Treatment Update for Month 5

Yesterday, Tuesday, Jan 21st, I had my check-up appointment with my LLMD, Dr.N, and I received my treatment plan for months 5 and 6. Tanner and my mom came with me, which was so comforting and helpful.

After I shared with Dr.N how I had been feeling the past couple months he was a little surprised.  He thought I would have been doing a little bit better. His hopes for me were that I would have started to see improvement, more Babesia would have been killed off, and I would be detoxing better.  But he was reassuring saying that I have had Chronic Lyme Disease for such a long time that it is going to be a lot harder to kill off.  

He also told me that most of his patients are in hardcore treatment for 10-14 months, but he has some that have been there for 2 years and are finally seeing good responses.  Dr. N told us that it is impossible to estimate when I'll start feeling better and how long treatment will be for me. He also thanked me for not stopping and giving up just cause I hadn't seen a change yet.  To which I replied, "You're all I have.  I have no other options. No one else is willing to help me." 

When I was leaving he said I should start to see a change and feeling better by the next time I see him, end of March. 

Some exciting news from the appointment is that I'm off everything for yeast. Which is a huge accomplishment! I've been fighting that for years.  Dr.N is treating me for borelia, and co-infections babesia and bartonella. Which is great that we now know I have those and can attack them head on.  

I am on a lot of new stuff, and I am pretty excited about some of it. He gave me stuff to help with the pain in my heart and spleen, and stabilize my moods and being irritated.


Treatment Month 5

Supplements:
A-Bart: This herbal blend kills bartonella infections.  Bartonella is a co-infection of Lyme Disease.  My symptoms of bartonella were not severe before, and now that they are showing up, this means I can kill them off.
Glutaloemine: This is supposed to help the digestive track, help me have a stronger detox, and give me an appetite.
Scolopendrium: This one supports the spleen.  I am SO excited about this supplement because my spleen pain is miserable and debilitating.  My left side is actually visibly more swollen than my right side of my rib cage because my spleen is so swollen.
Apo-Hepat: I have taken this one before.  It helps drain toxins from the liver.  So this is great for detoxing.
Artmisinin:  I have also taken this before.  It is used to kill babesia.
Taurine: I am also super excited about this one because it helps with anxiety and insomnia.  Many Lymies deal with being extremely irritable.  I have very sensitive ears and can not do loud, repeated, or annoying noises.  Noises actually hurt my ears.  I can't be around children, I don't go out that much, and I rarely talk on the phone because of this. I also have Lyme Rage- this is a REAL thing.  I like to call it "rage seizures" because when it happens I don't remember what happened and I am not in control of myself mentally or physically.  Many Lymies are also, at times, depressed, bipolar, have severe mood swings, and extremely emotional.  And many Lyme patients have insomnia (either because of pain or just can't sleep). For me, I don't fall asleep till usually 4am, then I wake up around 530 and stay awake till 730, and sleep off and on till noon. This supplement is supposed to help with all of this! PLUS it is natural so I can have as many as will help. In energy drinks taurine is used to calm the body from the "jitters" associated with caffeine.
Cragaegus: This is taken to support the heart.  I have heart palpitations, my heart flutters, and it stings.  When my heart freaks out it is extremely painful and scary.  This is supposed to help with all of that.
I am also on a pro-biotic, Formula 303 (muscle relaxer), and Cortisol Manager (helps keep my body from operating in constant fight mode).

Antibiotics:
Azithromycin: This is my third month on this.  This kills babesia.
Plaquenil: This is an anti-malarial drug that goes after the Babesia.  When Lyme feels it is under attack it comes together into balls, cysts, so that it isn't easily killed.  This antibiotic attempts to break apart those cysts and attack the bacteria.

Since I started everything last night I've been feeling extremely crummy, like the flu.  Nauseous, stomach pain, dizzy, headache, aches and pains, just BLAH. Really hoping to feel a change here soon.  Still fighting and I'm not going to give up. This has been a really hard 4 months with a really uncertain future, but my hope is in Jesus.  He hasn't failed me yet. 

Energy Expelled: While writing this I took a nap for energy and had an epsom salt bath to help with the pain. Took about 5 hours to write. Used the rest of my "spoons" (spoon theory) for the day to finish this. 

~When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2)