The Last Post: My Last Post with a Big Announcement but Not the Last of Fighting Lyme Disease, Update 4/21/24.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt

It has been a year since my central line was removed. So many things have happened in this last year! I started driving, started teaching online part time, started walking, relapsed, and had to treat aggressively again, and came through aggressive treatment to begin a step down in treatment with a positive report from my specialist.

2024 has had a lot of twists and turns as well. In February I moved into my own apartment!!!! We didn’t know if I would ever be able to live on my own again, but God made a way.

Unfortunately, with the stress of moving and attempting to settle in, my February treatment cycle was very rough. In March I got devastating news that the Jemsek Clinic, where my specialist had his practice, was closing. This sent me and many other patients in a panic because no one treats as my specialist does. There is a possibility that the other practitioners from the clinic will be opening their own clinic, hopefully later this year. I am forever grateful for Dr. J and his care and attention to treating me, saving my life. I will definitely miss seeing him at the clinic. (Dr. J became ill and is doing better but unable to continue in his practice.)

For now, I am back with my Lyme literate doctor. At my appointment we discussed the current symptoms and pains, as well as anxieties about going backwards with Lyme. (Remember, I was still treating, hadn’t gotten to maintenance nor remission with Lyme

before the clinic closed.) The doctor talked with me about where I am in the grand scheme of Lyme and healing. He said I was about 40% better but had a road ahead of me in treatment, but right now he feels I can’t get much further in fighting Lyme before we heal some of the damage treatment has caused. A big factor is I have T-cell exhaustion, so my immune system is unable to kill off certain cells resulting in the inability to actually fight Lyme Disease. I am also dealing with mitochondrial damage, explaining several symptoms I have. There are other things we are going to be working on over the next few months as well.

I will be pausing on treatment to heal so I have the best shot at truly getting rid of Lyme Disease. The doctor has prepared an action plan, including new medications and practices, as well as eventually doing ozone therapy again.

There are so many changes happening, plus everything is so expensive from new medications to new practices, mixed with having rent and utility bills now and struggling to keep working because of health. I say all that because the cost of keeping up this blog is an added expense I can’t afford. This will be my last post on here. I will continue to do updates using my Facebook Feeling Lymie, so be sure to follow me there for updates and prayer requests.

Thank you so so so much for all your prayers and support over the last three years. Your love and encouragement have been life giving in a very difficult journey. I am continually grateful and really hope you will continue to follow and pray for me in this new stage of the journey through Facebook.

As for now, I could really use your prayers and encouragement for:

-Finances for cost of living and medical treatments         

-Wholeness and healing      

-That my body would accept these new medications and practices       

-Energy

-Better digestive health

-Less nausea             

-Endurance in this process and transitional time

-Perseverance in the pain and struggle

-Lowered inflammation (my bloodwork markers are sky high)

-Wisdom and clarity in next steps