Help Save Alinta’s Life

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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Supporters

She is now 29 and severely ill. She has been diagnosed with Late Stage Neurological Lyme Disease and Bartonella infection. Both are multisystemic bacterial infections. The government in Australia won’t allow treatment for these illnesses so she must go overseas. As her mother, I have shed many tears at her plight and my only wish is for her to have a chance at a healthy life. Despite being so ill, she cares for death row dogs and dreams of being able to help those living in poverty, and fix the environment. She was studying conservation and international development but her health deteriorated and she was unable to continue attending university. She has written the following few paragraphs:

I don’t have the energy to go into them all in detail. I need over 12 hours of sleep a day (often 18 hours) but I still wake up just as tired as when I went to sleep. Daily I have to fight exhaustion until my body gives up and collapses. Any physical or emotional output takes many days or weeks to recover from. Some days I have to choose between showering or eating as I don’t have the energy for both. I have numerous prescriptions for pain killers, but I still have constant excruciating pain all over my body. My muscles frequently spasm, shake and jerk. Joint hypermobility has caused a lot of dislocations and painful bursitis in my hips. Most days I cycle through severe sweating and shaking as I am unable to control my temperature. My heart and lungs are showing signs of infection too. At times I struggle to breathe and my heart rate is very high and blood pressure low. I have constant stomach pain and nausea, and I often vomit, leading to weight loss. I have been diagnosed with Gastritis and IBS resulting in a lot of intestinal pain and upset. I have gone through bladder biopsies and botox injections to combat bladder pain and incontinence. The specialists say that my body is attacking itself as it can’t recognise the bacteria. I have been diagnosed with Grave’s Disease and Sjogren’s Syndrome, and I have been told to expect more autoimmune conditions if this infection isn’t controlled. My immune system is weak; even a basic cold can set me back months.

Along with pain and fatigue, cognitive dysfunction is one of the more debilitating symptoms. All my thoughts are obscured by a thick fog. I struggle to think, and I forget even basic words. I have a wheelchair to get around shopping centres and need help with even simple chores. I recently had an episode where I experienced bronchial spasms and couldn’t breathe. I lost my hearing and vision, collapsed on the ground and experienced paralysis. I don’t want to go through that again, but the only way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to treat the infections.

There’s a clinic in Cyprus which offers a combination of Ozone Therapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), to kill the bacteria and give my immune system the boost it needs to get rid of this infection for good. The results of others who have gone and returned are extremely positive, but it’s long, expensive, and on the other side of the world. As someone living week to week on a disability pension, I simply can’t afford the costs myself. I need to take a carer who’ll look after me when I’m not at the clinic. However, the treatment isn’t cheap, and the airfares, accommodation, and the cost for the 6 weeks of treatment all add up. This is not a holiday, I’ll be spending all day Monday to Friday in the clinic, and my weekends will mostly be spent sleeping while my body recovers. When I return home, the recovery will be long and difficult. I will have to go through rehabilitation to build up the muscles that have wasted away for years.

So any amount you can give means the world to me. I know not everyone is able to donate, but please share my story. Prolonged severe illness means I don’t have a big social network, please lend me yours, and help save my life.

Before YouCaring shut down, my fundraiser there had raised $5000. Flights, accomodation and the deposit for treatment have been paid, but the majority of treatment still needs to be paid for. Treatment is booked for October, less than two months away, so funds need to be raised urgently.

