tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90011294416943901832024-02-20T02:46:22.447-06:00Water With LymeMy personal pilgrimage with Lyme Disease and its coinfections. My hope is to offer some insight, comfort, and solidarity to those with Lyme Disease and those who care for them, all from a natural healing perspective.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-70132284693330151732015-08-07T12:47:00.002-05:002015-08-07T12:47:34.419-05:00Take Care<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi everybody! I am kinda stunned that I haven't written anything on here since January of 2014 and it is now August 2015. BUT, I'm happy to report why - I've been doing actually really so much better. I can rely on having energy every day - like 3-4 'normal people' hours, I'm back at like 60-70% health. I started a business with my husband and have been doing some truly amazing things with it. Sometimes it blows my mind at how much I'm accomplishing, actually. I feel like I'm doing things that fully, robustly healthy people would be lucky to get done. And when I do have a bad, unproductive, day (usually only 2-3 of these per month, thank you, full moon), I have these flashbacks of how bad things were and my brain explodes. I've got a new normal, still filled with challenges, but overall I think I'm past the worst of it, for now anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know, it's really crazy how perfect everything goes. I suffered. Wow, did I suffer, but working through that process of climbing back up inch by inch wouldn't have been possible if I didn't start at the bottom, you know what I mean? How can you climb up if you don't start at the bottom? How do you know how bright the light is if you've never seen the darkness? How can you possibly have joy without sorrow? Pain is just part of it. Physical pain, emotional pain, it's all a part of how it goes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started getting a little bit more involved in online Lyme stuff again, which has always been a total balancing act for me. When you're sick, you spend all your time online, it's the only social interaction you have, you're busy trying to research more ways to get better since even the doctors seem to still be just figuring this whole thing out, you're online A LOT. When I truly regained some health points, it became imperative for me to put some distance between my little health bubble and constantly reading about and absorbing the struggle. I had to free some head space and physical space to ease back into the real world, basically. So I did, I basically quit interacting with Lyme stuff online, because what I realized is the more I thought about the struggle, interacted with the struggle, the worse I would feel. I would actually feel the struggle more. I was reading about how people are hurting, being shunned, filling my brain with it for hours and hours a day. It's no wonder it started encroaching on my little bubble of health. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've come back a little bit to the online Lyme community to help a few specific people in a few specific ways, but I have to be careful, ever so careful, I get so affected by things. Just goes to show that this whole thing (life, illness, wellness) is always a balancing act. That's the real work. Protecting who you are, protecting your thoughts, your feelings, even more than you protect your body, taking care of all those things. Because at the end of the day, you are responsible for what you think, how you feel, and how you behave. You have to act, you have to take care of all of yourself. You can get lazy and just give in to feeling lousy (physically, or about the world, or about your life, or whatever), and sometimes it's the right thing to do, just rest and let it go, let it happen, just please not for too too long. I have to remember to act and to work on it, every day. It's become easier of course since the struggle has diminished, and my years of practice. :0) So I guess if there's one thing I'm trying to say, it's Take Care. It's ok to take care of yourself, in fact it's the right thing to do, even if means you don't take care of other things. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-6977815879778613622014-01-06T19:59:00.000-06:002014-01-06T19:59:31.109-06:00How am I, you ask? <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I posted a status quo update, so I thought I'd get you up to date. I'm doing ok. Actually, I'm a <i>helluvalot </i>better than I was a year ago, and certainly then I was two years ago. It's still just mind boggling to me to think that I'm still dealing with this, going on <i>3 years</i> now. I'm doing well enough that I started a company with my husband - he's a composer, so he does most of the work! I just do the paperwork and deadline-keeping, although not so much the last two months. I've become more tired, had more headaches and neck pain, but most significantly, much more brain fog, I mean we're talking almost straight up confusion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The confusion no doubt is caused by the fact that I'm chelating out lead. I did a heavy metals urine test, which came back medium for lead, not too shabby! The doctor said that it may be mercury as well, because they share receptors (or something? Like I said, brain fog...). I've already had one small amalgam filling out and will have my medium/large one out next week. (When doing this, it's important to have it done very carefully, by a biological dentist. If your doctor still puts amalgams in, that's a big red flag not to have them remove the amalgams, they surely won't do it according to safe guidelines. More on this <a href="http://www.hugginsappliedhealing.com/find-dentist.php" target="_blank">HERE</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Here is the naturopathic protocol I'm currently following:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With this protocol, I'm treating: Lyme, adrenals, toxic black mold overgrowth, chronic Epstein Barr Virus, parasites, lead toxicity, Babesiosis, Bartonella, and several MTHFR mutations (I'm not sure which ones! Plus, I discovered more that we aren't addressing).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Nattokinase</u>: This is an enzyme that I take away from food, to break the biofilms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Adren-all</u>: It's got adaptogenic herbs as well as actual adrenal gland in it. I tested pretty low across the board. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Adrenal Health</u>: This one is just more adaptogens, since I muscle tested for needing a little more than the Adren-all. (Click <a href="http://naturopathic.org/content.asp?pl=14&contentid=314" target="_blank">HERE</a> for an overview on adrenals.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Folate 1000</u>: This a form of methylfolate, it helps treat one (or more?) of my MTHFR mutations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Chlorella</u>: I take broken cell wall chlorella 3 times a day, this helps carry away mold, Lyme, and any other bugger I'm killing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>MicroDefense</u>: I LOVE this supplement, it's a combination of antimicrobials including clove, black walnut, and olive leaf. It also smells SO good! My favorite doctor/teacher had this theory that if you have a healthy thing that smells really good to you, it's your body's way to telling you that you need it. *Does not apply to french fries!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Essential Oil capsule</u>: I'd like to tell you this one with caution. Essential oils can be quite powerful and should not be taken without supervision from your physician. I take this capsule twice a day. I mix up 3 drops each of: clove (for - I can't remember what), frankincense (for oxygenating the brain), rosemary (I can't remember why), and lemongrass (because diffusing it into my eyes eliminated my floaters which we attribute to parasites).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vitamin D</u>: 5,000mg per day, I can't remember why, I think general immune support? Wow, this post is becoming less and less useful, isn't it? Ha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>LDM 100</u>: Lomatium tincture, specifically for EBV.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>NK Stim</u>: This supplement is taken with LDM 100, to help increase efficacy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Chelate-Mate</u>: Liquid minerals, I take this 1x/day, 2x/day on days I take EDTA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>EDTA rectal suppositories</u>: Ewie! They're not that bad. I use 2-3 times per week, most people use EDTA IV's to chelate, but I'm too far from my doctors' office. Ironically, I usually feel better the day after I use it, this treats the lead toxicity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Greens First</u>: A greens powder supplement, just because greens are always a good thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Nystatin</u>: Prescription drug for mold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Yucca stalk</u>: I take this for one of my MTHFR mutations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Azithromycin</u>: Yup. Back on those dang antibiotics for Lyme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Cholestyramine</u>: For mold, as well as high cholesterol.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Lumbrokinase</u>: A biofilm breaker upper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Probiotics</u>: 15 billion 2x/day, 4 hours away from antibiotics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Quina</u>: 16 drops per day, I can't remember what it's for - Lyme/Bart/Babs?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>St. John's Wort</u>: For seasonal affective disorder. I.e. winter depression. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Alinia:</u> 2x/day pharmaceutical for parasites, but only 3x/week for one week on, then two weeks off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This protocol has been working out ok for me, I feel ok (better than a year ago, but worse than a month ago), I'm just starting this protocol out. Prior to this one, my protocol was pretty similar, yet my C4a has gone up from 16,528 to 19,780. (These numbers are quite high, the reference range is 0 - 2800, but they're better than 59,290 which is what it was before I had my moldy house remediated!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, I'm totally forgetting why I posted that! Hopefully it will help you. That's my overall goal. Remember, I'm not some Queen Bee with all the answers, and each of our bodies are different, but if this can help you one little bit, then that's just great. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to get a hold of me, get me on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/waterwithlyme" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I can't figure out how to reply to comments left here, it doesn't let me for some reason and I don't like to leave people hanging. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-78230470175761483572013-10-16T11:10:00.002-05:002013-10-16T11:10:34.435-05:00STRONG.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know, I am amazingly grateful to have been dealt this challenge of chronic illness. I know, I know, everyone who says that is just being naive. So what, call me naive if you don't think this is a good way of looking at things. Have fun focusing on all that's gone wrong instead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always liked to think I was a strong person, the type of person who could bear anything, rise above it, fight, win. But it was never put to the test like this before. Having been there, having sunken, and having slowly, steadily risen up again with nothing but sheer will. Being shown and having proof that I have this kind of resolve and resilience is an amazing gift that most people never, ever get. They don't really know how they'll fare if something terrible happens to them. But I do. Now I know how bright the light is because I was shown the darkness. Now I know how strong the strength within me is because I've had to use it to push back. I was challenged and I met it. And won. I. am. strong. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-45534815359988220662013-04-02T20:00:00.000-05:002013-04-02T20:00:04.732-05:00Lyme is what you HAVE, not who you ARE<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The relationship between a host and its parasite isn't usually a complicated one. Once the host becomes aware of its host status, it tries to eliminate the parasite, often with ease. But having Lyme is waaay different, your 'parasite' doesn't just go away with a quick prescription and a few weeks. If you have chronic Lyme, it's something that you have for a while....years usually. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I struggle with the idea of mentally accepting the Lyme diagnosis, like I'm sure every single Lyme patient does. On one hand, accepting it is good because then you have a target to shoot at (but then again that target is inside you, so...). On the other hand, do you really want to create the mental space for the Lyme bug? After all, you're already giving it physical space. Maybe you don't necessarily want to let it shack up in your mental energy either, most of that is already sucked out in coping with the loss of your work, school, social, even essential day-to-day tasks life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making an energetically accepting attitude toward that Lyme bug might make it easier to stick around, maybe it will pick up on your 'it's ok that you're here' attitude and prolong its stay. Yet, you can't always mentally be at war with your body's invaders....can you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So. How do you accept your infection while not accepting your infection? Think of it like jail. You don't want to be stuck in there with bad guys. But you are. You can tolerate them, but you don't wanna get too chummy. Accepting the current situation is a good reality check, but just because you're locked up together doesn't mean you have to get too comfortable. And remember that it's only a matter of time before you make bail and are free again. All things are temporary. Plus, there's plenty you can do to ensure you get free, and that's the best part. