This episode is a little different from a typical Tick Boot Camp Podcast interview. Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannsen joined Liza from Vital Plan for a live community event titled “Reaching Recovery: What It Takes to Get There and Stay There,” originally presented as part of Vital Plan’s Cellular Healing Bootcamp.

In this candid conversation, Matt shares the story of going from an extremely active long-distance runner to being bedbound with severe neurological symptoms, seizures, cognitive dysfunction, chronic pain, and profound fear about his future. He explains how his recovery unfolded gradually over several years and how community, belief, nervous system support, herbal medicine, movement, lifestyle changes, and learning from hundreds of Tick Boot Camp guests helped him rebuild his life.

Rich shares what it was like to watch Matt’s transformation firsthand and reflects on the patterns he has observed after more than 600 interviews with people navigating Lyme disease, tick-borne illness, chronic illness, and recovery.

A major focus of the discussion is Matt and Rich’s experience with Dr. Bill Rawls’ herbal approach and Vital Plan, including Restore180, HPA Balance, nervous system regulation, gut support, movement, sleep, stress management, and what long-term maintenance can look like after significant recovery.

Matt also tells a deeply personal story he had never publicly shared before: while hospitalized and extremely ill, his mother and grandmother were praying for him when the giant word “HEALED” appeared on the television in his hospital room. At the time, Matt did not believe recovery was possible. Years later, connecting with people through Tick Boot Camp who had regained their health helped him slowly replace fear and doubt with hope.

In This Episode

Matt and Rich discuss:

• Matt’s progression from early exercise-induced symptoms to being completely bedbound
• Seizures, neurological symptoms, hallucinations, vision problems, chronic pain, and cognitive dysfunction
• Matt’s Lyme disease diagnosis and his personal experience with IV antibiotics
• Why recovery continued long after his initial antibiotic treatment
• The fear of trying new treatments when you are already extremely sick
• Starting slowly with herbs and gradually building tolerance
• Matt’s experience with Vital Plan’s Restore Kit, now part of Restore180
• HPA Balance and the role Matt and Rich say it played in stress regulation and sleep
• How fear, hypervigilance, and the nervous system can become part of the chronic illness experience
• Why Matt believes community was essential to rebuilding hope
• Rich’s perspective on moving gradually from doubt toward belief that recovery is possible
• What it means to be “healed” or “recovered” when nobody feels perfect every day
• Going from being unable to participate consistently in the podcast to working full time, exercising, traveling, attending events, and living an active life
• Matt’s gradual return to walking and eventually running again
• The difference between active treatment and long-term maintenance
• Matt and Rich’s current approach to herbs and supplements
• Diet, sleep, stress management, movement, boundaries, and nervous system support
• How Matt handles demanding days without immediately fearing a major relapse
• Why setbacks do not necessarily mean starting over
• The importance of listening to your body and adjusting over time
• Restore180 and Vital Plan’s approach to long-term herbal support
• Questions from the live audience about body buzzing, leg pain, sleep, tinnitus, Lyme testing, herbs, and maintenance
• Matt’s personal experience with changing autoimmune-related laboratory markers during his recovery
• Why Matt and Rich emphasize agency, education, community, and hope

Matt’s Recovery Philosophy

One of the central themes of this conversation is that Matt’s recovery did not happen overnight.

There was no single morning when he woke up and suddenly declared himself healed.

Instead, progress happened gradually.

He began showing up for more Tick Boot Camp interviews. He started walking farther. His cognitive function improved. He returned to a demanding professional career. Eventually, he was able to exercise and run again.

And at some point, Lyme disease was no longer the center of his daily life.

For Matt, that became an important part of what recovery means.

Herbs, Restore180 & Dr. Bill Rawls

Matt and Rich also share their personal experiences with the herbal protocols developed by Dr. Bill Rawls.

Matt describes beginning extremely cautiously because he was afraid of triggering a setback. Rather than rapidly starting a full protocol, he gradually introduced herbs over several months and paid close attention to how his body responded.

The conversation explores the idea that herbal medicine may be approached not only through the lens of targeting microbes, but also through supporting broader aspects of wellness such as stress response, sleep, cellular health, gut health, and immune function.

Learn more about Vital Plan’s Restore180 program:

Explore Restore180 from Vital Plan

Watch the Original Vital Plan Community Event

This conversation was originally recorded live for the Vital Plan community as part of its Cellular Healing Bootcamp.

View the Reaching Recovery event page

More with Dr. Bill Rawls on Tick Boot Camp

Dr. Bill Rawls was one of the earliest guests on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast and has returned for multiple conversations covering Lyme disease, herbal medicine, cellular wellness, chronic illness, immune health, and recovery.

Explore all Tick Boot Camp interviews with Dr. Bill Rawls

A Message for Anyone Still in the Thick of It

One of the strongest themes of this live conversation is that recovery can be gradual, nonlinear, and difficult to recognize while it is happening.

Matt went from being unable to walk to the bathroom safely to working full time, exercising, traveling, attending Lyme community events, producing Tick Boot Camp, and living a life he once could not imagine.

The message from Matt and Rich is simple: keep learning, keep making thoughtful decisions, surround yourself with people who give you hope, and do not let a difficult day convince you that progress is impossible.

Sometimes recovery begins by doubting the possibility of healing just a little bit less.

Learn more about Lyme disease, recovery stories, doctors, researchers, and hundreds of patient journeys at Tick Boot Camp.