Lyme Archives - Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Pathogens & Persistence: The Chronic Disease Drivers

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Dr. Steven Phillips

Steven E. Phillips, MD, is a Yale-trained expert on zoonotic infections and coauthor of the book CHRONIC. He specializes in treating medicine’s most complex cases, which include Lyme & other vector-borne disease and Long COVID. Additionally, he has served as an expert for the states of CT, NY, RI, and VT, providing testimony during their respective public hearings, which resulted in changes to existing healthcare laws. Dr. Phillips has been a longstanding public face of the Lyme pandemic. He is currently spearheading a drug development effort to bring the public a durable, effective treatment for some of these infections, which will hopefully change how we treat a range of rheumatologic and neurologic illnesses. Dr. Phillips also sits on the Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s scientific advisory board.

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Toxic Load: Healing from Tick-borne Disease and Autoimmune Illness

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

BAL “Quick Bites” Series

“If you have an autoimmune disease, our allopathic system does not have great answers that are solution-based or root cause-based to chronic complex illness.”

– Jill Carnahan, MD

In this edition of our Ticktective video and podcast series, Dana Parish sits down with Jill Carnahan, MD, a functional medicine doctor specializing in Lyme disease, tick-borne illnesses, mold toxicity, and other complex chronic health issues. Carnahan discusses her background growing up on a farm and how it influenced her approach to medicine. She shares her experience being diagnosed with breast cancer and the potential environmental factors, such as atrazine, that may have contributed to it. Carnahan talks about her cancer treatment and her belief in finding and addressing root causes in medicine. She then discusses her expertise in Lyme and tick-borne diseases, explaining how she evaluates and treats these conditions. She emphasizes the need for a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease due to the limitations of mainstream tests. Carnahan also sheds light on the connection between mold exposure and chronic illness, including dementia and psychiatric disorders. She provides insights into testing, detoxification, and treatment strategies for mold-related illnesses. The interview concludes with information about connecting with Dr. Carnahan’s clinic, her book, and her documentary.

The Toxic Truth: Mold, Lyme, and Helping Gwyneth Paltrow Get Well

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Mike Rubino

Michael is an air quality expert, author, and founder of HomeCleanse, a go-to source for information, services, and products to create healthier living through cleaner indoor air. A specialist in working with people who are immunocompromised or have acute and sustained reactions to mold exposure, Michael’s scientific understanding has enabled him to create change, via alternative remediation.

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Unlocking the Mysteries of Tick-borne Infections: Lyme Disease Biobank’s Tissue Collection Program Drives Research Momentum

Kirsten Stein and the Lyme Disease Biobank

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

BAL Leading the Way Series

“My family knows that after I die, my tissues will be donated to Lyme Disease Biobank to provide researchers with the vital material they need to solve this horrible disease. I urge anyone with chronic/persistent Lyme to register with NDRI today. Let’s end this suffering together.”

-Kirsten Stein, Lyme Advocate

Lyme Disease Biobank^®, led by Liz Horn, PhD, MBI, is central to Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s 10-year search for answers to Lyme’s most intractable questions and is the most important program in the Foundation’s mission to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure.

The original Lyme Disease Biobank sample collection launched in 2014 focused on obtaining blood, urine, and serum samples from patients with early/acute Lyme disease. Once this program had been fully established, the Lyme Disease Biobank team explored adding tissue samples to the Biobank. Tissue samples could help researchers expand their investigations beyond the early stage of infection into how chronic/persistent Lyme and other tick-borne diseases impact the central nervous system, joints, and organs of Lyme patients.

With the tissue bank objectives defined, the Biobank connected with specialist organizations to provide the critical support needed to support sample collection and make the development of a tissue bank a reality.

Post-Mortem Tissue Collection Planning

Lyme Disease Biobank established a key partnership with the nonprofit National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) to provide logistics for post-mortem tissue collection for the new tissue program. The Biobank also partnered with MyLymeData.org, allowing Lyme patients registered with the Biobank to link their MyLymeData profile to their tissue donation if desired. Bringing these two resources together provides for the organizing and recovery of post-mortem (after death) tissue. It ensures samples include redacted (removes identifying information) detailed patient medical histories—an important nuance for Lyme disease researchers.

