UPDATE UPDATE… Today was better than yesterday by far! We are sooooo thankful for that! The kiddos got to swim a lot, we picked up the last couple travel items we needed and packed the kids clothing up… I cannot believe that it is time to pack already!
Its a super short update, but were exhausted and heading to bed!
Thank you to everyone who was praying that tonight would be a good one… We’re all relieved!
Sincerely, Dani
We’re struggling. We’ve now had two bad nights in a row… and I feel far too weak to have a third. Cory and the kiddos are worn out with overwhelming stress about me. Part of me wishes I could share a video with you of what our “bad nights” look like… and the bigger part of me is so thankful that few ever have to see it.
Tonight started with me laying out by the pond watching the kids enjoying a post-dinner swim! It was the perfect weather, and the sun was just right! Shortly after, my eye started to twitch, the pain set in and I had to get inside to lie down on the couch. Cory and the kiddos came in a couple minutes later as I cannot be alone when these evenings start. In just a few short minutes I was shaking, telling Cory “I could not handle the pain.” He was encouraging me, getting me ice packs for my neck, making up detox drinks, rubbing oils on my feet, temples, and neck. Hayden was running for detox refills every 15 minutes, Lucy was rubbing my feet, and they were all coaxing me to start breathing each time I would pass out and stop breathing. I was in soooooo much pain that it overtook my body, I start convulsing, tears flow, and I stop breathing for 15-30 seconds and then passed out 7 or so times just tonight.
Once the majority of the pain passed, I started an ionic foot detox bath… hoping to eliminate as many of the toxins as I could. We’ve finally gotten the kiddos all tucked in and Cory and I are sitting here trying to unwind while watching some Seinfeld… Then BED!
Please keep praying! We need each one. These nights are full of pain and fear.
We need financial help getting treatment for our upcoming trip, for the treatment of co-infections that I have after Germany, and then to tackle all the treatment the kiddos will need here in the States.
We are so incredibly grateful for everyone who has brought a meal, donated to the you caring site, and for ALL of your prayers!
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Sincerely, Dani
https://www.youcaring.com/danielle-cory-hayden-lucy-grey-pratt-597453#.V4Z1JQg6IHM.facebook
I’ve been having some hard days and nights lately, which is my only excuse for not blogging. I have been hit with crazy emotional struggles, and on Monday, just spent all parts of my day crying randomly. I don’t’ have a specific reason for the tears, just a lot of smaller things lumped into one big “cry-fest” I guess. The kiddos are struggling being alone so much, I am worn out by all the doctors appointments each day of each week, Cory is worn out by his IV’s as well, and the stresses financially seem too much to bear right now. Life is pulling at all corners and we are feeling so-not-good at anything being spread so very thin. However, we are hanging in here and today is a new day… one where I have scratched so many items off my ever-growing To-Do List, we each had a successful set of IV’s, I spent time watching the kiddos swim and giggle in the hot sunshine, and Cory is trying his darndest to work really hard!
Thank you to each of you who has helped with dinners… we are sooooooo very blessed by the food! Thank you to everyone who has shared our story with friends, family, TV stations, newspapers, etc… we are raising awareness and hundreds of thousands of Lyme patients just within the USA are going to reap the benefits of your efforts. Thank you so much for the financial help… we have so far to go, but every selfless gift both big and small is a massive help in this battle we’re facing! We are only 9 days away from flying out and we have so much yet to do… please pray for safety- driving, flying, traveling, focus for Cory working, ease of cleaning the house and getting packed up, strength for each day for all five of us, and for the finances to get the treatment we all desperately need!
Thank you, thank you, thank you all!
Sincerely, Dani
Were trying to work hard around the property today so that we don’t leave for Germany for a month and return to all ten acres being taken over by weeds and it looking like a jungle… While I was able to pull weeds for only about 10 min I was struggling with fear. Fear of taking our whole family to a foreign country and exposing everyone to harm. Fear of the world in which we live in and the unknowns that present themselves daily. Fear of health. Fear of… You name it! I had to quickly reel my thoughts in and remember that our God, who made Heaven and Earth… Made everything in it… He is soooooo much bigger than all of this. I can give Him my worries and fears, He can hold them with just his pinky finger if I’ll let it all go! That’s the key for me at least… Letting it go. Not picking it back up again and again, but actually leaving it at His feet! He’s got all of this. He has our marriage. He has my kiddos. He has our travel plans next month. He has our safety. He has the doctors hands. He can handle it ALL!
Holding onto this simple truth… I hope you are too!
Sincerely, Dani
And because I’m having to take it easy today… I’m extremely weak and fatigued… Look at the gorgeous and fun views I’m getting to take in… Love each of them so much!
