When I first met Dr. Marra in January 2014, I had just turned 31 and I had spent the last 2 years bed-ridden, going to a parade of over 22 medical specialists plus an accupressurist & an aryuvedic healer, none of whom could figure out what was wrong. My family and friends and I all knew I was dying, and we all felt helpless. Reluctant to have another doctor run a bunch of tests and then shrug and say "I don't know" yet desperate to find someone to help me, I went to see Dr. Marra on the recommendation of a friend of a friend. After a thorough exam & clinical history, Dr. Marra looked at my mom and me and said, "I know what's wrong, and I can help you," and that's exactly what she has done.

Most doctors are not Lyme literate, but Dr. Marra is and she knows how to treat it. The treatment isn't hard because she tells you exactly what to do and if you do what she says, you WILL get better. That said, treatment is not fun. Switching to a gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free diet was a challenge because those were my favorite food groups and having to choke down dozens of pills per day and then suffer through the herxes was miserable. There were lots of times I wanted to give up, but I had lots of support from Dr. Marra, my family & friends so I kept pushing and a little over 2.5 years later, she's pulled me back from death's door, and I'm now able to walk my dog everyday, do yoga 2x/week and I've been cleared to work part time - something I once feared would never be possible again. I can't stress enough though that you need to follow the doctor's advice even if it sucks. I miss cookies & pizza but giving them up was absolutely worth being healthy again. If you're not prepared to sacrifice & make changes for your health, you won't get better no matter what she or any other doctor does.

Dr. Marra's office manager, Linda, is just as wonderful. She's a fabulous balance of no-nonsense & compassion that allows her to be both helpful & efficient. Linda is so on top of things & helpful which was invaluable to me during my recovery. When you're sick & struggling to make it through the day, the last thing you want to spend energy on is trying to make sure tests have been ordered, medication has been filled, etc and with Linda in charge, you never have to worry about any of that. She's a phenomenal complement to Dr. Marra.

Dr. Marra saved my life and my family, friends & I will be forever grateful to her. If you have Lyme or you're sick & you're not sure why, please go to her. I truly believe she is an unorthodox genius who thinks outside the box and listens to patients which is why she is able to do the amazing work she does.

Submitted Aug. 27, 2016

Last year, I was barely making it through days, was worried about losing my job... I was just about as sick as it comes. Over the years, I had been diagnosed with: migraines, arthritis, carpal tunnel, multiple sclerosis, hashimoto's, sudden sensioneural hearing loss, vestibular disorder, TMJD, anxiety disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and more. When I got 9 new diagnoses in one year visiting other doctors I said NO WAY. No one is that unlucky and I asked my ND for an Igenex Lyme test. Once I tested positive, I went straight to Dr. Marra for treatment. I'd heard she'd gotten a friend of a friend well from Lyme years ago.

Dr. Marra has been a godsend. Mind you, this is not your average doctor visit. First of all, her office is informal and visits include puppy kisses. You'll pay out of pocket for your visit, but I've had good luck with insurance reimbursement. Dr. Marra herself is very direct and blunt... her style isn't for the faint of heart.

But HOLY MOLY does that woman know Lyme disease. She treats aggressively, but not recklessly. I frequently push my comfort zone, and the early months of treatment were difficult (this is normal, this is expected). She gingerly stepped me up onto all the necessary treatments, and she really responded awesomely whenever I called with concerns. I really hit my stride in months 4 and 5 of treatment. I'm 7 months into treatment now and I'd say I'm about 75% of the way better. She has balanced my medications and supplements beautifully - I have had no liver or kidney problems (we watch those closely) and ZERO gastrointestinal problems. Impressive!!

It takes a lot of work to get well from Lyme, and unfortunately treatment is expensive. But I'm living proof that if you follow instructions (meds, diet, detox), if you are diligent about the treatment protocol Dr. Marra provides, you CAN get your life back.

Today I'm working more than full time at Microsoft, socializing regularly, sleeping through the night and living most days pretty darn close to normal. I know I'll make it the rest of the way with Dr. Marra's guidance. I'll update this review when I reach remission.

