341: Resiliency Radio with Dr. Jill - From Paralysis to Healing: One Doctor's Lyme Disease Journey with Dr. Melanie Stein

What happens when a doctor becomes the patient—and the medical system has no explanation? Dr. Melanie Stein joins Dr. Jill to share her extraordinary journey from suddenly waking up unable to move her legs to discovering Lyme disease, mold exposure, and the complex layers behind chronic illness. Her experience ultimately transformed not only her health, but the kind of physician she became. 🔑 5 Key Discussions ① 🦠 From Paralysis to a Lyme Diagnosis Dr. Stein describes waking up unable to move her legs, being diagnosed with conversion disorder, and later developing a bullseye rash and testing positive for Lyme disease through spinal fluid. ② 🏠 When Mold Blocks Recovery Despite treatment for Lyme disease, Dr. Stein says meaningful improvement didn't occur until she left a mold-exposed environment—an experience that now shapes how she approaches complex chronic illness. ③ ⚡ Cell Danger Response & Chronic Illness After COVID triggered severe seizures and mast-cell reactions, Dr. Stein began focusing on what she describes as a persistent cell danger response and restoring cellular function before aggressively treating underlying infections. ④ 🧬 Restoring the Cell Membrane Dr. Stein explains how oxidative stress may damage cell membranes and discusses her clinical use of phospholipids and IV sodium phenylbutyrate as part of her cell membrane therapy approach. ⑤ ❤️‍🩹 Learning to Trust the Body Again Beyond physical treatment, Dr. Stein shares how therapy, limbic-system work, and gradually rebuilding trust in her body became essential parts of her recovery. ⭐ Key Takeaways 🔹 Persistent multisystem symptoms can warrant broader investigation even when standard testing is unrevealing. 🔹 Dr. Stein's clinical framework begins with foundational factors such as sleep, nutrition, bowel function, environmental exposure, hormones, POTS, and mast-cell stability. 🔹 She emphasizes restoring cellular function before moving into treatment of tick-borne illness, EBV, or long COVID. 🔹 Mold exposure can complicate treatment and may need to be investigated alongside infectious and immune-related factors. 🔹 Recovery from chronic illness may involve rebuilding psychological safety and trust in the body alongside physical treatment. 👩‍⚕️ Guest Biography Dr. Melanie Stein is a licensed Naturopathic Physician and founder of Restorative Health Clinic in Portland, Oregon. She holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Master's in Acupuncture from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM). Her own experience with paralysis, Lyme disease, mold exposure, and chronic illness profoundly shaped her clinical work. Today, she focuses on complex chronic illness and shares her approach through clinical practice, education, and her book, Breaking Through Chronic Illness. https://restorativehealthclinic.com/ https://restorativehealthclinic.com/staff/dr-melanie-stein/