The Lyme+ Podcast

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]

From Medical Gaslighting to Building a Healing Community: Sami Kirschbaum on Lyme Resilience

Episode Title:From Medical Gaslighting to Building a Healing Community: Sami Kirschbaum on Lyme Resilience Episode Description: Sami Kirschbaum was undiagnosed with Lyme disease for nearly a decade. Growing up in Wisconsin, symptoms started in elementary school. Stomach issues, constant trips to the health room. Things escalated when she contracted Epstein-Barr virus at 16, landing her on bed rest for four months. Every year brought something new: joint pain, migraines, neck pain, fatigue that never lifted. No one connected the dots. When a surgery during grad school sent her health into freefall, a doctor told her it was "just depression." Sami pushed for testing. Her Lyme test came back positive. Then they took the diagnosis away because she had four CDC bands instead of five. That experience lit a fire. In this episode, Sami shares how she found whole body hyperthermia treatment at Clinic St. George in Germany. A 6-hour procedure under anesthesia that heats the body to temperatures Lyme bacteria cannot survive. She was inpatient for 35 days, completed two rounds, and walked away with the thing she wanted most: her cognitive function back. Sami also gives a live demonstration of brain spotting therapy with host Kenzie Bath. She breaks down how the modality works and why "where you look affects how you feel." Unlike talk therapy, brain spotting accesses the subcortical brain where trauma is actually stored, making it especially effective for the grief, medical PTSD, and chronic pain that so many in the Lyme community carry. Sami is a licensed therapist in Minnesota, currently completing her training at the Brain Spotting Institute with graduation on May 7th, and working with the Rocky Mountain Brain Institute. We also cover mold illness: how it compounds Lyme symptoms, how to navigate testing and remediation, and the emotional toll of losing your home and belongings to a problem you didn't know existed. Sami lived in a camper for two years after mold forced her out of her house before relocating to Scottsdale, Arizona for dry heat, more vitamin D, and a fresh start. Today, Sami is the founder of the Lyme Resilience Collective, where she offers individual brain spotting sessions, a 4-week Nervous System Regulation Support Group, and free monthly community meetups. She partners with the Ticked Off Foundation to provide reduced-fee services for patients facing financial hardship and recently delivered her first presentation educating mental health therapists on the impacts of Lyme disease on mental health. Her message: healing takes time, the dark seasons don't last forever, and the fact that you're listening means a part of you already knows you can get better. CONNECT WITH SAMI Email: sam@lymecollective.com [sam@limecollective.com] Instagram: @lymeresilencecollective TikTok: @lymeresilencecollective MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Lyme Resilience CollectiveClinic St. George (Germany)Ticked Off FoundationEnvita Medical CenterBrain Spotting InstituteRocky Mountain Brain InstituteMold Finders (Brian Karr)

What Doctors Aren't Taught About Lyme- And What ILADS Is Doing About It with Sarah Quillen

In this eye-opening episode of the Lyme+ Podcast, Sarah Quillen, Executive Director of ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, joins us to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to train physicians to recognize, diagnose, and treat tick-borne illness at every stage. Sarah brings over 25 years of nonprofit leadership to this role, and her path here is deeply personal. Her father was misdiagnosed with leukemia — steps away from starting the wrong treatment, before a correct diagnosis of Bartonella and Babesia finally changed the course of his care. That story became the entry point into a world she now helps lead. In this conversation, Sarah breaks down exactly what ILADS does, why it was founded, and why expanding physician education is the single most important lever for changing patient outcomes. Key Topics Covered: * What ILADS is and why it's the only multidisciplinary medical society of its kind in the world * The vectorborne illness fundamentals course, preceptorship program, and newly launched fellowship * Why acute Lyme is far rarer than most assume — and what that means for the chronic patient majority * The informal peer network inside ILADS that becomes a lifeline for newly practicing physicians * Why "Lyme" is a catch-all — and why the real conversation is Bartonella, Babesia, and Rickettsia * Lyme's political moment: HHS roundtables, the current administration, and what's on the horizon * The growing global crisis and what ILADS is doing in Poland, the Nordic countries, and beyond * The new pediatric committee and the gap in children's hospital education. How to find an ILADS provider, what membership costs, and how to apply for grants through ISADEV The views expressed on Lyme+ are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Lyme Alliance, Inc., or its affiliates. The content is informational and not medical advice. Global Lyme Alliance does not endorse any specific product or treatment. Always consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. We are the Global Lyme Alliance [gla.org]. Our mission is to cure Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through innovative research, awareness, and empowering the patient voice. Our vision is a world free of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Why Babesia Goes Undiagnosed: The Research, the Treatment Gap & What's Coming | Dr. Geoff Dow, 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals

Babesia is hiding in plain sight, and the data gap is bigger than most people realize. In this episode of the Lyme+ Podcast, host Kenzie Vath sits down with Dr. Geoff Dow, PhD, Founder and CEO of 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, for a conversation that starts personal and gets deeply scientific. Dr. Dow's own entry into the Lyme world came through his wife's diagnosis in Marin County, California, a region that doesn't appear on official Lyme maps. That experience shaped everything: the importance of acting on caution, not waiting for a perfect diagnosis, and the very real consequences of data gaps in tick-borne illness. The official case count for Babesiosis sits at 2,000 to 3,000 per year. 60 Degrees' own claims analysis suggests the real number is at least 25,000, and that's still likely an undercount, given how little awareness exists around the disease. Dr. Dow breaks down why the numbers are so distorted, what it takes to actually define a case without reliable diagnostics, and why the blood bank screening assay (roughly 1,000 times more sensitive than anything commercially available to physicians) represents one of the starkest diagnostic gaps in modern medicine. This is one of the most grounded, science-forward conversations we've had on the podcast, and one of the most urgent. 🔬 WHAT WE COVER: * Dr. Dow's personal entry point into Lyme and tick-borne illness research * How tafenoquine (ARAKODA®) targets Babesia at the cellular level * Why official Babesiosis case counts are a fraction of the real burden * The three active clinical trials 60 Degrees is running and the FDA timeline * Why diagnostics are the foundational problem that has to be solved first * The long COVID parallel and what it means for chronic illness legitimacy * Why 60 Degrees is often the only pharma company at ILADS conferences and what that says about the space ABOUT GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE (GLA) The Lyme+ Podcast is produced by Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) — the leading 501(c)(3) dedicated to conquering Lyme and tick-borne diseases through research, education, and awareness. GLA funds the most promising scientific research, accelerates better diagnostics and treatments, and empowers patients and families navigating tick-borne illness. 🔗 Visit us at: www.globallymealliance.org [https://www.globallymealliance.org] ABOUT DR. GEOFF DOW, PhD Dr. Geoff Dow is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SXTP), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing new treatments for infectious diseases. 🔗 Learn more about 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals: ⁠www.60degreespharma.com⁠ [https://www.60degreespharma.com] ⚠️ DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Lyme Alliance (GLA). This episode is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment.