If it aint broke.....

Then no need to mess with it.  So goes teh current round.  A few months of feeling pretty okay.  So Dr. K. and I are comfortable letting me remain in calm waters for a while. It's been nice, especially now the thyroid issues have been worked out.  While I am still frustrated at being easily worn out and ignoring frequent heacaches, I able to finally breathe and enjoy for a while.  This whole functioning thing really has a lot going for it. 

It finally happened.  After a few years of not getting any sort of virus, I caught a simple head cold.  It knocked me completely out for three whole days.  I am still all stuffy and have the intermittent sinus headache and remain within 20 feet of a tissue at all times, but I am feeling okay.  I just didn't think I would get knocked out like I have.  All in all I handled it pretty well, with the help of Nyquil of course. 

New information means new directions!

The ILADS conference was held a couple of weeks ago, and lots of new research and information was shared, and returned to me through Dr. K.  I am going on a new antibiotic and will be cycling through them more quickly.  Using low doses of doxy for long periods of time is no longer thought to be effective and new treatments are being prescribed to us Limeys.  There is still the idea of having a port or pic line installed and going that route if this new thinking doesn't prove to be effective with me.  I will probably be ordering up another Lyme test in a month or so as well to see where we are, and what is going on with the co-infections as there is new information on how to handle them too.
The past month has sucked.  I haven't been feeling well at all but have managed to put on a good face and smile as if I were doing okay.  But truthfully, all I want to do is sleep, nap and cry.  My right knee has been swelling up and is painful, especially after a day of being on my feet at work.  Dr. K feels it is probably the Lyme, but will order an MRI if I am still having issues with it after starting on the new antibiotics. Also, I have been experiencing extreme bouts of anxiety that have left me near paralyzed and fearful of leaving the apartment, though i am usually able to talk myself through them thanks to my training in psychology.  It doesn't make it any easier or go away any faster though.
I have called in to work an outrageous number of times, probably more in the past three months than in my total work life ever.  I am defeated by this and really hoped that it wouldn't effect my job as much as it has since I am only working three days a week.  I have been able to outsmart the system a little bit and avoided any reprimands, but should I need to call out in the next couple of months I will.  In about 3 weeks we will be in our busiest season, meaning I am going to have to be very cautious, or think on a medical leave of absence.  There has to be a happy medium in there somewhere.
After last week's follow up, and the tremendous amount of support, information and help that Dr. K has offered me (for a fee of course, but we can't work for free), I think it is about time for me to offer my help in supporting him in some manner......details to come.

Ouch I say!

The good thing is my "feel good" periods are getting longer (by weeks), the bad thing is the "feel like death" periods still come back.  I used to feel awful pretty much all the time, with a few hours or maybe a whole morning or afternoon scattered every once in a great while where I felt nearly fine.  Now, having the "nearly normal" feeling for weeks on end I start to get used to it.  And just when I forget how horrible I am able to feel it hits me.  I find myself wanting to whimper in bed all day for the first few days.  Then I remember I felt even worse previously and that this will pass. 

This is progress so I have been told.  It doesn't make it any easier physically but it does remind me not to give up and that there is hope. But in the meantime..ouch!!!!!!!

6 months of progress

Another month gone by and another follow up appointment attended.  My virals are high, and we will be addressing that on my next visit, after Dr. K. returns from the dinner and conferences he has scheduled.  This months task is to address my nonfunctioning (again) thyroid.  This is nothing new to me as I have been dealing with a hypothyroid for 20 years now.  However, he is smart enough, (or just well informed) to realize that both T3 AND T4 need fixing in order for everything to come together nicely and make me feel and work better.  I am also down 2 more pounds which is surprising given the hypothyroidism.  But this bodes well for continuing weight loss once we balance out my thyroid.

I am still on doxy and diflucan as well as a gazillion supplements (Travacor, Vit D, Parsley, Chlorella, zinc, probiotics, just to name a few).  If you have seen Sex and the City 2, and recall the scene with Samantha, you have a good visual of the amount of pills I swallow twice a day - and yes, I do swallow them all at once.  

Best laid plans

Wow, has this month flown by, welcoming me back in to the fray of the "real world".  Flagyl and I are not friends.  The side effects were completely awful, my favorite being cystic acne.  There was the nausea, the metallic taste ever present on my palate and just plain ick.  But it is over, for now anyway.  I am back on doxy *whew*. 

I have been working at a part time job which has me on my feet from 6 to 9 hours per shift, of which they have been kind enough to give me 5 per week.  You do the math.  Only 2 more weeks of that and I should be back to 3 shifts per week, or I will transfer to seasonal status and find something else not quite as stressful.  Classes start in 2 weeks as well, which should be an interesting adventure given all of the memory issues I have been experiencing.

All in all, I am improving as is my quality of life.  I just do not have the time or energy left to put it to good use or appreciate it much because of my current schedule.  My sleep is great, normal even.  That right there is a huge help.  I have lost 8 lbs this past month and if I can continue to lose more that will be a tremendous help.  It does appear we are on the right track with treatments.  I have a few new supplements to add to my regimen which should ease the damage done by the flagyl. Maybe in the next month I can add a gentle exercise routine and clean up my diet (again).  There is hope.

Wait and See

Today I started the Flagyl after a wonderful 2 weeks free from any antibiotic.  I have also been working for the past 3 weeks, part time three days in a row.  The third day has been rough but bearable.  Come Monday I sleep most of the afternoon away.  Monday is my day of rest.  I do feel better able to go through my week than I did a few short months ago. 

This week will be a wait and see game.  Wait and see how I react to the new antibiotic, wait and see what if any side effects I experience and wait to see how I am able to cope or handle working 3 8 hour shifts on my feet in a row.  My fingers are crossed that I will continue to see improvements.  Reminding myself that I no longer require 2 naps a day every day is a huge improvement.  I just need to keep considering the small victories.....