treatment: week eight

This post comes on the same day as the update on week seven because I am late posting!  Week eight starts on Christmas day. :-)

DAY ONE
ozone treamtment; 400 RI followed by one hour in hyperbaric.  Bionic use at 10 points, 11.77, 330 seconds, 100%.  This week I added in a nosode for mycoplasma.  There are many different strains of mycoplamsa, the one I tested postive for being mycoplamsma pnemonia.  There is also a mycoplamsa fermentens incognitus that I was not tested for, along with another common one.  Most people infected with Lyme also have their own unique concoction of co-infections to go along with Lyme and muddy the waters.  It is important to see a LLMD that will understand co-infections and diagnose you accurately.  It has a lot to do with how you heal, detox and herx upon treatment of Lyme.

Mycoplasma is the most common co-infection of Lyme.  It can cause so many of the same symptoms as Lyme, so that's why I wanted to tackle it head-on.  Many of the treatments I am already doing will help to combat mycoplasma, but the bionic has nosodes for all kinds of co-infections and I am thankful to take advantage of the added treatment option.  As with the burgdorferi and babesia nosode, this mycoplamsa nosode was ordered from Germany, maker of the Bionic 880.

Today I feel so tired from three days of celebrating Christmas and almost fell asleep in the hyperbaric chamber.  It was a wonderful day of memories tucked away in my heart and by the end of the day my body felt heavy and groggy.  Rest is in order for a few days :-)

DAY TWO
No treatment today (usually IV day) and everyone is tired, but we have all escaped the flu bug going around with our family and friends.  I feel very sore all over in my muscles, mild head-ache, exhausted, and my eyes feel painful.  It does not feel like a herx, I know that I pushed for a week straight and my body is just complaining.

DAY THREE
Today was IV day...15 grams vitamin C plus Glutathione push at the end as ususal.  Even though I am so tired this week, I was still able to be outside doing some needed maintenance, organizing and some wood stacking.  My muscles were shaking by the end of my task and I felt sick to my stomach but I totally conquered!  I laid down the rest of the day (did the normal dinner/dishes) and recovered a lot by the end of the evening.  It is so nice to be capable again.

DAY FOUR
Ozone/Bionic day...400 RI followed by one hour in the hyperbaric chamber.  borellia, babesia and mycoplasma nosode at 100% power, 330 seconds, 11.77 hz.

Physically I am feeling very tired.  I pushed it too hard the last few days but the organization and clean was totally worth it.  I feel like my whole body did burn-out with weights (maybe my glycogen stores are not good, or maybe I burned through days worth of the little amount of cortisol I make?! LOL!).  I am mentally clear and can remember more things in my short-term memory.  The amount of peace that alone brings me is such a blessing...to remember a date past the moment it is spoken in the conversation....to go about my day and a few hours later be able to recall what I am supposed to write in my calendar without the panic that I have to do it RIGHT NOW or I won't remember AT ALL.  I know I pushed it too hard these past few days, because I could, and I won't continue to do that because I know my body needs to give it all it's got to heal.  But it felt so perfectly rebellious toward Lyme that I loved every aching minute.  I am getting better!!!! It's a slow process, but I am!!!!

DAY FIVE
IV day today- rested today.

DAY SIX
Still feeling physically tired and achy with some knee pain but mentally haven't declined and still feeling no cloud of depression.

DAY SEVEN
We would usually have today off, but I did treatment a day early due to scheduling.  Ozone 400 RI followed by one hour in the hyperbaric chamber.  Bionic 880 at 10 points, 11.77 hz, 100% power, 330 seconds.  Still feeling some pesky knee pain but energy output is amazing.  I packed up myself and my family for a one night trip out of town and did not have to sleep or drop flat afterwards.

For those of you who have battled debilitating fatigue, you know that just the thought of getting up to do something like that makes you cringe.  I am so incredibly humbled and thankful to be getting better.  I know that it won't be with the snap of my fingers that I am well, and I have a long ways to go.  But I can look back on the recent summer months and realize that I am not the person I was then.  I was physically a shell of who I am now, and totally desperate but not realizing how bad it really was.  Days and weeks went on and I kept thinking that the next week would be better.  The first week in May was the last time I was able to be out on a run.  I went to the doctor again after being loopy-tired for a week after and found out my cortisol was almost non-existent.  Exercise was not recommended.  Months went by without exercise other than daily household tasks.  The one time I went for a long walk it was at a women's retreat and it put me in bed for two days after.  That was right before treatment started.  It's all somehow a blur, and I feel like the Lord caught me graciously right as I began to descend at a shocking rate.

