When you visit Victoria's blog, Lemons 'N Lyme, you will find it hard to believe she's only in her mid-twenties. She's already created over a hundred healthy recipes and she's an accomplished personal trainer. All this while coping with Lyme disease. I can't wait to try some of her recipes, most of which are plant based. It is apparent through her answers that even though she struggles with physical fatigue her spirit remains light and vibrant. Enjoy Victoria's interview:     

Tell us a little about your blog and who you are:  
Well, my name is Victoria. I'm 25 and I live in Santa Fe, NM. I run a blog called Lemons 'N Lyme which combines my journey with Lyme disease and my passion for food. I not only share my experience with Lyme and the treatments I am doing, but I also share lots of recipes that fit a restricted, anti-inflammatory Lyme diet. I love to cook and bake and although I've had to alter my diet due to Lyme, it's been a lot of fun to create and share recipes that fit that diet.

What is your Lyme story?   
I grew up in Washington D.C. and we had a river house in Virginia. I spent my summers growing up pretty much rolling around in the grass 24/7 at our river house. I remember pulling ticks off of myself every weekend in the summers, but we didn't know about Lyme disease back then. I routinely got strep, dealt with eczema, and had severe allergies and headaches as a child.

I had plenty of tests done, including CT scans of my brain due to the severe headaches. In high school I began developing severe digestive issues and would get sinus infections 1-2 times year. I began getting sicker, with severe fatigue and digestive issues, horrendous allergies, and constant injuries as a high school athlete. I figured it must be normal since all my tests were fine and the doctors said nothing was wrong. I knew deep down something was wrong though, I felt miserable and started to develop anxiety and depression. 

I first experienced insomnia my freshman year in college and that was not fun. Throughout this time frame, I was diagnosed with parasites on a few occasions. Treating them helped slightly for a bit but the effects never lasted. Then I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, an autoimmune condition that causes hypothyroidism. Finally, an answer. But treating my thyroid didn't help my symptoms at all. I was still tired and my stomach always hurt. Mid-way through college (4-years ago), I became very ill. I got food poisoning, but never recovered. My college health center told me it was mono even though my mono test was negative. I had almost every Lyme symptom in the book and I have no idea how I managed to finish that semester. So, I flew back home over spring break to see my functional medicine doctor who immediately recognized it as Lyme, started my on doxycycline, and told me to find an LLMD. And that is exactly what I did. I treated for 2 years with my first LLMD using oral and IV antibiotics, some herbs, and addressing mold and heavy metals.

I was able to graduate college and then moved to Santa Fe where my parents had retired. I've found an amazing doctor here who I have been treating with for the past 1.5 years. I use a variety of holistic treatment modalities now which range from diet, detoxing, alternative IV's, supplements, and more.

I see on your blog you practice yoga. What are the benefits you have found with yoga, specifically related to Lyme?
I'm certified as a personal trainer and have always been active. Getting sick with Lyme has been quite a challenge since I can't exercise the way I used to and release my stress and anxiety in that manner.

I've found that even though I'm sick, finding small ways to move my body is still very beneficial. Movement is so important for your muscles, bones, cardiovascular system, joints, and even your lymphatic system (which helps move toxins out of your body). Yoga has been gentle enough on my body but still allows me to reap the benefits of movement. Since I spend most of my days in bed not moving, my muscles and joints can get tight which creates pain. Yoga allows me to stretch everything out without overdoing it. I love doing twists because they help me detoxify, which is so important if you are treating Lyme.

You also develop and post many recipes. What is your favorite recipe?
Any dessert would be my favorite recipe. I can't go to bed at night without dessert, but I'm a health nut, too, so I don't want to eat any of the sugar-laden crap. Even if it is just a bowl of granola, I need dessert. Actually, granola is my favorite food. So maybe my favorite recipe would have to be my Gluten-Free Banana Bread Granola. 

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What was your lowest point and how did you find your way out of it?
My lowest point was probably 2 years into being ill. I knew what I had but I wasn't getting better. I had a picc line in my arm with infusions 2 time a day. I was up until 5am many nights due to having 2-3 panic attacks in one night. I was trying to finish my college education, felt as sick as I had when I first got sick, and my life completely revolved around timing all my infusions, medications, supplements, and meals. I wanted to finish school so badly and not have to drop out in my last semester, but I felt so horrible it was such a challenge. I was scared and lost. I found my way out of it by just continuing to press forward. I knew there were answers and I was going to find them.