“Although it is an emotional and difficult idea for anyone to plan to donate parts of their body to science after they have died, we believe that this decision is an important way for Lyme patients to change the course of Lyme disease research. Having access to tissues from the brain, heart, joints, and central nervous system of Lyme patients allows researchers to prove unequivocally that Lyme is present in tissue and contributes to patient suffering,” explains Linda Giampa, Executive Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation and board member of Lyme Disease Biobank.

Toxic Load: Healing from Tick-borne Disease, Long Covid, Mold, & Bad Food

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Jill Carnahan, MD

Jill Carnahan, MD, is a functional medicine doctor with a huge media presence, board-certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. She is the Medical Director of Flatiron Functional Medicine, a sought-after practice with a broad range of clinical services. As a survivor of breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, and toxic mold illness she brings a unique perspective to treating patients in the midst of complex and chronic illness. Her clinic specializes in searching for the underlying triggers that contribute to illness through cutting-edge lab testing and tailoring the intervention to specific needs.

Featured in People magazine, Shape, Parade, Forbes, MindBodyGreen, First for Women, Townsend Newsletter, and The Huffington Post as well as seen on NBC News and Health segments with Joan Lunden, Dr. Jill is a media must-have. Her YouTube channel and podcast features live interviews with the healthcare world’s most respected names.

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Ticktective with Dana Parish: Rapamycin, The Dog Aging Project: What Animals Can Teach Us About Aging Better

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Dr Matt Kaeberlein

Dr. Matt Kaeberlein is the Chief Executive Officer at Optispan, Inc., Affiliate Professor of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington, and Co-Director of the Dog Aging Project. Dr. Kaeberlein’s research interests are focused on understanding the biological mechanisms of aging to facilitate translational interventions that promote healthspan and improve the quality of life for people and companion animals. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Aging Association (AGE), and the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Dr. Kaeberlein has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers in the field of longevity and has received several prestigious awards including young investigator awards from the Ellison Medical Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association, the Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research Award, the Murdock Trust Award, the NIA Nathan W. Shock Award, and the Robert W. Kleemeier Award for outstanding research in the field of gerontology. Dr. Kaeberlein is the founding Director of the University of Washington Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute, former Director of the NIH Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging and the Biological Mechanisms of Healthy Aging Training Program at the University of Washington, and former CEO and Chair of the American Aging Association.

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Ticktective with Dana Parish: Brain Bugs: A Neurologist Discusses Lyme, PANS, & PANDAS

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Elena Frid, MD

Dr. Elena Frid is a Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist specializing in Infection Induced Autoimmune Disorders. With clinical interests in Autoimmune Neurology, she sees patients with complex cases of Lyme disease + co-infections, PANS/PANDAS, and Autoimmune conditions resulting in various neurological complaints. Using cutting-edge diagnostic tools and clinical expertise, she differentiates between idiopathic and organic causes of various neurological disorders. Her knowledge has been sought by patients from all over the United States, as well as Canada and Europe. Dr. Frid attended a coveted BA/MD program at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and went on to North Shore-LIJ Health Care Systems (currently Northwell) where she completed a residency in Neurology and a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology.

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Ticktective with Dana Parish: Long Covid: What We Have Learned About Chronic Illness from the Front Lines

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

David Putrino, PhD

David Putrino is a physical therapist with a PhD in Neuroscience. He is currently the Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, and a Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He develops innovative rehabilitation solutions for adults and children in need of better healthcare accessibility, and in 2019, he was named “Global Australian of the Year” for his contributions to healthcare. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, David has been recognized globally as a leading expert in the assessment, treatment, and underlying physiology of Long COVID. His team has managed the care of over 3000 people with Long COVID and published multiple peer-reviewed scientific papers on the topic.

