Category Archives: Prayer

My Refuge… My Rock

April 17, 2016 12:01 pm , 2 Comments ,

I know… I know… another delay in posts about treatment and life in general 🙁  I’m still here, but man oh man, each day throws new things my way.  I am sitting here in bed, not able to make it to church with my family today…I have been very, very, very nauseous in the mornings and most often begin my day with throwing up several times.  Various mornings have started with one or more of these super strange symptoms:  no hearing in my left ear, my right arm hung limp yet I could move all of my fingers (odd), my knee had no feeling, or another day had such severe pain that I couldn’t not put any weight on it, I could not focus one eye for most of one day last week…  I have started to call these crazy symptoms “the thing of the day”.  They seem to usually pass by about noon or so, and my afternoons from 1-5ish are what I am calling my “normal” for now.

Afternoons are spent mostly resting, trying to soak up the sunshine, being as present as I can be with my kiddos, and hoping to get at least one house chore accomplished for the day (this hasn’t been possible these last two weeks though!).  I have had a migraine that won’t subside for over 3 weeks now, and am usually so fatigued and nauseous off and on most of the day that being productive hasn’t been a reality… argh!

With the approach of each evening, I start getting worse again and we have had some scary times.  I had an intense peak of pain one night that left me shaking, involuntarily crying and curled up in the fetal position moaning… I honestly think that I blacked out for a bit of it, as Cory and the kids remember more of it than I do.  This brings me to the hardest part for me these days… knowing how frightened my family is about the way I am feeling.  My oldest went upstairs crying, praying, and saying “Mom was dying”.  Cory feels so helpless not knowing how to comfort, or care for me.  These are very scary times causing sleepless nights, nights full of tears, thoughts full of fears for all five of us.

We are looking for a great LLMD, or LLND (lyme literate doctors) to find someone who lives and breathes treatment for my specific conditions.  I spend hours and hours each day and night researching treatment options, finding ways to protect my organs in this process, working on new ways to detox, etc…  these are all things that a lyme specialist would be up on and know how to direct me.  Neurologically, I am battling so hard right now and then to add onto that struggle I am trying to retain any information I read about… and let’s just say:  I NEED help!

Prayers requests:

relief of symptoms

eradication of spirochetes

effective detoxing

strength for my body

emotional strength

strength and comfort for Cory and our kiddos

wisdom and direction to find THE right doctor and treatment protocol

finances for treatment

and of course complete healing for my body

Praises:

I am sleeping much, much better

Kiddos have been happier this last week than the week before

 

I am beyond thankful that though we are soooooo very weary of this mess; I know that my God is bigger, He is here and He is my life and breath, and I am choosing daily to put my trust in HIM!

2 Samuel 22:2-4

2 He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3     my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
    from violent people you save me.

4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.

Taking refuge in Him today…

Sincerely, dani

standing on rock

Posted in: God, Health, Life, Prayer, Update , Tagged: , , ,

What a day looks like these days…

March 22, 2016 6:16 pm , 2 Comments ,

The start of my day is about the best part…  my sweet hubs wakes me up with my special coffee drink and my first pills at 9am.  These intense bio film busters along with lots of water begin doing the days’ work on the “cystic” forms of spirochetes.  Cysts/ our cells have a bio film encasing each one and unless you can break this down any treatment to kill off these “bugs” is absolutely useless.  I also pulse on and off every five days Artemesinin for the Babesia which is plaguing my body and feeding on my ferretin (a protein in my iron) ((another blog entry all together!))

After I take these, I usually very slowly start to wake up.  Though this does not sound early to most people… this is about two hours earlier than what I was able to do about a month ago.  I don’t sleep sometimes at all at night, so it is a job to move at all most mornings.  This last week after Cory woke me up, I had NO movement in my right arm at all for over two hours, and there are almost new issues each and every day that I am learning are these awful creatures attacking their body part of choice for the day or hour.

