not pay for the doctor or any treatments).
It always feels good to hope I am in capable hands, to get help in finding out what the issues are so I can focus on them and keep fighting in the right way to get better.
The good news was that active Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi ) and the 5 other co-infections I had showing up before are not active now, they are still there but not effecting me as much. So the Babesia, Bartonella, mycoplasma, klebsiella , and Erlichia are out of the picture for now and I want to keep it that way, so my continued treatment is critical! So at least some of the effort and expense of these last three years is paying off - and once again thanks to the wonderful donations that supported me in getting there. It seems I am peeling back the layers of this very complex illness and I have been in this for a while, so some layers have been dealt with- yay for that! I may still have a long way to go, it seems.
In the session the doctor told me right now Rickettsia (a co-infection to Lyme) is causing some of my symptoms like fevers, fatigue and myalgia (horrible body pain and insomnia). I also have symptoms relating to active viral infections and active retro-viruses (human Immune Viruses - they said this is like HIV- II or AIDS 2- based on the newest cutting edge research they think they may be at the root of the problem so treatment is essential). I also have aluminum, lead, and glyphosate toxicity and parasites that are causing problems (all common with this illness). Then she revealed my liver, bladder, kidneys, thyroid, lungs, and lymph system are all in trouble and needing help. She gave me numerous injections and an updated protocol to follow for daily treatment. So the daily toxic feeling still continues with pain, exhaustion, and fogginess that I have to try and treat every day.
So at first it feels good to know all that is troubling my health, even validating, because when you feel as bad as I do it is nice to know the current cause and focus. Also, to see a doctor that is trained by Dr. Klinghardt, I know that it is a very thorough and complete investigation so all factors that are keeping me sick are revealed. It is an amazing experience, I feel so blessed to know about this amazing groups of doctors and how they practice medicine and treatment.
But when I got home the next day, I just cried off and on all day, feeling beat-up , warn out and hopeless.....more things to buy, more ongoing detoxing and treatment that takes hours every day...and knowing I will still just keep feeling like crap most likely for a while.....miserable. Then the next day I picked myself up and ordered what I could and started to try to piece the protocol together as to when I take what, and how it is taken.
I am still doing bee stinging, 10 live stings, 3 times each week. I am up to 2,600 stings now and 20 months of that! Yes it hurts ....a lot...but it passes in 90 seconds. I just grown or growl and walk around the house for 90 seconds, sometimes I cry. Thank God Norm (my husband) and Deanna Dickman (my stinging buddies) are compassionate and patient with me and show up to capture the bees in their little home and sting me three times a week. A picture of my back after a stinging session is below.
In summary- It is all maddeningly expensive and somewhat barbaric treatment ...but what am I going to do? I just have to keep going on, hold to my faith and switch to determination.
So I am humbly determined to keep asking for help as well (even though it is really hard, and I am afraid it will turn people away from wanting to hear from me). I can't buy the current treatments she recommended so my treatment will be stalled without help. I need at least $2,000 right away to get me going, and close to that each month for a few months. Many hands of donations help make this additional burden lighter, so a sponsor of any sort is very appreciated.
I don't know if you can imagine the additional stress that is on us to have this financial burden ( or to have to ask for help). Because I am not able to work very much and my dear husband at age 72 is working 3 jobs, but we are still not making ends meet due to this financial burden of my illness. One donation last month was a Godsend of $500.00 as Safeway grocery card (at least I can get mostly organic there).
The National organization www.Lymedisease.org reported the conclusion of a projected cost of illness analysis for Lyme disease to the federal Tick-Borne Diseases Working Group that the number of people with chronic Lyme disease likely ranges between 1 and 3 million and the annual cost—for chronic Lyme disease alone—may top $75 billion a year - https://www.lymedisease.org/lymepolicywonk-costs-75billion/
Please help if you can and spread the word of my story and make some personal comments in your posts about my struggle- it really makes a difference because people get so much information these days.
Many don't realize people with Chronic Lyme disease need ongoing help. I will need monthly help for at least the next six months or year. It is humbling to ask but necessary.
Options for helping could be donations to help pay for treatment through www.gofundme.com/mary-sue,
OR ....grocery gift cards..... gas gift cards....amazon gift cards ( I buy a lot of my supplements through my amazon prime account) send to my address: 162 Hacienda Carmel, Carmel Ca. 93923.