Anonymous

6 years ago

$50

Kate Fagan

6 years ago

$15

Hayley Gaunt

7 years ago

$50

Original fundraiser

7 years ago

– Offline donation

$5000

Alinta McMurdo

I know I haven’t given you a health update in a while. It’s because I really want to give an update that’s all positive, but I can’t do that. That’s just how life is. I’ve had more immune tests this year and appointments with my immunologist, allergy specialist and infectious disease doctor to try and understand what my immune system is doing. Previously I’ve told you about how I’m deficient in IgA and Natural Killer cells. This makes me very susceptible to respiratory and gut infections. The most recent blood tests are showing that I’m also starting to become IgG deficient as well (which are your immune memory cells). Other than the NK cells, my innate immunity seems to be ok. My bad reactions to vaccines is an overreaction from the innate immune system. My adaptive immunity isn’t so great. My body doesn’t remember which infections I’ve previously had and I therefore can get sick from the same thing multiple times, and the symptoms will be more severe and last much longer than they would for a healthy person. I saw my immunologist this week who said I will probably need IVIG therapy in the future (intravenous immunoglobulin serum from plasma donations). When that happens will depend on how quickly my IgG starts to decline. My immunologist is actually a specialist in Natural Killer cell deficiency. He has done studies that show that an NK cell deficiency is the worst immune deficiency to have for life threatening infections, but there is currently no treatment to boost those cells. So for now, I still have to avoid sick people and wear my mask when going to crowded public areas. There is no way to know exactly why I’ve got these deficiencies. The most likely scenario is that I was born IgA deficient but that didn’t effect me terribly until the other immune cells started to decline too. What triggered the natural killer cells and IgG to start to decline (which probably happened at 17 when I started getting sick), is unknown. It probably has a lot to do with the tick-borne infections, but there is no way of confirming anything. There’s no doubt that my overseas treatment last year has helped me regain a small amount of health. When I’m not sick with a virus, my health is better than it has been in a couple of years, but the treatment wasn’t anywhere near long enough to get the results I desired. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would go get more treatment in a heartbeat, but I don’t enter the lotto and I’m not very lucky, so I just have to find ways of dealing with it. The specialists have said they think I will be able to give birth to healthy children due to my medical history, so that is at least some good news that I really needed. Whenever it comes time for IVIG, I’ll let you all know. Hopefully I’ll qualify for it through the PBS before my immune system declines too much more. In other health news, my hip dislocated two weeks ago. It is still very painful, but healing. I get small joint subluxations frequently (fingers, toes, jaw), but I’ve never had a big joint do it. I’ve been getting a lot more acupuncture to try and relax my tight and sore muscles, but that may have relaxed them to the point that they weren’t keeping my hip in place anymore. My connective tissue disorder makes my tendons and ligaments too weak to hold joints in place, so my muscles try to compensate for that. So now I will have to try and find a balance between pain management and joint stability with future acupuncture. It may be a lot of trial and error. I’m always trying to improve my health and quality of life, but there’s only so much I can do on limited funds. Hopefully I can give you a more positive update at some time in the future. Thank you for your continued supoort.

I know I haven’t given you a health update in a while. It’s because I really want to give an update that’s all positive, but I can’t do that. That’s just how life is. I’ve had more immune tests this year and appointments with my immunologist, allergy specialist and infectious disease doctor to try and understand what my immune system is doing. Previously I’ve told you about how I’m deficient in IgA and Natural Killer cells. This makes me very susceptible to respiratory and gut infections. The most recent blood tests are showing that I’m also starting to become IgG deficient as well (which are your immune memory cells). Other than the NK cells, my innate immunity seems to be ok. My bad reactions to vaccines is an overreaction from the innate immune system. My adaptive immunity isn’t so great. My body doesn’t remember which infections I’ve previously had and I therefore can get sick from the same thing multiple times, and the symptoms will be more severe and last much longer than they would for a healthy person. I saw my immunologist this week who said I will probably need IVIG therapy in the future (intravenous immunoglobulin serum from plasma donations). When that happens will depend on how quickly my IgG starts to decline. My immunologist is actually a specialist in Natural Killer cell deficiency. He has done studies that show that an NK cell deficiency is the worst immune deficiency to have for life threatening infections, but there is currently no treatment to boost those cells. So for now, I still have to avoid sick people and wear my mask when going to crowded public areas. There is no way to know exactly why I’ve got these deficiencies. The most likely scenario is that I was born IgA deficient but that didn’t effect me terribly until the other immune cells started to decline too. What triggered the natural killer cells and IgG to start to decline (which probably happened at 17 when I started getting sick), is unknown. It probably has a lot to do with the tick-borne infections, but there is no way of confirming anything. There’s no doubt that my overseas treatment last year has helped me regain a small amount of health. When I’m not sick with a virus, my health is better than it has been in a couple of years, but the treatment wasn’t anywhere near long enough to get the results I desired. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would go get more treatment in a heartbeat, but I don’t enter the lotto and I’m not very lucky, so I just have to find ways of dealing with it. The specialists have said they think I will be able to give birth to healthy children due to my medical history, so that is at least some good news that I really needed. Whenever it comes time for IVIG, I’ll let you all know. Hopefully I’ll qualify for it through the PBS before my immune system declines too much more.

