Letter From the Specialist

So I just got news about the medication. Apparently I can't get ANY treatment [meds included] until July 22 when I go see the Infectious Disease Specialist.

Here is the letter we received from him:

"Background:
Lyme disease is a complicated illness, which results in a variety of symptoms. Standard treatment protocols may be ineffective in alleviating symptoms. Because of this, I have worked very hard to develop more aggressive treatment approaches that will achieve beneficial results in the majority of patients, even with chronic Lyme related symptoms. Most individuals experience significant improvement or even complete resolution of their symptoms after such an aggressive, individualized treatment.

Problem:
Unfortunately, a minority of individuals will notice worsening symptoms after stopping antibiotic treatment. It may seem logical to attempt re-treatment in theses instances. However, after offering one (or more) re-treatment courses of antibiotics to patients with relapsed symptoms over the past several years, I have concluded that this approach is not beneficial, and exposes patients to unnecessary risk.

Conclusion:
I will do my very best to eradicate your Lyme infection, utilizing aggressive treatment algorithms that combine leading edge, evidence-based and scientifically sound principles whenever possible. You will receive one course of treatment. My successful results with hundreds of patients indicate that this is the proper approach. Most patients will enjoy reduction of symptoms or complete resolution of symptoms. If not, perhaps alternative therapies may be beneficial. These are outside the scope of my clinical practice. Thank you for your understanding in this matter."


Please be praying that enough people cancel their appointments with the Specialist that I can get my appointment moved up!!!! And please be praying for me, as it's extremely difficult to handle this news and I feel really...hopeless.

Thanks guys.

Health Update

I feel like I've only been updating on the technical aspects of my illness, like appointments and such, so I will give you an update on how I've been feeling lately.

One word - crappy. BUT, the swelling and severe pain in my left knee went away!!! Now just normal amounts of pain. Normal, as in BAD, but it's everywhere, so it's normal. I have pain over my entire body now. All my joints, muscles, tendons, skin bones...so pretty much every fiber of my being HURTS all the time. It's horrible, I'm 17 years old and I feel like I'm 80!!!
The neurological symptoms have gotten much worse the past few weeks. All of my colors are mixed up, so half the time it's like I'm partially colorblind in places. I see yellow in place of white a lot, that's the worst messed up color. I see things that aren't there....like random lines, lights, things are distorted, things appear to be moving when they're not (like clocks on the wall move back and forth, when obviously they don't), bad eye spots, and my blurry vision has about doubled since the last time I wrote. I literally can't see half the time. It is definitely not fun. Again, I feel old and dilapidated. Not the kind of thing you wanna feel like at 17 :( So please keep sending up those prayers!! Thanks guys! <3

Praise!

HUGE praise!!! My mom heard back from my allergist - She (the allergist) wants us to talk to my Primary Care Physician about treating me right now, and if she won't, my allergist is willing to prescribe me the medication I need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I will have the meds SOON!!! As soon as we hear back from my doctor. :D PRAISE GOD!!!!!!! But still pray that my Primary doctor will prescribe the meds. It would be much easier on everyone. Thanks for all your prayers! :]

APPOINTMENT!!!!

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's on July 22, with the Infectious Disease Specialist. I am also on the cancellation waiting list, so if someone else cancels, my appointment may get moved up!
And my mom is emailing my Allergist today, to ask her about getting me a prescription! So please pray about that!!!

Complications

Unfortunately, I have bad news. The doctor situation got much more complicated this past week.
Right now I have no appointment, I'm not on any waiting list, and we haven't heard back from any doctor. It's really complicated...they won't let me be on a waiting list with more than one doctor, so I pretty much have to pick a doctor and stick with them. The bad news is, the one we'd like to pick most likely won't be able to see me until late-summer, which is much too late. Tomorrow my mom is going to call my Primary Care Physician, and if she has to, literally beg her to start treating me. So PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!!!! I'll write another update as soon as I get news.

More Bible Verses

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
-Romans 8:18

"In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation."
-1 Peter 5:10

"To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelation, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ' power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2 Corinthians 12:7-10

...Make you think?

Could you all please be in prayer for a teenage guy in my town? He's a Senior in High School, who got in a skiing accident a few days ago. He had minor injuries like a concussion and a collapsed lung... but he pretty much severed his spinal cord. He will be paralyzed (most likely permanently) from the mid-back down. He can move his arms and breathe on his own, praise God. Please pray for his recovery, and for a miracle, that someday he'd be able to walk again. He's only a Senior in High School!!! His name is Josh Sorvik, and here is his CaringBridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joshsorvik.

Josh's situation has really caused me to think. I am not paralyzed from the mid-back down. I haven't had surgeries to fuse my spine, I haven't been in an accident, I can move my legs (even if it is painful), and one day I will be fine. He won't. His life will NEVER be the same. God has been so good to me!!!! Make sure you take time to consider that in YOUR life - do the little things *really* matter? Thank God that you can walk and that you are fine. Thank Him every day. It's a blessing that is denied to a lot of people.