Emily Bennett is a 19-year-old from Lincoln, MA. She has had Lyme + other co-infections since her first tick bite at age 3. She is deeply passionate about sharing her experience with Lyme and educating the public at large. She recently volunteered with RideOutLyme through managing their social media and recently joined Project Lyme as a volunteer. Below is her story.
By Emily Bennett
My Lyme disease + coinfections journey started when I was a toddler, unbeknownst to anybody. I’ve been bitten by multiple ticks and spiders throughout my life. I was an incredibly anxious little girl, who grew up to be an incredibly anxious young adult. I always just thought that’s the way I am and I should get used to it. My brother also has Lyme and went through the classic Lyme journey of not being believed by medical practitioners, until he found an LLMD who diagnosed him. With us growing up in the same area and having some unexplained lower back pain during the 9th grade lacrosse season, I decided to get tested with western blot in 2019 at the age of 16. The test results came back glaringly positive. I was also diagnosed with Bartonella via Galaxy Labs, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, mycoplasma, toxoplasmosis, mold, and presumed Babesia. I had no idea the journey that lay ahead of me.
Starting in 2019 I tried an herbal protocol that, looking back, was not very effective. Detox was not a prioritized part of that protocol and at the time, I was also on an antibiotic for my acne. After a few years of trying this and that while also pounding antibiotics, I was left with a massive candida infection that spiraled into bulimia. At that time, around the spring of 2021, I decided to change doctors. I began seeing a new LLMD based in Brookline MA, and a new psychiatrist. Together, we created a course of action to first heal my gut, and then introduce antimicrobial agents for the pathogen. Throughout the spring of 2021 and into the summer, my condition dramatically shifted through treating the candida infection, healing my gut via probiotics, and tending to my vitamin deficiencies. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a personality; a sense of self, a sense of humor, a sense of right and wrong, and motivation that this was just the beginning of figuring out who I am without multiple pathogens stealing resources from my body. I was in no way feeling 100% (I’m still not sure what 100% feels like) but for the first time, I was feeling better.
That Fall, I started antimicrobial therapy heavily favoring antibiotics and antifungals. After about four months, I hadn’t made much progress, and my mast cells were overloaded creating symptoms like rashes, and shortness of breath. I now had a new baseline of a little less anxiety, but nothing else was improving and my neuropathy, brain fog, paranoia, depression, social anxiety, blurred vision, shortness of breath, facial twitches, itchy skin, and mood swings were consistently present. My LLMD, seeing that I was plateauing in treatment, recommended that I seek alternative treatment via Magnet Therapy.
My first magnet therapy appointment in Nashua, New Hampshire, changed everything. I was diagnosed with a whole new laundry list of pathogens via muscle testing, and this time, the diagnosis felt thorough. Muscle testing blew my mind as well as their treatment plan of using magnets to get rid of one pathogen at a time. This seemed manageable and was a total change from throwing multiple meds at everything and waiting for a response, whether that be mild or severe. Via muscle testing, I was diagnosed with things I already knew I had like Borrelia, babesia, Bartonella, rickettsia, mold, and candida, but also with Strep A & G, Epstein Barr, West Nile, Jamestown Canyon Virus, Mycoplasma, Heavy Metals and toxoplasmosis. I started the journey of healing via magnets in January of 2023 and have since cleared Babesia, Rickettsia, both Strep’s, West Nile, Jamestown Canyon, and Mycoplasma. Their approach is similar to that of peeling back the layers of an onion. I am getting closer to the nucleus of the onion, with each appointment. A lot of my physical symptoms have subsided, and after clearing Mycoplasma specifically, my sleep has improved dramatically.
I still have a ways to go on treatment and still have pesky symptoms of anxiety, depression, brain fog, and others, but I know that my treatment is working and all good things are going to come with time. It is an amazing feeling to feel yourself getting fully healthy for the first time in your life.
Education
11/20/2024
After losing the role of a lifetime, an aspiring actor retreats to his hometown. When he encounters a woman who has Lyme disease, an unexpected friendship develops, forcing them both to make life altering decisions.
Education
11/19/2024
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) hosted its 2024 Annual Scientific Conference from November 7–10, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. This highly rated conference focuses on the theme "Redefining Lyme Disease: The Fusion of Science and Practice," bringing together healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates to advance the understanding and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
Education
11/04/2024
When someone in a child’s life has Lyme disease — whether it is a parent, a sibling, a friend, or they themselves — they are bound to have questions. They may experience a range of feelings, including stress, worry, fear, or even anger. Parents and other caring adults can help by providing age-appropriate answers and being present and supportive.