In other health news, my hip dislocated two weeks ago. It is still very painful, but healing. I get small joint subluxations frequently (fingers, toes, jaw), but I’ve never had a big joint do it. I’ve been getting a lot more acupuncture to try and relax my tight and sore muscles, but that may have relaxed them to the point that they weren’t keeping my hip in place anymore. My connective tissue disorder makes my tendons and ligaments too weak to hold joints in place, so my muscles try to compensate for that. So now I will have to try and find a balance between pain management and joint stability with future acupuncture. It may be a lot of trial and error.

I’m always trying to improve my health and quality of life, but there’s only so much I can do on limited funds. Hopefully I can give you a more positive update at some time in the future. Thank you for your continued supoort.

5 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

Long update today as I want to give you as much insight in to what is happening with me at the moment as possible. I last updated you just before I was going into surgery. The good news is the the surgery went well and there were no complications. The surgery was for endometriosis and they were able to take out all the visible endometriosis during the operation. The timing of the surgery wasn’t great as it was so close to Cyprus, but I was given the choice of doing it before Cyprus of straight after. I chose after as I didn’t want to risk not going to Cyprus if there were any complications from surgery. I had a lot of pain post-surgery. I didn’t sleep much for the week afterwards as pain killers like endone just don’t work well for me, but I’m starting to recover from it. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride both physically and emotionally over the last couple of months. I’m finally feeling like the pain from surgery is dissipating but it will still be another 8 months before I will properly heal from it. I’ve really struggled emotionally which I think is a combination of my hormones changing due to the endometriosis being removed, and the treatment of Bartonella, as it is a bacteria that specifically attack’s the emotional center of the brain, and my bartonella bacterial load was really high. Doctors have frequently praised me for being on top of my mental health considering how severe my Bart infection was, but I have felt a bit hopeless with that the last couple of months, as I’ve been all over the place emotionally. I have started to see some small health improvements. I still have days where I can barely make it from the bed to the couch but I’m also having some good days in between. What I consider to be a good day is nothing like what a healthy person would, but it’s improvement and that’s what matters. Last Sunday I spent the day taking photos and editing them for my blog, and then was able to prepare vegetables for roasting and clean dishes afterwards, which I haven’t been able to do for a very long time. Since being back from Cyprus, I haven’t had a single cold or flu, despite being exposed to the viruses on a few occasions. Before Cyprus, I would catch anything and everything, and a cold that a healthy person would have for three days, I would suffer from a lot worse and for well over three weeks. We have known for a long time that my immune system was low in some way, but it was only the other week that I had tests results to prove it. Last January I saw an immunologist who did extensive immune testing. I spent the whole year following up the results and only just got them two weeks ago. The tests show that I have low NKT and IgA cells which make me susceptible to respiratory and gut infections. The letter advised me to stay away from anyone who is sick and let all friends and relatives know not to see me if they are contagious – which is what I’ve been doing for years anyway. The results however show what my immune system was like before treatment, and I’ve started to see a change in how my body reacts to viruses. I will ask my immunologist to redo the tests next month but I’m not sure if he will. I believe I will still see more health improvements but I also know that I was still herxing on my last day of treatment, so not all of the bacteria were killed with the time I was there. The bacteria have had 20 years to multiply, so my treatment will take longer than others. Ideally I would like to go back for another 8-10 weeks as then I know I would have a better chance of a full recovery. I am realistic though and know that isn’t likely to happen. I wasn’t able to raise anywhere near enough for the first round and had to rely heavily on family to get me there. It’s hard to accept that, as I feel so close and yet so far from recovery, but I plan on making the best of this no matter what. As always, I still have a lot of other specialists that I see to try to get as many symptoms under control as possible and raise my quality of life. Many doctors have said to me that I would be well if my health solely relied on my will power. I want more than anything to be healthy, but determination alone won’t make me better. Which is why it’s very hard to have others say things like ‘if I want my life back I should just go out and do things and ignore being sick’, or that ‘I took money from people so I must give positive updates’. I have no intention of lying about my health, but I also don’t want to feel guilty because I can’t give you all an update saying that the treatment has had an immediate positive effect. I already carry a lot of guilt about taking donations, and I truly appreciate those who donated so much. We knew going into this that there would be a long road to recovery post Cyprus, and I’m still hoping I can give that update in due time, but we also went into this knowing that my recovery might never be complete. I wish I could have gotten better on my own, I wish I didn’t need help from others, but that’s not my reality, and I need to accept that. I am prone to pushing my body beyond what it is capable of doing, so I am constantly reminding myself not to do that right now and to let my body rest and recover like it needs to do. So, I’m starting to see health improvements from Cyprus, but it is slow going and I need to continue to rest as much as possible. I am trying hard to be grateful for all of you who have supported me thoughout all of this, without feeling guilty – but it’s a work in progress. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in any way, shape or form, it really means the world to me. I’ll keep you updated as things change. Love, Alinta

