Lyme More Prevelant

I keep hearing of more and more people who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Just this month, I heard of two more people who have been diagnosed with Lyme or who have symptoms indicative of Lyme. One of them is a childhood friend. He contacted me a few weeks ago regarding his symptoms and his possible diagnosis of Lyme. He has all of the classic symptoms. I have been trying to help him get the reliable lab tests that he needs to get in order to get a proper diagnosis. Even though he has all of the symptoms, his western blot test came back negative. This disease is so confusing because it is extremely hard to diagnose. Apparently, the diagnosis has to be primarily a clinical one, but blood tests are also considered in the final decision. Does my friend not have Lyme disease because his blood work came back negative even though he has all of the clinical symptoms and the risk factors for tick exposure? I know that some doctors will tell him that he is fine and that there is nothing wrong with him. He needs to find a Lyme literate doctor. I mentioned to him that I can set him up with a Lyme specialist in the Bay Area. The bottom line is that he is suffering right now. I hope that he can obtain a diagnosis of some type soon. The other person with Lyme disease that I heard about is actually the son of one of my Mom's friends. It breaks my heart to hear about all these children contracting the disease. This young man is in junior high and he has been sick for three years already. He is currently being treated with IV antibiotics but he remains extremely ill. It seems to me that every time I mention that I have Lyme disease to someone new, that they, in turn, tell me that they know someone who has it. Just the other day, I was talking to the woman who we adopted our kittens from and she has a friend in Oregon with Lyme. The rate at which the disease spreads is surprising and yet, the experts claim that it is still very rare on the West Coast. There is a disconnection between the reality of the prevalence of the disease and the official statistics on it. All I know is that the number of people with Lyme disease continues to grow.

Feeling Better=)

I can tell that my medicine protocol is finally working!! My doctor has me taking Biaxin and Tindamax. I take the Tindamax on a three week on and three week off schedule. After these last three weeks of taking Tindamax, I instantly noticed that I had more energy and I could think more clearly. For the last three weeks, I have been driving my car almost every day. Driving takes a lot of concentration and energy for me so I know that I am feeling better when driving is not a struggle. I have been able to help out by running errands for my family. I have even been able to socialize with my friends more, which makes me truly happy. One night, I had so much energy during dinner with a friend that I actually talked to her for two and a half hours without becoming exhausted and looking at my watch. As a result, I missed my train home but I didn't mind because it means that I am making progress. I am excited and optimistic that the Lyme meds are finally helping me!!

Pulling My Weight

David and I got married on October 1, 2005=) Lately, I have been feeling guilty that I cannot share the household work with him to the extent that I would like to. Mentally I am happy to help out more. Right now I am pushing myself as it is to be a more active member of our "team." I am taking on the organization of our personal lives. It is a huge endeavor for me because I have so little energy and therefore so little productive time in a day. For the last couple of months, I feel like all I do is paperwork. I know that is not true but it is taking up all of my energy and I still feel like I am not pulling my weight. It is hard to be married and to feel guilty that I cannot do more to help my husband. I am struggling right now. I become defensive if he even sort of suggests that I could have done more because I really want to do more but I am trapped in a body that cannot do more! For the record, my husband is a wonderful, supportive man. He handles my illness with grace. I know that it is normal for him to feel frustrated that he does not have a fully functioning wife. Sometimes he feels as if he has to do everything for us. I do not like that he feels that way but I know that it is beyond my control. I can only do what I can do. I push myself and I try as hard as I can. I cannot wait to feel better and be able to do more for us!!!

Staying the Course of Treatment

For the last three weeks, I have been taking the antibiotic Biaxin and the antiparasitic drug Tindamax. The Biaxin is for the Lyme bacteria and the Tindamax is for the blood parasite, babesia, which I also acquired from the tick. I feel physically so much worse while I am on the drugs. Part of me wants to stop all my treatment and try to live as normal a life as I can with the energy that I do have. I will not let myself give up on my treatment. I have a possibility to get better and I will not pass that up. In the meantime, I have to endure the suffering that the drugs cause in my body. I never know whether the worsening of my fatigue, my headaches, and my diminished ability to think clearly is a result of the side effects of the two drugs or whether it is actually caused by the toxins being released as the drugs kill the parasite and the bacteria. This reaction is called a die-off reaction, or a herxheimer. The bottom line is that I have to get worse before I can get better. My question is: how long will I feel worse for? Will it be for a few months or a few years? I am learning to live with the uncertainty. I am trying to power through the intense symptoms. In a way, I feel like I am sacrificing today for a better tomorrow. I hope that the future will be better.