Justin Carlson on CIRS Recovery and Building Tools to Find Safe Places to Stay

Justin Carlson on CIRS Recovery and Building Tools to Find Safe Places to Stay

Justin Carlson lived with unexplained fatigue from the time he was in school. Six years ago, everything escalated. Over a period of months he developed inflammatory and neurological symptoms severe enough to leave him bed-bound for weeks at a time, unable to drive, while every standard test came back completely normal. A urine mycotoxin test finally broke the case open. His levels were extremely high, and that result led him to mold illness, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), and the Shoemaker protocol. Living in Marquette, Michigan, in the remote Upper Peninsula, Justin had no local specialists. He pieced together his care through telemedicine with Shoemaker-certified doctors and spent over a year and a half learning his own body's limits, taking steps forward and steps back, and discovering the hard way that trying to rush recovery only made it take longer. Then he started building. First came a Discord healing community for people navigating CIRS and toxic mold exposure, which grew to over 500 members and was intentionally designed to be the opposite of the negativity that dominates so many chronic illness spaces. Then came Mold Map, a crowd-sourced platform where users rate and review hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals so people with mold illness, mast cell activation, allergies, and asthma can find safe places to stay. The MVP launched this spring, and future versions will personalize ratings to your individual sensitivity level. Justin also walks us through Mold Guide AI, a tool that predicts mold risk for nearly any address using factors like the year a building was built, flood damage likelihood, neighborhood characteristics, and local humidity. And he shares the project he once thought was impossible: Airlume, a handheld real-time mold sensor inspired by how mold detection dogs work, now the subject of an NIH SBIR Phase 1 grant proposal. Woven through it all is the mindset piece. Justin opens up about fear and distrust of his own body, how resisting symptoms kept him stuck in a defensive state, and the meditation practice that gave him relief from his fatigue within twenty minutes. Today he is biking, running, hiking the trails around Marquette, and lifting weights for the first time in 15 years. His message: it is possible to heal from virtually anything, but you have to build beliefs that run contrary to what your body is telling you, and surround yourself with people who believe it too. To find Mold Map visit: https://moldmap.io/ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moldmap/ & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moldmap.io/

Brain on Fire: Surviving Suicidal Psychosis, Misdiagnosed Schizophrenia, and Re-Wiring the Brain with Amy Stacey Curtis

What happens when an un-diagnosed tick-borne pathogen attacks the central nervous system? Today on Lyme+, Kenzie Bath sits down with celebrated installation artist, author, and musician Amy Stacey Curtis for one of the most raw, urgent conversations we have ever hosted. In early 2017, after completing a massive 18-year historic art opus, a switch flipped in Amy’s brain. Suddenly, she was plunged into 22 months of continuous, terrifying suicidal psychosis and a total head-to-toe loss of muscle control that confined her to a wheelchair and compromised her speech. Misdiagnosed with late-onset schizophrenia and tracked through eight heavy antipsychotic drugs, it was a dedicated primary care doctor and an open-minded specialist who finally uncovered the root cause: chronic, untreated neuroboreliosis (Lyme disease of the brain). Amy takes us through her grueling six-year physical recovery, her self-prescribed "uber-occupational therapy" using a Facebook Marketplace ukulele, and the launch of her brand new memoir, How My Brain Saved My Life Twice. Connect with Amy Stacey Curtis: * Website & Book: AmyStaceyCurtis.com [https://www.amystaceycurtis.com/] * TikTok & Instagram: @amystaceycurtis

The Art of Tick War: Radical Prevention with "Tick Man Dan" Wolff

Most people get the "heebie-jeebies" at the sight of a single tick, but for Dan Wolff (aka "Tick Man Dan"), they are a thirty-year obsession. Having survived an estimated 250 tick bites, Dan has turned his personal history into a masterclass on public safety and prevention. In this episode of Lyme+, we go deep into the "Art of War" against our least-favorite, eight-legged enemies. Dan breaks down the terrifyingly sophisticated biomechanics of a tick bite, from the numbing agents they spit to keep you unaware, to the "cement" they use to lock themselves into your skin. Whether you are an avid outdoorsman or just someone trying to protect your kids in the backyard, this conversation is packed with the "Tick Bits" you need to stay safe this season.

