Why Timing Matters:The Biological Logic Behind the 36-Week Lyme Laser Protocol

Lyme disease can’t be addressed in 3 weeks. There, I said it!

“But my cousins’ best friend has a sister whose aunt took doxy and she’s fine…well, she takes doxy every 6 months when she ‘catches’ Lyme again [somehow], but she’s doing…ok…I think?!”

We see it every single day – Those with chronic infection chasing “quick fixes” that are promised solve all your problem in a few short days or weeks, followed by brief period of superficial relief and an inevitable return to their baseline dysfunction state – for many, they’re worse than when they started.

If this sounds familiar, it might be time to learn the difference between relief of symptoms and resolving underlying root issues.

Don’t have 5 minutes? Here’s the gist…When you account for the body’s physiological cycles, microbial lifecycles, Microbial protective mechanisms, and the biological processes responsible for true healing, there are NO chronic illnesses that can be resolved in a few weeks.

If you’re suffering from Chronic Illness, time isn’t a luxury. It’s a requirement.

Let’s break down why.

1. Spirochetes Are Masters of Evasion Tactics

Borrelia burgdorferi, the primary bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, is a slow-replicating, shape-shifting spirochete. It can:

• Penetrate deep tissues, including ligaments, cartilage, and even bone marrow.

• Transition into dormant or L-form states to evade antibiotics and immune response.

• Encyst for prolonged periods (hibernate) and reactivate when conditions are favorable.

  
  

Most conventional protocols are too short to intercept these various life phases. A typical antibiotic course might cover just 1-2 bacterial generations of Borrelia [If you’re lucky!] which is hardly sufficient for eradication. A proper protocol is designed to outlast the pathogen’s entire life cycle, with continuous, compounding interventions to coincide with its active and vulnerable states.

2. Biofilm Breakdown Requires Compounded, Layered Disruption

Pathogens like Borrelia create biofilms, which are polysaccharide matrices that act like microbial fortresses. These structures protect:

• Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, Candida, and other co-infections

• Mycotoxins and heavy metals, which get sequestered in biofilms

• Microbial communication systems (Quorum Sensing) that regulate virulence

  
  

Biofilms cannot be effectively dissolved in a single attempt. An effective protocol must use cyclical, controlled disruption of biofilms over months while supporting the endocrine system, immune system and detox pathways to keep pace. Too aggressive, and the body is overwhelmed by die-off, toxicity, and inflammation, forcing a ‘rest’ period which opens the door to recovery (for both you AND the infections). Too mild, and well, nothing changes.

Proper balance of disruption and support ensures:

• Safe microbial exposure and elimination

• Preventing the reseeding of deeper tissue

• Avoidance of herx reaction or overstimulation

• Zero gaps in elimination and regenerative progress

3. Cellular Turnover is the Gatekeeper to Tissue Healing

Each organ and system has its own biological repair timeline, dictated by cellular turnover:

Trying to heal mitochondria, myelin, fascia, or cartilage in  weeks is not biologically possible. Instead, you need to:

• Support the natural tempo of tissue regeneration

• Prevent catabolic overload (i.e., breaking down faster than you rebuild)

• Encourage mitochondrial upregulation and stem cell mobilization at appropriate intervals

  
  

This is particularly relevant when rebuilding bone, nervous tissue, and endocrine glands, which are all commonly damaged by long-standing infections that require extensive support and uninterrupted time to recover.

4. The Immune System Itself Must Be Retrained

Chronic Lyme isn’t just a chronic infection. It causes immune dysregulation disorders. This leads to:

• Cytokine signaling (i.e. “Cytokine Storm”; leading to hyper-inflammation or immune suppression)

• Th1/Th2 balance, shifting the body into maladaptive T-cell responses

• Microglial activation in the brain, causing neuroinflammation

  
  

A properly structured protocol should downregulate inappropriate inflammatory responses while retraining the immune system through a balanced application of therapeutic interventions that support the body, rather than force it.

It takes weeks just to reduce the interference, and months to recalibrate adaptive immunity. Rushing this is why many protocols produce a bounce-back in symptoms later because the immune dysfunction was suppressed, not corrected.