Long update today as I want to give you as much insight in to what is happening with me at the moment as possible.

I last updated you just before I was going into surgery. The good news is the the surgery went well and there were no complications. The surgery was for endometriosis and they were able to take out all the visible endometriosis during the operation. The timing of the surgery wasn’t great as it was so close to Cyprus, but I was given the choice of doing it before Cyprus of straight after. I chose after as I didn’t want to risk not going to Cyprus if there were any complications from surgery. I had a lot of pain post-surgery. I didn’t sleep much for the week afterwards as pain killers like endone just don’t work well for me, but I’m starting to recover from it.

It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride both physically and emotionally over the last couple of months. I’m finally feeling like the pain from surgery is dissipating but it will still be another 8 months before I will properly heal from it.

I’ve really struggled emotionally which I think is a combination of my hormones changing due to the endometriosis being removed, and the treatment of Bartonella, as it is a bacteria that specifically attack’s the emotional center of the brain, and my bartonella bacterial load was really high. Doctors have frequently praised me for being on top of my mental health considering how severe my Bart infection was, but I have felt a bit hopeless with that the last couple of months, as I’ve been all over the place emotionally.

I have started to see some small health improvements. I still have days where I can barely make it from the bed to the couch but I’m also having some good days in between. What I consider to be a good day is nothing like what a healthy person would, but it’s improvement and that’s what matters. Last Sunday I spent the day taking photos and editing them for my blog, and then was able to prepare vegetables for roasting and clean dishes afterwards, which I haven’t been able to do for a very long time.

Since being back from Cyprus, I haven’t had a single cold or flu, despite being exposed to the viruses on a few occasions. Before Cyprus, I would catch anything and everything, and a cold that a healthy person would have for three days, I would suffer from a lot worse and for well over three weeks. We have known for a long time that my immune system was low in some way, but it was only the other week that I had tests results to prove it. Last January I saw an immunologist who did extensive immune testing. I spent the whole year following up the results and only just got them two weeks ago. The tests show that I have low NKT and IgA cells which make me susceptible to respiratory and gut infections. The letter advised me to stay away from anyone who is sick and let all friends and relatives know not to see me if they are contagious – which is what I’ve been doing for years anyway. The results however show what my immune system was like before treatment, and I’ve started to see a change in how my body reacts to viruses. I will ask my immunologist to redo the tests next month but I’m not sure if he will.

I believe I will still see more health improvements but I also know that I was still herxing on my last day of treatment, so not all of the bacteria were killed with the time I was there. The bacteria have had 20 years to multiply, so my treatment will take longer than others. Ideally I would like to go back for another 8-10 weeks as then I know I would have a better chance of a full recovery. I am realistic though and know that isn’t likely to happen. I wasn’t able to raise anywhere near enough for the first round and had to rely heavily on family to get me there. It’s hard to accept that, as I feel so close and yet so far from recovery, but I plan on making the best of this no matter what.