Is it Anxiety or Lyme? PANS/PANDAS, Neuroinflammation, and Pediatric Chronic Illness with Dr. Somer DelSignore

What happens when a vibrant, energetic child suddenly faces severe anxiety, mood changes, OCD, or physical tics? Today on Lyme+, Kenzie Vath and Dan Wagner sit down with integrative pediatrician Dr. Somer DelSignore to pull back the rug on a hidden epidemic: pediatric neuroinflammation. When a child's personality flips overnight, mainstream medicine frequently rushes to a purely psychiatric label. But as Dr. Sommer explains, the nervous system does not exist in a vacuum. In this episode, we dive into the clinical reality of PANS and PANDAS, why commercial laboratory blood tests miss up to 50% of active tick-borne pathogens, and how stealth infections like Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia can cross a child's vulnerable blood-brain barrier to trigger an autoimmune attack on the brain. We also break down the hard data surrounding congenital Lyme and map out a comprehensive, root-cause protocol to restore a child's health from the cell up. The views expressed by guests are based on their personal clinical experiences and research. This podcast is for educational and storytelling purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Global Lyme Alliance does not endorse specific alternative treatments, private laboratory facilities, or commercial health products. Always consult with a qualified, literate healthcare professional for pediatric diagnosis and treatment. Connect with Global Lyme Alliance Dr. Somer Delsignore: * Hudson Integrative Health [https://hudsonvalleyintegrativehealth.com/] * Instagram: @drsomerdelsignore [https://www.instagram.com/drsomerdelsignore/#] Connect with Global Lyme Alliance (GLA): * Website: GLA.org [https://www.gla.org] * Instagram: @GlobalLymeAlliance [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/globallymealliance]

The Bag of Toxins: Surrendering the Struggle and the Power of Proactive Coaching with Jake Mayers

What happens when your "Type A" drive to heal actually becomes a barrier to your recovery? Inside the Episode: * [09:21] The Perfect Storm: How a trip to India and a snowboarding accident triggered a decade of undiagnosed illness. * [14:40] Rock Bottom in Portland: The moment mold toxicity broke Jake’s "mind over matter" strategy. * [17:57] The Bag of Toxins: A look inside the apheresis process in Germany and the power of "visualizing" the detox. * [24:30] The 20% to 80% Jump: Why stopping treatment and surrendering to faith accelerated Jake's healing. * [33:10] The Mad Libs Framework: A tangible tool for communicating your struggle to doctors and loved ones without losing your power. * [37:30] Case Overviews: How to turn a four-inch binder of medical records into a one-page "strategic strike" for your next appointment. * [41:30] The Dental Connection: Why biological dentistry and "cavitations" are the missing piece for many chronic Lyme patients. * [51:50] The 2-Minute Rule: A simple digital wellness habit to protect your nervous system every morning. * The "Jubu" Path: How Jake integrated Eastern mindfulness (Tai Chi) and Western faith to find internal ease amidst physical chaos. * Self-Advocacy: Why you must be the "Driver" of your health journey, while practitioners serve as the "Support Crew." * Biological Dentistry: How hidden infections in the jawbone (cavitations) can constantly release toxins into your system, blocking recovery. Connect with Jake here: Lyme Warrior Workshop: https://calendly.com/jakemayerscoaching/from-invisible-to-heard Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakemayerscoaching/ [https://www.instagram.com/jakemayerscoaching/] Substack: https://substack.com/@jakemayers [https://substack.com/@jakemayers] Digital Resources (Daily Dose + Case Overview): https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodDayGuides [https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodDayGuides] Book a Free Consultation: https://calendly.com/jakemayerscoaching/chronic-illness-consultation [https://calendly.com/jakemayerscoaching/chronic-illness-consultation]