Extra Extra, I’m All About It!
I finished my first month of Bee Venom Therapy! Beelieve me when I say, I never anticipated having to integrate stinging myself with live bees into my weekly routine. Without getting into all the details, I was told my options were either Pharmaceuticals or die. I preferred neither, which led me to a very curious time, to say the least. I was afraid and hopeless at first, even after spending almost a decade studying holistic health and wellness inspired by my father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. In 2022, I was hospitalized for 1 month. I had multiple spinal taps, a catheter, blood drawn every morning at 5am, had to be sponge bathed, and regained my ability to walk again everyday with a walker. Then I was hit with a diagnosis I never saw coming. (I refuse to give it a name or any power) I’ve come a long way, but not even 5-6 months ago I would still wake up out of a dead sleep having PTSD about that day. If there is hell on Earth, I’ve been to it.
When I was finally released from the hospital, I left in a wheelchair and was brought to my parents to recover. I didn’t sleep through the night for over 4 months. Not one night. I would cry in pain, anxiety, and depression. My spirits have been pretty high for most of my life, but this crushed me. My life force was literally sucked out of me. After about the third month I had started to get my bearings, walking like a normal person (thank God) and realized the only way out is through.
The odds were not in my favor but I have always been a fan of the underdog and felt like one myself my whole life. I spent almost 1.5 years researching every single study or piece of research I could find pertaining to my situation. I kept coming across Bee Venom Therapy. I think I have every study on it printed out in my “Cellular Remission” binder.
Bee Venom Therapy is when you literally sting yourself with live bees. (There’s a lot more that goes into it then that, but when put in simplest terms that's the easiest way to describe it.) Bee Venom contains compounds, like Melittin, that can poke holes in the lipid envelope of viruses, kill off bacteria and pathogens. By consistently disrupting this protective layer with melittin, the virus's ability to enter and infect cells could be significantly reduced or stopped altogether. Over time, this could lead to a decrease in the number of viruses in the body, potentially eradicating the infections entirely. That’s the goal. Sting myself until I get the bloodwork results that tell me I am free of all imbalances in my body.
In the past week I did have my first challenge during BVT. I accidentally stung too close to my spine and I could immediately feel my ears going hot and a bit of a hive reaction under my armpit area. I went through a program to start this therapy, so I have support throughout and I reached out to my guide letting her know what happened. She mentioned how this was typically a normal histamine response and when messing with the spine you are in a much more delicate territory and it gets more unpredictable because the immune system will do whatever it can to protect the spine and central nervous system.
Fast forward to two days later, the next sting day, I asked my roommate if she would help me sting because I was afraid of getting too close to my spine again. I think she must’ve heard me wrong and stung right on my spine. As soon as I felt the sting, I knew I was in for quite a ride. My ears went hot, my whole body covered in hives, and my hands swelled up. My throat didn’t close nor did I feel any symptoms of fainting or nauseousness, but I was so unbelievably itchy and uncomfortable. My face, neck, all of my back and arms were swollen and covered in hives. It lasted the whole day. I went to the sauna back to back days to sweat out as much venom and toxins as possible. I also took off a stinging day yesterday. I will ease back into it. This isn’t a typical situation and I was reminded to make sure I stay off of my spine!!!!
I’m almost two years into this journey and I’m going to be really transparent with you - I was born and built for this. I am at a place where I am almost grateful this type of challenge fell into my lap. Coming face to face with your own mortality and then bouncing back at the hands of your own research will give you a soul deep knowledge that you are capable of anything that comes your way. You never know your own strength until you have no choice but to be strong.
I remember a few months after my initial diagnosis I had written someone a letter. In that letter I said “I feel like I could swim with sharks at this point.” And that I did.
I just got back from a meditative retreat in Mo’orea in French Polynesia where we swam with humpback whales. It is one of the only places in the world where it is legal to do that. As I got on the plane to fly back to LA, I found myself overcome with tears. (Dramatic) They weren’t necessarily bad or good, I just knew there was going to be a major shift in frequency touching back down in LA, I mean the island of Mo’orea is the shape of a heart.
How can I share with the world what I’ve experienced here? I wondered how I was going to go back to my normal life after my time in French Polynesia. I am in awe and inspired to take what I’ve learned and integrate and share it with those I encounter. The embraces of the locals, the lushness, the magical creatures, that way I found myself so incredibly present - Mo’orea is pure magic.
I don’t think a blog post could put into words the impact this trip made on me. The island itself was a dream. The people on the retreat are now my friends for life. (I only knew one of them prior to the trip.) We just spent this past Sunday together here in LA. All 8 of us live here. We shared such an intimate and deep experience, being in the open ocean at the mercy of nothing but nature.
We held hands as we swam through the ocean together. It was my first time swimming out in the open water, so the first day was a lot. We had a guide, who was a wonderful local, and he was very adamant about keeping us safe and following his instructions. I remember thinking to myself ooooooh my gooooodness when he instructed us on what to do if we see a tiger shark or oceanic white tip coming towards us. We were not in cages. There were four oceanic white tips, only three I spotted myself. I remember thinking should I alert everyone? But I watched the sharks to see if they were coming our way or kept on pushing. Thankfully they kept on pushing. I didn’t alert everyone until after the fact which many were thankful for. Time stood still during that moment. The whole trip I felt so present.
The past two years of my life have been the most heartbreaking yet the most heart opening. I have really learned to welcome the unknown with open arms. I have learned to regulate my nervous system. I have learned to be present in the now. It’s all we have. After coming so close to death, I am now grateful to be here and have a second shot at this weird but beautiful journey of life. There have been many who haven’t had that second shot and I never want to take that for granted.
“Enlightenment” is not the light, easy joy that we chase in spiritual pursuits, but it’s actually a kind of wisdom that emerges only after confronting pain and suffering.”