I'm Still Here and Still Fighting This Battle!

Wow so it's been awhile again. It's been wonderful forgetting that I have this blog so why am I here this morning so bright and early???

HERXING! AGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Okay not as bad as in the past but I am on day 6 of increasing my Minocycline from one 50mg a day to now 2 50mg twice daily. My brain pressure and headache are back as well as extreme hearing sensitivity. But this time I know it's a herx and so instead of crying because I feel so bad I am rejoicing because herxing means the little buggies are being killed in my head and it's just needing to get flushed out so I can stop herxing here. The fact that I herx is always a good sign that my meds are doing exactly what they should be doing.

So I applied TONS of Peppermint Oil yesterday and took it easy. The oil really soothes and helps me to relax. Will do the same today.

My next increase is Dec 10 where I will take 150mg a day of the Minocycline. On Christmas Day I will do the last increase to 200mg a day of Minocycline.

Other than the herxing my body feels incredible. My friend at church noticed that I have so much more energy and she is right! I have felt incredible, I wake up with no pain, no tremors, no stiff neck or joints, no more knee pain, my arm and hands are normal with no tingling or numbing or any pain!  Amazing after 6 years of suffering!

God is so good to have lead us to a great doctor who diagnosed me correctly and has me on the correct treatment. The Bartonella truly has been harder to eradicate than the Lyme. And since it's in my brain it seems worse because it affects vision, hearing, overall head feelings. But I haven't struggled with slurring speech, forgetting sentences, whooshing, brain fog...I do have dizzy spells still but nothing like it used to be.

As far as current protocol, it looks like this:

Cefedenir twice daily
Clarithromicin 1 tablet cut into half, take half tablet twice daily
Minocycline twice daily
Pantaprozole one tablet in the morning
Probiotics in the afternoon.

Every night at bedtime I rub Thieves Oil to the bottom of my feet and around my neck.

So I am still here and still in this battle however I can truly say with all my heart I am encouraged as I am seeing the light at the end of this long dark tunnel I have been in for so many years! I know I still have awhile yet to go, my LLMD said I would have to be 6 months of absolutely symptom free before he would slowly wean me off any medications. So not there yet, but sure am closer!

I think of where I was just 10 months ago and I cringe thinking how sick I was, how much pain I was in and so much herxing going on I thought I wanted to just curl up and shrivel away. I do like to go back and re-read my Daily Journal here as it reminds me of where I once was and encourages me to see how much I have improved.

Sometimes I feel awful for others that I know with this same disease who don't seem to get any better with treatments. I don't understand why it works for me, even though it has been a tough journey, but others they never seem to get better. I even had to leave some of the Christian Lyme Support Groups I belonged too as I felt like I couldn't share my good news of getting better because so many are not getting better after, some folks, 10-20 years!

I am truly grateful to the Lord for getting me through this one step at a time. For directing us to the right doctor and for giving me such a wonderful, supportive family. My husband is so compassionate and so loving. I couldn't have endured so much without his constant care. My children are incredible. On my bad days they take over with cooking and cleaning. And my church family are always praying for me. I am truly truly blessed.

As I close this post, I am reminded of a beautiful sermon by one of my favorite preachers, CH Spurgeon called Beloved, yet Afflicted: Here's the ending of that sermon:

If Jesus loves you, and you are sick, let all the world see how you glorify God in your sickness. Let friends and nurses see how the beloved of the Lord are cheered and comforted by him. Let your holy resignation astonish them, and set them admiring your Beloved, who is so gracious to you that he makes you happy in pain, and joyful at the gates of the grave. If your religion is worth anything it ought to support you now, and it will compel unbelievers to see that he whom the Lord loveth is in better case when he is sick than the ungodly when full of health and vigour.If you do not know that Jesus loves you, you lack the brightest star that can cheer the night of sickness. I hope you will not die as you now are, and pass into another world without enjoying the love of Jesus: that would be a terrible calamity indeed. Seek his face at once, and it may be that your present sickness is a part of the way of love by which Jesus would bring you to himself. Lord, heal all these sick ones in soul and in body. Amen.

Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Donna

My precious new granddaughter Sierra