Too Tired to sleep. Oh, wait.

Every night for the past two weeks I’ve considered blogging. I wanted to. But the thought of it made me cringe. And I couldn’t figure out why! I think it’s because there’s so much that I haven’t written about. The month since my last doctor appointment alone feels like it’s been a lifetime. So, I’m just going to jump right in. I’m sure I’ll miss some things, but I think I’ll cover the most important. Or, at least I’ll get some things off my mind.

I go in next week for my monthly check-in, and I have until then to try to remember all that I need to talk about. The Babesia has hit me hard lately. I was sick over most of my Christmas break, unfortunately. I’ve herxed harder since October than I ever have. Hence, my disappearance from the blogosphere. On the day that I began taking the Mepron I was knocked for a loop by my 2nd dose. Yes, my 2nd dose. It was literally a matter of less than ten hours by the time my body was retaliating. I was shaking with a temperature of 102 by dinner, and didn’t get over the worst of it until two days later. Since then I haven’t gone more than a week without a herx reappearance – some lasting just day or two, and others lasting weeks.

I’m in a fog and lost in the symptoms. They keep piling up and I’m losing track! The temperatures have come back, and so has the stomach pains, shakiness, dizziness, breathing troubles, and my Bartonella rash. The latest culprits are nerve-related. Seemingly at random parts of my body will feel a chilling burning sensation. I know, that makes no sense.  But I don’t know how else to describe it! Other times it’s just a slow, steady warming that spreads. And, I haven’t had this much trouble breathing in years. That’s one of the only reasons I know for sure (other than the Mepron) that this is really being stirred up by the Babesia.

There’s more, I know it. But I think that those are the most relevant right now. Other than the brain fog which has reached astronomical levels.

I forgot to mention – most likely because I forgot until late last week that it was even happening – that I finally got scheduled for a tilt table test. We’ve been waiting for this since July or August. I think I’ve talked about it here before, but to remind those of us who have a failing memory the purpose of this particular test is to determine whether POTS is causing any of my issues. POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

I’m not at all happy about the thought of this test. I’m so dizzy and nauseous already! Being strapped to a moving table isn’t going to help me any. I’m just hoping that it goes smoothly. So give me a thought on Thursday morning, please. I can use all the happy, healing, positive thoughts and prayers I can get!

Alright, I *might* be tired enough to sleep now. I think getting this all off my chest helped a bit :)

And a shout-out to a few of my friends for taking me out today! I had a blast. I always do when you guys give me the chance to feel normal for a while. Thank you!!

I’ll be back soon. Promise. I have school news to share.

G’night all. Sweet dreams!

molly

Thank God That’s Over

Yes, Mayo was yesterday. And today I’m so incredibly thankful that it’s over now. I’m drained, physically and emotionally. I woke up at 5 AM, to get to the hospital by 8:15, only then to have a day of one thing after another, after another. We left around 3:30, still without having had lunch. Yes. You did the math correctly. That’s 7 straight hours of doctors. And not just regular doctors. No. These were the kind that don’t believe in chronic Lyme. Lovely… right?

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

My first appointment was the best of the three. I met with an ophthalmologist who had been in contact with my eye specialist about me. Turns out that he and my dad worked on the street around the same time in the 80’s at the hospital. It’s a small, small world! So in-between their exchanging of stories he took a look at my eyes. Long story short: He thinks my eyes are almost 100% better! The inflammation is barely discernable! What a miracle. Something went right. He is of the opinion that all of my intracranial pressure problems and optic nerve swelling is solely because of the Doxycycline I took for a little over a month in January/February which is from the family of Tetracycline antibiotics that is actually known to cause this reaction in some people. We knew this had been a possibility, but because so much time had passed since then most people we had seen weren’t comfortable with it. This is GREAT news however! It means I won’t have to have any kind of surgery to get a shunt placed. I keep reminding myself how GOOD this is! Thank God!

 

So, with that, onto my second appointment. It was with a Nurse Practitioner who was an Infectious Disease specialist in the Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine department. I just had a bad feeling going into this one. Long-standing Lyme Disease and Infectious Disease Doctors don’t mix well. At all. But I took a few deep breaths, and tried to hold out for a positive experience. By this time I was starting to lose what energy I had managed to sum up for the first appointment. I was so tired. My head hurt, and my eyes hurt from when the last doctor had kept pushing on them to prove a point {inflammation}. Yeah, you read that correctly too.

 

As soon as she began talking to us however I knew this wouldn’t be a positive experience. She knew next to nothing about Lyme as a persistent infection. My friends know more about Lyme than she did! She asked me if I had pain in my knees, had ever had a rash, and insisted that she had never heard of Lyme being passed congenitally. She worked hard to get a timeline from us. And she wanted to know my symptoms. Well, I was prepared! Remember my symptom list that took me so long the night before the appointment? I pulled it out, and groaned internally as I saw the look on her face. My opinion: She didn’t believe it. Or me. She wanted “a current” list. So I insisted that I written that list just the night before. She breezily moved on.

 

I did feel bad for her. She wasn’t in a pleasant situation with her 17 year old patient and my mom throwing out our own research, facts, and small statistics. As a practitioner it can’t be easy when your patients have the upper hand when it comes to information about a disease, whether you believe them or not. She couldn’t understand how I was being treated with the Lyme test results I had. {I’m only positive on one band.} She hit a sore point with me too by bringing up school. I don’t care what she says, I do go to school even if it is in my own home. Don’t tell me I don’t. I’m sorry.

