In this deeply raw and eye-opening episode, Susan sits down with Nicole Bell to uncover the devastating reality of chronic Lyme disease, misdiagnosis, and the critical gaps in modern testing.

Nicole shares the powerful and heartbreaking story of her husband’s journey, from subtle personality changes and memory loss to a misdiagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s… and ultimately, the truth that was missed for far too long. His experience sheds light on a much bigger issue: how thousands of people are falling through the cracks of a system that isn’t equipped to detect complex, stealth infections.

This conversation goes far beyond Lyme disease. It’s about advocacy. It’s about asking better questions. And it’s about understanding that symptoms are not random, they are signals.

Susan and Nicole break down why traditional testing often fails, how infections can mimic neurological and psychiatric conditions, and why getting the right diagnosis could change everything.

If you’ve ever felt like something is “off” in your body but no one can explain why, this episode is for you.

In This Episode:

• How Lyme and co-infections can mimic conditions like Alzheimer’s, anxiety, and psychiatric disorders

Learn more about our guest Nicole Bell

Nicole is an experienced executive in the medical device and diagnostics industries in roles ranging from science and engineering to business development and marketing. At Advanced Liquid Logic, a company that sold to Illumina for $96M, she ran product management and interfaced with top companies across medical diagnostics. At TransEnterix Surgical, she served as the Vice President of Research and Development, driving the development of the surgical robot from breadboard design to FDA submission in 3 years and propelling the company’s market cap to over $500M.

She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from MIT in Materials Science and Engineering, as well as a Master’s of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. Her best-selling and award-winning memoir, What Lurks in the Woods, vividly details her family’s experience with undiagnosed tickborne infection. This firsthand knowledge of the devastating impact of misdiagnosed chronic illness fuels her passion to drive a new diagnostic standard of care for the industry. She also served as the primary author of “The State of Lyme Disease Research in the United States,” and regularly collaborates with the Center for Lyme Action to change the political landscape for Lyme Disease and related coinfections.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Nicole Bell:

Website: https://www.galaxydx.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galaxydiagnostics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galaxydx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GalaxyDiagnosticsVideos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/galaxy-diagnostics-inc-/posts/?feedView=all

https://healthyawakening.co/2026/04/13/episode119/

Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

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Listeners asked, so I'm answering. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful tools in personalized health: pH 360. You’ve heard it mentioned before, but today, we’re going deeper into the how and why behind it. How can a system understand your body so precisely it feels almost eerie? And why are so many people stuck spinning their wheels with one-size-fits-all approaches that were never designed for them in the first place?

This conversation breaks down the science, technology, and real-world application of a platform that analyzes thousands of data points to create truly individualized health and lifestyle strategies. From body measurements and environment to hormones, genetics, and behavior patterns, this is about understanding you at a level most people never experience.

Because your health isn’t random. It’s responsive. And when you finally stop guessing and start working with your biology instead of against it, everything changes.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, stuck, or like nothing is working… this episode will shift how you see your body, and what’s actually possible for you.

In this episode:

• What pH 360 is and why it’s a game-changer in personalized health
• How 10,000+ data points are used to create your unique “health code”
• The science behind epigenetics and how lifestyle impacts gene expression
• Why one-size-fits-all health advice often fails (and what to do instead)
• How your environment, stress, and daily habits influence your results
• The role of anthropometry (body measurements) in predicting health risks
• The 6 health types and what they reveal about your body and tendencies
• How AI-powered tools like CLIA enhance precision and personalization
• Real client transformations, from blood sugar regulation to inflammation reduction
• Why guessing your way through health is keeping you stuck

RESOURCES:

Episodes mentioned:

The Power of Chronobiology
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/79-the-power-of-chronobiology-why-timing-is/id1736527617?i=1000729045492

Chat GPT Vs. CLIA
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/85-chatgpt-vs-clia-the-ai-revolution-thats/id1736527617?i=1000732622032

Find all of Susan’s Resources and links in the show notes:

Shop the products: http://healthygut.com/healthyawakenings (this link will provide you a special discount!)

https://healthyawakening.co/2026/04/06/episode119/

Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

What if the root cause of neurodegenerative disease isn’t just genetics, but something we’ve been overlooking?

In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Schultek to explore the connection between pathogens, brain health, and chronic illness. We dive into how infections like Lyme and other often undetected microbes may influence cognitive decline, and why so many people are being missed in the current system.

Nikki shares her journey from patient to researcher and the work she’s leading to uncover how infections, genetics, and environment interact to shape disease. This conversation will challenge what you think you know about Alzheimer’s, brain health, and what it really means to address root cause.

In This Episode:

• The connection between infections and neurodegenerative disease
• Why Lyme and other pathogens are often overlooked
• How infections can impact the brain across the lifespan
• The role of genetics, and why they’re not the full story
• Why standard testing may miss chronic infections
• Early signs like changes in smell and cognitive function
• How to advocate for your health and dig deeper into root causes
  
  
  

Learn more about our guest Nikki M. Schultek

Executive Director, AlzPI, Founding Director of the Pathobiome Research Center and Research Assistant Professor at The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), and Principal Founder, Intracell Research Group, LLC

View the full show notes to read more about Nikki!

RESOURCES:

Connect with Nikki Schultek:

https://www.intracellresearchgroup.com/about

ilads.org

medmaps.org

https://healthyawakening.co/2026/03/30/episode117/

Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast