1 Year Lyme Battle Anniversary!!

So obviously I am TERRIBLE at keeping blogs updated! We'll blame it on Lyme. Seriously. This last year has been one heck of a ride, one that I'd really like to get off of if I could. But since that's not an option here I am. I've been fighting this "Monster" called Lyme Disease and it has been a battle to beat all wars. So that's my excuse and my reason I have been SO incredibly sick this last year that to put forth energy to update blogs is WAY too much to deal with. The reason for my post today is inspired by my courageous beautiful niece that got her diagnosis of Lyme. She's decided to blog her journey and I think her reasons for doing so is fantastic. I believe that people need to understand more about this beast and how horribly hard it is to live with. I want people to "get" what it literally feels like to live with and how your body feels with the World War 3 that's waging inside of it....

I just got home from my every 3 month medical sojourn to Mexico to see my kind, wonderful, brilliant, god-given doctor. There are no words to express just how grateful I am to this man and that he has come into my life. I truly love him. Every time I go to Mexico has been different with the way my body handles the treatments and this time was no different. It was pretty rough. I have "new" symptoms that have developed, severe nausea and heart palpitations. He said that means the bacteria has decided to take up residence in a different place so they've moved on to my stomach and heart. Great! Cause you know you can live so well without your heart functioning... NOT!. He's treating me with lots of stuff to heal the ulcers the Lyme has created in my tummy. The stuff is helping. But I'm still suffering. It's hard to eat much because even putting a tooth brush in my mouth is causing me to gag which then can cause throwing up seizures to happen. So much fun. ;) But don't worry I'm positive I won't get too skinny because my metabolism is in the toilet right now for whatever reason.

I received more "stuff" to do which takes all the things I have to take/do in a day up to a whole other level. I have so many prescription drugs, homeopathics, supplements and vitamins I am finding that I am REALLY struggling remembering what I have done/taken and whats left to do. I may have taken my thyroid pills and antibiotics twice this morning but I'm not sure...

I thought it might be kind of interesting to make a list of the symptoms I had that have either improved or gotten better and then list the symptoms I still have as well as any new ones that have cropped up. Side note: I'm analyzing these based on NON herxing symptoms. If I'm herxing you can better believe that ALL these symptoms return with a vengeance. More about herxing in another post.

Improved Symptoms:

Brain fog- most days this one really is a whole lot better. I can definitely still have some but I for sure have had an improvement.
Memory issues- mild improvement. I'm still struggling with this one quite a bit such as word and name recall. Which can be quite embarrassing at times especially when you can't remember names of people that you've known for years. Awkward.
Depression- Totally and complete astounding improvement on this one! I can't believe how amazing I "feel"! My serotonin and dopamine levels went from 3 to 960 in 18 months! They should be at 1500 but hey! I'm SO not complaining! Seriously if 960 feels like this what is 1500 going to feel like!?
Seizures/tremors/muscle twitches/bells palsy: I've seen an improvement in these from last summer for sure which is nice but I still suffer from them. Instead of 18 or more seizure episodes a day I have minor tremors and muscle twitches most days. I only have a more major seizing episode once or twice a week now. SO NICE!
Energy levels: Most days this has improved tremendously. I find I can do more without fatiguing (aka ending up in bed)  then a year ago.

As I have started listing my symptoms I realized this could be a VERY looooong post so because of that I decided to change my tactic and find a way to simplify this for you the reader.

Here's a list of symptoms I found at  http://www.lymeresearchalliance.org/signs-symptom-list.html
I thought I'd highlight the ones I've had problems with in the past or are experiencing now. The ones in pink are my symptoms. I've put an I at the end if there's been improvement, an N if it's a "new" symptom and a G if the symptom has resolved.  If I didn't put anything just know that I'm still struggling with that and have seen zero improvement.

Head, Face, Neck: Headache I Facial paralysis (like Bell’s palsy) G Tingling of nose, cheek, or face Stiff neck Sore throat, swollen glands I Heightened allergic sensitivities I Twitching of facial/other muscles I Jaw pain/stiffness (like TMJ) Change in smell, taste Digestive/excretory System: Upset stomach (nausea, vomiting) N Irritable bladder Unexplained weight loss or gain Loss of appetite, anorexia Respiratory/Circulatory Systems: Difficulty breathingNight sweats or unexplained chills Heart palpitations N Diminished exercise tolerance Heart block, murmur Chest pain or rib soreness Psychiatric Symptoms: Mood swings, irritability, agitation G Depression G and anxiety I Personality changes Malaise Aggressive behavior / impulsiveness Suicidal thoughts (rare cases of suicide) G Overemotional reactions, I crying easily Disturbed sleep: too much, too little, difficulty falling or staying asleep I Suspiciousness, paranoia, hallucinations Feeling as though you are losing your mind G Obsessive-compulsive behavior Bipolar disorder/manic behavior Schizophrenic-like state, including hallucinations Cognitive Symptoms: Dementia G Forgetfulness, memory loss (short or long term) I Poor school or work performance I Attention deficit problems, distractibility I Confusion, difficulty thinking I Difficulty with concentration, reading, spelling I Disorientation: getting or feeling lost I Reproduction and Sexuality Females: Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity N Reproduction problems, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, neonatal Death, congenital Lyme disease Extreme PMS symptoms N Males: Testicular or pelvic pain		Eye, Vision: Double or blurry vision, vision changes Wandering or lazy eye Conjunctivitis (pink eye) Oversensitivity to light Eye pain or swelling around eyes Floaters/spots in the line of sight Red eyes Ears/Hearing: Ringing or buzzing in ears I Sound Decreased hearing I sensitivity Pain in ears I Musculoskeletal System: Joint pain, swelling, or stiffness Shifting joint pains Muscle pain or cramps Poor muscle coordination, loss of reflexes Loss of muscle tone, muscle weakness I Neurologic System: Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks Burning/stabbing sensations in the body Burning in feet Weakness or paralysis of limbs Tremors or unexplained shaking Seizures, stroke Poor balance, I dizziness, I difficulty walking Increased motion sickness, wooziness Lightheadedness, fainting Encephalopathy (cognitive impairment from brain involvement) Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) Meningitis (inflammation of the protective membrane around the brain) Encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) Academic or vocational decline Difficulty with multitasking Difficulty with organization and planning Auditory processing problems Word finding problems Slowed speed of processing I Skin Problems: Benign tumor-like nodules Erethyma Migrans (rash) General Well-being: Decreased interest in play (children) Extreme fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion I Unexplained fevers (high or low grade) G Flu-like symptoms (early in the illness) Symptoms seem to change, come and go Other Organ Problems: Dysfunction of the thyroid (under or over active thyroid glands) Liver inflammation Bladder & Kidney problems (including bed wetting)

I'm not gonna lie going through this list made me realize just how sick I am. It's funny how you live with it so long that you didn't even know that some of this stuff wasn't "normal". Seriously people I've lived with it for 36 years. I thought everyone hurt  like they had glass shards inside their joints and muscles. And believe it or not there are a few symptoms that weren't listed here... I won't bore you with it all though.

As you can see overall I've definitely had some improvements over the past year thanks to the care of my doc and my strictness at following everything he's advised me to do. I'm going to keep on keeping on and win this fight against this monster!