Experience Martijn N.
Lyme Borrelia Zelfhulpgroep Nederland
The self-healing success of

Martijn N.

In the summer of 2013 I contracted several tick bites. I went to the doctor and because there was no red circle visible, according to him, I had absolutely no Lyme disease. I went home feeling good and relieved
However, I soon got all kinds of different complaints: fever, muscle pain and tingling in my hands and feet. I went back to the doctor and got a week of antibiotics. After this I felt better and therefore assumed it
that the cure had done its job. This was in June and in January all complaints returned, three times as bad. In addition, I regularly experienced severe knife stabbing in my back and left leg and intensive joint pain. Studies followed for a year, from an MRI to a lumbar puncture (cerebrospinal fluid) to visits to the rheumatism center. I went in and out  of hospital. I was always told: you are a young guy, with a busy job as a project manager and just the father of your first child, so it will be stressful. When you hear something like this you still think okay, but when you hear that every visit you feel ashamed. I didn't feel serious because of the ignorance taken in regular care. That hurt me a lot, literally and figuratively.

Almost at the same time as this result "something accidental" happened

I myself still thought it could be Lyme and I continued to search. Eventually I ended up at a medical institute in Germany, and from those investigations it turned out to be Lyme. After hearing this result, I was especially "relieved" that after the long uncertain search I finally knew what I had.

Almost at the same time as this result, "something accidental" happened. My father reads De Telegraaf on Saturday and on 11 April 2015 he came to us with the newspaper. He had read an interesting article from someone who had Lyme for years and got rid of it so I had to read it. When I saw the photo with the article, I thought: hey I know that, that is Tessa Gerrits, an old fellow student at HBO. I immediately contacted her by phone and that is how I ended up at the Lyme Self-help group, where she is a group coach.

At the first appointment, I found the self-help treatment to be quite abacadabra and was therefore somewhat skeptical. But I thought: I am always positive, I will just try the self-help treatment process. The
first period I felt worse after the self-help treatments, had more pain than before. But I knew, this is part of it, this is a normal reaction of the body so I have to go through it. In addition, I also started to tackle other factors: taking supplements daily, making healthy shakes, reducing coffee, and especially no sugars and so
no more soft drinks. And I started to pay close attention to my diet. Together with my girlfriend we literally took the unhealthy things out of the house and filled them with healthy foods. Over time, things got better and better. From 7 bad days a week it turned into 6, to 5, to 4 etc. Until they only became and still are good days! I have been a few years later and completely complaint-free. In the beginning I went to self-help treatment on a weekly basis, which then became biweekly and once a month. After that I occasionally went for a MOT and 2 years ago I last visited the group.

I felt I was welcomed to the group with open arms. There was an instant click, a positive feeling and I finally felt taken seriously. The advantage is that you notice that you are not alone, that we exchanged experiences and gave each other practical tips. You make each other stronger, literally. The time you spend is still part of your life and I enjoyed talking about everyday things together, and not just about being sick.

What I continue to find a difficult story is the incomprehension and ignorance of the people around me. My girlfriend and immediate family understood, but it was more difficult for others to afford. Because you didn't see me and Lyme, oh well
that is not easy? I liked that so much that I didn't have to make anything clear in the group. Everyone has
the same experience and here people listened and understood me. That the people of the group and the two supervisors are standing with you to get out of Lyme. And from their experience building a relationship that is equivalent and does not feel like a doctor / patient relationship is a very pleasant setup.

I have seen more people get better and that strengthens me. You have to persevere and be able to believe in your own, and hopefully my story will strengthen others to see that you can come out positive.

Martijn N.
Experience stories
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