 

She went to talk with her doctor about my “situation”, and came back a short time later. They had decided that in their opinion it would be best if I could be retested for Lyme, Bartonella {I had showed her my rash and had said I was being treated for it.} and another infection called Ehrlichia. That way I could rule out Lyme and prevent unnecessary treatment if they came back negative. Where, at this point, my mom and I once again talked about the high chances of negative test results since I had been infected so long. I’m sure she thinks we’re all crazy. She was much more in favor of treating my fibromyalgia. That she knew about. But, I digress. Because of our own concerns, we chose to skip the Lyme blood test. If we redo it, I’d much rather do it through a lab my LLMD trusts. We did agree to do the two other tests though, and we should hear their results in a few days.

 

By this time I was just done. I didn’t want to deal with her anymore. I didn’t have it in me. I was glad to be done with that appointment. Only one more to go. Last but not least, on to my Neurology appointment. The doctor was nice enough. She too was very interested in my timeline, took extensive notes, and even examined me. She didn’t like the Lyme diagnosis either. But she took notice of my symptoms. She tested my muscle strengths, my reflexes, and my balance. And I assume they all came back pretty normal because she didn’t say a word about them. I felt as if I were shaking like a leaf the entire time she was testing me, but she said she didn’t feel it. I felt as if I teetered and tottered when I walked one foot in front of the other, but she didn’t seem to notice. Many of my symptoms like that are subjective.

 

She agreed with the first doctor, saying that she too was comfortable with the Doxy being the cause of my problems that sent me to Mayo in the first place. And she took the time to explain how this happened. Which we greatly appreciated! But she was concerned about all my other symptoms still not being resolved. Her recommendations? She wished I would retest all of my neurological and inner ear dizzy, balance, and sound issues. Perhaps they’ve gone away? Or gotten better? Or worse? She didn’t know. But she wanted them to be checked out again, just in case. I don’t really want to deal with that right now. What I went through six years ago when we found out I had a 50% deficit in my left inner ear was enough for me. I blocked most of it out and don’t remember it. So I don’t know if we’ll do that or not, but it was what she recommended. She also felt {like so many countless doctors before her…} that this could be a physical expression of depression and I could benefit from some counseling. Something may be wrong in my life that my body is trying to draw my attention towards, she said. But again, she didn’t know. And I almost cried. I say almost because I held it together enough until after we’d left her office.

 

I’m sick of people telling me I’ve got to be depressed because of what’s happening to me. I’m tired of nobody believing me when I describe my symptoms. Instead doctors have accused me of lying, of cheating test results, of making up symptoms, all to get out of school or to get attention. I swear that half of my pent up emotions are from doctors thinking these things. I almost cry just thinking about it. I know that I’m sick. Why can’t these doctors see it too? My family does. My friends do. My LLMD does, and I’m thanking God. I’m so blessed, so lucky to have doctors at home that believe me, that trust me, and that I trust to treat me. I need them right now. I need to continue healing, and to get better. Just as the Neurologist said, I don’t want to be stuck in a rut of ill health all my life. Those that think I would want that are the crazy ones, the insane ones. Who would choose this? Not me. I don’t choose it. I just make the best of it.

 

And so, I’m concentrating on the good news. This means I shouldn’t be put back on any of the Tetracycline antibiotics, but there are plenty more to choose from I think. We’ll keep an eye on my eyes, and if I feel my pressure going up again we’ll re-access. It may be another medication reaction, since we now how sensitive I am to them. But for now, I’m tired, I’m beat down, I’m sore, but I’m happy. I’m thankful that at least some good came out of yesterday’s ordeal.

 

Peace and healing, molly

 

“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” – Author Unknown

A Few Deep Breaths

Recently, I’ve been asked by friends and general concerned folks about what I’m feeling and thinking now that I’m headed to Mayo this week. The only answer to pop into my mind? “I… don’t know…”

 

They wonder, am I scared? Nervous? Anxious? Happy? And I tell them, I wish I could put my finger on what it is I’m feeling. I think it will really hit me Thursday morning as we drive up to Rochester what it is I’m in for. Perhaps I’ll have a handle on my feelings then. But now? My rational, cool, calm, and collected side is coming out. Sure, I’m nervous, and scared. I would be crazy not to be. {I have done my googling, after all.} But all the same I feel as if I’m drawing on some inner source of power to help ground me these days.

 

Last week I found a free guided meditation audio clip. I’m drawn towards positive affirmations lately. And I can spend hours searching, pouring over quotes to uplift me, inspire me, and offer some food for thought. But meditation is something I’ve always wished I enjoyed more. I’ve tried to learn, but it takes time and practice. So, I gave this one a shot. Worth a try, right?  And what do you know – it was amazing. I felt free, calm, and happy. I realized a smile had appeared on my face. It was shorter than 10 minutes in total, but I can still feel those sensations I had as I was lost in the beautiful images and words being spoken to me.

 

I’ve found myself closing my eyes and simply breathing since that episode last week. In, and out. Deep breaths. I can hear the cars driving by down the street, the clock ticking in the kitchen, or Wilson barking in the back yard. My mind is clear, and in the exact present moment for just a time. It’s simple meditation. But I’m doing it. And yes, I can tell that somewhere inside myself are those emotions I felt the other day. And it’s such a beautiful feeling.

 

I’m hoping, and praying that I remember to take a couple spare moments at Mayo this week to take a few deep breaths. Perhaps I can find that grounded feeling, for just a moment, when I need it most.

 

I can feel the stress and the physical symptoms taking a toll on my body. Going off my medications has been tough going the past few days. My stomach is a mess. I’m having weird, random nerve pain, tingling, and numbness. I’ve got a headache that comes and goes. I shake like a leaf. And I’m tired. So incredibly tired. One moment I’ll be fine. And the next I’ll have pushed my limits. The line is not only gray, but blurry when it comes to my limitations and that I’m not used to.

 

Peace and healing, molly

“Change the way you look at things and things you look at change.”  – Dr. Wayne Dyer