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-35598665273536292722013-03-22T17:06:00.001-05:002013-03-22T17:06:09.938-05:00How do your genes fit?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a mutant! Run for your life! I have genetic mutations, that is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've found a complete game changer in my healing: genetics! Genetics is very complicated and complex and your genetic information is PURE GOLD when it comes to healing. You ever wonder why so many people can handle their Lyme Disease (and don't even know they have it!), or why every single treatment plan is different, why some people respond to certain medications and some don't....it's all in the genes, man. Knowing your genetic make up is an absolute game-changer when healing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the behest of my favorite LLND, I did a gene test through a company called 23andme. Initially, I was interested in finding out if I have a couple broken genes (specifically ones for detoxifying and mold accumulating). It took me awhile to do the saliva sample and send it off, I guess because knowledge about your genes isn't knowledge you can UN-KNOW. And, your genes are something you can't change, either. But I finally decided, ok, I'd get this done and focus on the few genes that can really complicate healing from Lyme and toxic black mold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the results did come back, a whopping 6 weeks later, I was more lost than I was before. Because of the type of lab that 23andme is, they do not interpret your data for you and you receive 40 pages of what looks like serial numbers (but hey - that's because it only cost $99 instead of $800!). MTRR A66G, CBS A360A, and COMT V158M are examples. So you can imagine, I was left scratching my head. I did some sleuthing and found a site that you can run your results through and it kind-of turns it into useful information. <i> The key with this is to have your data interpreted by a nurse or doctor or someone who's familiar with reading raw genetic data. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, the genes that affect my immunity and healing and were found to be mutated and causing problems are VDS, CBS, and MTRR. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So basically, my body lacks the ability to make a crucial enzyme that's needed to process stuff through the body. And, the previous step to the broken enzyme-maker is also busted. And the one that has something to do with vitamin D absorption, and I think maybe there was another mutation. Great news is that we can work on all of it with specific supplementation in a specific order and time frame to get back on track.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without knowing this, we would have been shooting arrows in the dark. In my experience, knowing my genetic make up has been positively instrumental in getting this healing done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: I just <i>cannot</i> figure out why I'm unable to reply to comments here on the blog. Oh, computers. I'm stumped and don't like leaving people hanging. So if you do have a comment or question, please get a hold of me on my Facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/waterwithlyme">www.facebook.com/waterwithlyme</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-70857067031665609052013-03-17T16:41:00.000-05:002013-03-17T16:41:02.959-05:00Like sand through an hourglass<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, I've never been a <i>Days of Our Lives</i> watcher (if that's even the right soap opera that phrase comes from).</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I <i>have </i>been getting better - most of the time, overall I think. I'm still dead tired, having temperature regulations problems, tinnitis, dizziness, headaches, neck pain, and my right knee really hurts, but none of that is nearly as bad as it was a year ago. A. year. a. go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're working on refinancing our mortgage and the woman at the bank was asking me about my work history - ha. Since I've been too sick to work (except for these great couple of months before I got too worn out again in the fall), we have to do some extra leg work to do this refinancing business. So naturally, this dear woman was very curious why a perfectly normal-looking person is sitting in front of her telling her she's too sick to work. She vaguely recalled something about Lyme Disease and inquired...<i>is this STILL Lyme Disease?</i> And the answer was, <i>Yup. Since August 2011.</i> That's when I got all weird in my head. It's 2013. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been sick for approximately 1 year and 7 months. 1 year and 7 months of feeling lousy isn't that bad, but 1 year and 7 months of wasted productivity <i>is</i>. And don't get me wrong, I count myself lucky - there are plenty of people who are far sicker than I am, have no access to healthcare (thanks a lot, for-profit healthcare system), and have been sick for 15+ years. I count my blessings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just wish I could work on all these projects I used to work on. Or could have the energy to make my husband dinner every night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is when I have to remember the key to all of this - thankfulness! No, I couldn't spend 5 hours today working on my projects, but yes, I was able to eek out one blog post! No, I didn't have the energy to stand for 45 minutes to wash dishes, but yes, I was able to bring all of them to the kitchen. Don't spend your energy or your time focusing on all the can't's in your life. That won't be worth your time. But feeling better about what you <b style="font-style: italic;">can</b> do is well worth your time. </span></div>
Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-26259739142843427642012-10-25T11:52:00.000-05:002012-10-25T11:52:35.115-05:00This mold house<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mold, mold, mold. Ahhh, that terrible, invisible, frightening thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mold is a big problem, even if you don't have Lyme. And when you do, it's a double whammy of neurotoxins. But take heart, there are plenty of things you can do to make your house safer and healthier that are pretty cheap. (And of course, there are things you can do that are not very cheap)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My LLND told me that I should get my house checked out since many of my symptoms appear to be more mold than Lyme. ! We started out with a vision test for $15 that you can do entirely online, she said this would give us a good indicator as far as how moldy my body has become, and based on those tests we would consider how to treat or further testing that costs more than $15. And here it is: <a href="http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com/">http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com/</a>. The premise is that certain biotoxins affect your vision in a very specific way and this vision test can be an indicator about the biotoxin level harbored by your body. I failed it miserably, and so she ordered a C4a lab test - this is an indicator for the mycotoxin load my body's carrying. (Mold spores themselves whether dead or alive are an allergen, but the living spores also spray out what's called a mycotoxin - this is the big, bad thing that sticks in your body and tries to decompose you). We're still waiting on the C4a results, but based on the mold testing we did on the house (which came back positive for the most poisonous and the second most poisonous mold), my doctor put me on Difflucan, an anti-fungal to get started on some sort of mold-clearing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the issue with mold is that it's a neurotoxin - like Lyme. And my doctor put it really plainly as far as the importance and urgency of clearing the mold - both from my house and my body. She said that Lyme wants you alive, it wants to disable you a little bit so that it can thrive - but Lyme needs you alive; mold doesn't. Mold wants to kill you and decompose your body into nothing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were able to get our house professionally remediated and we found the source of the problem - leaky basement and leaky pipes. Getting those fixed is the big picture, but there are lots of other little things we're doing to ensure we have a healthy house. (This two-pronged approach is best - eliminate the source that's causing the mold and eliminate the mold stuffs already sprayed into the air.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dehumidifiers are essential for damp areas like basements, as well as real HEPA filters in air purifiers (careful with this, lots of air purifiers have really sneaky wording so you have to be sure that you're getting one that truly captures mold spores, as small at .2 microns in size).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from those, a new thing I discovered is Thieves essential oil, the air inspector said that she's seen it work wonders - she's seen spaces go from 25,000 particles of mold per square meter down to the normal 400 particles per square meter, after only spraying Thieves Household Cleaner on mold 2x/day for 2 months! I found the recipe and made my own and have it running in an essential oil diffuser 24/7 (bonus - it smells kind of like cinnamon and spice, perfect for autumn!). I also learned that getting a German made vacuum with a closed system and HEPA filter will be an item to save up for. Normal vacuums, even ones with 'HEPA' filters recycles the air, but the German made vacuums are actually better at cleaning the air than air purifiers - the air that comes out is cleaner than the air that goes in! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleaning is also essential - we are now spending much more of our time sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting because dust is the perfect little thing for mold to attach itself to, it's great at riding the dust. At this point, we're still cleaning out the hyphal parts (dead mold spore pieces that are still an allergen).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But now, I can breathe again! I'm still sicker and it will probably take a while for the mycotoxins already present in my body to get cleared out, but we'll get there. One day at a time. Just imagine how much healthier I'm going to be when my body is free of mold and can focus more on executing that Lyme! (Also I feel extra scatter-brained today, so sorry if this post didn't make very much sense, you know how that goes)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-42385751410396623122012-09-23T13:58:00.002-05:002012-09-23T13:58:22.150-05:00Pilgrimage<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pilgrimage: noun; any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest for a votive purpose. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this being sick all the time thing is definitely a pilgrimage. It's long. It's a journey. It's undertaken as a challenge, albeit involuntarily. The purpose is to survive and get better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And boy, am I feeling the challenge right now. I had one month of near-well health - energy, hardly any headaches or pain. It was such a sweet reminder of the goal I'm working towards. So I started to set my life up again - working, resuming classes, even planning my husband's 30th birthday party. Then, WHAMMO! I got sick again. I am resuming treatment, this time with super hardcore, high dose antibiotics (I was able to get away with relatively low dose before) and I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to be doing to get better. Only now, I have work, school, and this party-planning to do. Things were so much easier when I could just stay in bed and be sick. I have no idea how people do 'being sick' AND work, classes, or any other obligation. I commend you, true Lyme Warriors, I know you're out there, working hard and being sick and trying to hold it all together. And in way more dire circumstances than I am right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think at this point, I would rather have less functioning and more pain rather than where I am right now. I have some pain and some functioning, but not enough to meet all the expectations I've committed to. Even after already cutting those expectations in half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel totally lost. Totally inadequate. I have no idea how I'm supposed to organize the mold remediation that has to be done (oh yeah - did I mention we discovered we have the most poisonous mold and the 2nd most poisonous mold in our house? This is making me even sicker.) I can barely get through a 5 hour day at work. I can barely drive. I've outlawed myself from driving on the highway because I had some close calls. Apparently I can't even keep my brain on long enough to pay attention to driving. My dear sweet husband has had a bad year and it's his 30th birthday and I wish I could just keep the details straight and simply plan a freaking party for him. But I find myself not remembering where we are going, what we are doing, or all these other details, let alone how they all are supposed to fit together. This is something I normally would be all over and it would be awesome. He really, <i>really</i> deserves just one fun night. And I totally wish I could give it to him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose it's just time to be honest with myself and everybody around me. I just can't do this stuff right now. Not that I won't be able to once I get better (whenever that's going to stick), and not because I am some sort of invalid person. It's really simple. I'm just too sick right now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the bright side, once we figure out this mold situation and we get it all resolved, I'll probably feel a ton better, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I'll just keep chugging along and doing what I can. Counting the blessings that I <i>do </i>have, and trying not to think too much about the rest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There. That felt good to get out. Now, for the icing on the cake, I'm going to go emotionally eat. Probably some popcorn. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-73918178702046645342012-09-06T19:57:00.004-05:002012-09-06T19:57:58.942-05:00Tease<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a tease. Some of you out there may know that I was able to begin work a few weeks ago - antibiotic-free, relatively symptom-free (well - less symptoms, enough where I could get through an 18 hour a week job anyway). By and large, it was going quite well. Until.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until I spent all last weekend (it's Thursday as I write this - I think) in bed. It was all too familiar. Tired. Headaches. Stiff neck so stiff it was just roaring, unabating pain. I spent this whole year that way, if I had the presence of mind, I would have been more upset about it at the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not long ago, my dear sweet husband moved the couch and discovered mold on the floor. Black mold. (Ughhhh) He then valiantly proceeded to eradicate it and I had the bright idea that we ought to refinish the floors (it had been a long time since that had been done. We were getting slivers!). WE. Hahahaha. (For the record - I really did mean 'we,' and it did start as 'we' before it went to just 'he.' That super awesome man did the whole thing - sanding, staining, polyurethaning). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we weren't sure if I was having an acute mold toxicity issue or maybe it was stress from work, but something put me DOWN and <i>out.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to the doctor today and got a glutathione injection as well as a vitamin D injection. We deduced that it is both - I've got a mold toxicity problem AND the Lyme is coming back. Great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel so done. My trained brain (that is - the brain I've trained to be hopeful despite hopelessness, to see the bright side in spite of all the darkness, to seek things to be thankful for rather than to seek things to complain about) is telling me that 1 year is a phenominally fast recovery. And of course, naturally a set back is to be expected and even looky-here, we caught things nice and early before I had too much of a regression, so I'm still sittin' pretty and doing well. True.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But my lazy, strictly reactive brain and feelings are so done. I am so sad and mad and frustrated that more time, <i>more</i> resources, more energy have to be spent. And here I was thinking I could host this grand 30th birthday for my husband at the end of the month (who so much deserves it). Now I get to talk to my boss about taking breaks and working less. And I get to drop a class again. And I get to spend a bunch of money again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really do feel like throwing a little hissy fit and just crying and stomping around. I did some of that today and it did seem to help. Plus, I guess I would rather be optimistic and happy than grumpy and upset. We'll see. Maybe I'll go back and forth for a few more hours today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a tease. 4 weeks of relative freedom from sickness. But, it ok. I would rather have had them than not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Months of penicillin, here I come. </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-40157905040484232282012-08-05T11:36:00.002-05:002012-08-05T11:36:19.543-05:00Here we go<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rather monumental date for me is coming up soon and it's leaving me feeling all kinds of stuff. I'm a little bundle of emotions. ;)</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year, on August 13th, 2011, I laid down in my Wisconsin backyard to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. Being the impulsive person I am, when I got home from working late that night, I just went right out and plopped myself down in the grass, no bug spray, no blanket to lie on - who cares, I was just going to be in my own backyard doing some stargazing for a bit. It was cool, clear, and the grass was a little pokey, but mostly comfortable. The air seemed fresh and refreshing, it was nice, save for the bug bites that started after a little bit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was the night I got the bite that gave me Lyme Disease. And I didn't see even one meteor, either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As if set on a timer, 2 weeks exactly after that night, I developed quite substantial joint pain and headaches, and there started my journey with chronic illness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't believe it's been about a whole year. I count myself oh so very fortunate (blessed?) that I am honestly about all better. It mystifies me that I had the right group of healers, right family, right husband, right everything to guide me through this whole mess in only one year. It's like everything was set up just for me to have what I needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that I had months of late assignments and dropping classes before withdrawing completely from school last fall. And now, in less than a month, I will be picking up where I left off (just 2 classes though - the easiest ones). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that about a year ago, I became completely unreliable at work (a grieving process unique to those who get sick or injured, I think). And soon, I'll be starting work again with a very understanding boss who knows my whole medical history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm enormously glad to pick up my life again, slowly, with caution, but with an overwhelming amount of gratitude that I even get to try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a year it has been. And I really do think that this episode of Lyme is just about at its close, that is, until I have some kind of trauma like a car accident or a surgery. Hahaha.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do have plans to watch that meteor shower this year, perhaps from the seat of my car, or slathered in insect repellent sitting on a lawn chair. Maybe I'll get to see a meteor this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It ain't about how hard you hit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's about how hard you can GET hit,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and keep moving forward.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's about how much you can take,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and keep moving forward.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's how winning is done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ~ Rocky Balboa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-28049113559839158932012-06-24T10:31:00.001-05:002012-06-24T10:31:57.865-05:00Pink angels, huh?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lyme Disease, grief, fibromyalgia, depression, and plenty of other illnesses are invisible, you can't plainly see that a person is suffering because there is no visible proof. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As people who suffer from invisible illness, we are pretty aware of how powerful and real something you cannot see can really be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd like to tell you about something profoundly personal that happened to me. Probably the most personal thing I will ever share with one simple click. You don't need to believe it to have happened at all, let alone to be as significant as I believe it to be, but please be respectful to me after you read it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just shy of 12 months ago, my mother-in-law died of pancreatic cancer (you may have been wondering why I keep mentioning grief as an invisible thing that makes you suffer, this is why). She was wise, fun, artistic, and deeply spiritual. She left behind many pieces of art - poetry, children's stories, but mostly paintings. When we got all the stuff printed up for the funeral (the memorial cards, thank you cards, etc.) we had one of her paintings printed on the cover - an angel with the handwritten verse: 'See, I am sending an angel before you to guard you along the way. Ex 23:20' We thought that would be especially significant and nice, since she had painted an angels series and given one each to her 5 children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've been healing and getting better, I've been trying to make up for the last 10 months of little attention paid to my spiritual well-being, what with pretty much all my energy put into my physical well-being. It probably has a lot to do with the 1 year anniversary of my mother-in-law's death just around the corner, but I've been doing a lot of reflecting on the spiritual nature of things, outside myself. You know, all that invisible, yet powerful stuff. But there was an event that started this new focus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was talking with an open-minded someone (who has a medical background) about my health and we were talking about my fever and my joints, it was kinda like a doctor's appointment. We were both thrilled and excited that I seem to be getting much better. When we were almost done talking, she said, 'and why are you pink?' I looked at my arm, it didn't look pink to me, I did feel a little flushed so I replied, 'I don't know, I'm kinda hot right now.' Then she said, 'no, I mean an aura, there's pink all around you.' <i>(Now I know what you must be thinking - it's kinda weird when people say they see colors around people. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Who knows why or why not, but remember I'm speaking with someone who has a medical background and is also open-minded, not a grass-skirt-wearing, patchouli-scented moon maiden).</i> I didn't know if she really saw the pink or not, either way, it was fine with me if she wanted to think she saw it. Wanting to be respectful, but not quite knowing how to respond, I kinda looked at her, and as nonchalantly as I could, I said, 'I don't know.' She kinda shrugged and said, 'Oh well, must be angels. You do have lots of angels around you.' I thought to myself, 'pink angels, huh? Sure, I'll take 'em, I'll take all the help I can get!' I think I mostly forgot that happened, because I didn't think about it again for a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks later, I was standing in my husband's office and was admiring this stained glass piece that one of my sister's-in-law had custom made for us. It's a beautiful piece of the angel my mother-in-law had painted, the same one we worked with a lot in putting the funeral together; a nice likeness. I don't know how I never noticed before, but it's pink. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My pink angel(s).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'May you be aware of His angels near you to bring strength and hope and peace.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ~ Handwritten by my mother-in-law on the back of the original angel painting </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(*Can I also just say how resilient and full of strength my husband is? Within a 2 month period, we watched his mother get sick and die, the dog he's had since he was 13 get sick and die, and me get sick. I don't know where I would be without him and his ever-caring, compassionate, healing self. I am so lucky, I can't even stand it.)</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-72601715978444548552012-06-04T18:40:00.000-05:002012-06-04T18:40:16.285-05:00Solidarity<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that when some big things happen in life, like the death of a loved one, a chronic illness (like Lyme Disease), or an injury, or something else that makes your life change drastically, you, most times unwillingly, are entered into a club. A club of people separate from the normal life and daily 'worries' that most people live in. Your biggest concern is no longer what to wear, what to eat for dinner, vacation or business decisions. Your biggest concern is how to get through one day. Today. <br /><br />You have entered a world of challenges and changes coming so fast and from everywhere that it's hard to keep up. Nobody teaches you how to give up your job, your social life, your school, or other things that make your life <i>your</i> life. It's easy to feel alone, desolate. After all, everyone else is still concerned with the latest hairstyle or where they'll go next for vacation and they don't really understand what you're going through. (Keep in mind, through no fault of their own - I mean, face it - you didn't consider that life could be so hard until 'it' happened to you.)</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the other side to the usual 'odd man out' feeling is that you have become a member of this thing called the 'hard knock life.' There are plenty of people who are also suffering invisibly, just like you are. You probably don't see them at work, or at the library, or in your normal everyday life. But they're there. You just have to find them. (Thank GOD for the internet, right?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of you may be familiar with the political state of Wisconsin right now - there's a recall election coming up, tomorrow actually, to decide if we want to keep our present Governor, Scott Walker, or elect someone else, Mayor of Milwaukee Tom Barrett to take over. I only mention it because one of the bigger catchphrases of the side who wants to elect Tom Barrett is the pro-union side, who often uses the uniting battle cry 'Solidarity!' to stick together with the rights of the union interests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solidarity means sticking together, a group of people with a common interest or common responsibilities. And that's us. Even though you probably won't meet others struggling with chronic illness or grief or injury in your every day life, <i>you are not alone</i>. There are others with your shared interest (getting through today) and your shared responsibilities. You just need to find them. And if you read this, you just did.</span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-8526502438800007052012-05-11T14:45:00.003-05:002012-05-11T14:45:44.831-05:00Judge not<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An enormous lesson that I’ve
taken from this whole chronic illness thing is </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">do NOT judge</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It might seem
like a strange connection, and I suppose it is.