It’s been a longgggg and successful week of doctors appointments and IV treatments for both of us. I had 6 total IV appointments and a doctors appointment and Cory had an appointment and two IV appointments. We’re absolutely wiped out, but everything went well and for that we are so very thankful!
I wanted to share tonight quickly about our Doctor here in town. I have had several hundred people ask where we are receiving treatment and how you could schedule a visit… I wanted to make sure it was ok to share that info first😁 I have the go ahead, so here it is:
We feel crazy blessed and insanely thankful to have found Dr. Payson Flattery! He is the Director at the Cebter for Integrative Medicine off of Norton Avenue here in Bend. Dr. Flattery is the most open minded, smart, investigator, and caring man we’ve ever found in the medical community… And we’ve been looking for a VERY long time. He’s human and we all make mistakes at times, but Cory and I both feel like he has been used in huge ways already in our health. He has finally properly diagnosed, began intensive and yet gentle treatment immediately. He is not offended to support the Germany Kliniks protocols, and he had become a welcome and friendly face to see each day at his clinic! We are so thankful for him and his incredible team… Each one of them: Mary, Wendy, Cindy (they each keep the office running and greet us with smiles!), Kaitlyn (she has to set each IV!), Joanna (the gentle and sweet colonic lady!), and the Doc himself! If you’re looking for a great office with a warm staff and a doctor who will seek answers without giving up… Give them a call!
Now, I’m going to go snuggle with my handsome hubs and call it a night!
Countdown to Germany is happening so fast… Help us anyway you can!
Keep fighting for answers! Keep sharing! Keep PRAYING!
Sincerely, Dani
I’m sooooo tired, so I’ll make this short tonight. Cory and I were at the doctor shortly after 8 am today. Cory started his IV therapy today to prepare for Germany with PTC and Glutathione. 
His IVs went well, but it was so hard to see him start this battle with me… You know how you’d take all the hurt away from your loved ones if you could? Well, in this case I’ve given it all to them instead. 😩 I cannot go back in time. I can’t dwell in the past. And I cannot beat myself up anymore… Now is the time to move on and count blessings, so that’s where I’m trying to stay each moment of each and every day!
I began my morning with Neuro Prolotherapy. Another first for me today, and a welcomed one in hopes of eliminating my constant head, neck and shoulder pain. The doctor injected about a dozen sites with dextrose… I could honestly feel some relief instantly. My pain is not gone, but it is a couple levels lower up there… And I’ll take that as I’ve had my migraine for about 11 weeks now without relief. I also started high dose vitamin c infusions today which after we finally gave up on getting my veins to cooperate for the catheter, took about 1 1/2 hours to receive. We had to forego the catheter again today as my veins collapsed three times again and I’m quite bruised for the day.
Im having a better day than yesterday for sure, and I’m soooooo thankful! Thank you for your prayers today, I really felt them!
Unfortunately, Cory has not been feeling so well… Poor guy has been struggling with severe brain fog, and just all over feeling awful. He ended his day by coming down with one of his horrible migraines that he can get from time to time. He’s been in bed since early evening and in so much pain. Please pray that this passes and doesn’t keep him up all night.
I head back to the doctor tomorrow morning for more IVs and then for a colonic early afternoon. We will also try to place the catheter again tomorrow…
They looked happy here though… We snuck out quickly and got some birthday gift ideas for little Grey Everly who will turn 6 in Germany! Silly kiddos!❤️
Special prayer request for today: kiddos need to hear some good news soon. Maybe see mom and daddy feeling good, less stressed, and able to play with them for a bit… Even just a short time! They have not complained, but I’m gone a lot now and they are spending so much time alone and I can see the worry on all three of their faces at times.
Sure love each of you! Thank you for your prayers, support, and shares! One thing I know… God is good all the time! ALL the time!
Psalm 27:13-14(NIV)
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Sincerely, Dani
Tonight was a really really hard one. We made it through, but the pain overtook my body and I couldn’t handle the pain. Cory and the kiddos said they counted 12 times that I passed out and stopped breathing when the intense pain spiked. We are struggling. The kids are fearful yet strong. Cory is worn out yet loving. I hurt still, but I know that God is holding us all and carrying me through as I’m not able to walk it on my own…
Please, please pray.
Sincerely, Dani
Deuteronomy 31:8
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Wow! I knew that Lyme was all over. I knew wholeheartedly that it was here on the West Coast, and without a doubt in Bend, Oregon… But to hear over a hundred personal stories from people in the last two days has blown my mind. Not the number itself, but the amount of people who have been so afraid to speak of it out loud. People who have expired doctor after doctor and feel hopeless.
