Posted 4/27/2012 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Just showing my face for a quick update!
As I cycle through my Lyme experience, I notice that with each new "good" period, things are better and better! This week, beginning Monday, I have been feeling much, much better - at times better than my formal Lyme diagnosis in June! [But, I have had it for at least 35 years without knowing!]. My LLMD is awesome and works with me to titrate my abx and supports my suggestions to try various herbals if I want to. My basic abx regimen have been Ceftin and Biaxin (allergic to Doxy) and these have seemed to work very well eradicating a large amount of the Bb which was 3x a 'typical' case with me.
I then added the Byron White protocol several months back as well and am completing it now. I plan to start samento and banderol next week as the last weapons to get to full recovery - but maintaining the base dosages of the abx. For me, abx seemed to be crucial to getting the Lyme load down in my body to a manageable level where the herbs could begin to take hold as well and work synergistically with the meds. I think the BW herbs helped more with immune system modulation than anything, which augmented the killing off of the pathogen. My objective with the samento/banderol is to continue with that immune modulation and add kliing power for the Lyme hiding in biofilm colonies and the like, again, though with the abx staying there to kill any stragglers that may sneak through.
My state of mind since Monday this week has been much more settled and I have been back to my very focused self for the majority of the time! Time, which seemed to painfully and slowly pass at work for a long while due to my diseased state, FLEW BY this week because I felt engaged with life once again. My self confidence is reviving and I am getting back to my old highly sociable self! Plus I have been on the agenda to do a presentation and break-out work sessions tomorrow at a local genealogical Society annual symposium. Before this week, I had been dreading that – now, I am actually looking forward to it. So, there seems to be a fundamental shift going on within me in a good way. I still have background brain fog at times, but it seems as if it is trying to shift much more into the background…strange. My challenge now seems to be a good one – not taking on too much at a time AND continue to destroy the remaining critters in me….
Pardon the technical nature of what follows but my engineering and NASA background cause me to be very analytical! I have been montioring my body temp (3x a day and averaging) since way back in the beginning of September. Back then, my average temp was 96.9-97.1, suppressed as is typical with Lyme as they regulate it lower to have a better environment in which to thrive. The temps stayed stuck in that area til abt November as the abx did their work, then I noticed a pop to an average of about 97.5-97.7. I added the BW protocol along about that time and acupuncture and my temps actually backed off to 97.4-97.5 before popping up to a new range of 97.7-97.9 about 6 weeks later. Then, another pop to 98.0, then back down to 97.7 over the ensuing couple of weeks. Lately, I have seen a steady rise to where I am now in the 98.1-98.4 range! PRACTICALLY NORMAL! An oddity that is probably not all that odd when you think about it is that I would herx fairly badly whenever my body temps hit a point where they went up to the next level of plateau. This was no doubt my immune system whacking out the Lyme and other critters that had been thriving in the lower temp environment within me!
I have been working with both my LLMD and PCP on this and body temperature helps indicate a number of things - the level can give you an idea of your pathogen load and how your immune system is doing (the higher and closer to normal, the better). Plus, the day-to-day variance can indicate how your various bodiy systems are doing (esp. the adrenals) - if the variance from day-to-day is highly erratic, then that's probably a good indication that your adrenals and other systems are struggling. As the variance decreases, then that can be an indication that your body is stabilizing in a good way. This is exacty the pattern I have been seeing! My temps would vary 1-1.5 degrees per day early on, now they vary only 0.2-0.3 per day! In my experience, this one indicator (monitoring body temperature averages) has provided excellent clues about my state of health and what was working and when! My doc even suggested we might write a scientific paper on this once I get finished with treatment.
I attribute the following to my recovery to date:
ABX - Ceftin and Biaxin (could not handle Flagyl)
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) to kill cysts instead of the Flagyl
Herbals added later - Byron White A-L and A-BAB (and soon to add samento/banderol)
Aerobic exercise - RUNNING (this, to me has been invaluable to my recovery and my sanity)
Diet (low sugar, low gluten, low alcohol and green foods and organics but not to an extreme degree)
Sleep
Staying active in life as much as possible (no matter how bad you feel, get out and about at least part of each day -Also, I began to realize I should not dwell on the disease 24/7)
Acupuncture
Chiropractic work
Supplements (Mega-multi, NAC, ALA, lots of Vit C, and some others at times)
Detox baths and FIR sauna at times
The major point of all this is for folks here who are where I was many months ago - Just know that you can and WILL get better - it will happen. Find your best treatment approach and go for it. Keep the faith and help others as they begin their Lyme journeys!
Best of health to all! See y'all in a few weeks or so!