But once you become one of the slow, inattentive bad drivers, wearing
sweatpants in public, walking really slowly down the aisle at the grocery store
with frustrated people trying to get by you, you realize that hey – all those
people I would have normally judged as lazy, slobs, totally unaware of manners
or of themselves – probably have some pain going on that forces them to be that
way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know if I’m the only one,
but I am getting well enough that I am starting to become aware of how I appear
in public. I used to be so sick that
when it came down to it and I needed something from the store, I would muster
up all the energy I had to get out the door and get it – unbrushed teeth, sweat
pants, and hair a bird could nest in. I
was so sick that it never occurred to me how crazy I must have looked, especially
thrown in that I am sure I was walking really slowly, trying to deal with the
vertigo and dizziness that would normally cause me to walk right into a wall. I was so sick that all I could think about was
picking up the medication or whatever I needed to pick up. But the better I’ve
gotten (HALLELUIAH!), the more I’m starting to return to a state of
normalcy. With the weight gain of lying
around for 7 months essentially immobile, and with all the crazy things Lyme does to your body to get you to create more fat where it can thrive, I don’t really have any pants that fit
anymore. So I’m still out in sweatpants,
but at least my teeth are brushed and hair is somewhat presentable. I know I still look bad, compared with normal
standards of people being out in public, and it’s pretty clear now that I am
noticing the looks I get. Looks like ‘Gross
– this lazy girl can’t even put jeans on?’ or ‘Ew, what’s wrong with her.’ That moment when I am looked up and down, get eye rolls, and their lips curl up. Ugh, it's like high school all over again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing that makes me the most
comfortable when I'm presenting my sick self to the world is to wear my lime green ‘Lyme Awareness’ bracelet, and kind flash
it around a bit, so maybe the onlookers will see it and realize that I’m sick. And THAT'S why
I look and act like I'm totally out of it. It's not drugs. Well, not the recreational kind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do have to admit that I used to be
one of those smirking onlookers! Judging
all those ‘People of Walmart’ and people seemingly unaware <i>that I am TRYING to pass…why can’t they just move a little faster?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I get it now, having been on the other side. Plenty of people are suffering in visible
ways AND <u>invisible</u> ways. They're sick. Or grieving. Or injured. So don’t be judgin.’ Don’t be hatin.’ Because you have <i>no idea</i> what people are going through. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-66301306128976640632012-04-26T15:20:00.001-05:002012-04-26T15:20:21.470-05:00My new status quo<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It dawned on me today that you
might be wondering how my naturopathic protocol to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">eradicate
Lyme has been working out for me. Well, here’s
the scoop! (Here’s the protocol I’m
talking about: </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/nitty-gritty-my-lyme-protocol.html"><span style="color: #ae2cff;">http://www.waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/nitty-gritty-my-lyme-protocol.html</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space">)</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have been on this protocol for about 5 months, with only a
few adjustments, everything remained largely the same. The neat thing is I have had check-ins with
my ND usually every 4-6 weeks (or more often if something came up) to make sure
the plan is working well and all is running smoothly. And for the most part, it has. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have definitely been improving, just slowly. (Although 5 months might not seem so slow to
most Lymies who are out there fighting the good fight for at least a few years
now – you GO, Chronic Badasses!).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My foggy brain is not a normal way of living now, it remains
on some days, but to a much lesser extent than it had been. Headaches, the same status. Fatigue is probably the biggest symptom
currently, but nonetheless, much better.
Now, there aren’t any days spent in bed all day, and I have the energy
to definitely do a couple things each day like dishes or pick up medication or
even grocery-shop! Ringing in the ears
used to be constant, now only sometimes.
I still get some vertigo-type feeling where it seems like my brain can’t
keep up with the information my eyes are taking in (ex: turning my head to look
left then right causes some dizziness and disorientation – this is why driving
is a nightmare and I don’t do it unless I absolutely have to). Nothing weird with the senses anymore – no sensitivity
to light, sounds, or strange smells.
Joint pain, muscle-twitching, and air hunger are doing really well –
mostly dissipated or rare occurrences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’m now in the phase where, knock on wood, my doc says I’m
approaching the clearing and nearly out of the woods! She said Lyme is no longer much of an issue,
instead the Babesia and Bartonella coinfections and the biggy is the Epstein
Barr Virus that took the opportunity of my sick body to invade. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here are the updated modifications on my naturopathic
protocol, although it is largely the same as the original one (I’m just listing
the adjustments, not the whole protocol. There's a lot more I'm doing the same as the original one ~ link above ~):<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Replaced the Viressence Tincture with a custom one</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. I was
taking a Klinghardt formula as an anti-viral, but switched to a custom herbal
tincture from my ND, it has Cat’s Claw, Elderberry, and Hawthorne in it for the
Babesia, to boost immune function, and to help my heart health. Taking 90 drops, 2x/day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Artemisinin</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is now 2 days on, 5 days off (instead of 4
days on, 3 days off).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The spleen glandular was a temporary one</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, took for awhile to help my spleen handle
everything better and it worked, so I discontinue that one per my doc’s
instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bentonite Green Clay</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> was switched back to the chlorella as the
binder/detoxifier, simply because the chlorella was a pill form and easier to
take. Now, I take 2-10 tablets, 2x/day,
depending on if I feel like I really need it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lyme & Coinfection Nosode</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> was discontinued for now, since it appears I
am nearly out of the woods! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Minocycline and Ceftin are discontinued!</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
Yipee! That’s my favorite one –
no more daily antibiotics!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The new additions to my naturopathic protocol include: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tindamax</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, this is an antibiotic I’m taking 500mg, 2x/day for 2
consecutive days per week, not on artemisinin days and not on Lightning Pearl
days( so 2 days on, 5 days off). This is
the poke that’s going to make sure the Lyme is really gone. Doing this one for 2 months. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lightning Pearls</span></u></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, these are Chinese Herbs in capsule form with
such herbs as wuaipi, baihe, and baizhi.
I take 2 capsules, 2x/day. 10
days on, 10 days off. At this stage of
the game, Chinese Medicine is really helpful in removing the ‘Gu,’ what Chinese
Medicine considers Lyme to be. It is
very fascinating. Here is an article
that talks about translating what the Western world of medicine knows as Lyme
to what the Eastern world of medicine knows as Gu. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/acupuncture-massage-publications/om-newspaper/116-summer-2011/1011-treating-chronic-inflammatory-diseases-with-chinese-herbs-gu-syndrome-in-modern-clinical-practice-.html">http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/acupuncture-massage-publications/om-newspaper/116-summer-2011/1011-treating-chronic-inflammatory-diseases-with-chinese-herbs-gu-syndrome-in-modern-clinical-practice-.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Acupuncture</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> sessions have really helped in
conjunction with the Lightning Pearls. I
try to go weekly or at least every other week.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">EBV Drops</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, I take this homeopathic preparation
2x/day, 10 minutes away from anything mouth.
This is to help me kick out the Epstein Barr Virus that’s being a pain in
the butt right now and may be the main culprit behind my fatigue and sore
throat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Balance D</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, 2 capsules, 2x/day until gone. This is a vitamin D with some other stuff to
help boost dopamine. When you are lying
around for months being sick, you get used to the idea that all you can do is
lie around. The increased dopamine will
help me feel like I can try and do stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Vitamin D Mulsion</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, 8 drops on tongue
per day. My doctor had this great
explanation about why vitamin D needs to be delivered in an emulsified form,
but I can’t remember why. My vitamin D
test came back super low, like 25.4 when ideal for a Lymie is 60-70! I also had a vitamin D injection in my
butt. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So overall, I definitely would
say that naturopathic medicine has been working for me to eradicate Lyme. Went from lying in bed all day not
remembering where I was to reasonable energy to do things! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you want to see an LLND and
live in Wisconsin, I can give you a couple of referrals - send me an email at waterwithlyme@gmail.com. Otherwise, check out <a href="http://www.naturopathic.org/">www.naturopathic.org</a>. Use the ‘Find a Doctor’ tab to find one in
your area, then give the office a ring and ask they specialize in Lyme, if no
one in the office does, they should know who in the area does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">**Big,
important thing to mention:</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> not everyone who uses the title
'Naturopathic Doctor' has medical training! All doctors at the website
above are licensed (which means that they have been to years of real medical
school and passed a board exam and the whole thing), but there are many, many
more people who complete an online course and then use the title 'Naturopathic
Doctor,'<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>even without any medical
training whatsoever</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> - be
careful of these posers. These are the 'quacks' that some people
associate with naturopathy. The reason for this disparity is lack of
legislation - in most of the states in the US, there is no regulation for
Naturopathic Doctors, so<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>anybody<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>can say they are a doctor. It's crazy and of
course hurts the real Naturopathic Medical community because you have a bunch
of delusional 'doctors' quite possibly causing harm in the name of Naturopathic
Medicine. (Did you know there are approximately 233 unlicensed, untrained
people who are 'practicing naturopathic medicine' using that title
'Naturopathic Doctor' (ND) in the state of Wisconsin? And only about 20
licensed naturopathic physicians! Just crazy.) Each state has a
small group of real ND's who are trying to get this regulation in place for
their state. Wisconsin's is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.wisconsin-nd.org/"><span style="background: white; color: #838383; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">www.wisconsin-nd.org</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #574202; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-87176433722089955182012-04-22T13:40:00.001-05:002012-04-22T13:40:43.839-05:00Faking it<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we learned from the Dr. Phil
Show on Lyme Disease (aired on April 13, 2012), many people are under the
impression that Lyme patients aren’t really sick. That they’re faking it. (After all, that’s what all the doctors are
saying, so why not?) That’s terrible,
not only to leave sick patients untreated, but actually to accuse them of
faking their symptoms. It’s hard to
think of a more tragic scenario in medicine than that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let’s talk about another kind
of faking it. Not faking that you are sick,
but faking that you aren’t. What I mean
is faking that you’re ok. Faking that
all is well when it’s not. This also
goes for anybody who’s not actually into something and have to appear to be. That would be most Americans at work. That
would be depressed people. That would be
grieving people. That would be most of
us, at probably more moments of our lives than we would care to admit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As sick or injured people, probably
the main reason we fake it is that we don’t want our loved ones to bear any
more of the burden than necessary. They
are already forced into flexibility simply by living with us sickies. We don’t want our loved ones to see us in
pain and the last thing we need is to have them worry about us. So what do we do? We fake that we’re fine. “Oh no, I’m ok, how are <i>you?” </i>“I’m fine, no
really.” I hope it’s safe to say that we
make it known when we really need care, like
oh-my-gosh-I’m-gonna-die-if-I-don’t-eat-something-right-now, or if we have a
serious episode where we need medical attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are sick with Lyme and are
faking feeling well for the sake of the people who love you, then good. That means you’re getting better! You’re no longer so sick that you don’t even
care and it doesn’t even occur to you to put on a brave face. You are no longer so sick that you can’t
remember what day it is, even where you are, and you’re not so foggy-brained
that you are simply in a daze in any given moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But still, why fake it? What do we gain from pretending to be ok when
we aren’t? I suppose we gain some
privacy. If you don’t appear to have a
problem, no one will ask you about it. I
suppose we gain a little respite from whatever we’re dealing with. We get to be distracted by pretending we’re
ok and working on other things instead of what’s really wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I say faking it can be a really
useful tool. And after faking being ok
for awhile, it becomes easier to actually <i>feel</i>
ok. (Assuming you know that you are faking being ok and that you really aren’t
ok. And are dealing with it instead of
just using the façade as a way to avoid dealing with it). So go ahead.