One hour after swallowing the “busters” I take my “killer” drops in a small amount of water and pray that it goes to town killing off the spirochetes, if not at least chasing them into their other form and weakening them at least a little…  Here is a brief description of what a spirochete looks like and how it hides, changes:

“Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme) is capable of transforming into a cyst when it feels its life is threatened. While in cyst form, Borrelia obtains immunity from antibiotics, its host’s immune system, and temperature and PH variations. It can also lower its metabolic rate while in cyst form in order to ward off starvation. When conditions within its host become more favorable, it will transform back into its spirochetal form. A spirochete can also have the added protection of a biofilm if it morphs into a cyst while inside a biofilm.
Don’t confuse the cyst form of Borrelia for skin cysts that are visible to the naked eye. Borrelia Burgdorferi in cyst form exists on a microscopic level and can only be seen with a microscope.”

cyst with biofilm

cyst 2

picture of cyst

spirochete

spirochete

spirochete

Another 15 minutes later I swallow some powerful detox drops in a small amount of water, followed another 15 minutes by bentonite clay, psyllium husk powder pills, a natural thyroid supplement, DHEA supplement, brain support, and my AM Isagenix pills, Ionix shot, a LARGE amount of water, and then about two hours after being woken up, I get to drink my AM protein shake!  I then follow my liquid breakfast with 24 ounces of my greens with some replenish (again… some of my favorite Isagenix products!).  The final part of my morning routine is to follow all of that with at least 24 oz. of water!

I have another shake about 1-2pm for lunch, followed by another batch of greens and replenish, another big water and then I am free until after dinner… FREEDOM!

We eat a very clean and healthy meal for dinner free of any dairy, gluten, corn, or sugar, and minimal fruits if any at all.  This is usually a very weak time of the day for me… but one that I love to sit with my four favorite people and enjoy a recap of our days!!!

Dinner is followed an hour later with basically repeating my morning routine, but here it is just for the record:

2 more “biofilm busters”

40 more drops of the “killer” drops

10 more drops of “detox”

Bentonite Clay in water

5- Psyllium Husk pills

PM Isa pills

2 oz. Cleanse for Life (Isagenix)

1 oz. Ionix Supreme (Isagenix)

I am quite nauseous and sometimes extremely weak in the morning and almost always again at night… I spend a LOT of time throwing up, curled in a ball in severe pain, I’m experiencing random bleeding from my gums, joints not working, extreme hair loss, faint and dizzy spells, almost constant migraines that are very debilitating, etc, etc….  I will share more on all of this and what an average day around the Pratt house looks like in my next post.

If I can leave you with a couple thoughts…  DETOX, DETOX, DETOX… It is crucial and I cannot stress it enough.  I actually did a lot of research before settling on a treatment plan and decided to start detoxing two days prior to any form of treatment.  Do NOT wait to start this, it can be very, very serious and life threatening if you have an overabundance of die off without detoxing thoroughly!

The last and most important thing to remember is that you are NOT alone in this battle… sure there are other people struggling with similar symptoms with Lyme and all these crazy co-infections, but even more than that;  God is there.  He is right there in the midst of your battle each and every day…

And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are waisting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17

“Be still and know that I am God…”
Psalm 46:10

So you shall serve the Lord your God…And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
Exodus 23:25

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for peace for Cory and our three kiddos… (they are witnessing some scary things while caring for me.  They are fearful while they watch these scary symptoms take over my body in the evenings.)

Please pray for wisdom in treatment

Pray that these spirochetes are killed and flushed from my body

Pray for direction for our family

Pray for strength for Cory as he is carrying a huge financial and emotional load for all five of us each day.

Sincerely, Dani

 

Posted in: God, Health, hubs, Life, Prayer

We all need a LITTLE bit of encouragement sometimes…

March 14, 2016 11:40 pm , Leave a Comment ,

I’ve been having some rough days since my last post and though I have wanted to share another post… I realized today that my heart simply needed some encouragement!  So, I wanted to share this sweet and powerful saying with all of you in hopes that it would encourage you like it does me every time I walk past it in my home!  I loved it so much, I bought it last year from one of my favorite little shops House of Belonging!

His GRACE is sufficient… I so often add up where I have let my kiddos down, what I wasn’t able to get done in my day, or that I couldn’t get off the couch to make dinner tonight…  but His Grace… it’s always here for me!  I can drop everything I worry about, feel ashamed about, or have doubts about at His feet and let it all go…

2 Corinthians 12:9 says this:  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Stay tuned… I am going to share my treatment plan soon, as well as lots of the reasons behind why I have chosen each piece of the protocol!

