Hi there everyone,
So I was diagnosed back in April of 2012 and started my treatment for Lyme, Babeosis, and Bartonella in early May. I have to say that I have been super lucky with not many adverse side effects to the treatment... some nausea, some diahrrea, some headaches, and a wicked bad taste in my mouth, but all in all and compared to other's horror stories, I have fared pretty well. I've also lost 25lbs as a result of the diet, which was a needed loss anyway, so things were looking pretty good and I was feeling pretty good. My pain, arthritis, brainfog, muscle twiches, and all the other plethera of symptoms were much better, and my energy was returning... about 80% better than before starting treatment... I am actually participating in life again, and with a 4 year old... that was really important to me.
So I've been feeling pretty good, eating right, doing the good sleep hygiene thing... and generally in good sorts. We went on vacation to the cottage last week. I didn't stick to a normal eating pattern, I missed several doeses of my medications (also forgetting my probiotics at home), and my sleep hygiene was less than great... a few late nights... and even thought in the spirit of being on vacation (and since I have been feeling so well lately), I allowed myself a few drinks in the evening.
BOY OH BOY WHAT A MISTAKE! Even though I felt o.k. during the week, but the end of the week, my pain and arthritis had reared it's ugly head. My feet were swollen, sore and it hurt to walk on them, my hands and wrists felt arthritic, as was the case with most of my body, the rice krispie snapping sounds at the base of my skull where it meets my neck started up again, and I generally felt like someone had kick my butt in the ring. I won't make that mistake again next month when we spend another week up north. Even now after almost a week back on my full regime... my feet are super sore, and my body is just starting to feel like I can move without arthritic pain again.
I do, however, have a question for anyone with Bartonella as a co-infection to Lyme. If you have taken a hiatus from your treatment plan, did your foot pain return as quickly as I describe above? That was one of my very first symptoms in 2010, and it really is excrusiating to the point of not wanting to put any pressure on them... and the skin feels like it is pulled so tight that they are going to split right open. Anyone else experience those feelings?
Thanks for the listening ears/reading eyes. :)
Kristo