This is day 2 of the new protocol

I thought I would share a visual picture of what I face in the morning. The beautiful glass bowl is amazing, magical and glittery, given to me by the artist this summer and filled with healing vibes. The peacock ore is there for 2 reasons: It's amazing, magical and glittery, too, and it reminds me that there can be great beauty in the darkness. This is one daily dose of prescriptions, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.  (I didn't include one of my favorite supplements EVER because I take 6-9 a day and it would make this pile look even crazier, but see below for more information on  incredibly amazing chewable papaya enzymes, especially if you have any digestive issues or want to support or tone your system.) You might notice the presence of chewable kids multivitamins and gummy "Omegalicious" chews in my medication photo. These are my indulgent treats to reward myself for taking all the other nasty stuff.

And here's the promised link to a supplement I discovered years ago that is the only one I've used religiously regardless of my health status.  It tastes delicious, satisfies my frequent desire for something sweet and is nothing short of miraculous in terms of effectiveness. It has been a digestive cure-all for me for years - one of those things I swear by, and there aren't many - and if you've been around me for any period of time, you've probably had them (or at least been offered a few.)  They're just THAT good!

http://www.americanhealthus.com/pages/products.aspx?prnt=Products&brand=AH&sku=001133

A strange new feeling has come over me.

I actually want to start my nauseating antibiotics and anti-parasitics as soon as possible.  I was feeling pretty darn good for the first 3 weeks once I recovered from the whole experience that ended in the ER and the cessation of the drugs, but then gradually and insidiously the TBD symptoms started coming back; a recurring twitch in my lip, eye spasms (I can't really describe it any other way) seemingly little things, then suddenly - WHAM! It's back! The awful body pain, exhaustion, appetite loss, and being driven to madness with restless legs (now under control with a homeopathic called Restful Legs. See their link below.)  Every day I'm getting worse and the scales have tipped from vacation to nightmare. As much as I hate to admit it, it's time to get back to it.

The only problem is that I'm still awaiting approval for the drug to help me tolerate all drugs. It would be funny if it wasn't so...not.  I'll call the pharmacy and see if they know how it's progressing. This is a weird dance and as my partner noticed, a full time job between dealing with insurance issues, doctors, pharmacy, and treatment trips, and the days I'm just "killing bugs," as he calls it when I'm too sick to do anything else.  Strange days, indeed.

http://www.restfullegs.com/  

I'm still in a holding pattern for my next steps

I am awaiting blood test results to follow up on my elevated liver enzymes during my ER trip last month. I returned home after 2 1/2 months on the road and saw my Lyme doc on Wednesday.  His approach is to continue to try to find antibiotics that I can keep down and give me more drugs to help me tolerate drugs.  Pharmacopia, is that you?  On Friday I saw my regular doctor, then trekked off to the pharmacy with a handful of prescriptions. After I got home, I realized one of them had not been filled and I called to follow up.  This is very weird to me, but the drug on hold is the drug to help me tolerate all drugs and my insurance company requires a verification from my doctor before they will cover it. The pharmacist said it could take up to 5-7 days so I'm officially declaring an extension to my drug sabbatical.  "YayBoo!" as we say around here.  Yay that my stomach gets a break and I can eat what I want, when I want.  Boo that my pain level and other icky ticky symptoms are increasing.

My Lyme doctor also informed me that the night before my appointment, all of his files for patients with Lyme Disease were subpoenaed.  It's hard not to feel defeated or like I'm engaged in some conspiracy theory but I am committed to a path of wellness, so there!

I also have very high hopes that I may be able to connect with an ND in Madison, WI that studied Lyme treatment in Europe and is having success in treating people.  She is teaching in Italy until the end of the month, so when she returns, I'll be writing and calling.  Keep your fingers crossed!