The Sauna....

Jeni-my partner in crime :)

First of all let me say that finding a sauna to use is not a easy thing to do.I  made several phone calls one day & finally found a sauna that was available for public use. Me being me, of course I googled sauna use & dangers and the more I searched the more hesitant I became of using the sauna.One article said the use of a sauna can cause your body to start detoxing from all kinds of things and you could experience seizures,asthma attacks,nausea vomiting, and you could pass out..the list goes on and on. Obviously I became petrified of the sauna,however,I continued to search the different types of saunas & found that there is a difference in saunas.I had no choice but to go the infrared sauna route because that was the only one I had access to. The next problem was I was afraid to go alone for fear of dying in the sauna. I knew the person that would be my partner in crime in the sauna would be my friend Jeni, even though she didn't know it yet lol.          

The long list....

I left the Dr's office relieved yet apprehensive.Relieved that there is hope but apprehensive & scared of all the treatment required. I knew I could do the treatment but I also knew it was going to be tough. The Dr said I would in fact get worse before I got better...yippie.The treatment plan was a little overwhelming, not gonna lie, but the Lyme's disease was getting the best of me so I knew I had to do something and soon.No matter how intense the pain had got, I kept a good & often quite humorous outlook on the situation.I am a firm believer that laughter can heal alot of things! 
    Now....back to the list ! On my list was a course of four different antibiotics (which instantly made me feel sick at the thoughts of taking them), Renew life 6billion strand Flora Smart Probiotic http://www.iherb.com/Renew-Life-FloraSmart-Advanced-Probiotic-6-Billion-90-Veggie-Caplets/7155?utm_source=ms&utm_medium=s , a Ionic Foot Detox bath ( which sounds gross !)  http://www.ionicfootdetoxbath.com/   , the use of a sauna   http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1181084&srccode=cii_18492716&cpncode=32-133295080-2&pid=CSE_Bing ( I will get to my sauna experience soon  lol) , also the use of a detox , I was told to use the HEEL detox ( sounds disgusting I know )   http://heelusa.com/ , but it works. i was now armed with all the stuff I needed to start kicking some Lyme butt ! lol

My tick doctor

I started taking my D-ribose powder & starting feeling alot better so I decided to go ahead and call the Dr's number that was given to me.I called and the staff was most helpful.I explained my situation & they got me in rather quickly ( I was told before I called that it may take several months to get me in- they got me in within the week ! )  On my first visit I could tell she was just what I needed to beat this disease,very knowledgeable & she listened to everything I had to say. As she began telling more about Lymes disease and how if affects you a light went on and this disease finally began to make sense to me.For the first time in months I finally had a explanation for all my weird symptoms  and problems that I had been experiencing. At the conclusion of my visit I left with a checklist of things to get,things to take and why and  also a order for more blood work. It seemed overwhelming at first but I knew I could do this.

D- ribose ?

The lady at the health food store told me about a supplement called D-ribose.http://www.springsunday.com/ribose-d-powder-200-jarrow.html This product was simply amazing ! She told me it helped with muscle issues &  fatigue, which I was suffering from so bad. She also told me about a doctor in Salem who she knew could help me.I took the name & number & was excited about all the knowledge that had just been shared with me ! I was skeptical about the D-Ribose ,but  I decided to buy it and  try it. After all, what did I have to lose ! I went home & decided to start taking it immediately, glad I did because the first night I took the supplement I actually slept through the night.The next day I got in my first full dose of the supplement. By the end of the day I didn't feel as bad as I usually did. Maybe...just maybe...this will work !    

My internet searching led to help...

One day I was online searching for some kind of natural remedies for Lymes disease because I was sick of taking antibiotics.I came across several sites that had all kinds of informative http://www.ehow.com/way_5523521_natural-treatment-lyme-disease.html  and also http://cassia.org/treatments.htm had alot of links that were very helpful ! In the midst of all my searching one thing was for certain, Lyme's disease can be very destructive on ones body if left untreated ! I stumbled across one site that said the herb Cats Claw was good in the treatment of Lyme. So me & my hubby set off to go to a local Natural food store to get the herb, they didn't have it, so I went to another natural foods store in Dublin. The trip to this store turned my nightmare around ! I had been there before several years earlier & the lady was most helpful & very knowledgeable so I knew she could help me.I explained my ordeal to her & she came back with all kinds of stuff to help me,for the first time in a long time I was starting to see a glimmer of hope !

             

So I survived the 4 weeks of Doxy...yippie

Well , four weeks slowly went by and I still hurt like hell . I still had a rash on my legs and I still had many strange & bizarre symptoms that made me feel like I was slowly losing control of my body. Getting in & out of bed was a long & painful process, I cringed at the thoughts of getting up in the night to go to the bathroom ! Turning over in the bed was dreadful, my whole back,hips & legs hurt, at times I had thoughts of just laying in one spot all night & taking a chance of my body going numb rather than turning over...pathetic I know lol One day as I was moaning,groaning & growling in an attempt to get out of the bed ,my adorable (yes that was sarcastic) husband was laughing and said " baby,sleeping with you is like sleeping with a geriatric person ." Me (being the quick witted smart ass I am) cleverly smiled and said "yes, honey bun..I know how you feel, because sleeping with you is like having a sleep over at the nursing home.. oh..& by the way....your snoring could wake the dead...just sayin ." He quickly turned as red as a red delicious apple and then walked away , as I was making the ding,ding sound for boxing !  I had won this battle lol ! 

4 weeks Doxycycline ?...ugh

I went to the Dr finally, but was so upset at the diagnosis. I knew that something was wrong, but Lyme's Disease ,seriously ? I didn't like what followed, I ( who hates to take medicine ) had to be put on Doxycycline for 4 weeks ! I was devastated that i had to be put on antibiotics for that long. So i left the doctors office upset, discouraged & just plain mad that a tiny tick was causing me such issues. Up until this point I had no idea that a tick could wreak such havoc ! i just remember being little & when my mom or grandma found a tick on us kids they just took it off & flushed it down the toilet...end of story. So i finally made it to the pharmacy & picked up my prescription. I felt such dread at the thoughts of 4 weeks of medicine, if only that were the case now. I had no idea of the battle that was in front of me. I thought "four weeks of medicine and I'm goood to go ", I was obviously ignorant as to the plethora of issues that can stem from Lymes disease !       

what ?? its not the flu ?

Well after being treated for what we thought was the flu....it hit. Me, my kids & husband were at home, I had just cooked supper so I sat down to eat . After dinner I cleaned up and in a split second it started. I sat down beside my hubby & when I went to stand back up, I couldn't ! My right arm felt like it was broken, my legs were hurting so bad I couldn't stand up & walk.When I made it to my feet all Icould do was start screaming from the pain, my husband looked at me like I was going mad. I made a attempt to go to the bathroom, it took 20minutes to sit down & another 30 minutes to work up the courage to stand back up ! At this point I seriously thought " what the heck is wrong with me " ?  Me, being the stubborn person I am, refused to go back to the doctor.  Instead I chose to  I suffer several more days until my husband said " you re going to the Dr whether I have to drag you kicking or screaming...you re going". It never dawned on me that the rash I had on my leg & the tick I pulled off of me were the cause of  such agony.