Headache Update #97....Feels Like

I went back to Dr. Bernui yesterday for my follow up to this visit. On the way there, I was nervous again. What if the test results don't show anything like all the times before? I have been on a strict diet since the first visit. I did well for the first 3-4 weeks. When it came time to slowly add food back in, I fell apart. I adhered to the diet long enough to know that I definitely have some food issues. I felt much better when I eliminated gluten, corn, dairy and sugar. So anyway, on the way there I was thinking that it's probably just a food intolerance, and that I needed to go back on the diet to figure it out.

The doctor came in and asked a lot of questions about how I did on the diet and how I was feeling. We went through every symptom....headaches- a little better, but not gone....neck/body stiffness- worse than before...night sweats- not as consistent, but bad when I have them....fatigue- energy level is much better. At this point I'm thinking there's no way the blood work showed anything b/c surely he would have already addressed it....he's been in the room for probably 30 minutes.

And let me say, I obviously had mixed emotions about the results revealing anything. Do I want them to be negative and just battle it out with the food intolerance until I figure it out? Or, do I want the results to be positive for a chronic disease? I have to be honest.....after 16 months of feeling so badly, I did want the results to show something. I know there are plenty of people out there that think I'm a hypochondriac, and at times I feel crazy. I talk about my issues a lot b/c there are so many people that are kind enough to ask how I'm feeling, and so many people that pray for me. With that said, I do not like the attention this brings. I don't like eating a crazy diet and drawing attention to myself. There were plenty of times that I cheated on my diet b/c I didn't want people to ask why I was eating like a bird.

So, after talking to the doctor for 30-45 minutes, he grabbed some papers and said "Let's talk about your test results." Let's do that, I thought! They ran a million tests which revealed four main things. In order of importance, regarding the effect each has had on me, here they are:

1) Lyme Disease. Ironic b/c that is what Darrin and I suspected from the beginning. Before all this began, I didn't know anything about Lyme disease and how it is a controversial topic. For those who don't know, here's the short version. Most mainstream doctors do not recognize Lyme disease, especially in this area. It is very hard to get a diagnosis. Dr. Bernui uses a special lab just for Lyme tests. Lyme disease is diagnosed by blood work to test bands. I don't exactly understand all of this yet. iGeneX confirms a positive for Lyme with 2 positive bands. The CDC confirms a positive with 5 positive bands. I had 3 positive bands, and 2 that were indeterminate. Therefore, iGeneX says positive, the CDC says negative. Dr. Bernui is treating me for Lyme disease. I had the option of antibiotics, homeopathic or herbal medicine. Knowing my body, we chose homeopathic. Dr. Bernui said I might feel worse before I feel better. I started yesterday and feel TERRIBLE today. It's like I have the flu, but I don't. Hopefully that means it's working?? Many have asked where I could have gotten Lyme disease. It's not a crazy thought for me. When we moved to Tennessee over 20 years ago we lived on 20+ acres. I worked outside a lot. And, I went on a couple camping/outdoorsy trips with my youth group. Most Lyme disease patients don't remember a tick bite or a bulls eye. This could have been dormant in my body for years.

2) Very poorly functioning immune system. He used a CD57 test for this. Again, this lingo is all new for me. A normal immune system is between 60-360. Mine was 19. This obviously makes me a very susceptible host for bacteria and viruses. He prescribed vitamins and supplements to boost my immune system, along with the diet again.

3) Active Epstein Barr, which is mono. I had a severe case of mono when I was younger. Something has triggered it....likely my weak immune system combined with pregnancy and labor. This explains the fatigue, and maybe the night sweats.

4) Low vitamin D levels. This wasn't abnormally low, just on the low side. The normal range is 32-100, and mine was 33. Hoping some vitamin D supplements will help.

So, there you have it. Armed with this information, a great doctor, a supportive husband and family, and a strict diet, I'm ready to feel better. I thank God for His plan to refer Dr. Bernui through a friend that I haven't spoken to in years. Hoping my next update is a good one.