Reflection

It's been 8 months since my diagnosis, but it still feels like just yesterday. It's been a roller coaster, and I have been doing well. But its tick season again, and I'm getting anxious about being outside. I am especially worried about my loved ones. My mother in law found 3 ticks on her after a hike the other day, and my father in law found some, too. It really freaks me out, and hits an emotional spot for me... who knew seeing a bug could make you so sad.


And with that, May is Lyme disease awareness month. I'm trying to do my part, but people aren't very receptive. I think because people must think of it like cancer, if you get it, you get it, and that's when you deal with it. I think if I hadn't been diagnosed, I'd be the same way. But it's terrifying to me how easy it is to get Lyme or other tick-borne illnesses, and I wish others would take the necessary precautions. I'm trying to make a point to use Facebook as a means of getting some information out, but I'd love to hear about other people's methods.


I have been unemployed for the past 8 months, because for the first 4, I was really sick. In January, I started feeling significantly better and started to look for work again. I was substituting part-time, which was convenient because I could pick and chose my days. But last week, I was hired on full-time at Lead-Lok. I start tomorrow. I'm really nervous about how I'm going to do. I've been having some back pain still, which I cannot find relief for. It's what made me quit my job back in May of 2011. I need this job, and I want this job more than anything... I just don't know if I can beat the pain. I'm continuously looking into solutions, but nothing has seemed to work except codeine, which I obviously want to stay away from. 


I'm scheduled to see a LLND that is only 2 hours away, instead of the one I'm seeing who is 6+ hours away. He isn't a medical doctor, but rather a naturopathic doc. I'm anxious to see what he says. I know he steers clear of antibiotics as much as he can, and I think they are working for me, so we'll see how that pans out. I hope he can help me with some of my symptoms with some natural remedies. Maybe even my back!


Update on my lyme: 


I've been really tired again, and like I said, my back has been really bugging me. And my regular "yeast symptoms" and gastro problems, but other than that, I've been feeling okay. 

Off my meds for a few days....

I called in my prescription to the pharmacy a few weeks ago. About a week ago, I got a call from the automated system telling me that my prescriptions were ready to be picked up. On Thursday, I ran out, so I went to the pharmacy on Friday. I waited in line for 10 minutes, and then was told that they didn't have any in stock. I was furious, because this happen before when I first started treatment. They told me that they will order it, but it will likely not arrive until next week. So I am going to now have to wait for a few days without treatment. It's really unfortunate how quickly my symptoms come back to me. I'm thankful I'm not always like this, but I wanted to record my symptoms that I am having today since I will likely forget once I get back on my treatment.

Yesterday (Friday) I was extremely tired and my upper back hurt. I started having really bad pain in my upper stomach which felt very sharp. It was difficult to breath. I had some minor twitches in my knee and hand.

This morning I woke up very tired again with arthritic pain in my hands, knees, shoulders, ribs, hips, and neck. I feel like there are weights on my eyelids. I started having anxiety... I've also experienced some pretty bad ear pain in my left ear, and right now my right ear is pulsing. My ring finger on my left hand has been bugging me all day. Right now I am having some pain in my chest, on the left side. My upper back is hurting again. I feel like sleeping the day away but I'm cramming my weekend with procrastinated homework that is due tomorrow and Monday.

I'll add anything that comes along. And I'll do an over all update later.

I forgot more twitching today. Right now it's the back of my right thigh. Sometimes it's my knees, or my hands. Earlier it was my rib/back. Just random spasms.

Update...--->Month 7

So I wanted to keep this record so that I can look back and remember, in case this goes away quickly and I don't remember that I did in fact have symptoms. :)


My last post, I was doing really well with the Lyme symptoms, basically none. I had the yeast infection type symptoms, and have since had a biopsy which came back negative for Lichen Slerosis, Cancer, and yeast.... So my doc thinks it's just a lyme symptom. Nothing really that I can do about it except soothing creams and ointments, etc. 


A couple of weeks ago (Feb 27), I started subbing nearly full-time, at which time I forgot a few of my dosages. On the 7th of March, I started getting back pain again at night (after a long day). I took that as I was tired and needed to rest, so I did. But the next week, it got worse, and this past weekend (the 17th-18th) it kept me on the couch during part of the day. Last night I started having zingy pains again, and today I have ear pain in my right ear, exhaustion, back pain (from the time I woke up), and neck pain. I have gone back to making sure I'm taking all of my antibiotics. I'm desperate not to get back into where I was a few months ago. That was miserable. I have finally felt like I have my life back, and now I have these debilitating symptoms again. 

Month 6---> let me catch you up!

I've still been doing my treatment, except because of finances, I haven't been doing the last protocol I posted.


I've been on:


Cefaroxime
Tindamax
Yeast
Cultarelle
more probiotics
Asidophilus 
Seriphos
Premier Adaptogen
5-MTHF
Artemisinin


After Christmas, I started feeling EXTREMELY better. Well Christmas I felt horrible, and I have had a few bad days since then. But I feel like I have my body back!! :D Until now. Hence why I'm here.....


I won't go into too much detail, because it's gross... but if you are going through similar treatment and you want to know the details, feel free to contact me. I'll talk to you about it...


It's very common to get yeast infections while you are on antibiotics, which is why I'm on a yeast supplement, probiotics and asidophilus. I had all the classic symptoms, so I went in to my general practitioner and requested the meds for it. I think that was in December or January. I took the pill, and the one 3 days later because it wasn't going away. I also picked up on the supplements to help make it go away. I stopped washing with soap, put vinegar on it (OUCH!) and it finally subsided. Most of it, that is. So I thought it was getting better.... Until a couple weeks later it got really bad again. So I called up the Doc. and requested a refill. I took the pill, and the second one 3 days later. Same thing happened. This time I started getting paper cuts down there. Wowza that hurts! I googled it and found that it is common with bad yeast infections. THEN I called again, and did the same thing. His nurse called me back and said if I want to have someone look at it and do a culture to see if it needs more than what I'm taking then I should go to a gyno or a female in their office. I opted with a OBGYN. I saw her last week, and she was SOOOO nice! She looked under a microscope and said that there was no yeast present. So she did a culture and said there is no bacteria present. She thinks it is lichen sclerosis, so I have a biopsy scheduled in a couple of weeks (the 2nd). Hopefully I'll find out more about it. Its causing a lot of problems right now. Wowza. 








WEIGHT:


I haven't gained any more weight, but my stretch marks are catching up. I didn't think that not working out would bother me, but after five months of no cardio, I went crazy the other day. I worked out--- and I paid for it. I'm hoping I'll keep getting better so that I can get rid of this weight. ugh






HIAR LOSS:


Haven't had it anymore....






CORTISOL:


The treatment for this is incredible! If I miss a dose, I know! 






MY BRAIN:


Wow I feel like I have my brain back. I haven't struggled in school much at all. I have been getting A's on everything. I've made a few mistakes, but only because thats normal, not because I have no memory. I'm really happy for this. I can deal with the pain.






PAIN:


It's been significantly better except when I'm on Tindamax. It happens to give me bad die-off. I spoke with my Dr. yesterday and he is putting me on charcoal and if that doesn't work, then I need to resort to my last protocol for the drainage supplements. Today is day 1 of Tindamax and I already know. :( Pain isn't as bad as it was before treatment, but the digestive problems suck.




I think that's it!! :D I'm on the road to recovery.... Thank God!