Sunday 3 February 2013

Update time - Treatment!!

Okay, time for an update.  A few days ago I was taken to see a proper private doctor (not a quack) at a private clinic 90 miles away.   She assessed and diagnosed me clinically (as the NICE guidelines do say you can for Lyme Disease, especially when there is photographic evidence, a timelined history and all the symptoms etc) and started me on a couple of weeks of very strong antibiotics (hereby known as abx) and also gave me a session on a Rife machine - a controversial treatment but it makes sense to me and as I am under the guidance of qualified medical professionals, I will give it a try.

Now fast forward to four days later......

Okay after 3.5 days on the antibiotics, I now have about 6 days without them. Then I start again. It's called 'pulsing' and is the best way to deal with the little fellas hiding in my blood. They think the onslaught is over, I then start to deprive them of magnesium (which I normally take a high dose supplement for as they eat it all!) and then, a few days later, I start to feed them again, they all come out of the blood cells and start to have a party and then THWAP! I start up with the antibiotics and zap a few more! That's how it will go now for months and months, maybe even years! It's a slow process for as many as the abx kill, they reproduce some more and also do their hiding and waiting thing just to make a cure that much more awkward. It's not like having abx for a chest infection, this bastard takes an age to get the top side of and even then it may never get cured as I have been left neglected by the health service way too long and its probably established through my entire body now!

So, how do I feel? I am not going to say 'fine' as that would be a lie. I feel like shit. There! Said it. I knew there would be a reaction to these abx - I just did not know how. I have struggled for the last few days and even someone 1000's of miles away has noticed I was quiet. (a good friend on Second Life - I talk more to virtual people in a virtual world than I do to people face to face now) Yes, they make me feel worse. It's all something to do with the build up of toxins as the abx do their stuff. So I have to remember to drink water, lots of pure, filtered water. It's hard enough for me to remember what time of day it is let alone remember to drink water! I have only just begun this journey towards a 'maybe' cure though so better get used to it. I just look towards that little light that beckons saying 'you might get better!' and keep walking slowly towards it.

For those of you looking forward to summer and long walks in the countryside, parks and woods - start looking at long summer trousers and getting some advice and also preventative stuff from http://www.bada-uk.org/
Remember, I was bitten in May/June 2008 and tick numbers are recorded as having increased a lot since then! You really do not want to risk getting this. Your social and working life will disappear fast as will your circle of friends apart from just a few who stay true and genuinely care. Lyme Disease is a steep learning curve as well as a pain in the neck.