Fake it ‘til you make it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For us sickies or grieving people
or others who have big life events happen to them, we have a great reason to
fake okayness. But you ‘healthy’ people, be self-aware enough
to ask yourself the tough question <i>‘Am I
faking it day-to-day? Why? Am I getting what I truly want? Do I even know what I truly want?’ </i>I bet you will be at least a little
surprised at your inner dialogue. So
give yourself a few minutes. A little
self-analysis can be a far more valuable experience than you might expect. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">All men should strive</span><br style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;" /><span style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">to learn before they die</span><br style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;" /><span style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">what they are running from, and to, and why.</span><br style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;" /><span style="color: #330000; font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">~James Thurber</span></span>
</div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-87900299964397028972012-04-13T16:38:00.002-05:002012-04-13T19:54:54.409-05:00Heartbroken and angry<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Some of you may have seen the Dr. Phil Show that aired where the second half was dealing with Lyme Disease. While I am so happy that a mainstream outlet picked up at least some of the Lyme story, in the end, I just felt more heartbroken. And angry. Watch out, I get way more uppity in this post than in any of my other posts. There's a time and place for anger I think. And I guess it's here and now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It breaks my heart that many sick people are dismissed,
chastised, and ultimately left to suffer and die <i>by their own doctors</i> simply because a handful of doctors created
this powerful rule that simply says these sick people are insane.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds <u>absolutely</u> crazy, doesn’t it? Deny care, say the patient is nuts. That’s really it. Any standard medical office you walk into
will not be able to recognize Lyme Disease.
Furthermore, if you have received a 2-4 week course of antibiotics, you absolutely
will be denied further care, <i>even if you
still suffer from symptoms. </i>All
because there’s this all-powerful rule that almost all doctors follow when it
comes to treating Lyme. And it’s denying
that chronic Lyme exists and it’s all in our heads. How can it be denied that lengthy treatment
works? Look at all the people who have
been in the battle for a long time and <i>eventually
get better</i> vs. treating people for a really short amount of time, watching
them still suffer, and then throw your hands up and proclaim ‘They’re cured!’….<i>even when they are still dealing with all their symptoms!</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a special place in hell for the IDSA guideline
doctors who created these guidelines that hurt so many people, by denying them care. These doctors have direct conflicts of
interest with Lyme vaccine manufacturers, testing companies, and insurance
companies and based their guidelines off of research conducted by themselves,
while ignoring a huge body of research that completely contradicts their
findings. And surprise, surprise, the
main result is that insurance companies can deny payment for care for chronic
Lyme Disease.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can this happen in America? We all like to think that America is the best
at everything – science, medicine, fairness, democracy. How can we allow the rule-makers on medicine to
get paid by companies who have a stake in the outcome of those rules? It’s <i>absolutely</i>
<u>ridiculous</u>. Sure, it happens in
Congress and with lots of public policy.
But how can we really allow this in <i>medicine</i>,
<b>medicine</b> – where people <b><i>suffer</i></b>
and <b><i>die</i></b>
as a direct result?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can you have positive lab test results for a disease
and have a doctor tell you that you still don’t have that disease, or that the
disease itself does not exist?! How can
it be that people are dying from a disease that ‘does not exist?’ Many people are dying, are wheelchair-bound,
are blind, as a result of this <i>completely
preventable</i> disease. That’s the
worst part. If doctors knew how to
recognize Lyme and knew how to treat it in its most early stages, people would
not have to suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we allow this?
How can we allow all this suffering?
So much suffering that doesn’t need to happen. Wouldn’t need to happen if doctors
acknowledged chronic Lyme exists and if they knew how to treat it. How can we have doctors who swore an oath to
do no harm not only leaving patients untreated, but <i>blaming</i> their sickness <i>on
them</i> by saying it is the <i>patient</i>
who has a psychological disorder? How
can we call it good medicine – to ignore your patients’ symptoms and tell them
that they are psychotic?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I look forward to the dark day when enough people are
sick and dying and disabled from Lyme that we say enough is enough. Because clearly, it’s not enough people
yet. We haven’t waited until enough of
us have amassed a loud enough voice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disgusting.
Sad. What a waste of human life,
time, and suffering. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s what gets me – you would never in a million years
think you would have to quit school, work, and life as you know it all because
you got a bug bite. A stinkin’ <b>bug bite</b>. I certainly never, ever thought this would
happen to me, or that recovery would ever take this long (5 months and
counting...and I'm a LUCKY one! Most people get treatment for years!).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">If you suspect you have Lyme Disease (or you do have Lyme
Disease), it is absolutely imperative to be seen by a Lyme Literate Doctor, a
doctor who acknowledges that chronic Lyme exists. Otherwise, you will have the door slammed in
your face and the book closed – on you.
Your doctor will not recognize the symptoms of Lyme and will not
recognize that it even exists. You’ll
just be hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. To find a Lyme Literate physician, go
here: </span><a href="http://www.lymedisease.org/resources/referrals.html">http://www.lymedisease.org/resources/referrals.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To do something productive with your anger (hahaha), volunteer! There are always Lyme Awareness events
happening all around the country – walks (like Lace Up For Lyme in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin on May 19<span style="font-size: 15px;">, 2012</span>!), talks, or write-in/call-in campaigns. There's always a need for your energy to help in some way. (And, there's probably a need in you to do something with that energy - might as well use it to help!)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Victims of Lyme Disease are victimized twice by this
illness. First by the unending suffering
attached with this illness and second by a healthcare system that ignores them,
and sometimes doesn’t just ignore them, it mocks them, it ridicules them.”</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Dr. Jemsek, LLMD</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I encourage you to watch this ‘Speak The Truth’ speech by
Dr. Jemsek on youtube here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lHDA863TM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lHDA863TM</a></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-55639997092283847152012-04-09T09:58:00.003-05:002012-04-09T09:58:38.886-05:00Strong Like Bull<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi! It has been a while since I’ve done a post
and I hope you’re all doing okay. :0) My doctor had grounded me from the computer
and it’s taken me a while to figure out how to rejoin computerland. I do have to say that my 2 weeks away from the
internet with that nagging itch to check email or Facebook was truly
invigorating. I highly recommend
it. You’ll be amazed at how much more
relaxed you are, after even a couple days.
I had no idea how out of balance things were getting. Well, it was so easy to be so invested in ‘my
new life’ on the internet – that’s how it is when you’re too sick to interact
with people in real life.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to talk about mental
strength. Plenty of things happen in
life (like Lyme Disease!) that rob you of your physical strength, but there’s a
whole lot more that tries to rob you of your mental strength. What I mean by mental strength really is
will. Will to live, drive to ‘succeed,’ that
can-do, won’t-quit attitude; that intangible, invisible ‘moxy’ that separates
the fighters from the quitters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things like the death of a loved
one, a debilitating diagnosis, some kind of survival situation are all things
that test you just a bit. They poke you
a little bit, all the time, just to see how you’ll respond. To see if you’ll quit. Or see if you won’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been watching a lot of
survival shows lately (Man, Woman, Wild; Out of the Wild; Dual Survival) and
one common theme that all the survivors talk about is mental strength to get
through it. And the difference between
living and dying is not giving up. And
not giving in to frustration when things don’t work out. And really enjoying (and recognizing) all the
little victories along the way – like finding food, water, or shelter. Or, in our case, having a few pain-free
hours, or being able to get through a social situation without saying anything
too stupid, or being able to run an errand.
These are all little victories and so they should be treated as
such. (Yay, mini mental parties!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve learned about conditioning
my mind, as cliché as it may sound, to accentuate the positive and eliminate
the negative. And it’s hard, no doubt,
but does get easier, the more you do it.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the next time you get those
yucky thoughts telling you that you can’t do it, or it’s impossible, or that
things will never get better, do what you can to squash it. It’s a little test to see how you’ll
respond. Be sure to choose to respond
with a little attitude. ‘Oh no you didn’t…’ J And it takes time to remember that you don’t <i>have </i>to respond with despair or loathing
(although it’s ok to respond that way sometimes, just not all the time). And the reverse is true too, when things do
go your way, exaggerate how important it is.
Beef it up. Say to yourself, ‘way
to go, champ!’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll be flexing your mental
biceps before you know it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-3087908998490319022012-03-10T11:52:00.001-06:002012-03-10T11:52:59.810-06:00Do The Hustle<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When the going gets tough, the
tough get going - as in 'moving!'</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I know that exercising
is out of the question for my many Lymies – I mean, everything already hurts just
sitting there, so of course it’s going to hurt to get moving.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And it does – but in my experience, only the
first few minutes.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ve had more sick days (my
chronic Epstein Barr Virus is flaring up, so I’m feeling sick with a side of
sick) lately, so I must admit I have not exercised in a few days. But I did have a good stretch there when I
exercised pretty frequently – and let me tell you what I mean by 'exercise': watching
<i>The Biggest Loser</i> on Netflix,
marching in place, with a can of soup in each hand in lieu of weights – just kind
of waving my arms around. Lifting the
knees up when I could for a few steps, stepping side to side, doing maybe one
real exercise – bicep curls maybe? And
just doing that (of course with the curtains closed so no one sees me flailing
around) for 20 minutes until the egg timer dinged. The first 5 minutes were pretty headachey and
I had to slow down because of dizziness, but after that, it wasn’t bad at
all. I broke a bit of a sweat and got
the blood moving around. And I felt
better <i>for the whole rest of the day</i>! Maybe there’s something to this exercising
thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For those who aren’t as sick,
swimming is a great option – the water takes the weight off your joints, so you
can move with less pain. But at this
point, any movement is good. Even just
standing up every hour. I found this
great article – written for non-Lymies – about why it’s bad to sit all
day. I shared it on my Water With Lyme
Facebook page a while back and I’ll link to it here, because it is just so
good! </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5879536/how-sitting-all-day-is-damaging-your-body-and-how-you-can-counteract-it">http://lifehacker.com/5879536/how-sitting-all-day-is-damaging-your-body-and-how-you-can-counteract-it</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">And I know it’s part of Dr. Burrascano’s guidelines to
exercise – in fact, he says that exercise is crucial to the Lyme eradication
plan. Dr. Burrascano says: “Despite antibiotic treatments, patients will
NOT return to normal unless they exercise, so therefore an aggressive rehab
program is absolutely necessary. It is a fact that a properly executed exercise
program can actually go beyond the antibiotics in helping to clear the symptoms
and to maintain a remission.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">To read more about Dr. Burrascano and his ILADS-based
guidelines, go here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://researchednutritionals.com/FactSheets/Burrascano's%20Advanced%20Topics%20in%20Lyme%20Disease%20_12_17_08.pdf">http://researchednutritionals.com/FactSheets/Burrascano's%20Advanced%20Topics%20in%20Lyme%20Disease%20_12_17_08.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Plus, it's nearly spring! So do the hustle everybody! Get up!