As always, I still have a lot of other specialists that I see to try to get as many symptoms under control as possible and raise my quality of life. Many doctors have said to me that I would be well if my health solely relied on my will power. I want more than anything to be healthy, but determination alone won’t make me better. Which is why it’s very hard to have others say things like ‘if I want my life back I should just go out and do things and ignore being sick’, or that ‘I took money from people so I must give positive updates’. I have no intention of lying about my health, but I also don’t want to feel guilty because I can’t give you all an update saying that the treatment has had an immediate positive effect. I already carry a lot of guilt about taking donations, and I truly appreciate those who donated so much. We knew going into this that there would be a long road to recovery post Cyprus, and I’m still hoping I can give that update in due time, but we also went into this knowing that my recovery might never be complete. I wish I could have gotten better on my own, I wish I didn’t need help from others, but that’s not my reality, and I need to accept that. I am prone to pushing my body beyond what it is capable of doing, so I am constantly reminding myself not to do that right now and to let my body rest and recover like it needs to do.

So, I’m starting to see health improvements from Cyprus, but it is slow going and I need to continue to rest as much as possible. I am trying hard to be grateful for all of you who have supported me thoughout all of this, without feeling guilty – but it’s a work in progress. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in any way, shape or form, it really means the world to me. I’ll keep you updated as things change. Love, Alinta

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

Just a quick update. I’m about to leave for surgery. I’ve been told it will take a good month to get over it. It will push my treatment recovery back, but I can’t delay the surgery any longer. I was supposed to have it before I went to Cyprus, but I postponed it, as I didn’t want any complications to stop me from going to Cyprus. I’ve seen a lot of my specialists since being back but I still have more to see. I will keep you updated on how my recovery is going when I start to see improvements.

Just a quick update. I’m about to leave for surgery. I’ve been told it will take a good month to get over it. It will push my treatment recovery back, but I can’t delay the surgery any longer. I was supposed to have it before I went to Cyprus, but I postponed it, as I didn’t want any complications to stop me from going to Cyprus. I’ve seen a lot of my specialists since being back but I still have more to see. I will keep you updated on how my recovery is going when I start to see improvements.

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

I only have three days left of treatment! It has been really hard at times with the herxing reactions but I am so happy I did this. I would never have been able to kill this many pathogens back in Australia. The temporary herxing effects will be well worth it if I can gain some of my life back. I’ve got one session left of cryotherapy. I’ve been doing -150 consistently now which is the coldest temperature available. I can actually feel the cold now, unlike the first couple of sessions, so my nerves are changing. I’m also seeing a Russian spinal professor for a couple of treatments before I leave. My first treatment he tried to correct a vertebrate in my upper back that I have had problems with since birth. I now have lots of tape on my back to get the muscles into the right position for my next appointment this afternoon. It will probably be really painful as he needs to correct spondylitis and scoliosis in my back, but my whole motto for this treatment time has been “no pain, no gain”. I would have given up on day one if I wasn’t prepared for the extra pain and suffering. If I didn’t have all the herxing effects while I was here, then I would be worried that this treatment wasn’t working, but the herxing means the bacteria are being killed. I will still have a lot of medical expenses when I get home as I need to get a recovery treatment plan in place. I’m not sure how much that will cost right now, but probably a lot. Money is always the problem when it comes to treatment. For now, I am focusing on my last few days of treatment and preparing for my long flight back to Aus.

I only have three days left of treatment! It has been really hard at times with the herxing reactions but I am so happy I did this. I would never have been able to kill this many pathogens back in Australia. The temporary herxing effects will be well worth it if I can gain some of my life back.

I’ve got one session left of cryotherapy. I’ve been doing -150 consistently now which is the coldest temperature available. I can actually feel the cold now, unlike the first couple of sessions, so my nerves are changing.

I’m also seeing a Russian spinal professor for a couple of treatments before I leave. My first treatment he tried to correct a vertebrate in my upper back that I have had problems with since birth. I now have lots of tape on my back to get the muscles into the right position for my next appointment this afternoon. It will probably be really painful as he needs to correct spondylitis and scoliosis in my back, but my whole motto for this treatment time has been “no pain, no gain”. I would have given up on day one if I wasn’t prepared for the extra pain and suffering. If I didn’t have all the herxing effects while I was here, then I would be worried that this treatment wasn’t working, but the herxing means the bacteria are being killed.

