I have hope; because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:21-23
My arthritic symptoms are so bad lately. I know I keep mentioning this but the pain is terrible. I have decided that I am going to start an essential oil protocol to treat my swelling and achey joints. Here is the plan that I found on a site entitled Mama Balance. The oils listed are specifically recommended for arthritis.
Oils for Arthritis - Essential oils for arthritis include frankincense, rosemary, marjoram, peppermint, wintergreen, frankincense, eucalyptus and cypress (to increase circulation). Oregano and Clove can work together to provide natural arthritis pain relief. Topical Application Blend 1 (apply to area as needed) 2 drops Peppermint, 2 drops wintergreen (diluted), 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops eucalyptus, 2 drops cypress Topical Application Blend 2 (apply to bottoms of feet twice daily) 3 drops oregano, 3 drops On Gurard (I use the On Guard specifically for my immune system) **Deep Blue Rub on soar areas for relief
Navigating through the pain of Lyme Disease is overwhelming. Lately, I have been so up and down with pain that it is wearing me out physically and mentally. There is extreme pain in my joints and my body shakes for long periods of time. I have moments where I want to move to a warm climate where the weather is steady year round because I feel like I have arthritis. If you know me, moving somewhere like this is totally not me. I love the seasons; even the rain and snow.
So, why 2 1/2 years after being bit by a tic do I still have such severe pain? The main reason that scientists believe is that there are residual effects from contracting Lyme. When a person is bit by a tic the bacteria can be killed with antibiotics. What people don't realize is that a person's immune system is likely lowered and they are susceptible to other diseases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that,
"Approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for Lyme disease with a recommended 2–4 week course of antibiotics will have lingering symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches. In some cases, these can last for more than 6 months. Although often called "chronic Lyme disease," this condition is properly known as "Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome" (PTLDS). The exact cause of PTLDS is not yet known. Most medical experts believe that the lingering symptoms are the result of residual damage to tissues and the immune system that occurred during the infection."
The CDC, in 2013, increased the number of cases of Lyme Disease as 10 times higher than in years past. Many believe this estimate is not even close to the undiagnosed number of cases.
"About 300,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with Lyme disease, according to new estimate released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week. That number is 10 times higher than the number of cases reported annually to the CDC."
A comprehensive plan to treating Lyme is essential. I believe antibiotics alone will not cure you if you are suffering with PTLDS. Most likely you will end up with other issues from long term use of antibiotics. I personally am on a comprehensive treatment plan to address the other physical side effects I now have. The issue is that regardless of being treated I still hurt, and bad!! Some days are awesome and then I suddenly I feel like I have been run over by a truck. There does not seem to be a clear cut path to recovery. I am following the best route I know to for now.
I rarely know how to start my posts, but I know I want to share. I want to share my story and updates of my walk with Lyme Disease so that others who are trying to navigate through Lyme, either themselves or with someone they love, know that they are not alone. Their symptoms are real. The pain is tremendous. The journey is very often long and treacherous. That being said, I believe with all my heart that there is hope!
Today starts my 6 month of treatment with Longevity Health. It has been up and down, up and down, up and down. My last post was about nearly throwing in the towel, but I decided to stay in the ring and go the distance (yes, I am a bit of a boxing or really UFC fan if you can't tell by the terminology).
This past weekend I was sick, my husband was sick, my child was sick and it was my birthday. Life around here was not fun and a part of me wanted to be resentful since it was my birthday. However, I still had a great birthday! I had a great party with my family and my dad, whom I am so blessed to share my birthday with the night before. The day of my birthday, although I felt bad and bummed out because of it, was still blessed. I had my favorite wine, gluten free pizza and watched a great movie, Nocturna, at home with my family. The movie is a great example of how we are never alone.
Even in the darkest hour, I, we, have someone with us; who is watching over us. I believe it's God who is watching over us. And I believe everyone faces the dark in their life. Regardless of if it is physical, emotional, relational etc., there are and always will be dark times. Times that we are scared and life is hard to face. We choose how we face the dark.
In the bible Christ's disciples had many opportunities to face dark times where they were scared and uncertain what was going to happen. One such time was in Matthew 14:22-31 they were in their boat while a storm was raging. Jesus started walking toward them, but they couldn't recognize him they were so afraid. But Jesus told them not to be afraid and that it was him. He even beckoned Peter, his disciple, to get out of the boat and walk toward him in the midst of the storm. This was a seemingly crazy request. Drowning likely was imminent. What did Peter do? He obeyed! He got scared and had to cry out for help, but he obeyed regardless of the outcome. The scripture goes on to say that the disciples worshiped God. He was watching over them the entire time.
