Episode 532: Revival - My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease, an interview with Kaitlyn Oleinik

21 days ago

Kaitlyn Oleinik is a chronic illness advocate and the author of Revival: My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease. She was bitten by a tick at age six and spent much of her life fighting an invisible illness while being dismissed by the medical system. Diagnosed with Lyme disease and co-infections in her teens, Kaitlyn has endured everything from hallucinations and involuntary psych holds to IVIG and stem cell treatments. Her book and voice give a name to the unspoken pain of countless others living with Lyme.

📘 About the Book

Revival - My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease is Kaitlyn’s searing memoir that chronicles her descent into neuropsychiatric Lyme, including psychosis, hospitalizations, Morgellons disease, immune collapse, and ultimately, healing and redemption. It’s a must-read for patients, caregivers, and practitioners seeking to understand the lived experience of chronic Lyme.

🔑 Episode Highlights:

Kaitlyn’s suspected tick bite at age 6 and onset of strange symptoms by age 10
Dismissed by dozens of doctors who claimed she was “too pretty to be sick”
The psychological toll of not being believed—and being told it was all in her head
Her first psychotic break, caused by inflammation and medication interactions
Misdiagnoses including delusional parasitosis and bipolar disorder
Treatments: IVIG, antibiotics, glutathione, intranasal stem cells, exosomes
5150 hold and the trauma of being institutionalized without understanding
How residential treatment helped her begin to recover mentally and emotionally
Rebuilding her identity after gaining 100+ lbs from steroids and losing her hair
How she lost everything—then reclaimed her voice, purpose, and health
Writing Revival - My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease as an act of truth-telling and healing

💬 Powerful Quotes:

“The trauma wasn’t just from Lyme—it was from not being believed.”
“They said it was all in my head. But it was in my blood, my brain, my cells.”
“Revival means coming back from the dead. That’s what this journey felt like.”

🧪 Medical Takeaways:

Lyme disease can manifest as psychiatric illness.
“Delusional parasitosis” and “antibiomania” are misunderstood and under-researched.
Proper treatment can be delayed for years by misdiagnosis and stigma.
Complex chronic illness often requires multi-systemic treatment and trauma-informed care.

🙌 Why You Should Listen:

Kaitlyn’s story is not just about Lyme - it’s about what happens when we stop believing women, ignore invisible illnesses, and turn away from complex suffering. Her story is a rallying cry for validation, medical reform, and hope.