I can’t believe it’s really time to do another health update but this is the first one in a long while that I’m excited to share! I’ve seen baby steps of forward movement in this long healing journey of mine. I will probably end up steps back again in the weeks to come but for now I’m relishing the mini victories. One of them being that I have been just well enough that I’m planning on making the 3 hr drive to visit family and meet my newest nephew! This is HUGE for me, and although there’s a decent level of anxiety about actually being able to do it – I cannot wait any longer to meet little Joseph. ( This little guy makes 18 (!!) nieces and nephews).
Overall Health: I feel like I’ve had extremes this month. I’m either feeling really well or really awful. I am able to see some improvement, though vision loss is a regular thing now.
Dr. Thoughts: She is thinking that I might have SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth) so I am currently taking berberine and iberogast for it. She knows of a new test that is being developed for Lyme that I might be able to have done for free as part of the… what’s it called? Research? (hello Lyme brain right in the middle of a post…) Which would be so great to try and get even more answers.
8-16 started bacteriaphage, awful nausea.
8-17 woke up with level 8 migraine. Didn’t go down much all day. Fatigue. Not as much nausea from phage
8-18 feel pretty good today. Getting stuff done around the house even.
8-21 some nausea this am. A little tired but doing good! Yesterday was last day of bacteriophage.
8-22 IV today. Tired but did good til evening, as usual. Migraine flared.
8-23 fatigue in am, then mild nausea as well in the afternoon. Ears sensitive.
8-24 upped lightning pearls to 3/day
8-26 last few days, fibropain has started flaring.
8-27 slight spasms of fibropain. Pinky and ring fingers been tingly last few days. started berberine.
8-30 past few days, teeth have been hurting. Jaw worse than normal. Today fibropain in elbows and wrists. Pinky and ring finger on left hand have been tingling all day. Most likely from sanding the other day. Fatigue and achy stronger than it’s been.
8-31 vision blurry and sparkly early afternoon. Slept 2hrs. Migraine flared to a 9 in evening. Weak. Achy. Migraine down to an 8 now. Day 14.
9-2 feels like another vision loss day coming…
9-4 started iberogast. 9 drops/day.
9-5 rough day. Fought off losing vision but migraine high and body weak. 9- 9 dropped iberogast down to 1 drop/day, reacting too strongly to it. mild tingling and cramping in same places as on the 30th.
Migraines: There has been some improvement. Mostly during the day. I’m able to -at the least- keep the level down, more easily these days. They still flare up intensely in the evenings. As well as if I’m around anything LOUD or overly BRIGHT (making it difficult to sit through service or a movie, or spend much time in any sort of store…)
~I am doing better keeping track of my migraine on the app on my phone, but not good enough to be able to use the information from it. I miss having that info, so I’m really trying to remember to take the time to do it.
Sleep: I’m still cycling Theanine and Melatonin most nights but even with them, I’m waking up several times and only asleep for just about 7 hours.
Memory/Disassociation: I am seeing sporadic improvement in getting over-stimulated, and not disassociating quite as often although it’s still frequent. I find that I am more and more reluctant to leave my house because of it. I’m not sure if there’s been any change in my memory. Oy.
Vision: I now partially lose – or almost lose- the vision in my left eye about twice a week. Often I am able to keep the following level 10 migraine to a short one, or avoid it altogether. While I’m thankful for that, it’s still very frustrating to have this vision issue so frequent. The feeling that comes with it is awful and the fear/anxiety is terrible.
Nutrient IV and a great read – Jane Eyre
Dizziness: I almost feel like I could take this one off the list for now. I don’t get dizzy very often anymore
Fibromyalgia: For a second month in a row, the drive-me-insane level of pain hasn’t come. But it’s been just under that several times — where i’m bouncing my leg or such because it hurts too bad to be completely still but it hurts too bad to get off the couch and actually move. Oof da. My joints regularly hurt – especially my elbows. And that often spreads tingles to my pinkies and ring fingers. It is just about guaranteed to happen if I’m holding something (phone, book, crochet, steering wheel etc) for a few minutes or longer. Ice, advil and light massaging help. My hands still curl up and feel as if my fingers are tensing on the inside – as well as the self-cramping that my left calf does and the ripples of pain that shoot along the bottoms of my feet.
TMJ – This has been popping/hurting more frequently again and I’m really thinking it’s because I haven’t been to the bodywork dr in months. My teeth ache quite frequently from the stress of me clenching/grinding them at night.
Fatigue: I’ve noticed something interesting this past month – Most mornings I am almost…compelled to get up and DO. Clean. Take the dogs to the park. Prep dinner. etc. I just have to be UP and doing something. Even when I know I need to stop and relax, its like I can’t… and I’m not sure why. I haven’t had a lot of awful fatigue, it’s been mostly a level 6 on a scale of 1 -10.
Weight loss: I have been a little bit stricter this month on what I eat, which means I’ve lost about 2 lbs this month. I’m pleased with that because it’s really hard for me to lose weight.
I fit into these slacks for the first time in months!
Mood: I don’t feel that this has changed much. I still get frustrated easily, and have more negative thoughts than normal.
Bladder: I just realized that I haven’t mentioned the fact that I tried a new 5-day treatment specifically for the Ecoli strain in my gut – it was bacteriophage. (I mentioned this in my Instagram). For that week-ish, my digestion was better, as well as any bm’s. (i’m trying not to be too tmi here, but digestion issues are common in those dealing with Lyme). Since then, it’s been a bit more touch-and-go, which is frustrating.
Next month I think I’ll do an update of everything I’m taking, as well as compare to where I was this time last year. (It’s been just over a year since I got a diagnosis). But for now, I’ll close with a question:
Are you seeing any forward movement in your dreams? (be they health, career, hobby, etc related)?
~Laura
Also, Abby Pond turned two at the beginning of the month and (thanks to google photos) I made this video!
the start of a good life 
sorry dear of all your battles, you are brave, strong and lovely.
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