I will still have a lot of medical expenses when I get home as I need to get a recovery treatment plan in place. I’m not sure how much that will cost right now, but probably a lot. Money is always the problem when it comes to treatment.

For now, I am focusing on my last few days of treatment and preparing for my long flight back to Aus.

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

This week I had three ozone colonics as my intestinal muscles aren’t working properly. From now on I’ll only have one a week, but I’m not sure that there will be enough time here to help fix the paralyzed muscles. I am having some abdominal pain relief from the abdominal massages thankfully. I had two very bad days since my last update. One where I was very nauseated and the depressurization in the hyperbaric chamber pushed me over the edge so that I had to run to the toilet to vomit when we emerged. The other was yesterday when sinus pressure from the chamber caused a migraine – the sort commonly known as a suicide headache as the pain is excruciating. I’ve got the hangover effects from it today, but thankfully the migraine is gone for now. Today I had my first cryotherapy session. It was at -120 (the temp you should start at) but that wasn’t cold enough to produce a reaction for my body. My internal thermostat doesn’t work properly, from so many years of illness, so it may take a couple of sessions for my body to respond. The cryotherapy should activate the immune system to repair areas of the body that need it (which there are a lot of right now). I’ll be doing 10 sessions which will hopefully be enough, but it’s very expensive so any donations are greatly appreciated. The treatment is obviously killing a lot of pathogens, so I’m absolutely exhausted. I’m taking it day by day right now to get through it, but I’m sure it will be worth while in the end.

This week I had three ozone colonics as my intestinal muscles aren’t working properly. From now on I’ll only have one a week, but I’m not sure that there will be enough time here to help fix the paralyzed muscles. I am having some abdominal pain relief from the abdominal massages thankfully.

I had two very bad days since my last update. One where I was very nauseated and the depressurization in the hyperbaric chamber pushed me over the edge so that I had to run to the toilet to vomit when we emerged. The other was yesterday when sinus pressure from the chamber caused a migraine – the sort commonly known as a suicide headache as the pain is excruciating. I’ve got the hangover effects from it today, but thankfully the migraine is gone for now.

Today I had my first cryotherapy session. It was at -120 (the temp you should start at) but that wasn’t cold enough to produce a reaction for my body. My internal thermostat doesn’t work properly, from so many years of illness, so it may take a couple of sessions for my body to respond. The cryotherapy should activate the immune system to repair areas of the body that need it (which there are a lot of right now). I’ll be doing 10 sessions which will hopefully be enough, but it’s very expensive so any donations are greatly appreciated.

The treatment is obviously killing a lot of pathogens, so I’m absolutely exhausted. I’m taking it day by day right now to get through it, but I’m sure it will be worth while in the end.

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

I’ve finished my first week of treatment at Poseidonia Medical Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus. This week I have undergone a range of different treatments, aimed at killing pathogens, aiding detox and boosting the immune system. Every morning I have a 15 min ultra-sonic massage, nasal laser therapy, IV Vitamin C and IV Ozone. Then it’s straight to the hyperbaric chamber for 2 hours where I wear an mask to breath in 100% oxygen. The increased oxygen intake combined with the ozone causes an immediate herx reaction for me, so I spend the chamber time trying my best to cool down as my body overheats. The HBOT is given at 2.4 ata, for the best result. Then there is a different treatment each afternoon, including infra-red sauna (for detox), projuvenox lymphatic massage, mineral IV, laser IV, and on fridays there is always a mineral cocktail IV. A lot of these treatments are intravenous so I need to have a cannula inserted. The cannula should last three days, but mine is only lasting two before problems are occurring so I’m having more cannulas than expected as well as needles in the main inner elbow vein as my arm veins are hard to find and small, so some of the IV’s aren’t going in quickly enough to keep on schedule. I will also have a ozone colonic once a week but I didn’t have one this week. There is no doubt the I am herxing from treatment. All my symptoms began to worsen within a couple of hours of treatment beginning on Monday and last night, after my fifth day of treatment, was hell. Some of the Herx symptoms I’ve experienced this week include flu-like symptoms (especially congestion and runny nose), headaches, fevers, sweats, chills, flushes, rashes, nausea (I have zofran with me so that I don’t vomit), pain, muscle spasms and cramps, as well as increased fatigue and brain fog. This is a good sign as it means the pathogens are getting killed but I am feeling really so sick, so it’s not easy to handle. My body is trying its very best to eliminate the toxins as quickly as it can, but that process is really unpleasant. If you’re looking for more information on tick-borne illnesses, I wrote a blog post earlier this year that has lots of information – https://polishandpaws.com.au/2018/05/tick-borne-illness-lyme-disease-awareness-month-2018.html I would like to include at least 10 sessions of cryotherapy in to my treatment plan but I’m not sure I have the funds to do that at the moment and I am still trying to figure out the best treatment plan post-cyprus. I am feeling really sick right now, but it’s a good sign. I will try to update you soon to let you know how I’m going.