I am so grateful for the people and the doctors He put in my life to be my strength and give me hope when I needed it so badly, and to validate my symptoms in black and white on the lab results I received.  To tell me I wasn't crazy, and yes, I was sick and No, I was not a weak person, or a whiner.  I am so grateful that I have a husband who is sticking with me and sacrificing so much of his time, our finances and his heart in walking alongside me in this valley.  This treatment is working on a cellular level to help my body fight Lyme, and blast it right out of my body.  When I realize all these things, I feel my heart full to bursting at the glory of it.  I am getting life back, and it is a beautiful time to start a new year.  To God be the glory and all the thanks of my heart.  My prayers are many that He uses this treatment to heal my family completely.

This man has walked through the fire with me.  We are the last to say that it's been fifteen years of perfect, but all the broken and joys alike makes us love each other more.  Who else knows our own crazy as well as each other?  (And who else can make me laugh when all I want to do is act snarky?   It's so annoying...) :-)   I love you lots, Levi!

treatment: week seven

This will be a very quick update on week seven treatment and symptoms.  For those of you following along week to week, you will see a marked improvement in my energy levels and less pain all around.  It is such a wonderful feeling to have hope of climbing out of illness after years of battling what I thought was just adrenal fatigue and hypothyroid issues.  To actually have answers and hope is amazing.

DAY ONE
400 RI ozone, followed by one hour in the hyperbaric chamber.  I have also been careful to ph balance after doing ozone.  In Germany lyme patients take many supplements and IV therapy to balance the bodies ph and stay alkaline after ozone treatment.  To my knowledge, this is not a common practice for those who do ozone in the states.  It's worth looking into if you are unfamiliar with the concept and you do ozone.  I take 1/2 tsp baking soda in water once or twice daily.  Beyond just ph balancing abilities, baking soda has amazing health benefits when consumed and I encourage you to research it!

Bionic: same settings as normal using 10 points.  100% power, 11.77 hz, 330 seconds with burgdorferi, and babesia nosode.  I continue taking arteminsin and cryptolepis but will stop after 10 consecutive days.  This is per bottle instructions.

Physically feeling good- getting a little tired prepping for Christmas but more tired of being tired, so I push through.  I am ready to plug into the world and feel like life is actually happening again.  It feels like life has been on hold and I have been a "me" that I don't want to be.  I am so happy to see more energy and it's hard not to push myself because I can!

DAY TWO
Today was the high dose IV C day (25 grams).  Iv's went well and I feel tired and foggy today so will rest.

DAY THREE
Today I had energy to help my husband at his office for a bit and had a phone consult with an LLMD four hours north of us to discuss my oldest sons IgeneX test results that just came back.  She confirmed that our oldest has Lyme.  His immune system is fighting well, but we will have to at some point determine what our next steps are for him.  It was good to have the answer, but also sad to see another kid lyme positive, and my mommy heart grieved a bit more today.

Today I felt clear-minded with minimal glimpses of knee pain.  I had no foot, hand or leg pain and was able to press on through my day multi-tasking without feeling overwhelmed.  I was efficient and functional!  Even with Christmas traffic, there was no panic in my heart or crazy in my head.

DAY FOUR
Today is ozone day again...400 RI followed by one hour in the hyperbaric chamber.  Bionic usage at 10 points, 11.77, 330 seconds, 100% power with burgdorferi and babesia nosodes.

I have very little physical symptoms, and can hardly believe that I feel so normal.  I have no head-ache or brain fog.  No hand/leg/knee/hip pain and I have been able to be in bumper to bumper traffic and make quick decisions without anxiety.  I am more patient with my boys and more calm about the (constant- LOL) messes in the house.  I am still tired on a level I can't describe but I am not so tired that it hurts anymore.  I can be up and function all day at a decent level without the undeniable need to lay down.

DAY FIVE
For a few days I thought I was totally healed!  Today was a bit of a dip that I really was not expecting...I think I am herxing a bit from babesia or just more lyme die-off.  I am struggling a bit feeling overwhelmed emotionally (a typical babesia herx symptom) and also have head-ache and fatigue in joints and all over my body.  I don't want to do anything but lay still and not move.  I also know that it's Christmas season, I have pushed myself and I added babesia treatment into the mix, so rest is the best answer for today.  My kids are really tired too, so I think we all have pushed ourselves in the spirit of Christmas fun!