Posted in: God, Health, Life, Live IT Out!, Prayer, Update

When the Mess is Named…

March 12, 2016 11:22 pm , 8 Comments ,

It’s been a long week and I am struggling to make clear enough thoughts as I sit down to type tonight.  After sharing last week about the symptoms I’ve been experiencing, and hearing from many of you with some stories about your own symptoms, I wanted to share some more information.

I’m hoping to share all of this to ultimately bring hope and encouragement to you or someone you know that is battling your own “mess” right now and help you see it as a “beautyfull mess” with eternal hope!

During the last 24 years I have seen countless doctors, specialists, naturopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, practitioners, you name it… I’ve likely seen one!  I was diagnosed with mono, EBV, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Short Term Memory Loss, Wilson’s Syndrome, Chronic Migranes, Pituitary Cushings, Pernicious Anemia, Crohns Disease, Candida, being Post Menopausal at 28years old, was told I was simply wired backwards, had a doctor say I was CRAZY, I have been turned away from Sleep Clinics two times, finally was seen by a sleep specialist and they said I slept fine, and was told by at least two doctors that they were done seeing me and had nothing they could do to help me.  I have been tested for M.S., ALS, tumors, cancers, auto immune diseases, etc…  I have had crazy long needles inserted into my major muscles and shock waves (I am sure there is a technical term for this) sent through the needles… basically, I was shocked from the inside to run extensive testing on my muscles and nerves.

After ALL of this including years of many trips over the mountains to our Health University, a trip to a world renowned Hormone Specialist in Arizona, tons of trips up north of Seattle to see a Neurolink Practitioner (he helped me some!), and expiring our local options too… the only thing that has ever stuck as a diagnosis (pretty sure this was strictly for insurance purposes… when we used to have insurance) was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Now, don’t get me wrong; I am not saying I am defined by a diagnosis or code at all, however, to receive proper treatment you must know what you are dealing with first.

My husband (Cory), my mom, and myself have long believed that I had Lyme Disease, yet any doctor I would ask here would look me straight in the eye and say this disease didn’t exist on the West Coast. Period.  I was told that even if I did test positively for it, I would not be treated for it by them as they did NOT believe in it… eventually laughing the thought off entirely, they would each move onto more testing, more asking me to tell my story over and over again.

Finally… this year after taking about 16 months off of seeking any help or doing anything to help alleviate these symptoms (we were completely worn out and didn’t feel like there was any fight left in us.), I had a Rolf (structural alignment massage-like technique that proved to help me with my severely tight muscles that aggravated constant migraines.) appointment and the Rolfer told me about her friends practice that had just moved to Bend!  I was trying to be hopeful to look into him, and Cory agreed it was time to get back into seeking help and finding answers.

I have been seeing this new Doctor/ Naturopath and appreciate that he believes that “I am my own best advocate”, He immediately advised me to have a binder of ALL of my test results, notes, etc…  He views myself, Cory, and the Doc as a team and equally listens to our ideas while sharing his own of course.  We have run extensive tests, and I know there are still more to come, however I finally have confirmation of a Chronic Lyme Disease diagnosis along with late stage Babesia, Bartonella, and there will likely be more co-infections found in further testing.

I will be posting treatment options as I walk through this.  I am really struggling as I am midway through my second week of chasing this terrible disease… but I will post as often as I can!

Please share these posts with others… I am excited to help others struggling with Lyme, or other tick born diseases seek help, find answers, and encouragement in the middle of the mess, and ultimately pray for God’s healing!

Sincerely, Dani

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Posted in: God, Health, hubs, Life, Marriage, Prayer

I was written off by countless doctors… were you?

March 7, 2016 10:53 pm , 4 Comments ,

I’ve finally decided to jump on social media and share some very scary news with you that many doctors won’t.  Soooo many doctors will not acknowledge this awful disease, there is no acknowledgement for the severity and seriousness of the symptoms, and you may be labeled as crazy, written off as just another “chronic fatigue” case, or completely dismissed as I have been over and over for the last decade plus.

