Stages

This is something that I've been thinking about lately and it applies to my situation. It may apply to others as well and it's something to think about.

First Stage - Normal person - we can remember this stage before we were afflicted with a vector borne disease. Life was easy, fun, carefree, and what we did or ate did not matter.

Second Stage - Chronic Infection - Problems have arisen from chronic inflammation and we are not sure exactly what is going wrong. This is the stage where we start spiraling downward and out of control. Our health plummets. Our body is attempting to correct our pathogen problem but is unable to do so and the side effects from its efforts are causing us massive problems. At this point, we are still eating like we used to because we don't know any different.

Third Stage - Chronic Infection with Down Regulation (mineral depletion) - Multiple problems are occurring and the body has realized that it cannot correct our pathogen issues and down regulates pathways through epigenetic shifts. This occurs mostly to the methylation pathway (along genes MTHFR 1298C, COMT, BHMT, CBS C699T, MTRR) but can occur elsewhere like at the glutathione metabolism genes (GSTM1, GSTP1). These shifts are likely to come from mineral depletion and lack of substrates due to our inflammatory processes. In this stage, we are trying to eat the right thing but are still suffering greatly. This is the worst of the worst when it comes to health.

Fourth Stage - Down Regulation with Chronic Infection (adequate minerals) - Multiple problems exist but the body has compensated every way it can. The problems are much less than the previous stage and we have a narrow window for which we can operate in a semi-normal fashion. We aren't what we once were, but at the same time, we are slightly better than the previous stage. In this stage, we have found the right combination of nutrients and minerals to allow our body to function in a minimal capacity without serious immediate adverse effects. We are eating a strict diet and when we don't, we pay for it. This is the stage where we often don't get sick from colds or the flu because our innate immune response is working overtime. If we don't eat the right things, we suffer.

In the Fourth Stage, many of the things we may take in an attempt to heal will put us back into the Third Stage. We herx and know it. This is because what we take can upregulate the systems of the Third Stage and because the pathogens are still there, we feel the effects of our immune response. The Third Stage is where most major sufferers are located. Movement up or down in a Stage would help they way they are feeling.

If we are in the Second Stage and take the appropriate actions, we can return to the First Stage. I am trying to decipher a way to go from Stage Three or Four and get back to Stage One but have yet to find the answers.

This stages are very well explained and i agree with how you have labelled them. My take on these stages is that they do not apply to people who have received their lyme from their mom when they were born. When that occurs, the sick is the normal time. There is never a time when there are no problems. When i was growing up with unknown lyme, i had what was called growing pains which were unexplainable. Joints would ache. Muscles would throb with pain. Severe gastro cramps lasting days were the norm. No explanations for any of these.

I ve had 2 crisis stages where my life was in danger because of lyme and i did not know lyme was behind it.

I also remember the several bouts with bell's palsy. They were just weird. As a youth, i can now attest that my uncoordination was due to lyme. At every sporting event and team sports i was the butt end of the games played. I did my best but it was never good enough. I have somehow managed between all of these bouts and stages to a point where now i am fighting lyme. So for me there are only 2 stages of lyme. The first being the 70 odd years when i had it and was not aware of it, and now the second stage for 2.5 years when i am doing something active about it to try and change the ooutcome of events for the remainder of my life. xfmlg

I going to print this out and take to my next doctor appointment. Perhaps he can offer some suggestions to get us back to Stage 1/Stage2. I'm sure he will intertwine this with the TH1/TH2 thingy--. Pardon my scientific jargon (I.e. Thingy) 😏.

GH, I don't think we get to go back to stage 1 or 2 and eat and do what we want.

We get a new stage 1 and 2 with a new diet that we have learned is what our body needs. And at the same time we have new restrictions. I cannot do the same physical endurance that I did a year ago. Granted it, I am older, but I am talking about working out in the yard all day long. It exhausts me and I pay dearly for it the next day.

For some reason there were foods that now make me sicker. Pizza and ice cream, off the top of my head. Go figure! Pasta is fine, so why not pizza? Yogurt is fine, so why not ice cream? It is not a sugar or gluten thing. I cannot figure it out and I just live with it.

I really think we get a new and improved stage 1 or stage 2. I know that mine is better than my original stage 1 and stage 2.

PeteZa said...
GH, I don't think we get to go back to stage 1 or 2 and eat and do what we want.

We get a new stage 1 and 2 with a new diet that we have learned is what our body needs. And at the same time we have new restrictions. I cannot do the same physical endurance that I did a year ago. Granted it, I am older, but I am talking about working out in the yard all day long. It exhausts me and I pay dearly for it the next day.

For some reason there were foods that now make me sicker. Pizza and ice cream, off the top of my head. Go figure! Pasta is fine, so why not pizza? Yogurt is fine, so why not ice cream? It is not a sugar or gluten thing. I cannot figure it out and I just live with it.

I really think we get a new and improved stage 1 or stage 2. I know that mine is better than my original stage 1 and stage 2.

You may be right about that Pete. If you want me to post the answer to your food issues with pizza and ice cream, I can. I'd post it here but it wouldn't have a search title for those that wanted to find it later.

I got so sick on pizza and ice cream about 4 months ago and just have no tried them again. No real desire. GH, thanks for the offer of the explanation, but that pizza and ice cream just are not that important to know why. Maybe a long time from now I will try them again, but I really can do without them.