I thank you in advance for any support you can send my way- God bless you and your loved ones- lots of love to you!
Mary Sue
June 7th 2018
Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I posted, I am still overwhelmed with sickness most of the time and the demands it puts on me. I need funding now for an ozone machine that is 2,000 so I can use it and add it in daily for my treatment protocol. I need 750.00 to get up to see my doctor and will need another 1000.00 after I see him to get my supplements. I have to advocate for myself or I get swallowed up in hopelessness from not having the funds to get the help I need. if you could help in any way I would greatly appreciate it. Please spread the word to others who might be able to donate for my ongoing treatment. I re-posted the link to my video of the bees before stinging me below, it should work now.
Thank you and love to you- Mary Sue Abernethy
May 3rd 2018
It has been 10 months since I last posted anything here and the month of May is Lyme awareness month, so I thought I should give an update. I continue to struggle with the awful symptoms of Chronic Lyme and 6 co-infections, heavy metal toxicity, parasites and now it looks like I may have retro-viruses affecting me as well. It sounds crazy I know to most people, but if you are in the Chronic Lyme world this is quite common.
I get worn out even thinking about asking for financial help but I must, or I might not beat this thing. Often I feel isolated and very alone (except for my sweet husband Norm ) while feeling horribly sick at the same time. Most of my waking hours are consumed by doing treatments or detoxing, it takes so many hours, and because my sleep is still so compromised I often can’t get out of bed until late morning or afternoon. I always feel like I have simply lost the day to my sickness, and just just goes on and on. I am still doing bee venom therapy (BVT)- see video below. I am using ten live bees to sting my back spinal area three times each week. I love my “bee girls” but they can sure hurt like hell- at least it only lasts 90 seconds of intense pain, now that I have done almost 3,000 stings it goes by quickly! Yeah me, right? And Yeah to Norm who has to gather them and sting me three times each week- he is my angel! But it has only been 1 year and 6 months, and I have to do it for 2 and ½ years at least. Oh well, I just keep on, keeping on. Here is a video to see the bees I sting with:
Why I still need donations?Unfortunately nothing has changed in terms of our CDC acknowledging Chronic Lyme and therefore insurance does not pay for any doctor visits or treatments- now that is REALLY CRAZY! It costs an average of 2,000.00 per month out of pocket for my baseline care. Not being able to get what I need for treatment or see my doctor as often as I need to just adds to the oppression I feel from all this. On top of that right now I need an ozone machine (2,195.00), oxygen concentrator (1850.00), cryotherapy ( in Germany- travel costs the most the treatment is only 400.00 per session and I will need two at least) and I need dynamic neural retraining system (280.00). I also need to see Dr. Klinghardt for 6 months, my regular doctor is now on maternity leave, he is 750.00 per session so I will probably only see him twice (if I can). Of course after I see my doctors they always want me to order new supplements/homeopathy tinctures/shots/and herbs (more $$). It begins to feel hopeless like a black hole we are pouring our money into. We have downsized as much as we can and sold everything we could but we still have to wait and don’t get treatment unless we get help (donations) or Norm sells a house (he is exceptionally good but the market is very flooded with Realtors here)- please refer to him if you can- [email redacted] . My income is very limited due to not being able to work like I did in the past. You can also donate at PayPal, contact me for that information.
As a nation we must wake up and know that this is a serious life altering illness that many have and don't even know it. It is a violation against human rights to fair medical treatment and decency for it to be denied by the CDC and insurance companies! So it is up to YOU to learn more and check out the links I have listed in other posts here, to get involved in signing petitions and donating to help those struggling with the illness or getting treatment (like me) and the organizations that are really trying to stand up against what is going on with the CDC and big pharma etc.
Also right now there is a wonderful/comprehensive Chronic Lyme Disease Summit going on conducted by Dr. Jay Davidson. If you jump in now you can still watch most of the interviews for FREE. Or if you want to buy the set of interviews for 79.00 (this price might go up soon) use my affiliate link (below) and I will get a donation to help me pay for treatment with each purchase through my link- Here is the link:
2018 Chronic Lyme Disease Summit #3 . Please check it out and pass it on.
I hope we can all play an active part in changing how people are treated (or not treated) with Chronic Lyme disease and many of the diagnoses that may be misdiagnoses ( many may actually be Lyme or co-infections).