I decided to start off by sharing a list of my symptoms.  This list is extensive, and has been progressing over the last 24 years of my 33 years of life.  Although I have been struggling with this for soooo long; the majority of these have become much more intense and some seem to have onset with the birth of my first little one.

Please share this with anyone you know who is dealing with undiagnosed issues, or even those who may have a diagnosis yet still have so many frustrations and unknown answers… I will be sharing much more info very soon, but for now here is my way-too-long-list of symptoms:

Hang in there!

Sincerely, Dani

  • Dangerously LOW ferretin levels.
  • Headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Sore throat, swollen glands
  • Heightened allergic sensitivities
  • Twitching of facial/other muscles
  • Jaw pain/stiffness (like TMJ)
  • Change in smell, taste
  • Upset stomach (nausea, vomiting)
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Night sweats or unexplained chills
  • Heart palpitations
  • Diminished exercise tolerance
  • Heart block, murmur
  • Chest pain or rib soreness
  • Mood swings, irritability, agitation
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Malaise
  • Overemotional reactions, crying easily
  • Disturbed sleep:  too little, difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Feeling as though you are losing your mind
  • Dementia
  • Forgetfulness, memory loss (short or long term)
  • Attention deficit problems, distractibility
  • Confusion, difficulty thinking
  • Difficulty with concentration, reading, spelling
  • Disorientation: getting or feeling lost
  • Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
  • Reproduction problems, miscarriage
  • Extreme PMS symptoms

 

  

  • Double or blurry vision, vision changes
  • Oversensitivity to light
  • Floaters/spots in the line of sight
  • Decreased hearing
  • Ringing or buzzing in ears
  • Sound sensitivity
  • Joint pain, swelling, or stiffness
  • Muscle pain or cramps
  • Poor muscle coordination, loss of reflexes
  • Loss of muscle tone, muscle weakness
  • Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
  • Burning/stabbing sensations in the body
  • Weakness or paralysis of limbs
  • Tremors or unexplained shaking
  • Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
  • Increased motion sickness, wooziness
  • Lightheadedness, fainting
  • Difficulty with multitasking
  • Difficulty with organization and planning
  • Auditory processing problems
  • Word finding problems
  • Slowed speed of processing
  • Decreased interest in play (children)
  • Extreme fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion
  • Symptoms seem to change, come and go
  • Dysfunction of the thyroid (under active thyroid glands)
  • Extreme hair loss
  • No new hair growth

 

Posted in: God, Health, Life, Prayer, Update

We’ve added a new member of our family & a Kua’aina Ranch update

January 27, 2015 11:40 pm , 3 Comments ,

I have been MIA for a really fun reason this last week. We have added a new member to Kua’aina Ranch!  My reason stands taller than me, has wayyyyy better hair than me and weighs about 1000 pounds more than me…  His name is Maxwell Kailua Pratt or “Max” as we call him.  We are in love… all of us!  This newest member is an 8 year old Quarter horse gelding, and he is a dream come true for our family, one we have been praying to find for a few years now.  We have been getting into a routine with him, trying to remember how to do the simple things like groom, saddle up, and where Max likes to be scratched best!  Most of this comes back like riding a bike… but not all.  I am super thankful for a mom that got me right back up on a horse, one that remembered how to tie up a cinch, etc…  I hadn’t been on a horse in about 18 years, and it is once again AMAZING!!!  I am hooked!  All three of my kiddos are taken by him, and my hunky hubby handles him better than all of us combined.

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We still need to get a full family photo with Max… but it was dark when I finally got him back home over the mountain! So, Cory snapped this quick pic! They were so surprised and thrilled!

I’ve been learning through having Max on the ranch just how therapeutic time with a horse can be.  He is always there in the paddock, stall or the pasture.  Max rarely has his own agenda, unless he’s super hungry, so he loves to just hang out.  My 9 year old starts her morning by throwing some boots on, grabbing her favorite book, and running down to feed a flake of hay and just spend time talking to Max.  She’s spending hours worth of time reading to him, sharing her heart with him, and building a beautiful relationship.  He is building trust in her, and she in him.  They yearn for time with each other, time to talk, listen, or just be silent together.  Sometimes I hear him crying for her when she’s out playing on the property… he whinnies for her attention and keeps an attentive eyes and poised ears towards her most of the time.  They have a special bond.  One worth tending to.  Investing in.  A bond worth fighting for.