I’ve finished my first week of treatment at Poseidonia Medical Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus. This week I have undergone a range of different treatments, aimed at killing pathogens, aiding detox and boosting the immune system. Every morning I have a 15 min ultra-sonic massage, nasal laser therapy, IV Vitamin C and IV Ozone. Then it’s straight to the hyperbaric chamber for 2 hours where I wear an mask to breath in 100% oxygen. The increased oxygen intake combined with the ozone causes an immediate herx reaction for me, so I spend the chamber time trying my best to cool down as my body overheats. The HBOT is given at 2.4 ata, for the best result.

Then there is a different treatment each afternoon, including infra-red sauna (for detox), projuvenox lymphatic massage, mineral IV, laser IV, and on fridays there is always a mineral cocktail IV. A lot of these treatments are intravenous so I need to have a cannula inserted. The cannula should last three days, but mine is only lasting two before problems are occurring so I’m having more cannulas than expected as well as needles in the main inner elbow vein as my arm veins are hard to find and small, so some of the IV’s aren’t going in quickly enough to keep on schedule. I will also have a ozone colonic once a week but I didn’t have one this week.

There is no doubt the I am herxing from treatment. All my symptoms began to worsen within a couple of hours of treatment beginning on Monday and last night, after my fifth day of treatment, was hell. Some of the Herx symptoms I’ve experienced this week include flu-like symptoms (especially congestion and runny nose), headaches, fevers, sweats, chills, flushes, rashes, nausea (I have zofran with me so that I don’t vomit), pain, muscle spasms and cramps, as well as increased fatigue and brain fog. This is a good sign as it means the pathogens are getting killed but I am feeling really so sick, so it’s not easy to handle. My body is trying its very best to eliminate the toxins as quickly as it can, but that process is really unpleasant. If you’re looking for more information on tick-borne illnesses, I wrote a blog post earlier this year that has lots of information – https://polishandpaws.com.au/2018/05/tick-borne-illness-lyme-disease-awareness-month-2018.html

I would like to include at least 10 sessions of cryotherapy in to my treatment plan but I’m not sure I have the funds to do that at the moment and I am still trying to figure out the best treatment plan post-cyprus.

I am feeling really sick right now, but it’s a good sign. I will try to update you soon to let you know how I’m going.

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

In a few hours I will be boarding a plane to Cyprus! I have orientation on Saturday and then treatment starts on Monday. I am very nervous, not for the actual treatment, but for the end result. I have had so many needles, prodcedures and operations now, that medical treatment doesn’t phase me, but it has all just been for symptom management up to this point. This is the first time I am getting treatment to actually target the cause of my illness and all my health complications – and that’s a lot to process. I am so thankful that I actually have this chance, and it is because of everyone who has supported me, and this fundraiser that I’m here. Thank you to my family for unconditionally supporting me and my quest for health. Thank you to everyone who has donated and shared my fundraiser, I wouldn’t be here without your help. And thank you to anyone who has sent kind words and messages my way. It can feel like I’m up against the world on bad days, so those kind messages matter. I have no idea how sick I will be during treatment, and therefore how often I will be able to update my fundriaser and social media, but I will try to do so as often as I can. My nerves are getting the better of me today, but I know I will be fine once treatment starts.

