Spiraling

Spiral staircase inside the Walter's Art Museum, Baltimore City, Maryland
Photographed with iPhone 6S plus

I probably shouldn't be giving an update on my Chronic Lyme treatment today because I just am not in a positive frame of mind. I was going to just skip writing this altogether but then I realized that I am entitled to be truthful; not whiny, but truthful.

So, here is the truth. I am not getting any better since the last update. In fact, I may even be worse. I am still in a plateau and that is so excruciatingly frustrating that some days I just want to give up. At the beginning of this journey, I was expecting to be completely better this far along in the process, so the fact that I am far from the end of this marathon is defeating. But, I can't give up. I have a husband, 4 kids, a mom, a brother, and friends that are relying on me and looking to me to be strong and keep going. So, here I am.

In January I began a few new things to try and help my healing along. I began a regimen with an outstanding and highly recommended acupuncturist. I have gone a few times and will continue to go once a week at least through January and then will reevaluate how often I need/should go. I also went for my first visit with a doctor that specializes in bio-toxins. She gave me a neurological assessment to see if the neurons in my brain were firing correctly or if neuro-toxins were interfering. The results were really terrifying for me as I didn't test well at all which means there is something still interfering with my brain function. She is also aware that I have a gene mutation for the MTHFR gene, which causes a sluggish detox in my body but doesn't think that is causing the whole issue. Clearly something either in my body (bacteria, parasites, or viruses) or in my environment (ie: mold) is still causing me issues with neuro-toxins, so she sent me for a whole new slew of blood work that won't be back for a few weeks. Hopefully the blood work will help us identify what specifically is causing the neuro-toxins and I will be able to eliminate them from my body/environment. In the meantime, I am continuing to eat whole organic foods, take my medications and supplements, and rest.

So, I am dealing with pain, word loss, brain fog, exhaustion, and the likes on a daily basis. I am not whining about it. I am just simply stating fact. I still get up every day. I still homeschool the twins every day. I still work every day (either real estate photos or art). I don't let it stop me, but it does slow me down.

I will continue to speak out, be truthful, and try to help more people who are in my shoes. Just this week I had another friend who reached out to me because she had a positive Lyme test. Because she has been following my story, she was suspicious about her symptoms and requested a Lyme test from her doctor. She was one of the "lucky" ones whose test came back positive on the first try. It is always bittersweet to hear someone say I am the reason they were diagnosed because while I am so glad speaking out and being public about this terrible disease helps bring the issue to everyone's attention, I never ever want anyone, even my worst enemy, to have to suffer. And those with Chronic Lyme suffer. Every. Single. Day.

It is my duty to pass on the knowledge I and others have accumulated through our research and our own journey. It is my duty to help others in this situation know they are not alone. It is my duty to keep trudging through to be a role model for others who want to give up.

One day I will blog about my biggest fears regarding this Chronic Lyme journey I am on. But for now, this is enough.