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Lucy finally has her sweet horse! You can honestly watch their love for each other grow…

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She could do this for hours…

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Grooming

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Lucy’s first ride on Max!

I love this analogy of how a relationship with our Father in Heaven can be so very much the same as that between Lucy and Max.  Our God is always here for us desiring just this kind of a relationship with each of us.  He has a flexible schedule, but treasures each second with us.  He loves it when we talk to Him, not just at meals and bedtime with our littles… but when it’s our M.O. for any reason at all.  He wants us to read with Him and enjoy each handpicked story in His word.  He wants to hear our hearts and live in it.  He desires us to think on Him 24/7, and just like Max; He keeps His eyes on us always.  His ears are always ready to hear our worries and He promises to carry them too.  This bond with Jesus is the MOST precious relationship we can ever have and yet often times we don’t tend to it, invest in it or take time with it.

For me, having Max join us last week has been such a joy.  It has also been such a great reminder of the need to tend to my heart.  To invest in time with my Savior, to talk to Him as my very best friend, for He is just that.

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Hayden was actually just working out… but Grammy got him out there to work through some newness with Max! Instantly bonded!

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And now Hayden can’t get enough riding in… too bad someone has to be responsible and can’t take kiddos on rides all day long! 😉

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Hayden, Max and Me! Thanks for the pic Lu

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And then there was Grey… she had a little bareback ride and experienced a horse for the first time ever! The love was mutual!

 

We are going to continue loving on and investing in Max.  And I find myself intensely thankful for the simple, sweet, subtle, yet serious reminder to keep loving on Jesus, building a relationship with Him, investing time in Him, and keeping my eyes fixed on Him.

~Sincerely, Dani

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Family, God, Kua'aina Ranch, Life, Prayer, Update

Worth Fighting For!

January 18, 2015 11:30 pm , Leave a Comment ,

This life is full of so much.  So much of it is wonderful and good.  But there is an awful lot of it that is not so pretty, that is full of hurt and darkness too.  There is a lot of evil in this world, and there is an orchestrator of all things evil.  He has come to steal, kill and destroy as it says in John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Satan wants to steal your children, soul and joy, kill your salvation, and destroy your marriage.  But Jesus came to give, bring life, and restore!  Obviously, there are things to fight for and those to ignore… and while as a mom I am constantly learning to pick my battles carefully; I have found that there are certain things that are ALWAYS worth fighting for!  Here are some of the ones that have been on my heart heavily for some time now.  These seem to be heavier than ever recently, and whether it is personally, or for a friend or family member… I would ask you to join me in this battle against the evil one in these:


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Salvation-  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.- Romans 6:23 

-That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.- Romans 10:9 
-Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.-
2 Corinthians 5:17 
-For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.- Ephesians 2:8 

Marriage-   Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.- 1 Peter 4:8

-Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

-And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: – 1 John 5:14

My Sons’ heart-  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.- Proverbs 4:23

-My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.- Proverbs 23:26

-Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.- Psalm 51:10

Restoration-  Be completely humble and gentle; Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.- Ephesians 4:2-3

-Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.- Luke 6:36

-Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?- Jeremiah 32:27

Commitment-  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.- Mark 10:9

-Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.- Genesis 2:24

Marriage and Work

My Children’s Purity- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.- Matthew 5:8

-No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.- 1 Corinthians 10:13

-Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.- Galatians 5:19-21 

-Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.- Romans 12:2 

-For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.- Galatians 5:13

I know there are many more battles worth fighting for… but these are the ones that I am on my knees for right now.  God has been showing me fresh, new ways to battle some of these topics and I am excited to share these with you here soon!

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What are some of the battles you face daily?  Which ones are you choosing to fight for?

Let’s stand together and fight… will you join me?

Sincerely, Dani

Posted in: God, Prayer