In a few hours I will be boarding a plane to Cyprus! I have orientation on Saturday and then treatment starts on Monday. I am very nervous, not for the actual treatment, but for the end result. I have had so many needles, prodcedures and operations now, that medical treatment doesn’t phase me, but it has all just been for symptom management up to this point. This is the first time I am getting treatment to actually target the cause of my illness and all my health complications – and that’s a lot to process. I am so thankful that I actually have this chance, and it is because of everyone who has supported me, and this fundraiser that I’m here. Thank you to my family for unconditionally supporting me and my quest for health. Thank you to everyone who has donated and shared my fundraiser, I wouldn’t be here without your help. And thank you to anyone who has sent kind words and messages my way. It can feel like I’m up against the world on bad days, so those kind messages matter. I have no idea how sick I will be during treatment, and therefore how often I will be able to update my fundriaser and social media, but I will try to do so as often as I can. My nerves are getting the better of me today, but I know I will be fine once treatment starts.

6 years ago

Alinta McMurdo

In 5 and a half weeks I’ll be heading to Cyprus for treatment. I’m not feeling great this week as anesthetic knocks me around a bit. On Monday I had my last surgery and general anesthetic before going to Cyprus. I will have another surgery when I get back. It will probably extend the recovery time post Cyprus, but that’s just the way it is. I still see multiple specialists in Australia regularly who help keep as many symptoms under control as possible, but none of them are able to treat the cause, meaning I will continue to get sicker if I just rely on Australian health care. I have seen immunologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, urologists, gynecologists, cardiologists, psychologists, geneticists, ophthalmologists, as well as pain management specialists and infectious disease specialists. I have exhausted all treatment avenues in Australia. I have gone through with every test, procedure, treatment and surgery that doctors have suggested. I have frequently stayed on medication with severe side effects in the hope that it would be what my body needed to get better (which obviously hasn’t been the case). Despite all of the disappointments that I have suffered through, I am still really positive. The doctors I see remind me how positive I am considering all that I have been through, and that it’s rare to see someone as sick as I am, still in such good spirits. Since getting sick, I have always hoped for a better future, and that hope has kept me going. I want so much more out of life than just constant suffering. Cyprus being so close is overwhelming because I don’t know how to process all the emotions around it. Treatment in Cyprus could completely change my life and let me live my wildest hopes and dreams that have felt so far away for so long. To those who have donated and shared – Thank you for giving me the chance at a life worth living. Please keep sharing, Cyprus is so close now. Love Alinta

In 5 and a half weeks I’ll be heading to Cyprus for treatment.

I’m not feeling great this week as anesthetic knocks me around a bit. On Monday I had my last surgery and general anesthetic before going to Cyprus. I will have another surgery when I get back. It will probably extend the recovery time post Cyprus, but that’s just the way it is.

I still see multiple specialists in Australia regularly who help keep as many symptoms under control as possible, but none of them are able to treat the cause, meaning I will continue to get sicker if I just rely on Australian health care. I have seen immunologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, urologists, gynecologists, cardiologists, psychologists, geneticists, ophthalmologists, as well as pain management specialists and infectious disease specialists. I have exhausted all treatment avenues in Australia. I have gone through with every test, procedure, treatment and surgery that doctors have suggested. I have frequently stayed on medication with severe side effects in the hope that it would be what my body needed to get better (which obviously hasn’t been the case). Despite all of the disappointments that I have suffered through, I am still really positive. The doctors I see remind me how positive I am considering all that I have been through, and that it’s rare to see someone as sick as I am, still in such good spirits.

Since getting sick, I have always hoped for a better future, and that hope has kept me going. I want so much more out of life than just constant suffering. Cyprus being so close is overwhelming because I don’t know how to process all the emotions around it. Treatment in Cyprus could completely change my life and let me live my wildest hopes and dreams that have felt so far away for so long. To those who have donated and shared – Thank you for giving me the chance at a life worth living. Please keep sharing, Cyprus is so close now. Love Alinta

7 years ago

Alinta McMurdo