We don't always make it back to the boat and God doesn't always catch us the way we want him too. Sometimes it is so dark we are like the boy in Nocturna constantly afraid. But God, is always with us. Asking us to trust him. To not give up. To know he is in control. Even if I never get completely well, I pray that I have faith to praise God in the midst of the storm. I am pretty sure I have written about this before and that most likely I posted this song. But I am posting it again because life's storms come and go, but we choose how we respond - in fear or in trust.
Happy New Year! It's 2015 and I am so thankful to say that my health is continuing to improve.
I started treatment with Longevity Health 4 months ago. The first month was so hard, the second month I saw improvements, the 3rd month was really hard. During the 3rd month I was super dizzy and fell several times. The falling was probably due to lack of sleep and an herb that I tried without consulting with my herbalist; won't make that mistake again. I also had major detox sweats during the 3rd month. I sweat a lot at night and always have, but the sweat I was sweating at night was so putrid. Not a body order smell - just nasty! Of course with detoxing, symptoms intensify. I had almost a week where I couldn't drive or do much of anything and I had to get back out my cane. I felt BAD and wanted to throw in the towel. Luckily, I seem to be on the up swing again. I sent my blood in and found that my body wasn't absorbing nutrients like it should. The doctor made adjustments to my medicines which seems to be helping.
Beside improvement of health in 2015, I have been using essential oils for nearly a year now. I use them daily and have found them very helpful in a lot of different ways regarding health. I have used various kinds of essential oils that are 100% Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG).
My next appointment with Longevity Health is scheduled for March. Until then, I will continue with treatment from Longevity Health, OnDamed, Chinese Herbs and essential oils and hope to have continued improvement.
Let me start by giving thanks that for each new day that God gives me. It would be easy for me to use this blog completely as a means to complain and express how horrible things can be. However, there is a bigger picture and I don't want to get stuck on the speck that I don't like. That being said, I also believe it is important to be real and share that sometimes circumstances in life just suck.
The past couple of weeks have been particularly difficult for me physically and emotionally. Unfortunately these two things thrive off of one another. I can feel bad, get upset about feeling bad and in return symptoms (especially neurological) get worse. This is why I recommend that anyone with Lyme have a psychologist they meet with regularly! It's a tough road to recovery and mental health plays a vital role.
For the past several weeks my symptoms of dizziness, shaking, and fatigue have been bad. I have felt like I have had the flu but worse. Several times I was so dizzy that I fell over. Of course with falling and major painful body aches I was afraid I was going to need to get my cane out again; something I haven't had to use for over a month now! Perhaps one of the most frustrating things was that I could barely get my kids ready for school, and I couldn't get them there because I couldn't drive in the condition I was in. This meant calling on others to help me out, and that is always difficult for me.
Asking people for help is not something anyone really wants to do. It means admitting that you are not completely self-sufficient and that you can't do life on your own. I personally HATE calling my friends and family and asking for help. I know it is inconvenient for them. Plus, it lets them know that I am not 100% and that is a bummer too. There is the good news: asking for help kills pride and gives others a chance to serve. Which of course is biblical and essential for spiritual growth and character building.
Since I have been doing so so so much better over the past couple of months, I wanted to brush my continued struggle under the rug. I wanted everyone, including myself, to believe I was well, that treatment was exactly what I needed, and no one need be concerned anymore. Treatment is exactly what I needed, but being 100% after a few months is unrealistic with the way that Lyme has ravished my body. My latest tests results showed improvement in areas! YAY!! However, the Spirochetes are still present. I am still going to Herx and sometimes at this point in the game and with the supplements/meds I am on, a Herx can last a couple of weeks.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
My mother-in-law has been an amazing help to myself and my family for the past 6 months. She graciously comes and stays with us for several weeks at a time in order to help me get the rest I need to heal quicker. I can't begin to sing her praises and thank God for selflessness. A couple of weeks ago she went back home to do some needed work at her house and to give my husband and I some time alone while my parents took the kids to Disney. As life's twists and turns would have it, this past Thursday night she fell and broke her hip. This was extremely distressing news as she was in incredible pain and we live so far away we aren't able to be with her.