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Dana Parish’s Personal Odyssey: Her Quest for the Right Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

BAL Spotlights Series

Dana Parish is a singer/songwriter based in New York City, signed with SonyATV. She is renowned for her captivating vocals and emotionally charged performances. Her debut single, ‘Not My Problem,’ from her album Uncrushed, reached the #23 spot on the Billboard charts, establishing her as one of the highest-charting independent artists in history. She notably contributed two songs, ‘Thankful’ and ‘Always be Your Girl,’ to Celine Dion’s album Loved Me Back to Life. Additionally, her song ‘Someday I’ll Fly’ by G.E.M. became a #1 hit in China. Another one of her compositions, ‘Broken Ones,’ performed by Jacquie Lee, a finalist on Season 5 of The Voice, achieved chart success. A fearless advocate for the Lyme community, Dana champions the cause of individuals suffering from Lyme and tick-borne diseases. In May 2016, she delivered a heartfelt performance of ‘Pull You Through’ at LymeAid^Ⓡ, Bay Area Lyme’s annual fundraising event, contributing to raising more than $815,000 for Lyme disease research. In 2021, she co-authored Chronic: The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic and How to Get Healthy Again with Steven Phillips, MD. Dana hosts the Ticktective podcast and video series for Bay Area Lyme Foundation and is a member of our advisory board.

In this interview, Dana Parish discusses her life before being diagnosed with Lyme disease and the challenges she faced in getting accurate diagnosis and correct treatment. She talks about her career in the music industry before she was bitten by a tick. Dana shares her experience with being misdiagnosed and the physical and mental symptoms she experienced. She also discusses the importance of raising awareness about Lyme disease and advocating for better treatment options. Dana also touches on the similarities between persistent Lyme disease and Long Covid and the potential for overlap in research and treatment. She emphasizes the importance of being your own advocate and demanding proper treatment. Finally, Dana shares her thoughts on the current protocol for treating tick bites and the need for aggressive and early treatment.

The Chronic Illness Puzzle: Mold, Metals, Toxins, Infections

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Ticktective Podcast Transcript

In this conversation with Dana Parish, Todd Maderis, ND, talks about his extensive experience treating tick-borne infections, chronic viral infections, mold illness, and other conditions associated with complex chronic illness. He underscores the significance of identifying the root causes of symptoms and how tailoring individualized treatment approaches is key to healing. Dr. Maderis also delves into the role of trauma in chronic illnesses and emphasizes the importance of gut healing and inflammation reduction through dietary choices. Dr. Maderis acknowledges the challenges involved in addressing chronic diseases and stresses the importance of a personalized, patient-centric approach.

“I think a lot of times in conventional medicine, we don’t think beyond the room that we’re sitting in with a patient, we have to ask about the environment. We have to look at more than just the symptoms the person’s presenting with in the office.”

– Todd Maderis

Dana Parish: I am so excited today because I’m here with Dr. Todd Maderis. Thank you so much for being here today. I’m thrilled to talk to you. Let me tell you a little about Dr. Maderis. He’s the founder and medical director of Marin Natural Medicine Clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area. He specializes in treating tick-borne infections, chronic viral infections, mold illness, and other conditions associated with complex chronic illness such as Mast Cell Activation Disorder, and ME/CFS. His approach to treating chronic illness is to identify all underlying causes of symptoms to provide a clear direction for treatment. With over a decade of experience treating Lyme disease and complex chronic illness, he knows that every patient is unique and requires individualized treatment therapy. Welcome! It’s great to see you!

Todd Maderis: Thank you for having me. It’s great to be here.

Dana Parish: How’d you get into this mess?

Todd Maderis: Gosh, that’s always a great question. You start going down a rabbit hole and sometimes you wonder, but I wouldn’t change a thing. My first five years of practice, I was treating people with common complaints: digestive issues, fatigue issues, thyroid issues, etc. I’m a naturopathic doctor, so we tend to see people that come with common complaints that maybe they’re not getting resolved in conventional medicine. Then one visit, I had a patient that brought in a Lyme disease test result. It was an iGenex test, but back then the results were pretty hard to interpret.