Its for these people, my husband, our three kiddos, diseased friends whom I’ve met at the doctors office, and myself that I cannot stop sharing, talking, blogging, and won’t stop fighting for health, answers, and a voice for a disease that makes so many feel alone and isolated. This disease desires to break you down so much that you have no fight left in you, it drives you to severe depression, it eats at your brain, it causes aches so deep you can’t walk, impaires hearing, sight, breathing, memory, heart rhythms, causes seizures, pain like I’ve never known I could feel, and a constant migraine that grates on you so much that daily life is never the same. We have to keep fighting for funding, acknowledgement, and answers!
Please continue sharing these posts, please pray for all these people that have reached out, please help our family financially so that we can be healthy enough to make waves and fight on for all of those that cannot fight for themselves…
Sincerely, Dani
I didn’t post yesterday, but yet so much has happened. Yesterday, I started my Heavy Metals Testing and Treatment. This is supposed to onset 48 hours of flu like symptoms… but I have not felt sick like that, only severely fatigued and weak. I also tested to see how I would handle high dose Vitamin C which I am supposed to begin this next week.
Cory’s initial test results came in and we have confirmation that he too has Chronic Lyme Disease. He will begin intensive treatment Monday and will be at the doctor every day like me. We knew that Lyme could be sexually transmitted and transmitted in utero as well. We were very aware that it was quite possible that Cory and all three kiddos have Lyme and co-infections… but that was a hard afternoon for me having finality that indeed I had given this to my best friend and kiddos. Thank God we are on the road to healing… it honestly cannot get here quickly enough and yet we have so much pre-Germany treatment to accomplish before we go too!
As soon as I got in the car to head home from the Doctors office, our local news station called me and asked if they could come out to our home and interview our family. As much as I don’t like being in front of a video camera… this is exciting and we pray that it sheds light on this awful disease, opens physicians eyes as well as the general public that Lyme IS on the West Coast, it is here in Bend, and it can be anywhere! We filmed yesterday evening and the story will air tonight, Friday July 15th at both 10pm and 11pm on Z21. You can also find it after it airs on their website: http://www.ktvz.com (Have grace on me… I was so very nervous!)
And then………. the celebrating began! Cory and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary yesterday! I was so thankful that I didn’t feel flu-ish so we could go out to dinner while my parents watched the kiddos! Cory and I will never forget this zany, crazy day celebrating us
Today has been a day off of me being at doctors, and I welcomed that! I took the kiddos to the dentist and then we went and spent some of the afternoon with their great aunts and great grandma. We came home in time to finish off the day with a good swim and soaked up the last of the day’s sunshine!
Soooooo many people have reached out and let us know they are praying alongside us, you have shared our story, and many have helped financially. All we can say is THANK YOU! We need the help and you are each such a blessing! Please help us share our fundraising page… Germany is around the corner!
Sincerely, Dani
Today was another really, really long day, but a successful one too. My sister had a dentist appointment scheduled for today, and was going to reschedule so I was able to hop into her spot and have the rest of my amalgam removed quite spur of the moment. I am so thankful that it is all out and we can move onto treating heavy metals later this week. Then we all rushed back into Bend (my dentist is an hour away), and I had to get to my other doctor appointment early to heat up my veins in hopes that they would not collapse again. The heat helps them to expand and not go hiding away… (if I were them… I would have run away a long time ago after thousands of pokes!). I was able to receive my Artesinate IV which targets one of the main co-infections that I have called Babesia.
Babesia feeds on the protein in iron which is called Ferretin. We finally also got an answer to my ALWAYS crazy, scary low levels of ferretin. This has taken years to discover. I used to go into a clinic every 4-6 months and would get six infusions of ferretin over the course of two weeks. This was painful and extremely costly. I would test ok for ferretin for about 2 months and then it would quickly disappear until I was into single digits again. When my ferretin is this low I have zero energy, my strength is lessened, and yet it also makes it very difficult to find rest or any sleep. This can be dangerous, but now that we have an answer to what is consuming my ferretin we have to keep a close eye on my Hemoglobin and Hematecrit levels and only if they drop too low will we begin immediate injections of ferretin again. We definitely do not want to continue feeding the babesia bacteria like we had been for so many years past.
After the doctor… we switched our cell phone carrier so that our international rates were much more affordable for our trip ahead. Each little step completed gets us a bit closer… Germany is coming so very soon!
Please keep me in your prayers tomorrow as I am starting some new, intense treatments and they can always increase my “herxing” (Herxing is believed to occur when injured or dead bacteria release their endotoxins into the blood and tissues faster than the body can comfortably handle it.) We believe it is important to begin these treatments since they will have to start them in Germany, and it will help increase my comfort level while in the hospital if we can work up to the levels that I will receive abroad.
Keeping my hope in the One who made me!
Sincerely, Dani