I began to connect more with others who had Lyme via social media and that really helped. I had people to talk to who understand what I was going through, who would support me, and who kept offering up suggestions for helping me find the right treatment.

Unfortunately, I've been really sick again lately, but I'm able to get through it "easier" now. I truly think that finding others who can relate to you and understand you is very important. I've made a lot of friends via social media, who I'm able to talk to on the bad days. I also consistently try to remind myself of the accomplishments I've made so far and try not to compare my journey with anyone else's because we are all different.

Finding routine and taking care of myself the best I can when I'm really low is important and taking moments in the day to do some deep breathing, stretching, or manifesting also helps a lot.

What is the one thing that you have found most helpful in treatment?
I'm assuming you want to know what treatment has been the most helpful but I'm going to answer a little different. The thing I've found most helpful in treatment is listening to my body. Our bodies are amazing, they are smart and know what they want. They do want to heal and they are fully capable of it. I still sometimes struggle with this but I've learned it's very important to listen to my body. My doctor can say XYZ is what I need but he isn't me and he isn't sick and he doesn't know how my body is feeling. If something doesn't feel right, I'm not going to do it. If a treatment begins to feel off or wrong then I'm going to stop. If I'm being drawn to some absurd sounding treatment, I'm going to give it a try. I truly believe our bodies know what works for us, we just have to listen.

Do you have any advice for the newly diagnosed?
Find a great doctor who knows about Lyme and knows what they are talking about. And make sure it is someone you feel comfortable with. If a doctor is supposedly the top doctor in your state, but you don't connect with them well, then don't be afraid to switch doctors. Again, our bodies and our intuition know best, so listen to that.

Lyme is a very complicated illness (because it encompasses so much more than just the Lyme bacteria), so you really need someone who understands that or a team of people willing to work together who understand different aspects of Lyme. Also, immediately cut out the junk food, educate yourself, and begin instilling healing practices into your daily life (anything from detox baths, to healthy cooking, to meditation).

This disease is a life changer, so be prepared for that, but it's a big, important lesson, too. You got sick for a reason, you are here to learn, it's not the end, I promise.

Who inspires you in the Lyme community?
Every other person with Lyme. I'm inspired daily by the battle that everyone in the chronic illness community fights, for their willingness to keep going, their strength to battle all of the symptoms, and just for being them. Everyone in this community is who keeps me going and reminds me that I can do this, one baby step at a time.
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Please share a mantra or quote that inspires you?
Maybe it's cheesy or cliche but I have this quote as my desktop on my computer and it keeps me going, "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." We all learn from our mistakes and hardships and, dang, am I learning a lot.

Due to my wanderlust, the editor at Lymeology asked me to write an article about traveling with chronic illness. Of course, I said yes. 

One of my friends described traveling with Lyme like "traveling with a challenging passenger." An aggravating backseat driver, always interjecting at the wrong times, making everything a little more difficult. 

Traveling is one of those things that is devastating to give up. There are substitutions for certain foods and types of exercise, but there is no substitution for looking out over the Grand Canyon for the first time. Over my last few vacations I developed some strategies to make the most out of my experience. You can read the full post here: 
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12 Tips on Traveling with Chronic Illness 

​This is the pill organizer I use when I travel. It fits so many pills and supplements. Also, each day is separate, so you can carry it with you while sightseeing: 

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"Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road." - Walt Whitman

When life gave her Lyme, April Moor did not give in. After making important adjustments to her lifestyle, she continues to be a personal trainer and fitness instructor. April believes in listening to your body and maintaining a positive attitude through treatment. Through the interview I learned we have a lot in common, we are the same age, we both grew up dancing, we both practice yoga, and both love our dogs...a lot. I hope you learn something and are inspired by her interview. 

Tell us a little about your blog, what you do, and who you are:  
My name is April and my blog is Happy Healin' Vegan. I am a personal trainer, fitness instructor, motivator, animal lover, positive body image ambassador and Lyme awareness advocate. Originally, my blog started as a way to promote my classes but it has become so much more. I am hoping that through my Lyme and Orthorexia (obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy) journey, I will be able to build a community of like-minded, positive people who can stick together through treatment. In addition, I share workouts, recipes, videos and health tips.