DAY SIX
We celebrated Christmas a few days early with family and had a wonderful day.  Despite lots of fun and busyness, I only came home with a minor headache, and was able to stay awake all afternoon/evening without laying down.  Feeling thankful and blessed!

DAY SEVEN
This was Christmas Eve.  We usually celebrate with our boys Christmas morning, but because Christmas morning had to be ozone day, we decided to celebrate Christmas Eve.  I was so busy that I really didn't write down any symptoms.  It was a wonderful day to celebrate the gift of Jesus and the gift of each other.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day!

treatment: week six

This will be a quick update on week six.

DAY ONE
ozone and bionic day....400 RI followed by one hour in hyperbaric chamber.  Bionic with babesia and borellia nosode, 100%, 11.77 hz, 330 seconds, 10 points.  (I did not record any info about physical symptoms this day)

DAY TWO
High dose vitamin C day.  Today after the IV I felt so incredibly tired and exhausted- also felt very emotionally heavy.  I had a few good days and it was hard to feel the cloud descending again.  Thankfully, it didn't descend as heavily and after laying down for a few hours, I was able to function a bit and go to bed tired that night.  My most notable symptom was that my left knee hurt.  When I walked, it felt like an injury and I felt that if I put weight on it, it would bend backwards or buckle beneath me.

DAY THREE
I woke up with joint pain, but I realize that I am remembering things!  Little things like dates I need to remember and things on my to-do list are no longer fleeting whisps of thought that cannot be contained.  I used to have to write something down (like an event on my calendar) immediately because for the life of me I did not have recall of facts or information.  I could not will myself to remember or berate myself enough, or repeat it enough times to remember.  This caused anxiety within me, and I always felt that horrible sinking feeling that I was forgetting something.  I would second guess myself that I turned off the stove, or I would be sure that someone was counting on me to be somewhere and I was a no-show.  It was a constant anxiety within me, knowing I was not really capable, and for someone who thrives on structure and an element of control over oneself (lol) it is yet another burden to bear daily in the lyme spectrum.  (It's one of those bullet points below a bullet point of symptoms that is hard for a lymie to describe.)  It is such wonderful normality to realize that I have my brain back on these days of light and clarity!  The point of all this is...I am making less of my own chaos!  (Just one example: Like at the grocery store I now recall what I need to buy...it helps when you don't need a list because when you have no memory, who can remember to bring the list?  #MakingMyOwnChaos)

DAY FOUR
ozone and bionic day
400 cc RI followed by one hour in hyperbaric chamber.  Bionic 880 at 100%, 11.77hz, 330 seconds, 10 points with the babesia and borellia nosode.

I got a headache at 2:00 but overall feel better than I have in weeks.  The headache could be attributed to the cryptolepis and artemisia I am taking to help combat babesia.

DAY FIVE
IV vitamin C today.  Although the severity of my symptoms is lessened, I felt legs, knee and feet pain today.  My headache was in the front of my head in my forehead region, but again, seemed less intense.  Almost like turning the volume on the stereo down a bit...it's still there but there is more room to function around it.

DAY SIX
My kids were with daddy all day so I had some time to spend all by myself.  The exciting thing about starting to feel my body healing is that I have energy for more than just getting through a day.  So today, it was a battle between resting and hoping for a surplus of healing, or getting a few projects done that were on my mind.  The projects won!  I had energy to buy some racking and assemble it in our attic and got one little section cleaned.  For an organization junkie like me, I felt like I had basically celebrated Christmas early.  Not only because I was able to complete something strenuous and more than the basic survival of another day, but because for me, it meant the real me was coming back.  When you get sick, you begin to lose the fight and it's almost like my vision clouded over.  I kept up on the daily's like laundry and dishes, and kept a clean house, but my standards for myself had narrowed to just the basics.  Just the bare minimum to function and look a little presentable.

In addition to organization sucess, today was a victory not only because I had the strength and the brain space to organize an attic but.....wait for it....I followed the directions to put the shelving together!!!!!!!! (insert balloons while pomp and circumstance play for me)  Having to follow assembly directions was akin to solving nuclear math for me (can I get an amen from someone) and I used to quit before even starting.  My brain would not make sense of it (refer back to day three memory issues and picture Dory from Finding Nemo following five step directions.) I listened to pandora's "music for studying" and conquered the Chinese pictograph to assemble my shiny new racking.  I fought, and I won!

Afterwards, I had time to rest and enjoy the glow of a clean, quiet house with a lit Christmas tree and felt all the beauty of hope in my heart....hope of the reason why we celebrate the Christmas season.  I am reminded that while I seek to find my own level of perfection in this season of beauty, that Jesus Christ was born in a stable beside animal breath and the smell of earthy hay.  Yet all of the heavenly light embraced the perfection of Christ in human form.  A critical eye would see all that Jesus didn't have- but the eternal perspective would see why wise men and shepherds came to an animal barn to adore the King of Kings.  I want to be a shepherd, and look past the imperfection to see the eternal.  I want to be a wise man and bring Christ what I can, even thought my small gifts are humble and few.

To all my Lyme friends, and those who struggle with chronic illness...may you celebrate mightily this Christmas season with your family, in whatever circumstances your life finds you in.  May you sort through the roughage and fluff and grab hold of the eternal...and treasure it in your heart, like Mary did as she gazed upon the Son of God, the heartbeat of the world.  May our hearts be humble enough to hear the angels proclaim, and tender enough to fight off doubt and cynicism about the truth of the message.  May we, like the Shepherds, journey past our present circumstances and frailties, and press on until we are at the feet of Jesus.  If all you have the strength to do in this season is sit at the feet of Jesus, that is enough.  May He be your strength and your hope.

I wish you a Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Hannah's story

I have had it on my heart for a while to speak to parents...specifically to talk about what Lyme disease looks like in a child.  I am beginning a series of posts that will share parents stories- real stories of real kids in the United States that are sick with Lyme.  I will share my own story of how we found out my boys were positive for Lyme when I have the words for it. Eventually.

My heart is conflicted as I post this.  It is heavy because it is yet another heart-breaking Lyme disease story, but also I am so deeply humbled and honored that a fellow mom has allowed me to share a window into her child's life with Lyme on this blog.  (A., I think you are brave.  Thank you so much for your willingness to be vulnerable in sharing this with us.)  

I would like to introduce to you a family residing in Ohio, whose fifteen year old daughter is fighting Lyme.  My words will be few in this post because I want to give them the floor to share what their Lyme journey has been like.  So here is their story, in their own words.  

"Hi, I'm Hannah! My mom and I are here to share my story and spread awareness about Lyme Disease. 

I'm not sure exactly when I got Lyme Disease. I don't remember getting a tick bite or a bullseye rash. On Easter 2014, I got a headache that ended up lasting 5 months. My symptoms before this were mild (dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, nausea and stomach issues) but still troubling. 

The Easter headache led us to neurology. Despite all the blood tests and MRI's coming back normal, I was put on many medications, given IV infusions, and a nerve block. None of them helped my symptoms. I was referred to an eye doctor and received glasses. When summer came, my headaches disappeared. We assumed either the glasses were helping or the headaches were caused by stress. 

I started running Cross Country. The more I ran, the worse I felt. I started to experience more symptoms such as: joint pain, fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness, vertigo, headaches, nausea and TMJ. My freshman year had begun, we were still searching for answers. At the end of September I got a concussion in gym class. This complicated everything. I was sent to a physical therapist for ocular motor therapy. I had to quit Cross Country and all after school activities due to my symptoms. The TMJ symptoms I mentioned earlier, brought me to a chiropractor. She was unable to help so she referred me to an occupational therapist that does cranio-sacral therapy. 

I was also developing heart related symptoms. Chest pain and shortness of breath landed me in the ER. My chest x-ray and EKG were normal. To be safe, they referred me to a cardiologist. Right after this incident, I saw PT for the first time. After describing my symptoms, he seemed to know exactly what is wrong with me. He said I have something called POTS. POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Basically this means that when I stand up my heart rate increases at an unhealthy rate. POTS is a problem with the autonomic nervous system. We thought we had it all figured out! boy were we wrong... At our first visit with cardiology, we mentioned POTS. A tilt table test (my least favorite thing throughout this whole experience) confirmed the diagnosis. Over the next few months, we experimented with many different meds but all of them seemed to make me sicker. UNTIL, my magic med, Clonidine. I was still symptomatic but it helped me more than anything else we had tried. During this time, I was missing a lot of school and found it difficult to keep up. My teachers were very understanding and helped me through the rest of the school year. I finished the year with A's in all my classes! 

Before I had a diagnosis and even now, I am doubted by many doctors. They repeatedly send me to psychology for therapy. It never has never helped because I have a physical illness!! Since I wasn't getting very far with traditional medicine, we decided to see a neuropathic doctor. He put me on a lot of supplements (30 pills per day), changed my diet and did more testing. We had been looking for the cause of my POTS since I was diagnosed. We realized that I have most of the symptoms of Lyme Disease. The neuropathic doctor agreed with us. We ordered a Western Blot Lyme Disease Test from IgeneX Labs. Waiting for the results was the longest 3 weeks of my life! While we were waiting for results, I saw my rheumatologist. She said that she could tell by looking at me, that I don't have Lyme disease and that I would never be pain free. She infuriated me and made us second guess ourselves. Two days later, we got the results and they were positive. We were all relieved and scared. 

Since then we have been slowly adding more herbal supplements to begin my Lyme disease treatment. I had to quit public school and I'm doing online school. 

I am doing well but I really want to go back to public school next year. 

I am taking multiple supplements to make my body stronger and help my immune system. I tried taking supplements for my Lyme disease but they made me sicker. I could hardly eat when I took them. I had lots of nausea, stomach pain, and weight loss. I also developed an ovarian cyst that burst. We stopped the Lyme supplements for a couple weeks and start back up after the holidays.

Here is her list of symptoms:

Headaches/ migraines 

Anxiety 

Depression 

Dry mouth

Dry eyes

Insomnia 

Difficulty Swallowing 

Swollen and sore Lymph nodes

Nausea

Nightmares and vivid dreams 

Loss of appetite 

Dizziness

Vertigo 

Blackouts

Numbness and tingling 

Burning and stabbing skin

Skin sensitivity 

Tmj 

Achy, sharp and throbbing joint and muscle pain

Hot and cold flashes

Palpitations 

Fevers

Night sweats 

Neck creaking 

Shaking spells

Bottom of foot pain

Chest and breathing pain

Tired and dizzy after meals

Blood pooling

Fatigue 

Cold hands and feet

Floaters

Stomach cramps and pain

Ringing in ears

Pelvic pain

Shortness of breath

Constipation/ diarrhea 

Frequent urination

Sensitive to light, sound, and chemicals

Irregular heart rate

Pain behind eyes

Irritability 

Mood swings

Seasonal allergies 

Flushing and pale face

Painful menstruation

Heat intolerance 

Brain fog

Muscle twitching and weakness

Sore throat

Increased thirst

😬😬😬😬😬"

Please pray for Hannah before you close this page.  She is still in her Lyme fight.    

We are rooting for you Hannah!  Keep putting one foot in front of the next.  Thank you so much for letting us in on your life with Lyme and raising awareness.  I pray that you feel hope in your heart, and that the Lord would give you strength to kick Lyme to the curb for good.  Remember that you are never alone, and what a blessing it is to have family that fights beside you.  God bless you, Hannah!!!  You will continue to be prayed for.  

treatment: week five

WEEK FIVE

This week was met with a mixed bag of symptoms.  I feel like I had an incredible week four, with all the glimpses I was seeing of more energy and clarity of thought.  Overall, I still feel like I am gradually climbing up, but I wasn't prepared to have bad days again.  I know this is part of the process and my body is fighting hard.  I also want to note that I began introducing protocol to fight babesia (maybe a little too early) so not only is my body fighting off Lyme and the toxin die-off, it is struggling to overcome this nasty co-infection that many Lyme sufferers' also have.  I have several co-infections, but I chose to start with babesia because most of my symptoms are very babesia related (in addition to Lyme).  For those who want to follow more closely to the German protocol, it seems that the doctor in Germany would recommend starting the co-infection battle closer to week ten.  I will see how I feel this week and re-assess next week.  Here goes the week five update!

DAY ONE
175 mg artemisia annua (tincture form).  I have energy this morning, and don't feel as much brain fog.  I do have achy muscles, only minor and knee pain when I stand.

400 cc RI followed by one hour in hyperbaric chamber
one scoop alkala (like baking soda to neurtalize body's ph)
Bionic 880 at 11.77, 330 seconds, 100% power with a Lyme nosode.


DAY TWO
I woke up with sore muscles (like I was lifting weights overnight, lol).  Today is IV vitamin C day.  These days we are up to 25 grams vitamin C, with no glutathione push.  I know there are amazing benefits to high dose C, but I am probably going to go back down to the 15 gram dose because I want to keep the benefits of the glutathione, only possible on lower-dose days.