Best of luck Lyme fighters!!

Submitted Jan. 19, 2016

I absolutely love DR. Marra she is the best she is very knowledgeable , kind and very compassionate . I had to travel from Boise to see her, but well worth it, she got me back on my feet I will forever be grateful for every thing you have done for me . You had put so much on hold in your life to treat people like me . Thank you very much.! When I think of you from time to time I always pray that God watch over you and to bless you with good health to continue what you do for chronically ill people :))))

Submitted June 22, 2015

Dr. Marra is a highly knowledgeable no nonsense doctor who get's right to the point. For three years my husbands health deteriorated from a college athlete level to living in extreme pain and fatigue. He could barely play with the kids or even walk across our house, spending evenings sleeping in the recliner. We saw several specialists and none could pin point the cause of his significant deterioration. We almost lost hope. A friend who has similar symptoms and saw significant improvement referred us to Dr. Marra. In one visit she nailed the diagnosis, and effectively treated his tick borne disease. In only 3 months he is back to his healthy self again. We have a ways to go to finish treating this illness but we trust Dr. Marra's judgement and treatment!

Submitted June 15, 2015

Dr. Marra's knowledge and antibiotics saved my life. Her willingness to help and accurate diagnosis brought me hope. I have been seeing her for a year with good results. When I arrived at her office in Seattle I could barely think, was in a lot of pain and my blood was so thick my prior blood draws were unsuccessful. My first appointment was 2 hrs and very thorough. The enzymes she gave me helped my circulation enough that they were able to draw blood to do the expensive tests that revealed I had Lyme, Bartonella , Babesia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasm and some unknown protozoa. The tests also revealed other things about my health I had been complaining about to doctors for years. The tests are worth the money in my mortal opinion. The right diagnosis is key.

The antibiotics have gradually eased my long list of varied symptoms and backed me away from deaths door. I still have a ways to go and don't know how much longer I can tolerate the antibiotic,s but I am stable, working and learning more ways to help myself everyday. Being able to think and exercise are great. She has been very good at explaining technical information to me and is very patient centered. That said she is very busy, and practicing medicine that medical boards scrutinize heavily. Liability waivers, rules about communication, tests, medications etc is what she has to do to be there long term for her patients. It if frustrating for the patient at times but really symptomatic of our crippled medical system.

If you are a complicated case, seriously ill and at the end of your rope like I was I don't believe you will find better help. I tried for a long time. If you just got a tick bite, don't end up like me. I believed my doctors that told me I didn't have Lyme from the bite then watched ignorantly while my life fell apart from it over the next 13 years. Antibiotics saved my life. I wish I had gotten them a lot sooner and less of them.. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Submitted April 3, 2015

I have been seeing Dr. Marra for almost one year. When I received a positive IGeneX test, I chose her based on reviews, and the fact that she's a member of ILADS and had trained under Dr. Jones. The latter was important to me because my young son also tested positive. Dr. Marra does order extensive (and expensive) testing on the initial appointment. In my case it turned up some very important and unexpected results. She obviously wants to have as much information as possible in order to accurately treat a person. (Many of the tests may be covered by insurance, as they were in my situation.) She does have a dog in the office, and I'm sure she would be happy to put it in a kennel if a patient had an issue and asked. Being animal owners ourselves, we don't mind.
Dr Marra helped me when two years of seeing other various doctors left me with no hope and a declining physical condition. My pharmacist (who only sees me refill prescriptions) recently told me "You looked awful when you started coming here and now you look so much better! Whatever your doctor is doing, it's working!"
Dr. Marra has us both well on our way to recovery. Though it does take time, we've both drastically improved in less than one year.
The thing I like most about Dr Marra is that she works with you, where you are. She understands that we have to "pick our battles" when dealing with chronic illness. At each appointment I bring a list of what's improved or not, and Dr. Marra uses that to tailor her treatment plan for the next six weeks. I also buy most of my supplements online to save money, though I often buy the first bottle from the office so I know exactly what to search for. Dr. Marra never pushes her office products/supplements unless it's something she absolutely feels I need to take for my well-being. In addition, when I had an issue with a medication, Dr. Marra called me (ON A SUNDAY!) to discuss an alternate solution. And finally, Dr. Marra is up on all the latest information and studies and she regularly attends conferences.
Dr. Marra's office doesn't take insurance, and while her prices may seem high out of pocket, in comparing fees for an LLND or LLMD in surrounding states, you will soon find it's not the case. Her office manager, Linda, is very organized, very prompt, and also very busy. Sometimes the appointments are running behind, but that is because Dr. Marra takes the time she needs with each patient.
We will continue to see Dr. Marra based on our own personal improvements in our health.