What is your Lyme story? How do you think you contracted Lyme and how long did it take you to get a diagnosis?  
I was officially diagnosed with Lyme Disease in October 2015. I am not positive when I contracted it; however, I believe that I had it for about 4 months before my diagnosis. I started noticing that something was wrong after months of extreme leg pain, fatigue, brain fog and melancholy. After months of blood tests, Ultrasounds and doctor visits, my general practitioner suggested that I get tested for Lyme. He said, "I don't think you have it, but just in case." And the results were positive. He put me on doxycycline for three weeks and called me "cured." 

Although my blood work came up negative, I was still having symptoms and some of them had become worse. I now had tingling in my fingers, a twitching eye, fatigue, leg pain, brain fog, anxiety attacks, heart palpitations, severe digestive pain, bloating, and sinus issues. The Lyme was surely not gone. After doing research I found that Lyme actually can hide in your joints, muscles, and organs and that it can come on stronger when being attacked (ugh, antibiotics).

I don't ever remember being bitten by a tick and never had the bulls-eye rash. We had traveled to a few tick "hot spots" over the summer including Monterrey, California. However, I grew up in Colorado and am beginning to wonder how long I have truly had this illness.

I see you are a personal trainer and fitness instructor. Was there ever a time that Lyme prevented you from being active? What advice do you have for Lyme patients who struggle with fatigue, but want to exercise?
Having Lyme Disease and owning my fitness business has definitely been a struggle. During the first few months, I continued to teach, train, and workout twice a day. This definitely did not help with my treatment. My poor body. When I learned that the Lyme may be affecting my heart as well, I had a huge wake up call. I realized that I need to be nice to myself and that I was in fact fighting a disease (when I first found out about my diagnosis, I wrote it off as no big deal).

Now I continue to teach and train but am only doing workouts that my body wants to do. I am listening to my body and giving it what it needs. My workouts have switched from grueling burpees to ballet, barre, Pilates, yoga, swimming and walking.

I truly think that we need to provide our bodies with a lot of self care. If you want to exercise, but are fatigued, keep it light. Do some stretching, go for a walk outside, or do some yoga. Find a workout that you are passionate about instead of forcing your body to do something that it doesn't want to do. It is already fighting enough battles.

What was your lowest point and how did you find your way out of it?
My lowest point was actually about a few weeks after my diagnosis. When I was first diagnosed I truly thought that Lyme wasn't that big of a deal. My doctor kept telling me that I had "acute" Lyme and that I would be fine after a few weeks of antibiotics. I decided to do some research on my own and found incredibly, heart breaking stories of people who were in comas, had seizures, or were on IV treatments for their whole life. At this point I was also dealing with Herxheimer reactions to the antibiotics and I was in extreme pain. I often cried myself to sleep and was so scared. I couldn't believe that one little bite could do this much damage and I couldn't understand why this was happening to me.

I found my way out of it while finding support from family, good friends, and an amazing Lyme community. For some reason, I found comfort in reading other Lymie's stories and watching their videos. I also truly believe that everything happens for a reason and there was a reason that I was dealing with this...maybe to inspire others. 

What is the one thing that you have found most helpful in treatment?
The one thing that I have found most helpful in treatment is to decrease my inflammation by cutting down on my stress level. Things that really help me are being in nature, coloring, meditation, good sleep, healthy food, eliminating foods that bother me, yoga and allowing myself to rest when needed.

What are you most grateful for in your healing journey?  
I am the most grateful for my husband, my family, our two fur babies, amazing friends and clients who listen and support me during this difficult journey. I am also extremely grateful for our vast Lyme community. There are so many of us fighting this battle and promoting awareness. It makes it so much easier to know that you are not alone in this fight.

Do you have any advice for the newly diagnosed?
There will be good days and bad days. Enjoy the good while resting on the bad. Also, do as much research as you can; there are many different treatment options and it is important to find what works best for you. In addition, reach out to people that you find on social media who have Lyme Disease. It's crucial to find a support system and people who have been through the same thing.

Who inspires you in the Lyme community?
Every Lymie out there. 

Please share a mantra or quote that inspires you?
"You are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance." - From You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero.

"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw