A while back, I was contacted by Erica from the blog Suffering The Silence about doing a guest post for their site. Of course I said, “yes!” and am pleased to announce the post went up today. It is entitled The Deep Endand I am very excited to share it with you.
“My legs were too weak to stand and my brain too broken to sleep. I spent buy soma watson brand online most of 2012 and 2013 lying agonizingly in my bed. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. Over time, my 10-year battle with Lyme Disease seemed impossible to overcome.” – For the full article, go to: http://sufferingthesilence.com/jenny/#sthash.wzdpOo3k.dpbs
As always, please feel free to leave a comment below.
The bacteria are called “Brucella.” The illness caused by those pesky bacteria is called “Brucellosis.” I have just completed week three of my Brucellosis treatment. Time files when you’re having fun (read with sarcasm). I have been uncertain how to effectively address this topic as there is not much info regarding Brucellosis in the Unites States. After all, this bacterial infection has supposedly been eradicated from much of the U.S., but somehow, I now find myself being treated for it. I know others that have tested positive for this infection. Perhaps it is not so rare after all.
How is Brucella transmitted?
First, Brucella can most commonly be acquired by humans through the consumption of infected meat and dairy products. This infection is not limited exclusively to cows. Deer, chicken, bison and other animals can be carriers of this infection as well.
Almost makes me want to become a vegetarian. Bleh!
Second, the bacteria can also be transmitted when human skin wounds come in contact with tissues, secretions or excretions of infected animals.
Isn’t that a lovely thought. Yikes!
Third, if any of those infectious materials I spoke of in the previous two paragraphs become aerosolized (like a mist of spray coming out of a can), Brucella can also be inhaled.
That’s a little scary.
Lastly, it can be acquired through the bite of an infected tick and like all tick borne infections, if not caught and treated early, it can lead to a whole array of chronic problems.
What symptoms might someone who has been infected with Brucella display?
Some of the symptoms associated with an infection of the Brucella bacteria include weight loss, abdominal pain, joint and back pain, insomnia, depression, constipation and fatigue. Since these symptoms can often be indicative of other illnesses, the level of difficulty to accurately diagnose this infection is quite high.
How can Brucella be detected?
Brucella can be detected in a traditional manor by using a Brucella Antibody IGG/IGM screen. If the Brucella Antibody Screen is positive or equivocal, a Brucella Antibody with bacterial agglutination is done for confirmation. Brucella was detected in my friend using these tests.
Alternatively, Brucella was detected in me using the FDA approved device the Zyto Scan. I will eventually do a post on the Zyto Scan in greater detail, but suffice it to say I was initially a huge skeptic about the concept of biocommunication between my body and a computer. My Nurse Practitoner, along with one of the country’s leading Zyto Scan practitioners and I teamed up on a phone call to do a remote scan. The results were unbelievably accurate. Symptoms I had told doctors about, symptoms I hadn’t even mentioned yet and even previous blood work ALL showed up on my scan. In addition to confirming the areas I knew were problematic, the Zyto Scan also revealed a serious Brucella infection. My Nurse Practitioner compared my scan results to my clinical presentation and conferenced about my case with a leading physician in the treatment of tick borne diseases. She concurred that Brucella is one of the underlying co-infections that I am in fact battling.
I have not spent much time on farms or near farm animals in the United States, so that seems improbable. I am not a big meat eater and I do not enjoy cooking, so even more unlikely is the chance that an open wound I might have had came in contact with tissues or bodily fluids of an infected animal. What is however more realistic, is that I obtained this infection through one of two ways–a tick bite (and we already know I have had at least one of those suckers) OR from my summer spent in the Dominican Republic years ago where farm animals openly roam the streets and Brucellosis is more prevalent. Whichever the case may be, this is a question that will never have an answer.
How is Brucellosis treated?
Most people with Brucellosis will recover in 2 to 3 weeks even without treatment. In cases like myself where the illness has become chronic, Brucellosis is typically treated with a combination of two antibiotics for two or more months. For my situation, the combination we are using is 600mg of Rifampin once per day and 100mg of Doxycycline twice per day. These medications have to be taken at specific times so as not to interact with one another. Sadly, relapses are common.
My Treatment Protocol
Below, I have included my new treatment protocol. I have my alarm set to go off multiple times per day to remind me of when to take the lengthy list of medications, herbs and supplements.
Medication Schedule
8:30: Nature-Throid and homeopathic adrenal supplement 9:00: 600mg of Rifampin 10:00: Eat breakfast and take:
200mg of Hydroxychloroquine
B12
Methylfolate
B6
D-ribose
Brain/Nerve Cleanse if needed
Lymph drops
Vaccine Detox Drops
Vitamin C
Interfase Plus (for biofilms)
Glutamine
Ginko Biloba
12:30: 100mg of Doxycycline 2:10: Take Samento 2:30: Eat lunch and take:
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
K2
D-Ribose
Probiotic
Sacc B
Glutamine
Ginko Biloba
Lymph Drainage
Vaccine Detox
Homeopathic Adrenals
6:10: 30 drops of Samento 6:30: Eat Dinner and take:
Lymph Drops
100mg of Diflucan
9:00: 100 mg of Doxycycline 9:30-11:00: Bedtime
Querectin
1 Drop of Ashwaganda
Clonazepam
Soma
5-htp
GABA
Melatonin
Magnesium Glycinate
This phase of treatment has not been easy. About two weeks ago, I began to be hit quite hard with the dreaded “herx” reaction, where there is an exacerbation of symptoms as the bacteria begin to die-off. I have tried to continue with my usual detox protocol in an attempt to combat those symptoms (light exercise, detox baths, infrared sauna, etc.), but I am once again finding myself feeling very depleted. After having spent most of 2012 and 2013 being bedridden, depletion is a scary place for me to be. I am going to resume a more consistent acupuncture schedule as that has proven to be an extremely beneficial adjunct to my treatment. I will also try my best to remain hopeful and optimistic that this too can be conquered and continue to carry with me the belief that better days are yet to come.
Although the past three weeks have been difficult, there is still the potential that this could be a positive turning point for me in my healing from Lyme Disease and it’s co-infections.
Are you battling Brucella? I would love to hear from you! As always, please feel free to leave me a comment.
Last week, I had my eight-month follow-up phone consultation with my Lyme Literate Nurse Practitioner. During the past four months, my full time job has been to diligently continue to follow my treatment and detox protocols. It seems it may be helping! For the first time in many years, I am ever so slowly and gradually climbing up the mountain, rather than continually tumbling down it. At this time last year, I was still bedridden and isolated from virtually everyone and everything. I wondered if there would ever be light in the midst of such a dark situation.
Well, the light came. It came in the form of celebrating healing milestones, things I hadn’t done in years. It came when I challenged myself to believe whole-heartedly that there were better days ahead. Most importantly, it came when I stopped telling myself I could no longer participate in life and began taking small risks believing I could live a more abundant life again. Although this journey is still marked with tremendous ups and downs, I am so happy that the light finally seems to be shining!
These Are The Areas Where I Have Seen Improvement:
1) I am still treating my Lyme Disease and co-infections with a combination of medication, supplements and herbal antimicrobials. About three months ago, I was able to achieve taking the full doses of all of my medications. This is huge for me as I typically am very chemically sensitive regardless of what the substance may be.
2) After some trial and error with treating my hypothyroidism, I have found that I can tolerate Nature-Throid. I am slowly increasing my dosage over several weeks but am confident that I will be able to get my thyroid levels into a healthy range by my next treatment update in 4 months.
3) I have been able to make small increases in the supplements that I take to support my body’s ability to detoxify Lyme toxins through a process known as methylation. Supporting the methylation cycle will, over time, boost my immune system and increase my energy. Fatigue has been one of my most intense and relentless symptoms.
4) When symptoms allow, blogging about my journey to wellness has allowed me to connect with some wonderful people throughout the world. I really enjoy writing and am grateful that this passion reemerged in the midst of my struggle with a chronic illness.
5) When I began Lyme treatment last November, I committed to completing a 20-session restorative yoga program as part of rehabilitating myself from months of prolonged bed rest and 4 years of inactivity. For 8 months, I have struggled with fatigue, aches and pains as I work my way through each session. I can feel that I had gotten a bit stronger. When I am finished with the program, I plan to purchase myself a piece of Pilates equipment called the reformer so that I could begin some gentle resistance training. I have greatly missed having movement and exercise in my life and I look buy pain o soma online forward to the day when I can include it as part of my daily life with some amount of consistency.
6) I will begin attending a monthly Lyme Disease support group in the city of Chicago. Our first meeting will be in August but we already have a Facebook forum online. I am very excited to be connecting with my fellow Lyme fighters as I try to break some of the isolation this illness has caused for me.
These are the areas I HOPE will continue to improve over the next 4 months:
1) A new infection has surfaced in me called, Brucella. It is a difficult to treat infection and the relapse rate is very high. I am fortunate that my Nurse Practitioner will be able to consult with the world-renowned Lyme Disease specialist, Dr. Horowitz, on my case regarding a proper treatment protocol. This will almost certainly require the use of multiple antibiotics taken over a long period of time. I am nervous about this and anticipate that I may take a couple of steps backward in order to move further ahead eventually. I should have my new treatment plan in a few weeks and am hopeful that all the rebuilding my body has done over the last 8 months has prepared me to undergo this treatment.
2) I hope to see an increase in my energy and a higher degree of functioning. I am anxious to accomplish this new healing milestone.
3) I would like to see my thyroid levels reach the normal range, as I believe this will be key in helping me see an improvement in my energy levels.
4) I will continue to address the genetic defect I have in my methylation cycle through specific supplementation and aim to be able to increase them to the appropriate doses for optimal functioning.
5) I would like to see my ability to sleep continue to improve as well as my ability to nap.
6) I want to continue to reconnect with friends, both old and new.
7) I would like to have a noticeable increase in strength and endurance as I continue to implementing a reconditioning program.
8) For two years, my wonderful husband has kindly been my chauffeur to nearly everywhere. I would like to feel strong enough to drive by myself whenever I need to or want to go somewhere. Hopefully, you will see a pic of me wearing a driving cap soon!
My eight-month consultation ended with my nurse saying, “We are on the right track and you have done a wonderful job of combining various treatment strategies into your own unique protocol.” This illness has taken more determination, more perseverance and more strength to continue to forge ahead than I can ever truly describe. I know that my battle is not yet over, but I do find comfort in knowing we are on the right track and I finally feel as though I may actually be beating Lyme instead of the other way around.
It’s been a few weeks since I have written anything new regarding my treatment or my journey to wellness. Often times when a chronically ill blogger is not posting, it’s because he or she is not feeling well. Although I have had many ups and downs over the last few weeks, in this case, my reason for not blogging is a good one. In fact, I have been busy.
Yep. That’s right. Me, the person who is still homebound most of the time, can’t socialize often or am too fatigued to clean my house for that matter, has been busy!
“Busy doing what?” you may ask.
I, along with two, wonderful fellow Lyme fighters, have been busy starting the very first Lyme Disease Support Group in the city of Chicago. We have been hunting, searching and calling around for a space for nearly two months. Our initial location fell through when it was determined that the space had way too high of a mold count. No HERMI test required. My co-leader’s watery eyes and loss of voice, along with the choking feeling in my chest coupled with continuous coughing was all that we needed to confirm that the cute, little church on the corner was definitely not going to work for our needs. The search continued.
Call after call finally landed us a nice conference room in a new building affiliated with a neighborhood hospital. We had found our venue.
Check.
We created our online buy soma online in usa Facebook forum, set up our google+ account and email address. We have also been working on coordinating community resources for our members and creating an agenda for our first meeting in August. I am so excited to finally have a meeting place to gather with my fellow Lymies, many of whom I have only talked with online and have not yet had an opportunity to meet them person.
This is a big step for me, and the other two leaders, to move into the role of a support group leader. I still have a lot of healing to do before I feel well, but meeting in a supportive environment with like-minded individuals will certainly contribute positively to the healing process.
A year ago, I was still bedridden. Now, I am taking a giant leap forward believing that it will not cause me to go backwards, but bring me out of what has been a very isolating season in my life. Cheers to moving forward, taking risks and starting a support group with friends!
If you are a support group leader or are thinking about starting one, I would love to hear about some of your experiences. Please feel free to post a comment!
In the next few weeks, I will be writing my 8 month update and my experience with the Zyto Scan (still on the fence about that one).
Today, I let doubt come into my mind. With it’s slinky, sneaky manner, I didn’t even see it coming. Gradually, I felt heavy, anxious, burdened and restless. Oh so restless. By the time I recognized it, I had allowed nearly a full day to go by with a string of negative thoughts playing over and over again in my head. With it’s subtle style of imposition, I let doubt exploit my insecurities and tell me, “This road is much too long for you to travel. The obstacles are just too great for you to overcome. Only fools continue to believe in hope.” Doubt had done it’s job perfectly and I was left feeling quite discouraged.
Couldn’t I just reason with doubt? Surely, my mind must be more powerful than to except these lies as fact. After all, progress has been made. Even my Instagram pics can prove that! Doubt has a way of ignoring the evidence though and persuades me to mistrust my success. “What if this is as good as it will get for you?” It asks. Tearfully, I retreated to my room, buy soma online alone.
I began to fix my thoughts on the truth, the good, the lovely, and the milestones along my journey thus far:
I was once declining in health, and now have a proper diagnosis.
I became bedridden, but now I can walk short distances.
I was isolated for many months but have since enjoyed a few, special moments of quality time with friends and family.
These are but a few of the wondrous and glorious victories I have celebrated during my long battle with Lyme Disease. These are the triumphs upon which I must continue to dwell. Peace is found here.
Goodnight and goodbye doubt. I am grateful that tomorrow will once again bring about an opportunity for new joy and hope in my life. I am choosing to live with this mindset.
A few weeks ago, I blogged about my unsuccessful attempt at taking the T4 only medication, Levothyroxine, and my previous difficulties with Armour thyroid. To read that post, click here.
I received numerous responses to that article via Facebook, blog comments, Instagram and Twitter, all offering some exceptional advice. I had a follow-up appointment with my local LLMD and I presented him with some of the ideas you, the readers, had given me. After reviewing my labs, he agreed that I would indeed benefit from thyroid replacement and that Nature-Throid would be an excellent option for me to try.
I had to special order Nature-Throid from the pharmacy. Because it was over a weekend, it took 4 days for the medication to arrive. I began by taking half of a 1/4 grain tablet. This amounts to an initial http://www.health-canada-pharmacy.com starting dose of approximately 8.125mg. I am on day 4 of the medication and although I do feel a slight surge in energy and perhaps jitteriness, it has been tolerable thus far. I stumbled upon a wonderful website called ThyroPhoenix that discusses the benefits of taking enough time to allow your body to absorb the thyroid before increasing to the next dose. My plan is to stay at 8.125mg for the next 4-6 weeks and reevaluate at that time how I feel. I feel very content with going at my own pace on this medication. Slow and steady usually ends up being the best approach for me.
Many thanks for all the wonderful suggestions that were given to me regarding this part of my treatment!!
I have to start by telling you I was not the best doggie owner, caregiver, mama yesterday. It was around 8:30pm when I could see my two, senior beagles begin to stir. My instincts told me I should take them outside, but my throbbing leg told me to stay put. I chose to obey the leg. I was just too drained to preempt whatever situation might occur.
I was herxing.
“What’s that?” you ask.
Even my computer doesn’t recognize it as a word and tries to autocorrect it to say “herding.”
It’s where there is an exacerbation of weird symptoms from the Lyme bacteria as they die-off and the body tries to detox. Those pesky little guys…or gals (pretty sure bacteria have no gender but don’t quote me on that) certainly do not give up without a fight. My leg was suffering the repercussions of this knock down, drag out battle.
I quickly learned that my beagles, Seven and Caylie, do not alter their schedule to accommodate herxing. I could hear the clickety clacks of their nails against the hardwood floor as they impatiently pranced around the dining room. It was nearly their time to eat, but I wanted to hold out just a bit longer. I assumed part of their anxious antics were due to hubby working in another room in the apartment. The beagles do not like to be separated from us.
Seven
Caylie
“What’s going on out there you two?” I called to the pooches in the dining room, as if they might understand what I was asking.
At this point my brain buy soma tex hgh should have registered “get up,” but unfortunately, it did not. I saw my 14 and a 1/2 year old beagle, Seven, quietly walking towards me. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed she stopped in her tracks.
Was she…SQUATTING?
Squatting can only mean one thing! Actually, it could mean two things and in this case, it meant the second. “Nooo!” I tried to shout but my lips were dry and stuck together a bit. I jumped up aware of the leg pain but distracted by the two strawberry-sized dollops of doggie poo now in my hallway.
Sigh.
I suddenly realized the aforementioned “clickety clacks” had actually been a potty dance alerting me that the beagles needed to go outside. I had missed that cue.
Armed with a plastic bag, paper towels and some cleaner, I recalled the greatest pearl of wisdom I had ever been given as an Occupational Therapist by an ICU nurse. I kid you not, she advised me that if I even anticipated a “code brown” situation, I was to begin breathing immediately through my mouth and avoid even the slightest chance of inhalation through my nostrils. I followed those recommendations to the letter and quickly rectified my old girl’s little accident.
Well, it was my accident really. It had just been an all around crappy-kind of day. Next time, and I am sure there will be a next time, I will just have to pay closer attention to the signs my senior pups are giving me. Hopefully, it won’t coincide with a herd. Dumb autocorrect. A herx.
In March, I had my thyroid and iodine levels checked. The blood tests had indicated sub-clinical hypothyroidism. What this means is that I have a TSH level that is slightly out of the normal range, but my T4 and T3 levels remain in the normal range. I also showed a slight deficiency in iodine levels. For whatever reason, I have difficulty tolerating any type of supplement or medication that can potentially be stimulating. I had been on thyroid medication before, but with great difficulty. Not wanting to derail any progress I had made, my nurse decided she would gently treat me for a few months with iodine to see if I could get my TSH levels back into a healthier range. Despite taking the iodine and continuing on my Lyme treatment plan, I have continued to experience some mild symptoms of hypothyroidism (weight gain, muscle pains, dry skin, etc).
Two days ago, I had my routine, monthly follow up with my Lyme Nurse Practitioner. After some careful discussion, she confirmed that I was still exhibiting symptoms of hypothyroidism and that the iodine had not done enough to restore optimal thyroid function. In the past, I had used Armour, a natural thyroid preparation made from porcine glands (such a lovely thought). My longest stretch of Armour usage was about one year, during which I continually experienced nervousness, jitteriness and a few other strange symptoms for the duration of time I was taking it.
My nurse practitioner felt that since Armour is made with both T4 and T3, perhaps I did not need the extra T3 and had begun to experience symptoms of hyperthyroidism instead. Since no one had ever bothered to re-check my blood levels, we can only guess this is what had happened.
We decided my best course of action this time around would be to try a T4 only preparation in the form of Levothyroxine, beginning at the lowest dose of 25mcg and working up if need be. Excited about this new treatment plan, hubby and I swiftly went to the pharmacy and I gulped down my first pill before I was even out of the store!
One hour went by. I felt nothing. Feeling nothing is usually a good sign with me as it means I am not reacting negatively. I thought, “This is it. This will finally be the right medication.” As the next few hours progressed, I had forgotten I had even taken the pill.
Approximately three hours after I had taken the medication, I began to feel buy soma online without prescription burning pain up my spinal cord and a severe sense of achiness right down to my very bones. I shivered with chills and had to cover up with a blanket. I tried to go to sleep, but despite taking my normal sleep medication, I was unable to catch even a wink of sleep. At 4:00am, I was up dry skin brushing and taking an epsom salts foot bath trying desperately to calm the burning sensation that was occurring throughout my body. I rubbed some calming essential oils on my wrists, took some additional sleep medication and finally fell asleep for a few hours. This was not the intended reaction to the medication.
As is often the case with Lyme Disease, nothing is ever very simple. This can get very confusing and actually quite frustrating.
Yesterday, I opted not to take the medication. I am not sure I feel brave enough to go through that again. It just may end up as yet another addition to the ever-growing dizzying spiral of medications and supplements. It takes a lot out of me when I have to endure those excruciating flare ups of burning in my brain and spinal cord mixed with sleepless nights. I am meeting with my local LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) next week and will run this scenario past him for a second opinion. I don’t know why I have this sort of reaction to thyroid medication and I am feeling a little bit dismayed at the moment. Since all of my doctors and nurses visits are paid out-of-pocket, I hate having an unproductive visit and that is currently how I am feeling about this last one.
Hopefully, I can get this piece of the puzzle in place soon. Progress has been made but it is very slow going. I will be investigating an interesting new treatment approach during the month of June that may help to direct the next steps of my treatment that I will be writing about. In addition, next month I will also be writing a full 8 month treatment update so I can compare my current progress from that of 4 month ago. Until then, I will be brushing up on the anatomy and physiology of my thyroid gland.
Don’t be jealous.
I would love to hear from you about your experiences taking thyroid medications. Has it been helpful? Did you have trouble tolerating the medications? Please feel free to leave me a comment.
To read the update to this post, please click here.
To give you an idea, I have paid out-of-pocket for every single doctor’s visit, lab test, medication, supplement, herb and Lyme treatment for the past 4 years, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.
All illnesses have their difficulties. What makes chronic Lyme unique from other diseases though is that expenses are almost always out-of-pocket. Most insurance companies do not cover the cost of treatment for chronic Lyme cases. This places an unimaginable amount of financial buy cheap generic soma burden and strain on a patient and their family year after year. A recent study revealed that over 40% of Lyme Disease patient’s are unable to work. This same study demonstrated that chronic Lyme sufferers have a quality of life that is worse than many other illnesses like congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
