LIVING WITH LYME DISEASE, BARTONELLA, BRAIN INJURY & AUTISM

Lyme and Bartonella transformed my life in unexpected ways. Daily, I navigate persistent joint and muscle pain/soreness/aching/burning basically everywhere, debilitating fatigue, neurological symptoms, and cognitive challenges. What began around 2000 as mysterious symptoms became a +15 year marathon through misdiagnosis and unsuccessful treatments, eventually leaving me bedridden.

This breaking point became my breakthrough. In 2016, finally receiving proper diagnoses of Lyme and Bartonella opened doors to understanding my extensive history of Brain Injury and long-suspected Autism. Each diagnosis illuminated another piece of my puzzle, helping explain the laundry list of unexplained symptoms that started around 2000, also the difficulty connecting with most other humans that I'd felt since preschool, my natural gravitation toward non-human living things, and my extensive lifelong heightened sensitivities.

My diagnoses didn't just explain my past—they made me recognize the value of Low Stress Handling and Fear Free practices, creating an unexpected bridge for working with highly sensitive dogs who might use aggression and biting when they feel unsafe. Despite my ongoing nonlinear journey with physical, mental, and emotional health challenges, my unique perspective shaped by those experiences often helps me create a strong connection with dogs who struggle to connect with their environment and their humans. 

My  heightened sensitivity, pattern recognition, and personal understanding  of disconnection allow me to recognize subtle signals in dogs that  others might miss. The pain management techniques I've developed for myself very often translate directly to recognizing and  addressing discomfort in animals who cannot voice their experiences in  ways humans can easily recognize.

Low Stress Handling and Fear Free practices became more than professional methodologies—they evolved into personal frameworks for living. These principles for alleviating Fear, Anxiety, and Stress in sensitive dogs also mirror the boundaries and self-care practices that help me function despite daily physical, mental, and emotional difficulties, while slowly making progress with my health without harsh medications or expensive treatments.

Very strongly gravitating towards shelter/rescue dogs and regaining a decent level of function eventually led me to creating the Dog Decompression Center, leading to the opportunity to share time and space with our very special Canine Residents.  

Each day with these special dogs reinforces what I've learned: progress isn't linear, healing happens in the daily moments rather than just the milestones, how to fall (deeper) in love with the process, connection requires both patience and authenticity, kindness and acceptance for the dogs, myself, also for others...When I sit with a dog who's overwhelmed by the world and having various difficulties, I'm also sitting with parts of myself that feel the same way. 

The path hasn't been easy, but it has been meaningful. Through working with dogs, I've developed profound self-acceptance and reduced the self-blame that once dominated my thinking. The fears, anxieties, and stresses that ruled my life have gradually given way to clarity about who I am and what I stand for.

I'm deeply thankful for those who've supported this journey— with a very special thank you to my Mom and Dad - this ongoing  journey has been long and continues to be very non linear, many times wishing things are better, but even though things haven't been easy and we definitely can have differences in opinions on many things, my parents haven't given up on me! They continue doing their best to love and support me to become the best version of me that I can be - I am extremely thankful, grateful, and appreciative of my parents and their ongoing efforts.

I definitely don't say it enough: I love you Mom and Dad, thank you for your ongoing support of me as an individual, for so many things, past, present, and future.  

*Please Note* I am human - Finding a mental health professional that works for me has been so huge to making progress and finding success, very helpful for my physical/mental/emotional health and well-being. Working with Colleen and her ongoing support is such an incredibly huge part of my progress, for finding joy and gratitude in the present moment, self kindness, showing up for myself, showing up for the dogs and for others, for so many things. I'm incredibly grateful for Colleen and her incredibly powerful work: https://colleenpelar.com

What once seemed like disconnected challenges—Lyme Disease, Bartonella, Brain Injury, and Autism, led to finding life changing practices like Low Stress Handling, Fear Free, Preventative Wellness, and Trauma Work, forming the foundation of my unique ability to help dogs who struggle, often with (significant) sensitivities, similar to how I have struggled throughout my life. Also, among many other things, daily symptoms and limitations continue to be great teachers of resilience and empathy. The physical, mental, and emotional self work is still very ongoing and I am still learning how to be kinder towards myself, but definitely a lot of progress to celebrate and be proud of. 

In the present moment, I celebrate this ongoing journey with the special dogs who have given my life meaning and purpose. These dogs and I are healing together, each day teaching each other about connection, finding safety and joy in the present moment, learning to love the incredible gift of this very nonlinear daily process called life. With each breakthrough we share ripples outward, creating possibilities for other sensitive beings struggling to find homeostasis in this increasingly busy, ever-evolving world.

For more about how I've found meaning and purpose through these challenges: https://behaviorincontext.com/meaning-and-purpose