I thank you for following my story, learning more about this terrible pandemic and supporting me and others in any way you can.
So much love to you,
Mary Sue
August 25th, 2017 update:
We had a wonderful event on August 18th- the picture is of everyone "Taking A Bite Out Of Lyme" together!
We showed the movie "Under Our Skin" and everyone was very moved by what the movie reveals. So much so we decided not to have the auction of items donated until a later date to allow for processing the information and discussion. We gave away some nice raffle items and had lots of information for everyone to read or take home. I will be posting more pictures in my next update.
I am so grateful there was $822.00 donated that night to go toward my treatment costs this month. Being surrounded by such supportive folks wanting to learn more about this pandemic and what they can do to change what is happening, was so tremendously uplifting to me.
I was overwhelmingly exhausted afterwards and it took me 7 days to feel like I was back on my feet a little bit. That is just what Chronic Lyme does. It is confusing to people who see me out in the world the little bit I am, they think I am better like getting over a flu, but it doesn't work that way and it is just maddening for it to go on and on for years!
I am dedicated more than ever to keep spreading the word. It is shocking to me how few people really know or understand what is going on and that so many are still at risk, children especially (and grandchildren), pets, gardeners, hikers, anyone that goes outside at all! Please continue to get informed and spread the word.
We closed the event with three important "take a ways".....they are.........1. Fight the Bite- learn the newer prevention strategies and don't get Lyme in the first place. 2. Get Smart & Be Vocal (share what you learn)
3. Be a Lyme Warrior – support people with Lyme disease and organizations fighting to help them- we need all the ongoing help we can get! I would add Get Ticked Off because once we learn what is going on assertive action needs to be taken to stop what is being perpetrated and Legalize Lyme (check out this link) .
Love to you all,
Mary Sue
July 6th 2017 update:
Please don’t forget me ! I am still here -- I still need your help to be able pay for my treatment- without your help and the help of others , I am lost in this sickness. I am trying to survive this terrible illness.
If you get bothered by e-mails or posts about Lyme Disease…just know on the other side of that message is someone just wanting IVs or medication for their treatment and wanting to spread the word to save the lives and suffering of others going forward.Please help out if you can and spread the word. It takes$ 2,500 to $3,000 EACH month to get treatments recommended by my Doctor for this chronic late stage neurological Lyme disease and the co-infections ( I have 7 other difficult co-infections ). I only have $102.00 left in my account as of today (7-6-17) and I can't pay for the treatments my doctor recommended.
Small monthly donations from a lot of people will allow me to get treatments each month. Or any creative ideas you may come up with for fundraising are appreciated so very much.
I will work more in my profession as soon as I can to earn a living (I have so much to offer), and my husband is working day and night 7 days/week with 3 different jobs, but we still can’t afford to pay for what the doctor is recommending as a bare minimum. It is just criminal that insurance does not pay for anything, even if I got on MediCal and disability these treatments would not be covered.
We will also put on fund raisers whenever we can, in fact one is coming up in August in Monterey CA.- check this link and spread the word please if you can. (Website: http://lymeawarenessevents.weebly.com/ )
EVERYONE should learn more about LYME – what people don’t know could kill them or cause terrible suffering and disability for them and those they care for. Many people have Lyme Disease and think it is something else.
We can change this as we become more informed and stand up for change with the CDC, IDSA, Insurance companies, and what Doctors are being taught about Lyme. Please get informed it is a Pandemic that is undercover!
So much love to you all!
Mary Sue
JUNE 2017 UPDATE:
On August 18th, I am hosting a fundraiser and educational event with a screening of the riveting, award winning movie "UNDER OUR SKIN". This movie takes viewers on a journey beneath the surface of one of the least understood diseases of our time - Lyme disease. It is a must-see as we face what is predicted to be the worst tick season in recent history. You'll realize how much you don't know about this global pandemic until you see this movie.
MOVIE SCREENING & EDUCATIONAL reception:
Date: Friday, August 18, 2017
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Place: Unity Church in Monterey, CA.
601 Madison St, Monterey, CA 93940
(Free refreshments will be served. $20 suggested donation gives you 3 tickets for some great prizes. You'll also have an opportunity to bid on some wonderful silent auction items)
I would love to see you at this event. If you cannot attend, any donations toward the cost of the movie, event expenses and my continued treatment would be a blessing.
