How Dina Reclaimed Her Health From Bartonella

How It All Began

Bartonella is one of the most stubborn tick-borne infections a person can face. It embeds deep in the body, drives intense inflammation, and provokes a confusing constellation of neurological, musculoskeletal, and emotional symptoms that conventional short courses of antibiotics rarely resolve.

For over a  decade Dina worked in high-intensity suicide prevention and trauma therapy, a  caretaker by profession. But when a Lyme infection in 2022 set off a cascade of neurological symptoms, she found herself searching for answers and a path back to the life she loved.

She came to Bloom & Reveal under the care of practitioner Hillary Thing, seeking a holistic approach that could address the root of her illness rather than suppress the noise of her symptoms without lasting change.

Trapped Inside A Sick Body

By the time Dina began care, her quality of life had narrowed dramatically.

Her primary complaint was severe right-sided eye pain, facial and neck pain, and compromised vision (a partial loss in her right eye) accompanied by visible redness, swelling, and tension that could escalate into a migraine within minutes.

The triggers were the activities of ordinary life:  exposure to light, driving, reading, looking at a screen for more than an hour. Even scanning her peripheral vision while walking.  Each situation  could bring on immediate brain fog and panic. She stopped driving altogether and relied on prism glasses and a blindfold to find relief.

The infection reached far beyond her eyes. Dina's history and intake painted a fuller picture:

• Roving nerve pain — burning, itching sensations       migrating from one limb to another

• Lymphatic swelling — histamine-like reactions and       tenderness around the collarbones

• Cognitive disruption — brain fog, memory compromise,       and difficulty finding words

• Joint and bone pain — knees, shins, hips, and the       cervical spine

• Sleep disturbance — waking at 3 a.m. with a racing       mind, excess heat, and night sweats

• Nervous system dysregulation — anxiety, panic, and restlessness

• Fatigue - including daily energy crashes and lack of stamina

Layered on top were two heartbreaking miscarriages and a deep desire to conceive, a goal that felt impossible while her body remained under siege.

A New Path Forward

Dina's recovery was guided by a core principle of root-cause medicine:  don't mask symptoms. 

Instead, address the microbial, immune, and detoxification obstacles standing in the way of healing.

At the core of her protocol were three synergistic Bloom & Reveal formulas, chosen to target Bartonella where it hides.

Bart None - the signature herbal formula.

A strategic blend of twelve potent botanicals, including cryptolepis, japanese knotweed, and baikal skullcap, designed to encourage the body's immune response to entrenched Bartonella, reduce excessive inflammation, and promote blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.  Dina used it as both a brew and a tincture (for flexibility day to day), dosed to her tolerance, which gradually increased over time.

Lucid - the essential oil liposomal remedy.

This advanced formulation encapsulates antimicrobial essential oils (including mountain savory, oregano, cinnamon bark, clove, and more)  within a nano-emulsion liposome that enhances absorption and carries the compounds to hard-to-reach tissues like the nervous system and sense organs, where Bartonella gravitates.  Lucid was selected to eliminate Bartonella bacteria, disintegrate biofilm, calm inflammation, and restore neurological clarity and steadier mood.

Bupleurum Liver Cleanse - necessary liver detoxification support

This herbal blend reduces Herxheimer flares and helps the body manage the side effects of die-off so that she would not experience greater impairment while working to clear layers of infection. The protocol was modified over time in response to her progress, but the core strategy remained the same.

Targeted supplements were rotated to keep the protocol fresh and effective:

• Biodisrupt (Researched Nutritionals) and other enzyme formulations for additional biofilm disruption

• A-Bart (Byron White) – throughout the months of treatment, this remedy was alternated with Bart None

• Adrenal Force (Energet-X) – for adrenal support and energy recovery

• Methylfolate to address her MTHFR gene variant

• Magnesium L-threonate to support sleep and cellular repair

• The following single herb tinctures were rotated for added support as needed:  barbat skullcap (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory), alchornea cordifolia (eye and neurological inflammation), and red sage (for mood and circulation support)

Importantly, the entire protocol was achieved without the use of antibiotics - a deliberate, sustainable path that worked with her gut and microbiome rather than depleting them.

Life On The Other Side

Dina's progress unfolded steadily for the most part, month over month, as lasting healing tends to provide stable improvements.

Within the first stretch of treatment, she noted her central nervous system symptoms easing — her eyes roughly 30% better, the knife-sharp pain gone, and the panic response quieting.

By spring, she was driving again and using a computer for longer stretches, exercising without extreme joint fatigue, and sleeping through the night for the first time in ages.

By early fall, the gains had consolidated into something remarkable:

• 80% overall improvement in pain and swelling

• Vision restored enough to drive and do screen work comfortably

• Sleep deeply improved - far less disturbed, no longer waking her in the night

• Nervous system regulated - the panic and bottoming-out resolved

• Skin calmed - the burning, itching rashes largely cleared

• Digestion better than it had been in ten years - regular, consistent, and absorbing nutrients well

We stayed the course with treatment, and by winter Dina reported feeling better than ever - healthy and capable of anything.

Then came the milestone that mattered most.

With her body finally stable and supported, Dina set her sights on conceiving. Today, she is experiencing a happy, healthy pregnancy, the outcome she had longed for through years of illness and loss.

Final Thoughts For You

Dina's story is a testament to what becomes possible when healing addresses the root, and treatment is based in potent botanical medicine which doesn’t suppress symptoms or cause complicated side-effects.  

A woman who could not read, drive, or look at a screen reclaimed her vision, her sleep, her energy, and her sense of self, and stepped into motherhood on the other side.

Her relationship with Bloom & Reveal continues as she moves through pregnancy with gentle, ongoing herbal support tailored to this new chapter.

The same formulas that helped her body clear a deeply entrenched infection are safe to continue at a half dose, to ensure any lingering infection is not passed on to the growing baby, a reflection of a protocol designed for sustained wellbeing.

Bartonella does not have to define the rest of your life. With targeted botanical support and expert guidance, the body can gain real momentum and healing can move forward with renewed strength and stability.

If you're navigating Bartonella or a complex chronic illness, explore the formulas that helped Dina reclaim her health: discover the Bartonella Collection, or reach out to the Nourishing Life Health Center (info@uprootinglyme.com / 845-687-6211) to learn more about receiving expert guidance to begin your own path forward.