It’s fun! It’s free! ;)<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-83632306239769845312012-03-05T12:57:00.000-06:002012-03-05T13:41:24.552-06:00March Madness Campaign<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nothing's going to get better. It's not.' ~ Dr. Seuss, The Lorax</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you someone who cares a whole awful lot about the lack of proper treatment for Lyme sufferers?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many, many Lyme sufferers are made bed-bound, wheelchair-bound, blind, or worse by this debilitating disease. Perhaps the worst part is that many are ignored, mocked, and left to suffer and die <i>by their own doctors </i>who tell them chronic Lyme does not exist and that what they need is psychiatric help. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Help us storm the gates of Congress at this outrage! Help us <b><i>demand</i></b> the current IDSA guidelines on Lyme be overturned. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you to Lucretia Perilli, Alan Burdge, Lisa Hilton, Tammy Hildebrand, Timothy Grey and all involved in getting our messages much needed Congressional attention</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please 'Join' the Facebook Event page 'Lyme Disease: MARCH MADNESS CAMPAIGN' here:<a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/128147847311061/">http://www.facebook.com/events/128147847311061/</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you without Facebook, here is what it says:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;">MARCH MADNESS CAMPAIGN – It’s now March 2012 and we are angry and appalled (NOT crazy)!</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;">WE WOULD LIKE THIS MARCH MADNESS CALL-IN CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE DAILY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH! WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN DO IT!!!</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;" /><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;">PHASE 1: On January 4, 2012, the Infectious</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left;"> Diseases Society of America (IDSA) posted this question on their Facebook wall: What would you like to see from your society in the coming year?<br /><br />Though the question was intended for the IDSA’s professional membership, people stricken with Lyme disease and their loved ones here in the US and abroad took notice, seeing it as one of the few opportunities that we’ve ever had to make our voices heard directly to the IDSA (and the world) regarding the outdated, inaccurate and corrupt IDSA Lyme disease Diagnostic & Treatment Guidelines.<br /><br />PHASE 2: We continually gathered the comments and created a nearly 300 page document, took up a collection, and had 65 copies printed and bound to take directly to Washington, DC.<br /><br />PHASE 3: On Tuesday February 21 and Wednesday February 22, Lyme patient activists hand-delivered these copies to US Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Also, the document, in its original book format, is now being posted and shared throughout the internet.<br /><br />PHASE 4 – MARCH MADNESS!: We need you to call the offices of the US Congressional members listed below. They all now have a copy of the document. The more members you call, the better. The more members you call, the more impact we will have.<br /><br />Suggested talking points for your calls:<br /><br />- Rescind the antiquated, inaccurate, and corrupt IDSA Lyme disease Guidelines.<br />- Push for the passing of Senate bill S 1381: Lyme and Tick‐Borne Disease Prevention,<br />Education, and Research Act of 2011<br />and<br />House bill HR 2557: To Provide For the Establishment of the Tick‐Borne Diseases Advisory Committee.<br />- Demand that doctors in every state are no longer threatened with license removal and other penalties for treating Lyme disease patients.<br />- Insist on better education of the entire medical community in every state regarding acute AND late-stage Lyme disease.<br />- Demand that a Congressional Briefing be held so that Lyme patients and our advocates get a fair chance to expose the decades-long corruption and special interests surrounding Lyme disease recognition, diagnosis and treatment.<br />- Be sure to tell your own personal Lyme story and the devastating impact that this illness has had on you and your loved ones.<br /><br />Here is a link to the IDSA Comments document, which is entitled:<br /><br />The Devastation of Lives and Lies:<br />Those with Lyme disease and related chronic infections respond to the<br />Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA's)<br />request for comments.<br /><br />January 4 through February 7, 2012:<br /><br />2,350 Comments<br />490 Shares<br />389 Likes<br /><br />LINK TO DOCUMENT (PDF)<br /><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/2/27/3271113/IDSA%20Comments%20Document/Official_IDSA_Comments_Document_for_Congress_2-15-12_FINAL.pdf" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.fileden.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>files/2012/2/27/3271113/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>IDSA%20Comments%20Document/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>Official_IDSA_Comments_Docu<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>ment_for_Congress_2-15-12_<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>FINAL.pdf</a><br /><br />If you would like to contact other US Congressional representatives who are not on the list below, please use these helpful links to quickly and easily find their contact info:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.senate.gov/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.senate.gov</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.house.gov/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.house.gov</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.whitehouse.gov</a><br /><br />THANK YOU!<br /><br />PLEASE MAKE YOUR CALLS TO:<br /><br />Harry Reid (D‐NV), Senate Majority Leader<br />(202) 224-3542<br /><br />Mitch McConnell, (R‐ KY) Senate Minority Leader<br />(202) 224-2541<br /><br />Eric Cantor (R‐VA), House Majority Leader<br />Virginia 7th District<br />(202) 225-2815<br /><br />Nancy Pelosi (D‐CA), House Minority Leader<br />California 8th District<br />(202) 225-4965 <br /><br />John Boehner Speaker of the House<br />(202) 225-6205<br /><br />Steny Hoyee Dem Whip<br />(202) 225-4131<br /><br />John Larson Dem Caucus Chairman<br />(202) 225-2265<br /><br />US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions<br />Main Office:<br />(202) 224-5375<br /><br />Tom Harkin (IA) *<br />(202) 224-3254<br /><br />Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) *<br />(202) 224-4654<br /><br />Patty Murray (WA) *<br />(202) 224-2621<br /><br />Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)<br />(202) 224-5141<br /><br />Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)<br />(202) 224-6324<br /><br />Kay R. Hagan (NC)<br />(202) 224-6342<br /><br />Al Franken (MN)<br />(202) 224-5641<br /><br />Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)<br />(202) 224-2921<br /><br />Richard Blumenthal (CT)<br />(202) 224-2823<br /><br />Richard Burr (NC)<br />(202) 224-3154<br />Rand Paul (KY)<br />(202) 224-4343<br /><br />Lisa Murkowski (AK)<br />(202) 224-6665<br /><br />US Senate Committee on Appropriations<br />Democratic Subcommittee Members:<br /><br />Tom Harkin (IA) *<br />(202) 224-3254<br /><br />Senator Herb Kohl (WI)<br />(202) 224-5653<br /><br />Senator Patty Murray (WA) *<br />(202) 224-2621<br /><br />Senator Mary Landrieu (LA)<br />(202) 224-5824<br /><br />Senator Jack Reed (RI)<br />(202) 224-4642<br /><br />Senator Sherrod Brown (OH)<br />(202) 224-2315<br /><br />Republican Subcommittee Members:<br />Senator Richard Shelby (Ranking) (AL)<br />(202) 224-5744<br /><br />Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)<br />(202) 224-5922<br /><br />Senator Ron Johnson (WI)<br />(202) 224-5323<br /><br />Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)<br />(202) 224-5972<br /><br /><br />Additional Govt. Officials Concerned with Lyme Epidemic:<br />Scott Brown (R‐MA)<br />(202) 224-4543<br /><br />Susan Collins (R‐ME)<br />(202) 224-2523<br /><br />Tim Holden (D‐PA)<br />Pennsylvania 17th District<br />(202) 225-5546<br /><br />Chris Gibson (R‐NY)<br />New York 20th District<br />(202) 225-5614<br /><br />Kirsten Gillibrand (D‐NY)<br />(202) 224-4451<br /><br />Frank Lautenberg (D‐NJ)<br />(202) 224-3224<br /><br />Carl Levin (D-MI)<br />(202) 224-6221<br /><br />Joseph Lieberman (I‐CT)<br />(202) 224-4041<br /><br />Robert Menendez (D-NJ)<br />(202) 224-4744<br /><br />Frank Pallone (D-NJ)<br />(202) 225-4671<br /><br />Rand Paul (R-KY)<br />(202) 224-4343<br /><br />Ron Paul (R-TX)<br />(202) 225-2831<br /><br />Marco Rubio (R-FL) <br />(202) 224-3041<br /><br />Charles E. Schumer (D‐NY)<br />(202) 224-6542<br /><br />Christopher Smith (R‐NJ)<br />New Jersey 4th District <br />(202) 225-3765<br /><br />Patrick Toomey (R-PA)<br />(202) 224-4254<br /><br />Sheldon Whitehouse (D‐RI)<br />(202) 224-2921<br /><br />Frank Wolf (R‐VA) - Virginia 10th District<br />(202) 225-5136<br /><br /><br />* Denotes members serving on multiple committees</span>
</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><br /></span></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-86469665872855337822012-03-04T13:43:00.000-06:002012-03-04T13:43:17.239-06:00Here fishie, fishie, fishie<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I talk a lot about eating fish
for Lyme. Here’s a little bit about <i>why</i>!
Fish is one of the highest quality proteins you can get – and it is
pretty clean, not typically pumped so full of antibiotics, corn, and manure. It is
also a more alkaline option, helping reduce the acidity in your body’s
environment. The more acidic your
insides, the more prone to pain it’s going to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I know fish is more expensive,
but any way you can, eat fish! Sardines
are a great, cheap option. It really
ought to be wild-caught (this means caught out in the wild, at sea). The converse is farmed (this means raised
off-shore in a huge netted cage and fed corn and antibiotics). Many people are also concerned about
mercury-levels in fish and for good reason.
Mercury is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body and can wreak
havoc on your neurological system (sound familiar, Lymies?). When it comes to mercury-free fish, there
are two things to consider. 1) The smaller
the fish, the better. The rationale
behind this is based on a process called biomagnification. The higher you get up the food chain, the
more concentrated the mercury becomes.
Example: sardines are eaten by the bigger halibut, who are eaten by the
bigger tuna. So that tuna has all the
mercury in the sardine and in the halibut.