Today I realized that I have less anxiety.  I was driving and thinking about what felt different, and all at once it came to me.  I didn't know that I had so much panic in my heart most of the time, always simmering on the back burner.  Usually while driving, every car on the road was too much input in my head, and I had to focus really hard on what I was doing.  Normally, our brains can sort out in our head the non-necessary information while we are driving, but it's like my brain was a broken camera lens that could not fade out the background nonsense.  It was always on input overload, which is why loud noises and any added chaos sent me over the edge.  I could not have verbalized this to you three weeks ago...I just knew I was overwhelmed in the head.  It is a precious realization to be driving and realize there is peace in your heart...that was today.  (Thank you, Lord.)

Physically I feel pain in my knees but not the intense, agonizing pain- it's constant, but more dulled.  I feel hope in my heart today.

I also want to note that I wrote in my journal that social settings have begun to interest me again. (Those who know me will understand the victory that this is...as my symptoms increased over the past two years, I went into a big cave, tucked my head in my shell and isolated myself so much...I just have not been able to handle being "out.")  The desire to hide myself and talk as little as possible has decreased a lot.  It's humiliating and confusing to know that you are mentally incapable of making sense in conversation (and know in your own head it doesn't make sense) and yet be completely sane and aware of it all.  It's a very unique situation, and people with Lyme try to hide it as best they can.  Some days I would get into my car and just cry after social settings because I was so tired physically and mentally from the strain, but to everyone else, it's as effortless and automatic as brushing their teeth in the morning.  That knowledge alone makes you feel isolated.  You know you are not an idiot, but you feel like one.  And you can't spend too long analyzing and agonizing over this, because you are pressed to get on with life, and operate.  It takes every last bit of strength and focus to be operational, so you press on and go into survive mode.  (To everyone who can understand exactly how this feels, I am so sorry.  Keep going...I believe with all my heart that there is hope for healing!)

DAY THREE
It snowed at our house today!  Such a wonderful treat to have a dusting of wonderful white.
I started a few new supplements recommended by my ND:

Bio-Botanical Research Inc. G.I. Detox.  This will be especially beneficial as a "binder" for all the toxin die-off.

Integrative Therapeutics Berberine Complex.  This will help with energy.)

DAY FOUR
Ozone day and Bionic day...400 cc RI followed by 1 hour in hyperbaric chamber.
One scoop alkala powerder to balance ph.
TODAY I START FIGHTING BABESIA WITH A GERMAN NOSODE!
Bionic 880, 11.77 hz, 330 seconds, 100% power with borellia and babesia nosode.

Physically I had a head-ache by 11:00 a.m.  I woke feeling groggy and bloated, probably due to my crazy hormonal issues.  I was also sweaty randomly. (super fun, lol)

DAY FIVE
We would normally do IV's today, but scheduling was changed for this week, and we will do IV C tomorrow.  Physically I have knee and hip pain.  My eyes feel achy (is that even a thing?) and my body is capable of functioning-I am not in bed all day- but I am very tired on a cellular level.

Mentally I have noticed that I don't feel that cloak of "doom and gloom" descending upon me as often...when it starts, I feel like I have more control of being able to climb out before I drop.  This is not just a spiritual thing, because although my faith in the Lord has been tested and tried (seriously), my walk with Him and dependence on Him has remained the same.  I really feel like this is a chemical change that is taking place. My kids see the difference too...this week I am starting to feel like the "old me" that was happy...truly deeply happy with a wonderful (and less than perfect) life.  I am ready to have that completely back.

Tonight was a very hard night.  By evening my pain was intensifying.  My knee pain turned into leg pain and muscle pain, then I started having twitching again.  It is awful.  This is what's known to "Lymies" as a herxheimer reaction.

I am curious to know what other peoples experience with herx twitching is like, but I will do my best to explain mine...

It begins during waves of joint and muscle pain that are very intense and I don't want to move at all.  I am okay when the twitching begins, but after a while I am not brave anymore and I am desperate to have it stop...desperate for control over my body again.  Every twitch tenses my legs and stomach.  I lose air in my lungs as the twitch happens like I am getting the wind knocked out of me.  It's almost like that jerk-reaction that the doctor tests on your knee, only my knees jerk up and my body hurts.  I can talk through it, but my lungs still have air being pushed out at every twitch so it sounds like I am being hit in the stomach.  (This is hard to talk about, sorry if it is too much for some of you!)  I am strong for a while, but then silent tears start falling because I hate this.  I can't stop this, and what the heck is it?!  My husband tried to relax my muscles by rubbing my lower back and although I was weak and wobbly, (and my calves were so cramped) he helped me get up and walk for a bit.  This helped and the twitching stopped, but the second my muscles weren't in motion and I was laying down, the twitching began again.  It would seem that the logical response would be to walk, but the pain and fatigue is overwhelming.

