Lyme Update

I had an appointment with Dr. Bernui, my Lyme doctor, last Friday. My first appointment with him was on November 15, 2010. I had a follow up that visit on December 28, 2010 to get results from blood work and to develop a plan to treat whatever the results showed. Since these visits, I have not seen Dr. Bernui in person. Everything has been handled by phone appointments. The phone appointments were a little strange at first, but it's become normal. We usually talk every 6-10 weeks depending on what is going on & how I'm feeling. As I've mentioned before, he's expensive and doesn't take insurance, so I try to talk to him as little as is necessary. As I feel better, the visits have been spaced out more.

Not to rehash my whole ordeal, but just for comparison, when I first met with him I was really sick. Darrin and I were talking about it as we waited for him to come in the room. I had been to so many doctors and no one could help. I would try all sorts of new things and it might help for a little while, but then all my symptoms would come back....excruciating headaches, neck stiffness, drenching night sweats, joint pain, muscle pain, ridiculous fatigue, heart palpitations, and the list goes on and on... When I saw Dr. Bernui for the first time, I had been dealing with these symptoms daily for over a year.

Just over 16 months later, I am so much better. I have a few nagging problems that we are working on, but I can't explain how much better I feel. I'm starting to feel like my old self.

This is what I take every day to feel better. The supplements alone are around $250 a month...

The goal of all these meds is to build up my immune system and kill the Lyme in my body. Dr. Bernui wants to check my immune system and my thyroid. Since we last talked my blood pressure jumped way up, so that's why he's testing my thyroid. I'm really hoping there are no issues with my thyroid. I've lost 10 lbs since my initial visit with him. Lately my weight has been easier to manage than it ever has been. My luck it will be due to hyperthyroidism and I'll have to get on something that will mess with my weight loss. Please no. If everything checks out with the thyroid tests, the plan is to continue with my supplements and to treat the Lyme weekly with a homeopathic vial for the next 9 months. I just have to keep killing off the Lyme until I don't have any symptoms. I'm really good with this plan.

It's a long, frustrating, hard, expensive road, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and for that I am grateful.