Submitted Feb. 27, 2015

Thank you Dr marra for taking such great care of me! Only had to stop seeing her due to personal issues. Great person and wonderful Dr!

Submitted Feb. 13, 2015

Went to see Dr. Marra after receiving a positive lyme test and suffering with related symptoms for some time. Heard she was the "person to see" in Seattle. Had a really strange experience with her. At first visit was asked to sign paperwork that limited her liability in the event of a lawsuit or else she wouldn't see me. In my entire life, I have never been asked to do this with any doctor ever! Felt uncomfortable in the office as she lets her dog walk all over her office and licking the patients. The walls are lined with boxes and boxes of supplements - just felt odd. Proceeded with evaluation visit which was fine, she listened to me go through my symptoms and told me 100% that I had lyme and Bartonella co infection since there was a lump on my wrist (which she explained as a nodule and she had seen this many many times before with Bartonella) She proceeded to order close to $8,000 worth of blood tests (thankfully my insurance covered a good chunk of them, but really $8,000? was that necessary) Would not give me any of the results until I saw her again. Couldn't get an appt. for another 8 weeks. Asked her office to send me copies of my bloodwork --wouldn't do it. Couldn't get her to return my call - ever. Her receptionist was simply difficult to deal with. Got the lab to send my results to me and found out I never had Bartonella (then decided to see other docs -- the lump was simply a ganglion cyst and was promptly treated. In the end and over time, my lyme symptoms improved with treatment elsewhere. Overall, I am so happy I didn't spend all the money and time with her for very long and decided to go elsewhere. I really felt like she was more interested in making money than treating her patients. And just the sheer amount of supplements she kept pushing just didn't seem safe or right. She may have made a huge difference for others, but just didn't seem to be the right fit for me.

Submitted Jan. 19, 2015

Dr. Marra is not a good listener and not at all compassionate. Believes that all your symptoms you have are related to Lyme. Many infectious disease doctors may be blind to the fact that Chronic Lyme Disease is real; however, Dr. Marra is a Zealot in regards to tick borne illness. Each office visit is the same, one hour in length.. She does a few neurological tests but doesn't seem interested in answering your questions. She is more interested in talking about herself and impressing you with her knowledge. Her treatments are extreme. Copious amounts of oral antibiotics, mega supplements each month ranging from 500.00 to 2000.00 per month plus the monthly patient visit fee of 345.00. Every month the supplements are completely changed. If there were unused product we were just told to keep it for future use, which never happened. Lost 25 lbs. in 4 months on her protocol . I was very close to C diff. No food was being digested, as the food was going right though me. Dr. Mara does not do phone consults when you are having difficulty, even when you live 3 hours away. Chronic Lyme disease, with the other tick borne illnesses, are real, but stay as far away from this doctor as you can.

Submitted Jan. 2, 2015

I saw great results when I went to Dr. Marra for Lyme and Bartonella. As a physician, I needed her stern words of authority in order to comply with her protocol. I am on the path to success because I have followed her suggestions, protocols, diet changes, and supplements. It feels like my body is more aligned to the path for healing while on difficult antibiotics. I appreciated her approach because this is exactly what I needed to get better.

Submitted May 21, 2014