It stopped after about 15-20 minutes and sleep came.

DAY SIX
IV Day...vitamin C, methylated B vitamins, lymphostat, minerals and a glutatione push at the end.
Today I also started a homeopathic tincture made by my ND to help my hormone levels.  I have read that a lot of ladies with lyme struggle with this, especially rough swings throughout the month and everything that comes with it.  I will go through hormone testing soon to help level things out, but this will help my body naturally cope a bit until then.

Physically today I am tired with a sore neck, spotty head-ache and generalized muscle pain.  My head feels foggy today and my eyes hurt...I have also felt heart palpitations throughout the day and even some pain in my lungs when I breathe (I am thinking this might be a babesia symptom).

DAY SEVEN
I have some energy to clean my house!  Feeling bloated due to hormone issues, but overall I can't complain.  I am ready to keep hitting Lyme and babesia hard, and I will see where it lands me!  I am excited for week six, and hoping there is even more healing ahead.  I am ready to have my kids home for Christmas break and enjoy time playing with them, instead of feeling guilty for needing to rest all the time...although some Christmas movies in pajamas is totally happening, sick or not!  It's one of the best parts about Christmas break...family time. :-)

A precious loved one texted me this picture...no words needed!  To all you out there with Lyme...you will get through this.  

treatment: week four

WEEK FOUR
(I am posting this as I am in week five, so now I am caught up with the treatment updates!  The next post will be out in four or five days, detailing week five and you will be tracking with me as close to real time as possible.).
Day One
It's ozone and bionic day!  400 RI followed by one hour in hyperbaric chamber.  Bionic 880 at 11.77 hz, 330 seconds, 10 points, 100% power with lyme nosode (from Germany).

I felt better cognitively today and could track with peoples conversations without feeling confused at the pace of it.  I did good throughout the day, mostly resting after church and had really intense knee pain in the evening.

Day Two
No IV, there was a mix-up in the scheduling, so I grocery shopped!  Had some knee pain, but also had some energy.

Day Three
IV vitamin C (25 grams).  We did not do any vitamin B or glutathione because the vitamin C dose is so high.  The IV did still include lymphostat and a mineral mix.

Physically I have a slight head-ache (it usually happens when I get IV C) but not as bad as previous days.  I feel slightly better brain function.  Today was monumental because I did outside work!  Usually I tunnel vision past my front entrance, intent on getting to the couch or the bed, but today I felt a desire to weed a bit.  I was able to work for an hour and a half and then my body was so tired, my muscles were shaky walking up stairs and I became clumsy, like I had just done burn out with weights.  I got a little nauseated too, so I rested.  I had some deep knee pain that was sporadic, but overall I see improvment.

Day Four
Ozone - 400 cc RI followed by hyperbaric chamber for one hour.   Bionic at 11.77, 330 seconds, 10 points, 100% power.  As the day wore on, I developed neck pain and knee pain.  By 4:00 pm I was completely exhausted, had a bad crink in my neck and spine and felt sore and stiff.  Felt emotionally overwhelmed and a bit hopeless.

Day Five
I added into the daily protocol "Adrenal Support" by HerbPharm.  Today is IV day...we are back to the 15 gram vitamin C dose with the added methylated B's, minerals, lymphostat and glutathione push (detailed on "the mostly german protocol" page).  I had no headache in the A.M. and had energy until 2 PM, then felt neck pain and knee pain.  Tired and have felt word block all this week- cannot verbalize what I mean to say very well.  Physically, I am feeling a "lightness" that I didn't know was missing.

A great example of this is:  When I typically took a shower, I would dread washing my hair.  My arms felt so heavy, like lifting boulders.  By the time I was out, I was dreading blow-drying my hair and getting dressed.  I would typically lay on my bed for 5-10 minutes after my shower to let my arms rest before continuing.  Today I realized that I don't have to rest anymore after my shower.  In fact, I showered, dressed, blow-dried my hair, put on my make-up and then vacuumed.  Yes, I was tired, but it was POSSIBLE for me to physically do without feeling like I was going down.  I cannot tell you what this feels like in my heart...hope!  And shock that I didn't realize how tired I had gotten over the last several months before treatment began.