So much love to you - Mary Sue
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(Start of Initial Post)
August 7, 2016
Dear Anyone who has ever watched a friend or family member suffer from a Chronic Illness,
My name is Mariya Cree and I am writing about my dear friend of twenty-five years Mary Sue Abernethy who is suffering terribly from Chronic Lyme Disease. She needs funding for leading edge medical treatments not covered by medical insurance.
Her doctor told her to set up a "go fund me" page and get help setting up this site, her Doctor said "you have been helping people all your life, now it is time to ask for help and be ok with that, you cannot neglect doing this in order for you to get well". So I am helping her with this site and fundraising ideas.
Mary Sue has put others first above herself for her entire life and she has always done what she could do to change people’s lives for the better. She truly has an altruistic heart with a lifelong passion and commitment to helping others in her personal and work life.
We are determined to raise money in order to pay for her comprehensive care. Treatment will also involve time off of work and she is self-employed which means she will be losing income while away in treatment. There will be thousands of dollars in follow-up appointments, supplements, and prescriptions for up to two years. The costs for treatment for this disease are astronomical and insurance does not pay for these treatments. Mary Sue’s life has been severely limited over the last five years due to her ongoing illness. She has variations of good and mostly bad days, her immune system is severely compromised.
In 2011 Mary Sue started seeking medical help for insomnia, which progressed to heart palpitations and burning pains in her head and abdomen. Since then she has seen over 20 doctors and spent thousands of dollars in medical tests and procedures. She went through numerous costly treatments with very little relief, focusing on the symptoms and not the main root cause which had not really been identified.
In the fall of 2015 she was retested with a different laboratory and properly diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and the co-infection Babesia. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan and if this tragic disease is left untreated Late-State Chronic Lyme Disease has the potential to cause severe disability or death.
Before Mary Sue became ill, she was an athletic, strong, optimistic, and vibrant woman. Throughout her career she held leadership positions in her community helping people turn their lives around. She has spent her whole life focused on others because she believes in the goodness within people. I too believe in the goodness within people and that we can come together as a community movement to help restore Mary Sue’s health.
I hate to see my dear friend suffering from this disease and not getting the more comprehensive help she needs. It is my fear that she will continue to get progressively worse as I have noticed over the last five years. I want her to get the treatment she needs to stop this horrific disease in its tracks!
Mary Sue has a great deal of knowledge about and experience with Chronic Lyme - once she has been treated she wants to “Pay it Forward” in sharing what she has learned.
Whether or not you know Mary Sue, I hope this letter will touch you in some way so that you are “called to action” and will want to donate to her cause and the cause of ending Lyme in this country and elsewhere.
The world continues to need this amazing, talented, and special human being! We all would like to have the glowing, happy, fun, special, caring, loving, friendly, intelligent, organized, kind hearted Mary Sue back to her vibrant healthy self. I am privileged to call her my friend.
Any donation will be appreciated to help Mary Sue on her road to recovery. Her deepest desire is to find the purpose out of this very negative experience and turn it into good by helping with preventing others from having to go through the suffering she and so many have had to endure.
In summary, we need your donation to help Mary Sue get better as soon as possible! Please pass this page link www.gofundme.com/mary-sue on to any Social Media Websites that you find are appropriate. If you are willing, please make a compelling comment regarding why you think your contacts should make a donation as well as asking them to pass it on to others. We would love for you to respond to us with any information about Chronic Lyme Disease that you may come across and any information on additional fundraising ideas to help Mary Sue.
"Many hands make the burden light".
Thank you for reading this and thank you again so much for all of your help.
Sincerely,
Mariya Cree (Mary Sue’s loving Friend)
(Above picture Alana Cree, Mary Sue & Mariya Cree)Norm (Mary Sue’s Husband) Shares His ExperienceAs I reflect on our recent 10th Wedding Anniversary, I remember Mary Sue on our Wedding Day as the picture of health - a woman in her prime with a deeply caring essence, personally and professionally.
Above picture 2006-Kittylu (Mary Sue's Mother), Norm (her husband) and Mary Sue before sickness- Happy Day!Sadly, over the past 5+ years, I have witnessed firsthand the insidious effects Chronic Lyme Disease has wreaked on her – she is now a shadow of her former physical self.
