Refuse to sink - My journey battling Lyme disease

At the end of December, I always take some time to contemplate the past year. I can say for sure, this was one of the most difficult years of my life, and yet a year of growth for me in many ways. In June, after 3 years of symptoms, doctor's appointments and blood work, I finally received my diagnosis: chronic Lyme disease, tick relapsing fever, Bartonella & Babesia. I also was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. My health was the focus of my entire year. I started treatment, which was extremely difficult. I had days of extreme anxiety and depression, bone-crushing fatigue, painful joints and muscles, headaches, etc. I struggled to make it through some days. By the time I had been in treatment for a couple of months, I barely recognized myself. I became more withdrawn. I no longer had the desire to do the things I loved since doing them would mean more pain. It was a year of recognizing and submitting to the things I had no control over, in order to do what'

Tonight I had one of those bouts of crying because I'm just so sick of being sick. This has been a long stretch of feeling terrible...at least 6 weeks. I don't have a lot of pain, but I just feel like crap. No motivation, lots of anxiety & depression. I don't want to leave the house, not finding joy in the things that usually make me happy. I feel like a sub-par version of myself. I'm hoping good days are coming soon, but even when I'm feeling good, the whole time I just feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because it never lasts. This last time I was feeling good lasted almost two months. I really had thought I'd turned a corner and that the worst was over. I feel so disappointed, and stupid for believing things could be getting better.  Christmas went really well, but I felt awful the whole day. I had a throbbing headache, chills, all over unwell feeling. I wasn't going to let it ruin the day, and I didn't. My kids had a great time

I'm back in one of those dark valleys. It's very frustrating, 27 weeks into treatment and though I see small improvements, for the most part I don't feel any better than I did before I started treatment. I am having less pain, but some of my other symptoms have been flaring. I've been having anxiety again, which is only exasperated by some of my other symptoms - skipped heartbeats and the sensation that my throat is closing up. Lyme has caused so many other "separate" health issues for me like adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism and reactivated EBV, that it's hard to not be anxious that each new symptom could be something totally new and terrifying. I've been having the skipped heartbeats every time I exercise (when my HR hits 150 bpm) ever since I've been sick. I decided to try a good quality magnesium supplement as many people have said it helps; instead, it made them worse! The day I took it I got over a dozen skipped beats. It's really a terr

A few weeks ago my husband received a phone call from our doctor saying that he is positive for Lyme through IGeneX lab. This is not a surprise. He was diagnosed 15 years ago after a very high fever and bells palsy, and was treated with the standard 28 day course of antibiotics. About 6 years ago, he saw a Lyme doctor because he was having joint pain in his knees. He felt better after another course of antibiotics, but it wasn't long enough. I have to say, he had a lot of positive bands on the western blot - he was even CDC positive. That man has an iron immune system so I think he will do well in treatment. He is treating for Candida right now. I wanted to get him to his full dose of Nystatin before we add Lyme treatment since he has been herxing from the nystatin killing the candida. He has been sugar free since the end of October, and he is doing awesome. He's lost 22 pounds!!! I'm proud that he's been able to stick with it since sugar has always been his weakness.

I have been treating for 24 weeks: 24 weeks with Ceftin 22 weeks with rifampin 18 weeks with tinidazole Symptoms that have improved: Headaches are happening less and less  Insomnia. I've been sleeping much better  Joint pain has quieted down quite a bit. I'm still having occasional pain in one or two fingers, and sometimes one of my knees Bartonella foot pain continues to lessen.  Brain fog is pretty much completely gone. I'm not having such a difficult time coming up with words or spelling and I'm not quite as forgetful.  Overall, my energy has continued to improve My hair isn't falling out anymore! I got a haircut and my hair is looking much more healthy Depression & anxiety has improved GI problems aren't as bad. I still get some  This month was the FIRST MONTH in 2.5 years that I did not have extreme ovulation pain, which is great. I'm not sure if it's due to Lyme treatment or my iodine supplementation but that was a nice surpris