When Lauren first sat down to chat with Brooke Geahan (also known as Everyday Expert, per her Instagram handle) she mentioned Brooke’s “9 lives” — it seems she has this many, as Brooke has come through skin and cervical cancer, Lyme disease and comorbid tick-borne illnesses, pernicious anemia, SIBO, chronic EBV, atrophic gastritis, and autoimmune issues (RA, Hashimoto’s, and Celiac, to name a few), among other conditions. In her research since first being diagnosed, Brooke has come to believe that all of her illness began with a tick bite. For years, she tried every treatment available — or so she thought. In a moment of desperation, and partially because she was running out of money, she found a last resort that changed her life: apitherapy. After having seen over 50 doctors and spent over $150k — not to mention years of her life spent between physicians and clinics — she nearly died after contracting a rare infection brought on by her use of low-dose immunotherapy (LDI). A believer in Western medicine for saving her life, she also found relief in holistic treatments — but it wasn’t until she started stinging herself with bee venom that Brooke began to feel well again. Within three years, she was in complete remission from most of her ailments…and requests for help started pouring in. A calling was born, and she launched The Heal Hive to educate and promote scientifically-proven therapies for wellness, with bee venom therapy (BVT) at the center.
Tune in to learn…
how Brooke recently faced her fears by returning to the place where she experienced her first chronic illness symptoms
that she didn’t see her first tick bite — but she DID see her second
that she rapidly lost functionality after her second Lyme infection
that she sees Lyme as a gift now — she has shifted her perspective entirely
a run-down of several of the treatments she tried (which allowed her to regain about 40% of her functionality) before discovering BVT
that a chance run-in with a nurse from a Lyme clinic brought BVT into Brooke’s life
that she prejudged BVT as “woo-woo”, and initially dismissed it
that she started BVT, and after a few months tried LDI (not FDA-approved) at her LLMD’s recommendation. It crashed her immune system — and she got so sick she ended up in the ICU after being infected with rare bacteria radiobacter
that radiobacter is so rare, she’s the only person in the US who has had it — and the only person who’s had it, period, who hasn’t been treated with chemo to eradicate it
that when she was in the ICU, her family and friends were called in to say goodbye to her
her realization after surviving radiobacter: that Western medicine saved her life in the hospital, but the medical system is broken — and she needed to stop blindly accepting advice, start asking questions, and do her own research
“chronic illness can save your life” — and what she means by that
the importance of balance — and socializing with more than just Spoonies
that BVT is medicine — it’s only part of the healing picture — and that whole-body health (including mental health) is vital for full healing, as well as an acceptance of the good aspects of Western medicine
how she empowered herself with research
how The Heal Hive grew organically from patient outreach
how BVT supports the bee population
the potential for bee products to be used in a wider context of healing…and where research is still needed
a reminder that nature is usually the greatest source of information, if we can return to it for knowledge
how important it is to invest in comprehensive lab testing so you can get a true picture of what’s going on in your body — and why you need to do your own research in order to interpret the labs
the importance of eating healthy — and why there is no excuse not to
the importance of finding a community based in positivity — and outside of victimhood
the importance of seeking reliable, TRUTHFUL, scientifically-backed information
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