PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO FEELING BETTER

I think that this would be a great idea to help give encouragement to the members here. So please take the time and share what you did to feel better. I know that we all take different routes to get better, but something you've done may help others here. Thank you for taking the time to help others!

Oh yea,
That's not to mention the myriad of little things I do, like the detoxing, dry skin brushing, and such. I also realize that being so ill, for me, it was best to have the mind set of "any is better than none" when thinking of things to help myself - ie: any amount of water is better than none. I had to start off by drinking a couple of glasses of water (with lemon) a day and supplementing with whatever else I could get down me. Now I drink my 1/2 caff. coffee (2 cups) and then straight to water - usually 1/2 gallon a day.

very inspiring, Traveler! I was only recently diagnosed (two weeks ago officially) but started acupuncture & herbs before the official dx and immediately felt incredible relief from a lot of my symptoms. I was able to go back to work (had been bed-ridden off and on for 2 months).

Since I have had such positive results so quickly with herbs & acupuncture I decided to look more into the natural route and just finished reading Healing Lyme by Stephen Harrod Buhner. I'm beginning his herbal protocol next week :)

I'm also cutting gluten out of my diet because both my docs think I may have an autoimmune going on as well. Not to mention my first triathlon coach also inspired me to handle illness with nutrition as he was diagnosed with a rare form of intestinal cancer that only ONE other person has ever been documented with and was able to completely recover without chemo, just going vegan and gluten free. (I can post his story in his own words if anyone would like to hear, it's pretty unbelievable ;) )

My mom also recently ran across this article on super foods that is incredibly interesting:

http://pushalittleharder.blogspot.com/2011/04/superfoods-that-could-change-way-you.html

I feel very confident about the route of treatment I've chosen. I thoroughly researched studies on antibiotics treatments and herbs before making my decision and hope that everyone out there who is suffering does the same before committing to a treatment..

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Hi everyone!

Hubby surprised me for birthday and got the best thing, a juicer. I'm starting to do the juicing again. The other one just died.

I seem to be feeling better with all the supplements. I get so full from taking so many, LOL LOL. Water has been a huge benefit. Flushing out the system with the water and a little lemon makes me feel good!

I always feel chipper when I can walk, although we've had massive rain, I'll start when the weather permits.

Also keeping in touch with you folks keeps my mind and spirit in the right place. Doing what I can as an advocate, which has been a lot of preparation for things to come, but I enjoy it.

Sleep!!!!!! Gotta do it for several hours at a crack if I need it.

Last; I smile even if I hurt!

HH.

Every time I've posted that I'm feeling better......something always reverses that.  It's like a jinx myself! 

But.....according to the calendar I'm keeping to monitor my good and bad days this month.....I have actually had 6-8 good or great days in a row and only 2 or 3 fair to bad days in between. 

That is encouraging to me!   Real progress I think. 

Brain fog/bad feeling in head is almost gone-- tennis elbow is now completely gone, along with many other symptoms. 

Still have some ear ringing and upper back/shoulder pain that comes and goes.....and my stiff neck (never has gone away-- yet-- ugg) does have mild days.  

Sometimes I actually feel so good during the day that I forget I have Lyme....

.... but by ten o'clock at night something always reminds me.  Tiredness or the back/shoulder pain will creep in.... and some muscle twitches here and there. 

But overall I think I'm turning the corner. Knock on wood!  

  

 

Just so that everyone knows, it's not up to the mods to 'make' a thread a 'sticky'. This can only be done by the Admin (Peter). Once we have collected enough stories (not sure how many we really need), then the mods can ask to have a thread be made into a 'sticky'.

So let's keep up the good work!!! We all need inspiration from time to time!!

I am sooooo happy to hear these stories of improvement and/or success!!

Amen, Amen!!!!

HH

Thanks for chiming in, Deejavue!! I was hoping you would, you detox guru you!!! LOL!!

