Jane Hadley-Smith, M.D.
Reno, NV
Lyme Disease

If you are reading this, then you are probably looking for answers to your health problems. I remember pouring over similar Lyme disease personal histories at the clinic website. When I read them, I could not believe that someone actually had answers to my problems instead of ignoring that my disease even existed.

I was bitten by a tick in the spring of 1989 in Columbia, Missouri. At that time I did not make a connection between the bite, the bull’s eye rash, and my ensuing symptoms. As recorded in my journal, I soon developed night sweats, night terrors, irregular heartbeats and blurred vision. These symptoms subsided with time, but then I experienced a slow decline of my health. My symptoms included irregular heart beats, increasing sleep needs, pregnancy complications (child with cleft lip, maternal/fetal hemorrhage, miscarriages), headaches, memory loss, decreasing concentration, irritability, declining fine motor skills, burning feet, migrating arthralgias/myalgias, exhaustion with minimal exercise, gluten intolerance, and frequent “flu.”

By February 2001, I was bedridden and my family was preparing for my death. As a physician, I sought the best care money could buy. I was confident my colleagues could diagnose and treat me. After four well-trained specialists and six feet of lab results, I was told I had Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS) and was at high risk for developing cancer (my natural killer cell function was at 5%, normal is 100-130%). Long-term disability was the rule not the exception for people like me. This I could not accept. I researched CFIDS only to find the etiologies were diverse, not all my symptoms matched, and treatment was not curative. What I did find though, was my case matched Lyme disease, perfectly.

To make a long story shorter, I ordered my own Western Blot at the behest of a chiropractor from NJ, which was positive. At last, I had an answer! I was thrilled. My doctors were not however; “It’s probably a false positive” one said. A second test was also positive and additionally showed I has Babesia, a co-infection to Borrelia. Thankfully, I did not have Ehrlichia. I spoke to yet another specialist, this time a Lyme specialist, whose best offer was oral antibiotics. Seven days of Minocin gave me bloody stools and left me running on fumes. I felt as if my head would explode.

To make matters worse, I further realized through my research that my children and husband were at risk of Lyme disease since the spirochete can be transmitted sexually, exists in breast milk, and crosses the placenta. A phone consult with the pediatric Lyme doctor in Connecticut confirmed my fears. My children were at risk and had classic congenital Lyme symptoms. Now my life was a nightmare, for this meant sure mental and physical disabilities for them.

Now I was desperate; I began reading everything I could. One article quoted an infectious disease doctor who used dark field microscopy to detect Borrelia burgdorferi. “Genius,” I thought! Here is someone who understands the spirochete from Lyme disease is quite similar to the one that causes syphilis and uses traditional methods to detect it. I must talk with this doctor. I was prepared to fly anywhere to meet her. Imagine my surprise to find her in my own back yard. I collapsed in tears out of pure frustration. Here was a doctor who could help me and NONE of my experts recommended her to me. Enter the Sierra Integrative Medical Center. A few phone calls later I spoke with the doctor. There was hope for my family. Our lives were not going to end in disaster.

At the clinic, Lyme disease was confirmed in my husband and children via dark field microscopy and Western Blot. I was additionally diagnosed with viral illnesses, and mercury toxicity (not too surprising since I played with it as a child, a fact any physician could have determined with a good history).

Since our treatment began in August of 2001, we have experienced nothing but professional care that surpassed my expectations. I admit, as an allopathic physician, it was difficult to immediately embrace homeopathy and alternative medicine. Once I understood the methods of care by reading books and asking questions, I accepted their medicines and trusted my family to their competent hands. We are all showing great improvements. 95% of my symptoms are gone after 5 months of treatment; I am functioning as a wife and mother, and am working part-time again as a physician to special needs children.

I find it criminal that allopathic medicine continues to ignore the realities of Lyme disease and the suffering it causes. Thankfully you can find relief and trust the care you receive at Sierra Integrative Medical Center. I thank God that He heard my prayers when my family reached a medical dead end.