The other thing to consider, 2) the type of fish. There are some fish species that are more
likely to have higher levels of mercury in them. Here is the list (it’s very pretty and short,
even though the link to it isn’t): </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=c_jP2Qoe22psVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php%3Fnote_id%3D237253729646499&docid=tOiysI-6otYqNM&imgurl=http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254772_249463321742545_109805375708341_796591_6097407_n.jpg&w=698&h=448&ei=RsRTT-i8NoTxggfF8unADQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=170&vpy=159&dur=182&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=169&ty=107&sig=107436883524958436492&page=1&tbnh=115&tbnw=179&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0">http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=c_jP2Qoe22psVM:&imgrefurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php%3Fnote_id%3D237253729646499&docid=tOiysI-6otYqNM&imgurl=http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254772_249463321742545_109805375708341_796591_6097407_n.jpg&w=698&h=448&ei=RsRTT-i8NoTxggfF8unADQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=170&vpy=159&dur=182&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=169&ty=107&sig=107436883524958436492&page=1&tbnh=115&tbnw=179&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So
while it’s best to get fish that has the least amount of mercury, don’t forget
that there are more sources of much higher exposure to mercury. Consider that the World Health Organization
says that the highest risk of mercury exposure to humans is dental amalgam
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(those silver-looking fillings for cavaties) <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">"exposing the
concerned population to mercury levels<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>significantly
exceeding those set for food and for air." Here's link to what the WHO has
to say.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/medicalwaste/mercurypolpaper.pdf" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #3b5998;">http://www.who.int/<wbr></wbr>water_sanitation_health/<wbr></wbr>medicalwaste/<wbr></wbr>mercurypolpaper.pdf</span></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My take is that you should do your
best to eat fish less contaminated by mercury, but not to fret too too much. Especially if you have amalgam fillings (like
me). Those are exposing you to much more
mercury on a much more consistent basis than fish. To get your amalgam fillings removed, you
need to find a dental office that specializes in this, as your regular dentist
office probably doesn’t. And they will
probably tell you that dental amalgam is not a source of mercury exposure since
that’s the American Dental Association’s stance. (Hmmm, an American association telling you
that you don’t have to worry, it’s not real?
Why, you don’t say…)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now back to fish. Aside from being an all around good protein,
fish is also rich in fatty acids that your body needs for many functions – from
immunity to good, healthy skin to brain function. It’s just a high quality, nutrient-dense
food, a much better option than beef or even chicken. Plus, Jesus ate a lot of it. So that’s gotta be a good thing – the food of
the Gods then, right? (Hehehe)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’m not a huge fan of the taste
of fish – and most people probably aren’t either. The key is: lots of lemon juice, lots of
pepper, and a new one I just discovered – lots of dill. Or you can start with smoked fish – smoked fish
is soooo yummy, probably because it doesn’t taste much like fish anymore. Also, eat fish with a side dish you like –
like steamed broccoli or something. Having a solid side dish of veggies that you
know you like is really good for the in-between bites of fish. Sauteed onions is great, if you like onions –
the taste is so strong, it will really help mask the fish taste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I wrote a haiku in honor of fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The scaly fish swims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cold, clear, crisp water flows
fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Nature feeds me well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Hahhahaha…I’m just tickled with
my haiku attempt.)<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-7309435725319510442012-02-27T18:32:00.000-06:002012-02-27T18:35:23.860-06:00A rude awakening<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn’t sleeping well.
I woke up a few times in the night, but when I woke up with my hands raised
up close to my neck and my neck taking over and thrashing my head back and
forth, I was less than calm. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up until then, the only twitches I had were slight neck
twitches – little ticks, really, just quick little ones brought on seemingly by
stress. And only a few a week. But this was something right from <i>Under Our Skin</i> – the scenes where Mandy
has some rather visually disturbing, intense neurological twitching. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to say that it is the weirdest feeling to have
your body move when you don’t want it to.
Kind of akin to a leg cramp when you’re swimming (less painful, but more movement - but that same kind of involuntary reaction), it’s
that same feeling where you can’t help but watch as your body just moves on its
own and sort of ‘takes over.’ Back and
forth, back and forth, back and forth my head went, moving involuntarily and
violently, without my consent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow, by some miracle, I fell right asleep again right
after it stopped – luckily after only about 5 seconds. When I awoke again, it was morning and I woke
with a start, immediately remembering the involuntary thrashing that woke me in
the night. And I was pretty freaked
out. In fact, when I called my LLND to
let her know, I was adamant that I was <i>fa-reaked
</i>out. Anxious thoughts started racing
– <i>am I going to have a seizure? Am I going to have meningitis? My lower back hurts, yea, what if I have
meningitis?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a very trying time. I just laid there and stared at my night
stand while my mind just went on thinking and thinking. But then I started to try hard to put more
effort into reassuring thoughts. <i>I let my doctor know, if she’s concerned,
she’ll call and tell me what to do. I
have been more stressed out lately, so that’s probably a big factor, yea, that
was probably it. </i>And then I
realized, I’m thinking up a storm. Wait
a minute – just breathe. Don’t
think. Just lay here. And b r e a t h e. That helped quite a bit after just a few breaths.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I heard back from the doctor’s office and was able to get
an appointment without much of a wait. My
doctor assured me that I was OK and it was caused by one of my coinfections (I
can’t remember which one – either Bartonella or Babesia). And we also discovered that I for sure have
chronic Epstein Barr Virus, too – something about my tongue and throat
indicated I’ve for sure got it. I’m just
a little package of diseases, aren’t I?
Ha ha ha. We did a Meyer’s
cocktail (a multivitamin injection!) and that was pretty cool. I could taste it, smell it, and got a little
flushed. It was GREAT! Also added some Cat’s Claw tincture to my
arsenal as the anti-viral for the Epstein Barr.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, everything is great. It was a wonderful lesson in keeping
calm. After all – the skill of keeping
yourself calm must be used, like any other skill. Use it or lose it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It definitely was an eye-opener and a blatant reminder that something's temporarily got a hold of my body (as if I could forget). </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am also profoundly lucky that I don’t encounter this
neurological twitching stuff very often.
Many Lymies have seizures – many times a day. I just can’t help but be completely amazed at
just. How. Lucky. I. Am. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-63204158742539409932012-02-25T22:56:00.000-06:002012-02-25T22:56:43.971-06:00Shortcuts, glorious shortcuts<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In my last post, I talk all about
your body’s need for nutrients – and how most food is actually <i>food products</i>, completely devoid of
nutrients. It’s so silly – why are we
stuffing our faces with useless fuel? I
can’t imagine stuffing our cars with gas-less liquid and then expecting them to
run well. *Sigh* Ay yay yay. (If you want to check out that last post to see what I'm talking about, here it is: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/food-glorious-food.html">http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/food-glorious-food.html</a>).</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I talked about eating a more
alkaline diet to help with pain when you have Lyme Disease and how veggies and
fish is just the ticket. But, and I know
firsthand, that cooking isn’t always easy when you’re sick. Even going grocery-shopping is a huge drain,
and sometimes the only thing you can do that day. So cooking on top of everything else you’re
doing or trying to do can be very difficult, especially when it’s a whole new
way of doing it. But at the same time,
you’ve got to prepare <i>something</i> to
eat, so as much as you can, prepare something <i>good</i>, that will actually reduce pain. My doctor actually wrote on my wellness plan,
that on my good days, I need to plan for ‘Veggie Success’ – use that good day
to plan ahead what good greens I can eat on my bad days. (Then I laughed and said that ‘Veggie Success’
sounds like it should be a band name).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On days when it is impossible to
cook and eat good veggies, there are two great shortcuts I know of to get the
nutrients your body needs to heal (and do all the other stuff it does).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Juice. Juicing can be a laborious
process, but remember that you only have to do it once every few days, not
multiple times per day like with cooking.
(*Juice is at its optimal nutrient level if you drink it right away, and
that’s something to do later, but for now, since you’re sick, juicing a lot at
once and saving it for a few days is A-ok).
This might be a better option to execute on a good day, but still,
remember you only have to do it every few days, then you’ll have it available
to drink on your bad days. (What a
perfect way to plan ahead for Veggie Success!)
This is a great shortcut way to get all those nutrients out of the
veggies without having to cook and eat them. And when you juice, you juice A LOT of stuff,
more than you could eat. The recipe from
my LLND is: something red, orange, and yellow (example: tomatoes, strawberries,
bell peppers, oranges, carrots, golden delicious apples) + something green
(example: kale, swiss chard, celery, broccoli, spinach, red lettuce,
parsley). I picked up an older model
Jack LaLane juicer from craigslist (for $50!) and away I went. Just rinse and stick in the juicer. My husband even loves the stuff – you get to
a point where the juice smells great and you crave it. I guess the body knows where the goods are - and
does what it can to get you get them and put them in you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Greens powder supplement. The
other shortcut I know of is taking greens powders. This is the simplest, easiest thing to
do. All you do is open the canister,
scoop, and stir into your water. The
only catch is that it can be pricey.
There are about a million greens power supplements out there and many
are just terrible quality. Some good
brands that you can trust are New Chapter, MegaGreens, or Barlean’s. I found an excellent one that is organic AND
gluten-free (that was the toughy – not many of the greens powders out there are
gluten-free, a dietary trick very helpful for reducing pain and getting rid of
Lyme). The one I use is called
GreensFirst – and the taste is pretty good, it’s got almost a spearminty taste
to it. Greens powders give you
nutrients, make you more alkaline and reduce pain, and are very easy. And I think, well worth the investment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">So
if you must, take a shortcut! But get
those nutrients. Do whatever you can to
help your body kick that Lyme out – and providing the basic building blocks of
what your body needs to function is an excellent foundation. So go out and get those nutrients, any way you can.</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-43477715171708484002012-02-23T14:20:00.000-06:002012-03-04T13:49:02.047-06:00Food, glorious food<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The next few posts are going to
be about food. Food for Lymies and
non-Lymies alike. Let me tell you why
what you eat is so, so, SO much more important than you may think. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">First, did you know that the
average American eats more than 60 TONS of food in their lifetime? That’s A LOT of food! Think of how healthy you would be if you ate
60 tons of spinach, or how unhealthy you would be if you ate 60 tons of french fries.