And I sooo agree with your analogy of the mechanic!!! I have fired more than a few docs because they were too narrow-minded to think outside the box when necessary!!

Getting better means taking control of your entire life - as you said, mind, body, soul and spirit!!

I don't know exactly when I got lyme disease.  I think either in 2000 when I broke out in a rash (which I thought was poison ivy) that had little black dots on it or in 2004ish when I had a bite on my back that turned into a scaly circle.  Could have been both who knows, I am an avid gardener.  Anyway, I started to exhibit the worst symptoms in 2005, although I remember horrible mood swings dating earlier.  In 2005 though I had just returned home from the best vacation in my life to the Bahamas with my husband and two boys.  I thought I had slept funny on a hotel pillow because I couldn't move my neck when I got back.  I ended up going to a chiropractor for the first time in my life.  Then that fall, my legs started bothering me, being very difficult to go up stairs.  That following spring, April 2006, I remember feeling suddening nauseous one day and then got an infection in my mouth.  I DREAD dental work and have a complex situation as I was born with a cleft lip which remains partially unrepaired to this date.  By June 2006, I was having panic attacks (but didn't know that's what it was).  I had extensive dental work by a dentist who did not know what he was doing.  I ended up in the ER twice with stabbing chest pains.  I would never feel quite the same again.  I could no longer function normally.  I went to dr. after dr. trying to find out what was wrong with me.  My mood swings were horrible, I shook all over, I had stabbing pains in my chest and joints, daily headaches, tight jaw, I was incredibly fatigued, and on and on and on.  I was told it was "just menopause" and agreed to go on hormone replacement.  Despite having lost 15 lbs in a few months, I put on 40 lbs in the next 6 months.  I felt horrible.  I was like a different person.  I continued to work but knew something was very wrong.  My jaw was so tight, I had a severe headache every day, struggled to get through each day.  I never felt "normal".  After about 10 drs., in October 2008, I finally went to a woman endocrinologist who LISTENED TO ME.  She knew something was wrong.  I at that time obtained a copy of my original blood work from my primary care dr. in June 2006 and determined three bands, one of which was 39, a significant band.  Also my d-dimer and C reactive protein were very high, an indication of significant inflammation in the body. She had told me everything was negative.  I was livid!  I had no idea of the lyme controversy involving inaccurate testing, diagnosis and treatment.  From there, I went to an LLMD I did not like at all but ran appropriate co-infection testing.  I never went back to him but made the mistake of going to an infectious disease dr.  He treated me for a year, ineffectively, getting worse and an MRI showed lesions on my brain.  He prescribed IV but I was turned down by my ins. co and he did nothing to fight for me. I then ended up with the LLMD I am with now whom I love. I have been with her for a year now and she has treated me aggressively with multiple antibiotics and supplements.  I am feeling quite better.  I no longer have headaches, energy is much better, joint pains are almost gone, vision is getting there.  I still struggle mostly with anxiety and neurological problems.  I don't socialize much as I can't handle it for some reason but am able to travel and garden and enjoy my job and family again.  I don't know when or if I will be able to come off all of these medications but have learned to take one day at a time and am so grateful to be where I am today.  I am determined to get the word out about this devastating disease.  My heart goes out to those less fortunate than me. I hope I can continue to improve and keep my positive attitude which I think goes a long way to enjoying LIFE !  

I haven't posted in a while, but have continued reading most of the posts over the last several months. I too will TRY to keep my story short...

