Smelling the Roses Getting You Down?

Life seems to grab you and take, in so many ways through vastly differing avenues. Anyone else feeling that?

Just last week I posted about the many health improvements I have had within this last year. Only a few days ago, I wrote about how I was encouraged for steps moving forward through my appointment with my Lyme specialist in D.C.

Funny how in the blink of an eye, one's health can change!

Boy did it on Sunday. I woke up in more pain than usual, but also feeling pretty blue. No matter what I did, the pain got worse and feeling low followed suite. I had some honest conversations with God. Don’t you know it, He went ahead and showed up for me in the simplest way through a friend. It was almost like, in hindsight, He was equipping me, letting me know I’m not alone for the battles to come.

As the day went on, I still felt really off with continued pain. I went in the kitchen trying my best to take another round of meds, but the pain was unbearable. Suddenly, tears came without my permission. I told mom how I was feeling emotionally and physically. Sometimes I think the emotional/mental toll of Chronic Lyme is far heavier than the physical pain, and there is some significant physical pain…

As the tears flowed the pain increased. It was like my body was the game Operation and

when I tried to tend to one pain, another would come buzzing in worse than the one before. I could not walk on my own, sitting was only momentary, leading to having to lie on the floor. At one point mom was trying to help with one shooting pain, my body had a negative reaction to the topical medication and then my legs were on fire. Finally, Mom put a stack of napkins under my head to hold it up while I laid on the floor. If I wasn’t for the fact, I was hurting so bad, I would say it was comical.

We got to the point where we were pondering if the ER was a real possibility… But as many lymies know, the ER is not a great place to go because usually they do not believe any of us have Lyme. But instead, I “rested” on the floor to give my system a chance to calm down some. Mom helped me get to a bed, setting me up with

heating pads, yes plural, more medications, and ice packs.

I am still hurting but nothing like Sunday night! I am pretty sure that Saturday when I walked to the mailbox taking a few pictures of

the crocus, one of my favorite North Carolina winter things, I released some of the Lyme bacteria. With that my body filled with toxins and no real ways to detox, leading me to an intense amount of herxing. Herxing or Herxheimer Reaction is the reaction that your body has when there is a spike in die offs from Lyme disease and associated co-infection bacteria. Essentially, Lyme dies, and my body fills with toxic waste, making me super sick.

It’s crazy to think that something as simple as taking pictures on the way to the mailbox could bring on such a world of pain! But that’s Lyme disease. You know what? This episode will not be my last, I will have many more Herxheimer reactions that will probably even be worse with treatment. In fact, it will definitely get worse before I get better. But just as God showed up the other day, in such a simple way with a friend, He will keep showing up for me, comforting me, and equipping me for what is to come.

How have you felt lymie this week? How did you make it through?

Comment below and share my post with someone this week.

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