Healing—true, deep, and lasting healing—is one of life’s greatest challenges. As someone who has lived through and healed two serious illnesses, I’ve learned that healing requires more than just following a treatment plan. It demands resilience, intuition, and an open mind.

Two Health Battles

My first battle was with Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that took me on an almost unbearable, truly grueling two-year journey. The treatment was intense: a double dose of two different antibiotics daily, prescribed by a physician who practiced both Western and Chinese medicine. Despite having access to acupuncture and herbal remedies, the antibiotics were brutal. I endured relentless nausea and pain. Most days, the side effects felt worse than the disease itself.

After 14 months, my body could no longer tolerate the treatment. I decided to stop and reassess. Miraculously, the antibiotics had done their job, though it was hard to gauge my progress while in the throes of treatment. But healing from the disease was only part of the journey—I now had to heal from the treatment. Antibiotics, which literally mean “anti-life,” had decimated my gut microbiome. It took nearly a decade to rebuild my digestive health and adapt to new food sensitivities like lactose intolerance.

Years later, I faced a second challenge: long COVID. Unlike Lyme disease, long COVID was a medical enigma with no clear treatment. I knew I needed a different approach. My symptoms were quite intense – my body was wracked in pain, my muscles couldn’t relax, my hips were frozen in place and I was completely overcome by crippling fatigue. There were many other symptoms, as long covid has been shown to be debilitating to many of us.

Embracing Alternative Healing

One day, while scrolling through YouTube, I stumbled upon a video featuring Wim Hof. The title promised, “Do this every day, and you’ll never be sick again.” Desperate for relief, I decided to try his method, which includes deep breathing exercises and cold exposure therapy.

At first, cold showers seemed unbearable, but I was already in so much pain that I figured I could endure anything. I signed up for Hof’s online course and incorporated his techniques into my daily routine.

Around the same time, I discovered the work of Dr. Michael Greger, an inspiring MD and advocate of whole food, plant-based eating. Although I had been vegan for years, I hadn’t fully embraced a whole-food plant based regimen. Transitioning wasn’t easy, but I found inspiration in countless online recipes and tips from plant-based influencers. Slowly but surely, I started to feel better. The stakes were just so high there was no room for cheating or compromising. Processed food begone!

Emotional healing and Self Love

Besides the diet and lifestyle changes I made I also spent a lot of time doing my “inner work” – the deep work of feeling unintegrated feelings, of facing my inner shadows and traumas. This challenging work is very freeing and like many big challenges I am grateful in retrospect. There are so many gifted therapists and healers working in new modalities now that seem effective on this path.

The Long Road to Recovery

Healing from long COVID was a slow, two-year process. My journey also included two hip replacement surgeries to address severe osteoarthritis caused by the illness. Yet, as I sit here today, nearly 70 years old, I feel healthier than I have in decades.

I’m now a firm believer in the power of natural healing. The Wim Hof Method and plant-based eating don’t focus on destroying what’s wrong in the body but on building what’s right. Unlike Western medicine, which often leaves you with a trail of side effects, these methods have no such baggage.

A New Lease on Life

Today, I wake up excited about the future. I’ve not only regained my health but also redefined my relationship with food. Once a source of stress and imbalance, food now fuels my body and spirit.

Healing is a deeply personal journey. While I’m not a medical professional, I hope my story inspires you to explore paths that nurture your body and soul. Every day is an opportunity to choose health, happiness, and life.

You are stronger than you think, and your body has an incredible capacity to heal. Trust the process, trust yourself, and never stop seeking what works best for you.