Well.

As some of you may or may not be wondering how I've been feeling of late, I've decided to update my blog. :P

Some of my joint pain is back, and I think I have been experiencing what I believe is chronic pain leftover from the Lyme disease. If that is indeed what it is, I'll have it for the rest of my life; just residual Lyme stuff. But in spite of that I've been working very hard at building up the muscle I've lost over the past 2.5 years! I've been point physical therapy type stuff to get back in shape. I've been slowly exercising every muscle I can in order to build up enough strength to really work out. I'll be doing that for awhile, but this week I've started working out pretty hard [in comparison]. I've been stretching, doing a little yoga, walking a mile every day on the treadmill, doing pushups, a million different kind of crunches/ab/core strength exercises, lifting weights, and other random stuff. It's paying off! I find myself stronger already. But I'm going to need to do it for a long time in order to actually get in shape.

I've also had some really weird stomach pain over the past few months. I went to the doctor a couple times and she gave me some Prilosec [to reduce stomach acid or something] which helped for a bit, but it came back. So now I'm back off of wheat [which I'm allergic to] in the hopes that it will help. It has been, but it hasn't completely gotten rid of the symptoms. So I'm also eating healthier, having a more balanced diet, eating less sugar, etc. hoping that that will make me feel better. I guess we'll see!

He is faithful.

Well I feel GREAT!!!!!! Aside from some muscle pain, tremors, and memory problems, (and ironically everything else I can't think of right now)... I'm pretty much better!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is so good!!!

I work out almost every day now and love it. I can't actually DO a whole lot though, because I'm still building up the basic muscle tone that everyone has from day-to-day life, and that I don't have because I haven't been "active" for 2 years. So I'm still working on that. But I can walk half a mile, straight!! Trust me...from the girl who couldn't stand up on her own? ...This is a big deal. And I also have an ACTUAL appetite!!! I was rarely truly hungry for about...the entire year of 2009. So its a huge step!

I'm pretty gosh darn excited that it's a new year with a fresh start. 2010 is going to be a year of good health for me!! :) The first one since...ever. Before Lyme disease I had serious allergy problems for a few years. So this should be the first GOOD year health-wise in about....5 years! Wow!! Epic.

The Recovery

Well, I've been off meds for almost two months now. I'm feeling so much better!!!!!! :) Not perfect yet, but that will come over the next two months of recovery. But my body has pretty much stabilized! I can work out, I have some energy (sometimes :P), I can actually control my weight instead of gaining/losing 15 pounds every few months, I have an appetite again, I can walk, I can run, I can see, I can think, and I can talk and formulate actual sentences!!!! The neurological symptoms still have room for improvement, but that's a slower process.

Ah, the things you take for granted when no longer have them. Who ever though I'd have to be thankful that I can lift my arms above my head, that I can cut up my own food, that I can walk, that I can write, or that I don't have to wear braces on my hands/wrists!! It all certainly puts the world in perspective for me. I've said this before and I will say it again - thank God for your health! It's taken for granted until you lose it, then it becomes the most important thing.

Anyway, I'm out of the woods for the most part, but if you think about me, please say a prayer that my healing would continue speedily along and that I would make a full and complete recovery. Thanks!! <3 :)

End of the road!

I arrived at my doctor appointment yesterday feeling like crap, and told the doctor that. She then told me that they were taking me off the meds!!!!!! Apparently they're convinced the Lyme disease is gone, and the leftover pain I have is from the antibiotics. I should be totally better in 4 months!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I
AM
DONE.

Please keep praying that I would indeed feel better, and that I wouldn't have any residual pain. If I don't feel better in four months, I'll be getting re-tested for arthritis. But I probably will!! :)

Dear you:: I'm scared. Love, me.

Hi all, just wanted to let you know how things were going.

To sum up:: badly.

I'm in a lot more pain than I have been, and it just keeps getting worse. I've had new symptoms relating to my heart that has caused us some real concern. By my next appointment on November 3rd, I'm scared that if I don't improve that they will put me on an I.V. Please pray that my symptoms would turn around in the next ten days and that I would see some significant improvement!!

No IV!

Good news from the doctor appt!! Apparently the pain I'm experiencing sounds like its good pain! (Lyme die-off: Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction) That's the same thing they thought when I was on the last medication (which didn't work - it was actually me getting worse) so I'm paying close attention to how I feel this month. At my appointment next month they'll evaluate how I'm doing on the doxycycline and if I need an IV installed. Pray the Doxy is really working!!!!

[Oh, and I've been on treatment for 15 WEEKS ALREADY. Doesn't time fly?!]

The day is coming . . .

Just thought I'd update you quickly on what I'm up against this week.
My doctor appt is on Tuesday... about 5.5 days from now. It is a very important appointment, as there is a fairly good chance I'll leave with an IV in my arm which will stay there for a very long time. It all depends on how much or how little I've improved in the last month. Right now I'm not even sure how I'm doing, but I can tell you that it is not good.
Please be in prayer that I would clearly be able to tell how I'm feeling and that the decision would be made clear to the doctor and nurses involved in making the decision. And pray for God's will to be done, whatever the decision, and that I would be acceptant of it.