I woke one morning to severe tendonitis in my elbow - out of the blue, no injury or known cause. Had no idea it was tendonitis, but assumed it was a pinched nerve. Exactly one month later, after no relief from the tendonitis, I developed similar migrating pain in ALL of my joints. The very next day, I had cold-like symptoms, including a sore throat. Within a day or two, severe dizziness started. Then the myriad of odd symptoms just kept increasing and none were dropping off! I went to the doctor the day after the migratory joint pain started and had many blood tests done, which sent me to a rheumatologist (thinking it was the start of Lupus). I had my first negative Lyme test done about 3 weeks after the migratory joint pain started.  I saw ten various specialists/doctors over 4 years and had multiple negative Lyme tests. Finally, out of desperation, I went to an alternative doctor (not an LLMD) thinking this had to be hormonal (regular doctors won't test for that either, no matter how many different ways you ask about it). She immediately said my symptoms sound like Lyme Disease and wanted me to take the Igenex Lyme test. I was annoyed and didn't want to because I was "guaranteed" that I did not have Lyme Disease by more than one doctor already. I conceded and paid the $260 cash (not covered by my insurance) and was told my test results were positive. I was shocked, but not as shocked as I was when I got a copy of my results and they clearly said "negative." I called the office wondering what the heck was going on, and that's when I was initiated into this bizarre world of borderline tests results and symptoms resulting in a clinical diagnosis of Lyme Disease.

I was put on two strong antibiotics and fluconazole (to combat yeast), plus several supplements for the Lyme Disease and also for adrenal support, which other tests revealed I needed. I was on the antibiotics for 9 months and then went off because my doctor left her practice. At that point I tried teasel root and grapefruit seed extract for several months. I had tried teasel root the first time while on antibiotics for several months. I was also taking milk thistle for liver support this entire time and I detox daily.

I noticed an immediate improvement in energy, which I attributed more to the adrenal support than the Lyme treatment. Over time, my short-term memory improved to what I consider pretty normal for a person my age (mid-forties), and my joint pain improved considerably, but was far from gone and I was still taking Tramadol for pain. Most symptoms improved, but many were still present to some degree. At some point I also started taking 1-2 tablespoons of apple cidar vinegar a day (you can research the reasons for this).

I had gotten Dr. Jernigan's book (Beating Lyme Disease 2nd Ed.) probably a year ago and contemplated trying his at-home protocol, but just wasn't ready to try that yet. I had certainly taken into consideration Deejavu and others' information regarding Dr. Jernigan's protocol, and always had it in the back of my mind that if things don't improve I'll either find another (or a true) LLMD (none in my immediate area) or I'll try this at-home protocol. about two months ago, I decided it was time to try the at-home protocol. I have been pleasantly surprised. It is not cheap (about $650 for the book and 8 month supply of products), but the LLMD I found was $350 for just one appointment (not covered by insurance), and not including any tests or treatment, plus the travel expenses, so really this is a bargain. I decided it was worth a shot for me to try Dr. Jernigan's protocol and am glad I decided to go this route at this point. After two months, my pain has reduced to the point I am no longer taking the Tramadol. At times the pain will momentarily be bad enough to consider taking it, but it passes. My numbness is mostly not noticible unless I really start thinking about it or sometimes it is very noticible, but passes fairly quickly. So I'd say, yes, I believe Dr. Jernigan's products are making a dfference for me. I don't know if I'd be doing as well if I hadn't done the antibiotics and other supplements first though. Right now, I'm taking the Borrelogen and Antitox, and very soon I'll switch to the Lymogen and continue with the Antitox for two months, and then switch to the Microbojen and Antitox for two months, and then I plan to do the follow-up combination for another two months. (It's all explained in the book what to take, how much, and for how long and what else you need to do to make this work for you).

So, right now, going on six years after this mess started and getting close to two years after being diagnosed and starting treatment, I'm feeling very good and feel like I'm getting better, but it has been a long road and I have no false hope that I'll be "cured" for good. It is entirely possible that I was infected many years ago because of weird symptoms that have come and gone over the years, but my body was just unable to fight it off any longer at the point all h--- broke loose for me.

Good luck to all of you!!

Post Edited (Tala3) : 5/1/2011 11:53:03 AM (GMT-6)

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These stories are REALY helpful to read. I'm only 4 months into treatment, but it feels like forever, especially after being so incredibly sick for 18 months. These stories give hope to those of us that are feeling hopeless right now!