5. Detox Pathways Are a Process, Not an Event

Mold toxins, bacterial byproducts (i.e. Die-off), and heavy metals stored in tissue are not safely dumped all at once. The lymphatic system, liver, kidneys, and bile ducts must be:

• Unlock gradually for a manageable flow of toxicity

• Supported consistently, not forced unexpectedly

• Balanced to ensure detox demand does not overwhelm drainage capacity

  
  

You cannot expect to regenerate mitochondria, rebuild connective tissue, restore hormone balance, and repair immune function while simultaneously flooding it with toxins, debris, and stress through an aggressive detox. True healing requires rhythm. Push too hard or too quickly and you risk jeopardizing the very systems you're trying to restore.

Healing is not a battle that needs to be won through immense pain and suffering. There’s no restoration project without its fair share of discomfort, but it demands order, pacing, and respect for the body’s limits.

Side note: I had a call with a person today who, during a previous protocol, was “happy to throw up every day” because “I thought it meant I was healing”. That was expected to last 2-3 weeks. It’s been 3 years and she’s still suffering today because she thought detoxing properly would take too long.

The Reality is the most "Quick Fix" protocols fail because they ignore biology.

This leads to relapse, reactivation, or progression to other chronic syndromes.

Healing Is Not a Sprint. It’s a Biological Sequence

The Lyme Laser Protocol isn’t long because we enjoy dragging things out uneccessarily. It’s long because true, lasting healing is structured based on biological timelines, processes, and the individual needs of that person. Any attempt to circumvent these timelines or processes is not innovation…it’s ignorance of the complexity of chronic illness.

Healing isn’t a race. More isn’t always better. Harder doesn’t mean more effective. And faster? Doing things faster often means bypassing what your body truly needs. True healing takes time, intention, and the right pace.

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·  Sapi, E., Bastian, S. L., Mpoy, C., Scott, S., Rattelle, A., Pabbati, N., ... & MacDonald, A. (2012). Characterization of biofilm formation by Borrelia burgdorferi in vitro. PLoS ONE, 7(10), e48277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048277

·  Sapi, E., Zhang, Y., Thompson, D., & MacDonald, A. (2022). Evidence of in vivo biofilm in Lyme disease. Antibiotics, 11(10), 1402. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11101402

·  Embers, M. E., Hasenkampf, N. R., Jacobs, M. B., Tardo, A. C., Doyle, L., & Philipp, M. T. (2017). Variable manifestations, diverse seroreactivity and post-treatment persistence in nonhuman primates exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi by tick feeding. PLOS ONE, 12(12), e0189071. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189071

·  Sender, R., Fuchs, S., & Milo, R. (2021). Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLOS Biology, 19(3), e3001248. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001248

·  Pike, W. H., & Wilhelm, T. (2017). Cellular turnover and tissue regeneration in adults: Rates and mechanisms. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 232(12), 3398–3406. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.25882

·  Bergmann, O., Zdunek, S., Felker, A., Salehpour, M., Alkass, K., Bernard, S., ... & Frisén, J. (2009). Evidence for cardiomyocyte renewal in humans. Science, 324(5923), 98–102. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164680

·  Baumgarth, N., & Wooten, R. M. (2019). Host immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi—Lessons from Lyme borreliosis. Current Opinion in Immunology, 59, 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coi.2019.03.004

·  University of California, Davis. (2020, March 18). Lyme disease subverts immune system, prevents future protection. https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/lyme-disease-subverts-immune-system-prevents-future-protection

·  Moore, J. (2023). Are your detox pathways open? Dr. Jaban Moore Functional Medicine. https://drjabanmoore.com/blog/euoo43a7k0gscjxhkmiff8mq0xbob8

·  Lyme Disease Association of Australia. (n.d.). Why is detoxification so important? https://lymedisease.org.au/lyme-disease-why-is-detoxification-so-important/

·  Ross, M. D. (2022). Why Lyme treatment fails and how to fix it. Treat Lyme. https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/why-chronic-lyme-treatment-fails

·  Ducharme, J. (2024, May 14). Why chronic Lyme disease is so difficult to understand and treat. TIME Magazine. https://time.com/6974403/chronic-lyme-disease-research/