I am unable to drive long distances, I had been sick for 2 days prior, and my husband couldn't take off work. So, immediately my mom offered to drop her plans and take me to be with my mother-in-law and help me find her a recovery center. I was really worried about finding her a good recovery home that didn't make her feel like she was in a nursing home per se'. My sister and my friend loving loving arranged to take care of my kids until my husband was off work. I can't begin to tell you how thankful I was for family and friends that were willing to help out!
On the way to the hospital we stopped and ate dinner. Now, just so you know, eating out is a mess for people with Celiac!! Luckily a lot of places now have allergy lists for their food, but somehow I misread something or my food got cross-contaminated and I immediately got sick. Ugh!!! My mom had never seen this happen and she was stunned what an affect gluten can have on a person.
Mom and I arrived at the hospital that evening. My mother-in-law was in so much pain and could hardly move. We were able to pray with her and visit for awhile before we left for the night. Yet another friend graciously housed us for the night and fixed us breakfast in the morning. That night the trip and the gluten had really taken a tole on my body, so I had to go straight to bed.
The next day was a whirl wind visiting my mother-in-law and trying to find her the best place to stay. Let me just express to you how good God is!!! My mom just happened to think to call a friend that was familiar with several of the care centers around town, because her friend visits people who are sick. We called her and she immediately narrowed our list of 12 places down to 2. On top of that, when we went to see the place the admissions director just happened to be there (it was a Saturday, her day off). She took the time to take us around and explain how things worked. She was so very helpful and we felt like God had just made one of my primary goals of coming super easy. To top that off one of my mom's really good friends had gone through recovery at this place and also sang its praises.
When we got back to the hospital my mother-in-law was so relieved to hear we had found a good place and was nearly looking forward to going to the care center. Such a blessing, because as you can imagine no one wants to have to go to a "nursing home" and no one wants to put their loved one in a "nursing home." We were able to leave with my mother-in-law in good spirits and assurance that God was taking care of her.
Since then…this week has been really difficult. I realized that I am no where near able to travel that far right now. My body has been hurting and my symptoms have been worse. Luckily I have friends who helped me get my kids to school and take care of them for me. I have gotten some much needed rest and started to get my stamina back.
This week couldn't have made me more thankful for the joy and peace that comes with trusting in God. He feels me with hope, even when circumstances don't look hopeful. He gives me the strength to face every moment of every day; something very challenging when living with Lyme. He places people in our path to guide, help, and support when we need it most. This Thanksgiving I am most thankful the good and gracious God I serve.
I haven't written for sometime and there are always mixed reasons when I don't write. Usually, it is because I am trying to spend all of my healthy moments with my family and then when I don't feel good, I just don't feel like writing.
The past couple of weeks I have been struggling to look at the sunshine through the rain. My health has been doing so so so much better. However, what seems to be happening when I feel better is that I expect myself to do more, meanwhile forgetting that I am not 100%. Then I get super frustrated when I realize I am not 100% and that pacing myself and patience are still vital to full recovery. Stay with me while I go on a grumbling rant for a moment…
I am tired of needing help. I am tired of not being able to clean my own house. I am tired of depending on others to help me. I am tired of doctors appointments and drinking nasty things to help heal my body. I am tired of having to say "no" to 4 possible job positions in the past several months, because I am not at a place in life where I can work yet. I am tired of being negative and snippy and losing my temper because I can't seem to express to people what is going on with my emotions. Sometimes appearing well is almost worse than appearing sick, because it is almost impossible for people to understand or know that I am not 100%. And quite frankly, I don't want for anyone to know I am not well yet.
I really believe it can be helpful to express grumbles, but to stay focused on them is not in any way shape or form beneficial. So let me share with you just a few things that I am so thankful for…
I am thankful I serve a living God! I am thankful for salvation and the hope of eternal life with a God who loves us even in our darkest hours! I am thankful for the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit! I am thankful for strength from the word of God! I am thankful for an amazing husband who is so patient and loving regardless of his own stresses in life! I am thankful for 3 healthy and happy kiddos! I am thankful for family and friends who are willing to give up their own time and schedules to help out my family! I am thankful good doctors who have not given up on my recovery! I am thankful for a home and food to eat! I am thankful that my heater and air conditioner work! I am thankful I have been able to go on dates, attend church, and even the Irish Dancers Xmas Concert without getting super sick!!
These blessings far outweigh anything that I could ever begin to grumble about, and I didn't even begin to write the half of them. Yes, life is full of disappointment and hardships and sickness. We live in a broken world. But friends, JOY comes in the morning. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David AND now of Kelly Myers And hopefully You too!
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.[a] 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.[b]
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
