One year ago this month, I made a decision that would change my life. I started the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS for short). My mom is also doing the program, and the above photo is of us jumping for joy as we celebrated our anniversary of starting the program.
Since then, I’ve received many questions from people who have been inspired by my success to try the program themselves. So in this blog post, I’m going to answer frequently asked questions about my recovery.
Are you still on treatment for Babesia and Bartonella? I made the decision when I started DNRS to fully embrace the idea that my current symptoms were the result of limbic system impairment, and in just a few weeks of starting the program, I made significant progress that showed an impaired limbic system was indeed the primary cause of the symptoms I was then experiencing. So I emailed my doctor and told him I wanted to stop all Babesia and Bartonella treatment, and since then, I have weaned off all of my antimicrobials, except two herbs.
Are you still on any medications? The only medications I take are hormones. I have weaned off all prescription anti-inflammatories, mast cell stabilizers, and antibiotics. I am currently weaning off Hydrocortisone and hope to eventually not need to take any hormones!
What is DNRS, and what are the exercises in the program? DNRS is a self-directed neuroplasticity program to rewire the brain. The program consists of 5 pillars: recognizing limbic impairment, interrupting patterns of limbic impairments (POPs), guided visualization, incremental brain retraining, and elevating emotions during retaining. This podcast explains the program in more depth.
Are you doing any other programs besides DNRS? Yes, a few months after starting DNRS, I also became a member of Sarah Jackson’s RESTORE. Sarah did DNRS and made amazing progress with it, but she felt that there were some missing pieces in the program. So she started RESTORE, where she teaches the other components that helped her heal, primarily somatic exercises, which consist of touch. She also conducts two monthly Zoom classes where she teaches the exercises. The somatic exercises help release trauma that is stuck in the body and send signals of safety to the brain, which help it move out of a state of flight, flight, or freeze. Often while doing the exercises I begin to cry and feel lighter afterwards. Sarah is a Christian and starts each class with a breath prayer and ends with Lectio Divina.
What were your symptoms before starting DNRS? I started DNRS while recovering from COVID. So my symptoms were worse than usual, and I was concerned about again experiencing symptoms of long COVID, as I had the last time I’d contracted it. Before getting COVID, I was only able to leave home once or twice a month for a short outing and would feel worse afterwards. I spent the majority of each day in bed and suffered from frequent nausea, headaches, pain, low-grade fevers, insomnia, sweats, severe fatigue, and brain fog. Add COVID into the mix, and my then baseline symptoms were worse.
How do you feel today? With DNRS, you make a proclamation of what you want your life to be like. Mine was, “I can do anything, go anywhere, eat everything, and feel fantastic.” I am thankful to say that is now my reality. So many good things have happened since I started DNRS. I have begun taking online classes for college credit, run 5K races, received my driver’s license, gone on vacation, begun eating dairy, gluten, and nightshades, and begun attending church regularly. I still do have some mild occasional symptoms and function with less energy than the typical twenty-something, but I am leaps and bounds better and continue to improve as I rewire my brain. My dentist asked me a few months ago what percentage I thought I’d healed, and I said something along the lines of, “I don’t know. The more I heal, the bigger my vision for healing becomes. When I was bedridden and used a wheelchair, my idea of healing was just being able to sit up in bed for a few hours and do crafts. Later, my vision of healing grew to include things like going to church. Now my vision is bigger than ever and includes living on my own, traveling more frequently, and not taking any medications.”
Healing is possible, and hope abounds. As Dr. Lee Warren says, "Are you ready to change your life? If the answer is yes, there is only one rule. You have to change your mind first." I hope you will join me on this journey of brain rewiring.