Day Six
Today was a busy and wonderful day.  I visited with some family and friends...I had a stiff neck again, but had energy to think and be out and about a bit.  I did have some issues with my vision today, had a hard time focusing and felt like things kept getting blurry.  (You know those black and white illusion pictures?  It was like one of those being tilted back and forth.  My eyes could not focus on a face, like my lens kept getting confused with the background and didn't know what to focus on.)  By 2 pm my energy was gone and the head-ache came on.

Day Seven
We decided to get out of the house and take a trip to Crater Lake National Park.  It is beautiful and my kids have been begging to go up to the snow.  It was glorious, and a four hour outing was just what we needed.  Usually I would have panicked at all the snow gear (and laundry) and food prep that was needed, but I plowed through prep, had a great day, and came home a bit sore and tired, but wonderful.  I had enough energy to put wet gear in the laundry and throw together some dinner.  I would call this a higher level of functioning for sure!  I ached a bit when I got into bed, but this is huge improvement.  (Usually on a busy day like this my head would cloud over, and my eyes would literally refuse to stay open and I would be asleep by 5:00.)   But not today...and it was bliss.

 

Did you know that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States?
It is also the seventh deepest lake in the world.  It has no inlet or outlet,
so it is filled by precipitation only.

The sun was SO bright, this was the best picture we got!

The snow made it's own icy decorations on this tree.

treatment: week three

This post will be informational.  These treatment updates are meant to be most beneficial for those with Lyme who are curious about the protocol, and the results I am experiencing.  For any questions, please feel free to email, and refer back to the link here entitled "the mostly german protocol" that gives specifics and a broad outline of the treatment.

WEEK THREE

day one
Tired today, intense head-ache came on all of the sudden during church.  Felt really dizzy/floating feeling with pain in joints- felt weak but functional.  Rested most of the day.

day two
Ozone day:  400 cc RI followed by one hour in the hyperbaric chamber.  Used the bionic 880 at 10 points, 11.77 hz,, 330 seconds each on 100% power (always with lyme nosode from Germany taped onto stomach, called the "solarplexus").

Physically felt tired with head and neck ache but not debilitating.  Found some energy today, which was thrilling.

The view from inside the hyperbaric chamber.  It's not so bad once it's inflated.  This is the smallest of the models - larger ones are available, but this seems cozy to me, and it comes to pressure within five minutes.  Every minute counts when you have to wait ONE HOUR in here.  

Here I am in my F-15...or something like that.  The oxygen is pumped through a tube via an oxygen concentrator machine, and the pressure of the hyperbaric chamber helps each and every cell become saturated with life-giving 02!  (I highly recommend that you research the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy!  It's amazing.)

day three
IV Vitamin C (15 gram), along with the regular minerals, sodium bicarbonate etc, and ended with a glutathione push.

Physically I have a headache that stays somewhat consistent in my forehead region (pre-frontal cortex) and today I can almost feel it in my ears- it's weird.  I catch glimpses of an unexplainable "light" mentally...like a break in some very dark clouds.  My sister-in-law said that she can tell I am mentally more clear and tracking way more than I did in June (we took a weekend trip together) and my husband said he saw glimpses of the old me that laughed more.  (wow!)

day four
(normally this would be ozone day but we gave ourselves the day off because there will be no IV tomorrow due to Thanksgiving.)  No headache or knee pain this morning!  This is phenomenal.  I waited for the head-ache to happen but it held off until late evening.  I have glimpses of a veil lifting off of my mind that I have only just recently been aware is there.  I have hope!!! (I wrote about today here)

day five
Today was thanksgiving.  I was able to wake up at 7:30 and do baking for a few hours with no head pain.  Knees started to hurt at noon, but I am still feeling better than I have in a long time.  By dinner time with my family I was feeling really loopy and dizzy, unable to concentrate enough to answer questions without having to think really hard.  By 4:00 I was very tired but it was a wonderful day to have energy that held out that long.

day six
I added these into the daily protocol:
Nordic Naturals Complete omega d-3's
cilantro (to help detox)
This morning I awoke with deep fatigue and hand pain.  I have a sore neck, completely constant.  My leg is twitching and my right knee hurts.

day seven
I had energy this morning when I woke up, and started to have knee and lower back pain later.  Had some energy to play a bit with my family, but still achy and frontal lobe head-ache.

Overall, I started to see some glimpses of energy and hope like I haven't had in months.  I still have pain, but it seems to be less constant.