August 2015 Lyme Update

In Treatment- Self Portrait

August 9 was the one year anniversary of my Lyme being diagnosed. My world changed in that moment, some things for the good and in other ways, my life became horrific, although not as horrific as not knowing what was slowly killing me. I had my every-two-month checkup with my doctor yesterday and I am disappointed with where I am. Unfortunately, since last visit, when I felt at my best in two years, I have nosedived into feeling very much like I did prior to treatment. After analyzing my symptoms and my treatment plan, my doctor believes the reason for my descent is the change in treatment we implemented last time. Two months ago we agreed to switch my anti-microbial herbals so that I could hopefully benefit from pulsing the treatments every two months, but unfortunately, my body did not care for the new herbals and was not reacting well to the change in treatment. So, I have slowly declined into misery, pain, confusion, and dizziness. Many of my original symptoms have reappeared such as joint pain, muscle twitching, yeast overgrowth, brain fog, and fatigue. It has become so bad that I couldn't even drive myself to the doctor yesterday. When I came home, I ate lunch and then slept the rest of the day and all night last night.

The blood work I had done was a mixed bag of good news and bad news. The good news is that it indicated my adrenal glands are functioning much better than they were last year. My doctor has even cut back the medication I take for adrenal support to half of what I was taking. Also, the test that shows how well my immune system is functioning was better than it was 7 months ago, so some improvement has been made.  However, the bad news is the immune system indicator is actually still lower than when I started treatment and not even half of where a "normal healthy" person's should be. That is concerning. So, of course, we will be giving my immune system support while trying to continue to find and kill all the bacteria hiding in my body. I still have a very long road ahead of me and while I am so disappointed and discouraged that I am not where I want to be, I am not giving up. There are days when I just want to throw in the towel, eat what I want, drink what I desire, and give the finger to all the meds I take. But I can't. I know I can't. I have 4 kids to take care of so I will continue to power through, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not-so-gracefully (more like a toddler in a candy store screaming and throwing a temper tantrum) and try to make progress.

So, there you have it...the good with the bad, the pretty with the ugly. Interesting how almost everything comes in pairs of opposites like that...yin and yang.

Have a wonderful day and if you are a religious person, I would appreciate any and all prayers for healing and strength as I stare down my second year of treatment. Thank you in advance...love to all.  xo