Happy Holidays

I have not been able to write and pretty much haven't been able to think. But I'm gonna keep going. I have had some bad labs / bloodwork. It seems abx's are tougher on my system than I though would be the case. Low Vit D, low platletts, low CO, low testosterone. My Dr wanted to get the prostate ruled out before we start treating the testosterone so off I go for another blood test. This one was good news, an ultra low PSA reading. Good, something I don't have to worry about. I guess I should be glad about a few things. First I have been able to work despite a major herx from Flaygl. Work is still behind me, I got a bonus for Christmas.. yeah! I got my next appointemnt Jan 4th in DC, and was able to get a really good airfare. And I have also decided that I am not going to keep my life on hold any longer. My wife and I have commited to going to Sturgis, SD this coming August with about 50 other people. Thats it, I have plans and it doesn't include Lyme, so the Lyme will just have to go.

The week off....

I just don't understand it. I look forward to having the week off from ABX's and feel pretty good at the beginning of the week, then by Thursday I'm close to not being able to function. By Friday my symptoms were:

Non stop headache in my temples
Sharp pain zaps on the left side of head on and off for 30 seconds to 2 minutes
Feet more numb and pain returns
Neck pain increases
Pronounced fatigue
Increased brain fog
Flu like in gut (lasted 4 days now nonstop)
Eyesight increased blurriness

The last 2 times I had the week off I end up in bed. It really brings me down. I feel bad for my wife. I still have not talked to the doctors office. I hope to get my blood work results from 2 months ago soon. I need my Lyme gone. That's all there is to it.

Medicine, Much Medicine

I'm in the second month cycle of a three month cycle of a pulse antibiotic treatment. I never imagined having to take so many pills. I never even took an antibiotic before age 46. I turned 50 last month. When I started taking antibiotics in May 09, man did I get sick. Doxycycline knocked me down and almost out. It nearly made me blind. My ears were ringing at volume 10. I could hardly turn my head, my neck hurt so much. The pain in my feet was intense, like someone had stuck a knife into them. Just when I start functioning again, I switch to Minocycline and the whole process repeated itself. In September 09 I started the current medications. I was bracing myself for the worse, but never really started to herx until the second cycle. One of the drugs (Flagyl)seems to really set me off. My head is pounding, and I feel dumb as a rock. Work is getting tough to manage. Maybe the real struggle is keeping my mind right, not the medicine. I'm in for a long haul.

Why Blog about Lyme?

I have asked myself this question. The answer I have is:

1) Set a time line for myself, on what happened and when from my bite to the present. I'm concerned I will not be able to keep it all straight. My mind is not getting better in my opinion. I want it written down, and why not do it here?

2) Start keeping a log of my symptoms, medicine, and progress with the disease and the factions (people) I interact with this disease, so I may be able to look back and see progress and digression, which ever happens.

3) Let other Lyme sufferers see one person’s journey with this disease. (I don't expect there would be many)

4) Put my feelings in writing in an attempt to keep what is happening in reality. It is easy for me to make how I am feeling physically, what is going on with doctors, and medicine, worse than it really is. I need to keep this disease real. My mind could easily turn it into something it is not.

In a word, it is for me.

How I got here.....

In 2006 I attended a Motorcycle rally in Cave in Rock, IL. This town is located in the very southern tip of Illinois. It is a weekend camping thing. Two days after I had returned home, I was getting out of the shower and noticed something on my left hip as walking past the mirror. A big (about 3.5 inch diameter) black and blue circle with jauness yellow color in the middle, bruise like mark. In the middle of all that color was a very small engorged tick. That was the start of my new life, although at the time I didn't know what was in store for me.