thrilled

.....to tell you that I have a very encouraging story to tell.  One that gives hope to sick Lyme friends.  It should be ready by Monday.

I'm on one of two of the toughest days of my current Lyme treatment protocol right now so I'm trying to rest up.  My next week of treatment is starting to become a breeze!  Good news that my immune system is not shocked and overloaded when the killing begins :)

I promise you a story!

progressed

(click pic for source)

Late last year my husband and I decided to embark on a journey and see where God led us through it.  We have wanted to adopt for a while, but only late last year did we realize my body was making enough progress for us to consider it and maybe even go through the paperwork to get ready for it.

We considered a lot of different options on how to do it and ended up deciding to do it domestically.  I'm not at liberty to discuss much on this blog about it, but I can say that we have a little semi-permanent addition to the family at the moment.  This addition may stay a bit or may stay a while, and this blog isn't for THAT but to tell you how my Lyme body is handling it.

My, how we've seen God really continue to keep my body on the path to healing since we began the process to hopefully add another one to our family via adoption.

I'm by no means completely well yet, but I'm well enough to care for THREE kids without feeling my energy wane.  And that is huge!  Energy was a very large problem for me when I was first diagnosed and it was only late last year that we started to notice a huge improvement in that.  My pain is nearly completely gone.  Sometimes on treatment weeks I'll have some trouble with that but not otherwise.

So all this to encourage you that there is light at the end of the tunnel and just because you're struggling and maybe can't do some of the things you've wanted to do with your life, don't count yourself out!  Healing is a possibility through hard work, endurance, and lots of prayer.  You can still have goals outside of getting well and still have "dreams".

God has been so kind and gracious to our family to allow me to feel well enough to try to expand our family a bit more and we trust Him through the rest of my healing journey to get me to a place where I can say I'm not complaining of any symptoms!

Thanks for praying for me and thank you for CONTINUING to pray for me.  I'm praying for you all!

like taking a ride

So for my birthday, my husband bought me a bike. I had originally mentioned to him that I hoped he didn't buy me a bike because it would just remind me of what I "couldn't" do anymore.  I had sold my bike a few years back because it was taking up space and I was in no shape to ride.

But then my husband made a funny face -- apparently he was planning on buying me a bike and I had just ruined the surprise.

He then explained his reasoning - "You're feeling a lot better!"  He said even if it was just a ride around the block, that wouldn't I want to?  And that I was heading UP, not spiraling down anymore.  he changed my mind.  I let him get me a bike.

And I'm proud to say I finally got out and rode it.  Yes, I did only ride around the block, and yes, that was enough for me to know that as fun as it was, if I did more, I would probably regret it.  It's funny how I can run errands, clean the house, take care of my littles, but one little ride around the block can show me my limits.

But it wasn't discouraging!  I rode around the block!  It felt good!  I wasn't wearing proper attire or anything.  But it felt like a new step....I've been doing great and it shows I can start up with baby-steps on the things I used to love to do!  I'm so very thankful!

good

When Little Girl and Momma are both on an "off" week - life is good :)

impressed

My faith in non-Lyme-literate doctors has gone up!  Most stories we hear are about the ones that disregard you and the ones that tell you it's in your head or get vehement and make you leave.

Well, I've got one to encourage you that, even in a state like mine where nearly EVERY Lyme-treating physician has been run out by the state board of health, there are really great ones around.  Now granted, he isn't an infectious disease doc, but still, the level of genuine care and interest he took in me and in Lyme disease is one that should encourage us that we will be heard and soon we won't face the stigma that most of us do constantly.

I had my follow-up with the cardiologist.  All was normal as we thought, but after, the older doctor just sat with me for 20 minutes asking me about Lyme.  And not in a sneaky, condescending way, but in an earnest "I-want-to-know-more" way.  He often would preface a question by saying, "Now, I'm not trying to quiz you, but just because I want to learn....." and he took down notes and said he had looked up my doctor and stuff and was just fascinated and really wanted to know more.  He didn't cringe when I told him how many antibiotics I take at one time, and when I told him they were "pulsed" and explained that, he interrupted and said, "OH!  So the point is to get your immune system to take over and get it strong, right?"  Wow!  It was so nice to sit in a doctor's office and not feel worried that I might have to start defending myself or my LLMD.

Anyhow -- just wanted to share so that it might encourage some of you!

aware

...of the beating of my heart.

Many Lyme patients can suffer heart complications related to Lyme&Co.  Therefore, it's important to pay attention to symptoms and let your doctor know even if you have the slightest of heart symptoms.

I've had little ones all of my life.  As I've gone through treatment, I've experienced more.  My LLMD has been keeping a close watch on these things but as you know, over the holidays I was hospitalized for some chest pain and pressure.  While all the tests were normal, my LLMD wanted one last test to just rule out any sort of problem - a nuclear stress test.  This that test where you get injected with an isotope and get a pic of your heart then wait and walk on a treadmill for 10 minutes and get injected with another isotope and then get another pic of your heart.  I did it last week.

OH MY -- the treadmill workout was more exercise than I've done at one time in more than 2 years.  I had to lay in bed all weekend (not to mention the added awfulness of having a virus show up the next day).  And then my cardiologist wanted me to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours after to also just make sure nothing funny is going on.

Tomorrow I get my results and I fully expect them to be normal (both the nuclear stress test and the Holter monitor).  But I thought I'd write this to send out the word to not take heart symptoms for granted just because you have all this other stuff going on in your body.  It's definitely better to be safe than sorry.