We have focused our time and funds on trying to determining the source of these symptoms and get treatment. We have spent out of pocket between $25,000.00 - $50,000.00 each of the past 5 years seeking a cure for her affliction – our financial reserves have now been exhausted.
In the Fall of 2015 a different more detailed test for Lyme Disease was performed. We discovered that she unequivocally has Chronic Lyme Disease; it has progressed from acute to chronic with the co-infection Babesia and other infections. This advanced stage of Lyme disease requires immediate attention only offered by leading edge Lyme Literate Doctors. We need the proceeds from our fund raising effort so that Mary Sue can to receive specialized treatments to rid her of the effects of this terrible disease and stop it from progressing.
My fear is that the love of my life is in an uninterruptable downward spiral to physical impairment and premature death - unless she receives this leading edge treatment for her advanced stage of Chronic Lyme Disease.
The world will be robbed of a treasure - her expertise as a Nutritionist and Psychotherapist taking on the most difficult cases - returning war veterans and others with PTSD, survivors of abuse and those with eating disorders and genetic challenges. She is very limited in how much she can work to earn a living at what she loves to do, we don't want this to get worse!
I will continue to work 7 days a week to provide funds for our living expenses and what extra I can for her medical treatments – but we need more. Thank you for considering our request. We are grateful for your financial assistance.
Sincerely,
Norm (Mary Sue’s loving husband)
If you are not comfortable sending funds electronically you may send a check or money order to the following:
Check/money order made out to:
Mary Sue Abernethy Fund
Put the account number on the bottom of the check where it says "For" write account number 9054007084. Also put this number on the back of the check.
Mail to:
Mary Sue Abernethy Fund
C/O Wells Fargo Bank
P.O. Box 3488
Portland, Oregon. 97208-3488
What is Lyme disease?
Please check out the links below and get informed about what Acute Lyme Disease is and the symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease and spread the word.
The difference between Acute Lyme Disease and Chronic Lyme Disease is generally that the Borrelia from the infected tick bite has migrated to many parts of the body, including any organs, joints and the central nervous system. It is dormant but lying in wait for a time to opportunistically rise up again in the body in many forms and with many additional infections, called co-infections. This is why treatment is so critical as soon as the disease is determined, not to "wait and see", it tends to continue to advance in the body sometimes secretly until an illness or stress wears the immune system down and then Lyme takes over, with mysterious and often horrific symptoms as you will see in the movie links provided.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 329,000 people are diagnosed with acute Lyme Disease in the U.S. every year. That’s 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the U.S. However because diagnosing Lyme can be so difficult and there are so many false negative results, many people who actually have Lyme may be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Many experts believe the true number of cases is much higher because of the false negative tests. They also don’t consider Chronic Lyme in these statistics. Therefore many believe it is at pandemic levels and not being addressed.
Although the Center for Disease Control (CDC) continues to study Lyme Disease and has promoted a treatment protocol for Acute Lyme Disease, they have yet to acknowledge that Chronic Lyme even exists by establishing better testing and protocols for treatment ! Because of this, Medical insurance does not cover any treatment for chronic lyme. For all of these reasons Mary Sue needs your financial help to get to a clinic as soon as possible in order to prevent further complications from the effects of Chronic Lyme Disease. Some of these links will cover the controversy of why the testing is often incorrect, doctors or clinics are difficult to find that treat Chronic Lyme and why treatment is not covered by insurance.
Links:
Lyme disease organizations and all the related issues:
Lyme Disease.org
Bay Area Lyme Foundation
Tired of Lyme
Lyme Information Organization
What is Lyme
International Lyme & Associated Disease Society-ILADS
-Book Excerpt from: Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments- great excerpt on why chronic lyme treatment is not paid for by insurance.
Great Videos on Lyme
ILADS videos about Lyme Disease
Under our skin video trailer ( below)
Under Our Skin 1 or 2 Emergence-to rent or buy
Under Our Skin Video 1 or 2
Under Our Skin 2- Emergence- trailer below
Clinics for treatment of Chronic Lyme
Mary Sue hopes to go to this clinic depending on the funding- there are others out of the country and a few others in the US. (this where family is available for Mary Sue to stay with while receiving her treatment)
Sophia Wellness Institute
Organizer
Mary Sue Abernethy
Organizer
Carmel Highlands, CA