Yipes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Consider that the function of
food might be more than just to keep you from being hungry. Food is what your body needs to give you
energy – and you need it 3 or more times per day! You know this if you haven’t eaten in a while
– of course you’re hungry, but you’re probably also tired and ornery. Your body <i>needs</i> nutrients to pump that blood
around, make use of the oxygen you breathe, and give you the mental energy to
get stuff done (as well as support everything your body does to kick Lyme's butt). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There’s a reason that those
skinny, North Face gear-wearing, running, biking, healthy people we all hate
are happy – <i>they’re healthy</i> – because
they eat right! (And running and biking
helps, too)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Probably more important than what
you DO eat is what you DON’T eat. We all
know it’s not healthy to eat fast food (if you don’t know this, watch <i>Super Size Me</i> – this will give you a
little information you don’t have). And unfortunately, because of the way our country subsidizes corn, most of
the food you will find in the supermarket isn’t food at all, but instead <i>food products</i>, completely devoid of the
nutrition that your body is supposed to be getting from food. This cheap corn is in <i>everything</i>. Truly, check the
ingredients of any of the food that’s in your cupboard – you will find corn
starch, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, hydrolyzed corn protein, or maltodextrin in nearly everything. Not nearly as healthy as a head of
broccoli. For more on this whole thing,
watch <i>King Corn</i>, available on
Netflix. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Michael Pollan’s </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In Defense of Food</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is another great
resource, it’s a book and I think also a movie.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The bottom line is - what you shove into your face matters. You can feed yourself food products that don't really have the nutrients your body needs (so of course your body won't function very well - it's not getting the fuel it needs), OR you can feed yourself real food - full of nutrients your body needs (so your body has what it needs to work really well). </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Eat nutrient-dense foods like
organic (wow – there’s a whole other post topic right there) veggies and fruits
and good proteins like fish. Another way to get these nutrients the shortcut, kinda cheating way, is to juice or take a greens powder supplement. More on that to come.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To read more, see my post on these glorious shortcuts here: </span><a href="http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/shortcuts-glorious-shortcuts.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/shortcuts-glorious-shortcuts.html</span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now, to a great way to relieve
pain for Lymies: eating an alkaline diet.
In my experience, <b>food has been the #1 pain reliever for Lyme</b>. Truly!
The point of an alkaline diet is to reduce acidity in the body, which
will also reduce pain. Pain is a type of
inflammation and it’s much easier for your body (particularly joints and
stomach) to be inflamed when your body’s environment is full of acid. So, to reduce the acidity in your body’s
environment, eating the right foods is key.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My LLND told me to eat basically
just veggies and fish. She also
explained which alkaline foods are better to eat than others in a great way –
by looking at the whole picture. She drew
me a little chart, and here it is:<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Alkaline
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Acidic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Veggies/starchy veggies/fruits/oils grains/nuts/legumes/meat/dairy<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(So veggies will be more alkaline
than starchy veggies, and starchy veggies will be more alkaline than fruits…and so on and so
forth).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Many people want to figure out just
which particular vegetable will be ‘the most alkaline vegetable’ and just eat
that one – because, let’s face it – we Americans are so extreme, we never do
just a little bit of anything consistently, if we’re going to do something, we
want to ‘go hardcore.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But looking at the chart above,
really, any vegetable is going to be a good alkaline choice – better than say a
cup of whole grain rice even. So no nitpicking,
just stick with any veggies and any fish.
I know fish is a meat and is on the acidic side, but you <i><u><b>CANNOT</b></u></i> skip the
protein. You just can’t, or you’ll send
your blood sugar haywire and cause so many more problems. And fish is the best protein to eat, full of
good oils that our brains and joints need. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For more on fish, read on: </span><a href="http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/03/here-fishie-fishie-fishie.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/03/here-fishie-fishie-fishie.html</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I should also mention that most alkaline diets are more like 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic, so don't fret too much if you love a more acidic food item. Maybe just don't eat it all the time. :0) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After just a half a day switching
to eating alkaline foods, I noticed a big change in my pain – a drastic
reduction in pain, more than any other synthetic or natural pain-killer I
tried. And when I eat something that's more acidic, I can feel an increase in pain after just a couple hours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So give it a try – steam some broccoli
and bake some fish, it’s much easier than you think. Another tip to make your body more alkaline is to drink your water with a little bit of 100% juice in it (just enough to tint it and give it a little bit of flavor) - this makes your water alkaline! (But watch out - don't add too much ~ it should not taste sweet ~ otherwise you'll make your water more acidic). Happy eating!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">‘Let thy food be thy medicine and
thy medicine be thy food.’ ~ Hippocrates<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-92009248869414598292012-02-20T17:30:00.001-06:002012-02-20T17:30:54.069-06:00Don't Quit<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is about not quitting - don't quit having hope, don't quit putting up the effort to get through the day, don't quit the effort to dwell on the positive. Notice I said don't quit <i>the effort</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This whole chronic illness thing is just nuts. I mean, they should really teach a class on how to do this. The facts of this whole sick situation are bleak, no doubt about it ~ giving up your job, your school, your social life, giving up doing things you love, to lay around and feel like crap, it's not a pretty picture. And while being chronically ill zaps your energy and some days are worse than others, don't forget that that also means that some days are <i>better </i> than others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The biggest challenge is learning to live a happy life when a lot of the happy things in your life have 'gone on hiatus.' Watch funny movies, eat something delicious, dwell on good memories, and give yourself many a pat on the back. And give the supportive people around you a good pat on the back. Nothing satisfies as much as thankfulness or telling someone just how thankful you are for them and what they do for you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dad found this poem that I just love. Thanks, dad!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Don't Quit</u></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,<br />When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,<br />When the funds are low and the debts are high,<br />And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,<br />When care is pressing you down a bit,<br />Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life is queer with its twists and turns,<br />As every one of us sometimes learns,<br />And many a failure turns about,<br />When he might have won had he stuck it out;<br />Don't give up though the pace seems slow--<br />You may succeed with another blow.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Success is failure turned inside out--<br />The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,<br />And you never can tell how close you are,<br />It may be near when it seems so far,<br />So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--<br />It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Author unknown</span></div>
</div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9001129441694390183.post-9303880940904303942012-02-10T18:19:00.001-06:002012-02-23T12:56:00.773-06:00Water, water everywhere, so let's all have a drink<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's the saying, right? Ha ha ha. While most people recognize that they need to drink water (equal to half your body weight in ounces per day), this very simple concept is often received with a very blase attitude. 'Yea, yea, yea, drink water, blah, blah, blah.' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me tell you why it is so much more important than you ever imagined. First of all, even healthy (non-Lymies...even marathon runners!) people need to drink water - and probably a lot more of it. <b>75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.</b> To read more on this, read 'Your Body's Many Cries For Water' - it's a good one, and here is a link: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.coralclubprague.ru/site/site-files/Knigy/Fereydoon_Batmanghelidj%20-%20Your_Bodys_Many_Cries_%20for_Water_eng.pdf">http://www.coralclubprague.ru/site/site-files/Knigy/Fereydoon_Batmanghelidj%20-%20Your_Bodys_Many_Cries_%20for_Water_eng.pdf</a></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the Naturopathic Medical office where I've worked for 5 years, I have seen very healthy people (yes, marathon runners!) develop health issues linked to something as simple as chronic dehydration. One case was a pretty healthy woman who had fibromyalgia that was uncontrolled, even with prescription drugs. Turns out, she just needed to drink more water. ! It sounds fantastical, I know, but it's the truth. All she needed to do was drink water more frequently throughout the day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biologically and chemically, it makes sense. When I think about this, I always have flashbacks to chemistry class. (Ugh, dreaded chemistry class...my most despised subject in school) There are so many chemical reactions that take place to convert fuel into energy and almost all (if not all - I'm no good at chemistry) require H2O - it's the one compound that's required to make all those chemical processes happen. And without it, you guessed it, those chemical reactions aren't going to take place as efficiently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, getting back to us Lymies. As my ND explained to me, the borrelia bacteria wants to thrive in your body and in order to do that, it requires a more dehydrated environment. So, one of the things it does is get into the messages your brain sends you about how thirsty you are and switches it. It flips the switch so that you don't <i>feel</i> as thirsty, even though your body needs that water. So even though you don't <i>feel</i> thirsty, it is vitally essential for you to drink more water. Not only for all the normal functions of your body, it is also critical especially to flush out the dead bacteria. Sure, supplements will help your body carry out the dead bacteria, but the real thing that's doing the flushing is the flow of water through your body. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know water is boring and you don't feel like drinking it, but you still gotta. Don't rely on your thirst level to gauge how much/when to drink water. Here are some tips I do to get more water:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drink a big glass right away when I wake up - make it part of the routine. Get up, pee, brush teeth, drink water. (One glass more is one glass more!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add an Emergen-C packet to a glass of water 1x/day - the vitamin C, electrolytes, and minerals help your body absorb more water and stay more hydrated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adding a little 100% juice gives it a little flavor - this also makes your water alkaline (helping reduce inflammation and pain in the body). I add just enough to tint the water - but not too much (it should not taste sweet), otherwise it becomes more acidic, fostering inflammation and pain in the body (this is another great tip from my ND - she really knows her stuff!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set a timer - truly! I set the baking timer for an hour and when it goes off - that means it's time to get out of bed or get off the couch and go drink a glass of water!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides drinking water, I want to talk a little bit about hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is an <i>awesome</i> tool in Naturopathic Medicine. And I don't mean colon hydrotherapy here - which is what most people think. (Although I have gotten colon therapy in my life, before I got Lyme Disease - and I lost 10 pounds in an hour!!!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Epsom salt baths are GREAT, and a great form of hydrotherapy. The heat is really the best thing. Did you know that hot, hot (as HOT as you can stand) water increases your body temperature? Yes, you did. But did you also know that when your body temperature is increased, it <i>decreases</i> the activity of the borrelia bacteria AND <i>increases</i> activity of your natural killer cells?! I'm not aware of any prescription drug that can do <i>THAT</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you also know that fever is actually a good thing? Of course, there is a limit, a very high fever could be of concern and there are probably contraindications (reasons NOT to induce a fever), but generally speaking is a good thing. When your body heats up, it is your body's natural response to fight infection. And since Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection, increasing your internal temperature could be a great thing. To learn more about the science of hydrotherapy, here's a link! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hydrotherapy-Theory-Technique-Patrick-Barron/dp/0971192618/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328915964&sr=1-9">http://www.amazon.com/Hydrotherapy-Theory-Technique-Patrick-Barron/dp/0971192618/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328915964&sr=1-9</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find yourself an LLND who can give you the all-clear to incorporate some hydrotherapy into your healing plan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's a neat little quote I'd like to end on. Since I like to end that way. :0)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift - that's why they call it the present.' ~ Kung Fu Panda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Find something, <i>anything</i> to be grateful for. Today, I am going to be grateful that I am not lost at sea, surrounded by sharks right now. I am SO glad I'm not lost at sea. ;)</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10282175969145926623noreply@blogger.com4