Holly Owens is a Lyme Disease awareness advocate and the creator of Wellthy Belly.
You’re becoming a beekeeper! What made you decide to do that?
I used Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) for two years as my treatment for Lyme disease and Babesia, so I became very close with the bees and developed a deep admiration for them.
I used to be terrified of bees. I was the person that would sprint away as soon as one came near me. Now I talk to them. I stop and admire them when they’re on flowers gathering pollen. I save them from the pool. I give them water when I see them struggling on the ground. I’m totally obsessed with everything they create in the hive, which is why I have literally every BKN product in my cabinets!
Becoming a beekeeper felt like my way of giving back to the honeybees, and thanking them for all that they did for me and my health.
What does it take to become a beekeeper?
So far, I have two empty hives to put together, the suit, and the tools. What I need now is a queen bee or a swarm transplanted into one of my hives. Spring time is the best time to start a hive so I’m waiting until then to get started.
I used to get my bees for BVT treatment from a beekeeper in LA so he said he’d mentor me until I figure everything out. He has the best bees!
You use Bee Venom Therapy. Why did you start doing that and how does it help you feel well?
I started doing BVT after I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and Babesia. Bee Venom is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic so it’s incredibly beneficial for so many things. I would use live bees and sting myself on either side of my spine from the bottom to the top of my neck three times per week for two years. I started at 1 sting and worked my way up to 10 stings within the first six months.
The reason why the treatment time is so long is because the bacteria likes to hide in lymph, tissue and brain, so over time more and more bacteria will come out of hiding, allowing for the bee venom to break down the biofilms and kill the bacteria. The bacteria views a lot of things as threats causing it to go into hiding which leaves one feeling symptom free for a while. The benefit of bee venom is the bacteria doesn’t recognize it so it doesn’t go into hiding allowing for it to kill more and more of it during that two to three year period.
What do you think people misunderstand about BVT?
They think we are all cruel for using bees to heal. What they don’t realize is how much love we end up developing for them. We end up being the biggest advocates for the bees and their health because we’ve worked with them so closely for so long.
I tried to treat each sting session as a ceremony: I would thank each bee and place them in the garden. A lot of people think it’s as simple as just stinging yourself with a bee and you’re on your way. Bloodwork is required to get started with this treatment and everyone should treat BVT just like any other medicine. There are risks involved as well even though it’s “natural”.
About Holly Owens
My passion for health and wellness started about 6 years ago, it was a slow growth but now it’s a full blown love of mine. After a series of sudden health issues popping up, I went from doctor to doctor for almost 4 years searching for answers without finding any. I knew deep down that something wasn’t right within my body so I continued to search. I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease & Babesia in September of 2018. I decided to do Bee Venom Therapy as my form of treatment and embarked on my BVT journey in October 2018 and used it as treatment for 2 years. As of November 2020 I have been symptom free from Lyme + Babesia for about 1 year and feeling healthier and more in tune with my body than I was pre Lyme. Throughout the last 4 years I used that time to share my journey and educate others about non-toxic living, holistic healing, Lyme disease, mold toxicity, body positivity, sustainability and most importantly encouraging others to take control of their own health and wellness. My hope is to inspire others to make a change to a more holistic + natural lifestyle, while showing as many people that healing and ownership of our bodies IS possible.
Guest Post by Holly Owens.