On being all TICKED off!!

My journey with lyme disease is one that I pray will end soon and pray even harder will never return. For the last seven years my health has been one giant puzzle that seems like it keeps getting more pieces added to it. We have been down every road and dark alley trying to find out what was wrong and how to "fix" it. It wasn't until August of 2005 that I had a blood test that showed positive for lyme disease.

It has been a slow progression down hill since I had Spencer back in 2002. My thyroid developed a nodule on one side and caused me to have hyperthyroidism. I had major anxiety, fast heart rate, exhaustion but couldn't sleep, muscle twitching that would drive me crazy, dizziness and fatigue that has eventually drove me to my bed on a more permanent basis.

After having my right thyroid removed in 2004 I figured that was the whole problem and I would be getting on with life, but that never happened. In fact, I believe it just made things much worse. Once I received my lyme diagnosis, again I thought "finally we can get this taken care of and I get on with life." So, I took the recommened high doses of doxycycline for three months, did IV's of vitamins and anti-virals, B12 injections, and every type of supplement you can think of. But, I only got worse.

I finally stopped the antibiotics after a few trips to the emergency room and feeling like my body would just give out all together, layed in bed for a few months wondering what to do. After much research and more trips to a new doctor it was clear that the antibiotics had given me a systemic yeast infection which only complicated matters. I was tested and found to have heavy metals and other co-infections along with the lyme itself. My immunity is in the tank. I also had another test done which shows I have a genetic defect that doesn't allow my body to identify toxins in my system so it just causes everything to build up and go into my tissues.

Things really got fun when I started having severe blood sugar drops which sent me to the ER twice where upon they would inform me that there wasn't anything they could do. I also started developing allergies to the majority of foods. I can now only eat 5 different things. It began to feel very hopeless.

Back in August of 2006 I started working with a doctor in California long distance that was able to help me for awhile to get the blood sugar drops under better control and allow my adrenals to have a break from all the drama. But, the things he was doing with me started to make me more sick again.

So, that very latest is that I'm heading to California on April 10th to see a doctor down there who works with pretty sick people. He himself was in bed for eight years with Chronic Fatigue so he understands how sick I am. I spoke with his wife who fills in as receptionist and she told me they knew how sick I was but would never encourage me to come down if they didn't think they could help. I found out about this doctor from a friend who lives there and is seeing him right now. I have no idea how I'll tolerate this trip, but we are going to do what we can to make it through. The time has come to venture outside our Seattle area and see if he can help.

The thing that makes me the most angry about lyme is that most doctors don't even recognize it as an epidemic even though California, Oregon and Washington are becoming one the higher epedemic areas in the US. It is not confined to the East Coast or Minnesota like some have always believed. Its everywhere and people need to be educated. We know how to fight most cancers (which I'm grateful for), but we can't figure out how to help people who have been infected by a tick. Oh, and just for the record, its not just ticks that carry it...biting flies, fleas, misquetoes, and spiders have all been found with the Borrelia bacteria in their bodies.

It's all good because God is good. I know that sounds trite, but for me I have to wake up everyday and decide that no matter what my day looks like I have to trust God regardless. That he loves me and has not forsaken me. I do very much believe that I will have full healing...how or when is something I have had to let go of. I just have to believe.

Thanks to everyone who has supported and prayed for our family during these last two years. We feel incredibly blessed by your love.