New Treatment: Giddyup!

A little bit ago on this blog, I bemoaned the side effects of my first Lyme treatment protocol. After experiencing those unsavory side effects, together with my doctor, I made the decision to stop treatment to let my system clear out—most notably a) my digestive system, and b) whatever it was that had begun to discolor my teeth. A little over a month went by and things have cleared up.

Due to the time off of treatment, however, I've experienced a backslide in symptoms. My fatigue (probably the Lyme patient's biggest nemesis) has returned; the stabbing and burning pains have returned—not as bad as before initial treatment, but distressingly so. The "wall" (of fatigue, and with it, frustration) comes down earlier and earlier in the day. The burning pains feel like I'm constantly being sunburned. The stabbing is my favorite symptom (everything is relative!) as it comes and goes so quickly.

With the arrival of spring comes a new plan of action. Instead of two types of oral antibiotics which caused the aforementioned side effects, we opted for injections of Bicillin LA. No problem, I thought! After all, I wanted to be a nurse, needles don't bother me, and I actually wanted to be a phlebotomist! I give myself injections of Imitrex for migraines! Jump ahead to: Here comes visiting nurse to show me how to do the injections. I almost fainted. I said, I could cross-stitch with that needle! But she showed me how to use it, and although it really hurt for three days (it has to be done in the large muscle in the thigh), it is short-term pain in my viewpoint. In that I'll get better and better at it, and I only have to have to stab myself every three days, so one leg may hurt for three days, but then it gets a break! And we are treating the Lyme with a protocol that is showing promising results. And most importantly, this time period in my life is going to seem short-term when I am well and look back on it.

When I realized I was going to have to go off of the first treatment plan, I was fairly distraught. I thought, This is it, I have to stop treatment. I'll never get my life back. But there is always hope, a new plan—a different plan—a course of action. Giddyup!