08. Part 2: Living with Lyme - Mary Jo’s Journey from Diagnosis to Resilience

Welcome back to the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast. I'm Dr. Mark Su, and this is part two of my conversation with Mary Jo Anderson. If you caught our first episode together, you know we covered the long, painful road to getting a Lyme disease diagnosis. Today we're diving into what happens after you finally have answers.Here's the thing. Getting a diagnosis doesn't mean everything magically gets better overnight. Mary Jo's story is proof of that. And I think her willingness to share the messy, nonlinear reality of treatment is exactly what so many people need to hear.What We Cover in This Episode:Mary Jo opens up about why she's been hesitant to share her treatment journey publicly. The short answer? What works for one person doesn't work for another. She's seen it firsthand talking with other Lyme patients over the years. Every story is vastly different once you get past diagnosis.We talk through her initial treatment with herbals and supplements. She was taking 15 to 20 different things at one time. It was overwhelming. She'd never even taken Advil before this. After three to four months, she went from feeling like a 12 on a pain scale to maybe a nine or ten. Barely moving the needle.Then came antibiotics. Two at once for six months, which I know sounds intense. Over that time she went from a 10 down to about a five or six. Fifty debilitating symptoms down to ten. Real progress.But here's where it gets real. Two weeks after stopping the antibiotics, everything came back with a vengeance. Back to square one. Mary Jo describes feeling scared, discouraged, and honestly questioning whether she wanted to keep fighting.We talk about how she got back on the horse. Her faith, her community, her kids, the simple phrase "keep going" that she held onto in the darkest moments.And then she shares about the combination that finally moved the needle in a big way: a specific medication paired with a raw, plant-based diet for six months. She went from feeling like she was at ground zero to feeling 100% better.The Reality of Living with Chronic Lyme:Mary Jo is honest that she hasn't eradicated Lyme. She's living with it. She still has some joint pain and neuropathy that comes and goes. But she's resilient. She's learned what her body needs. And she's pursuing optimal health rather than waiting to feel "cured" before moving forward.We also touch on something important: the double life she was living during all this. Sharing beautiful sunrises and family moments online while suffering behind closed doors. Not because she was being fake, but because that joy and connection was literally what kept her going.Key Takeaways:Treatment isn't linear. You might try herbals, then antibiotics, then something else entirely. Progress doesn't always stick. Setbacks happen. That's the reality.What works for one person won't necessarily work for another. Mary Jo is clear about this. She's not giving medical advice. She's sharing her experience.Staying "broken wide open" to information, to angels who plant seeds along the way, to possibilities you haven't considered yet. That posture of openness was critical to her progress.Ready to stop guessing and finally get a clear plan?Join Dr. Su for the Ask Dr. Mark Clinical Q&A Call, a small-group call limited to about five people each month where you can bring your real questions and get real direction.Book your spot: https://go.rootseekhealth.com/askdrmarkOr download the free Lab Results Guide if you have ever been told your labs are normal while still feeling terrible: https://labsoptin.rootseekhealth.com/labs/Connect with Dr. Su: IG | @rootseekhealthDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only.  Information discussed is not intended for diagnosis, curing, or prevention of any disease and is not intended to replace advice given by a licensed healthcare practitioner. This podcast and its guests may have direct or indirect financial interests associated with products mentioned.