Today was Sweetie's check up appointment with her LLMD. I was happy to report to her that Hubby and I have seen a definite spike in Sweetie's energy level. I told her all we've been doing lately, and about Sweetie's recent week of not feeling so great. I mentioned the "elbow pit" pain Sweetie had a couple weeks ago, the tightness in her chest she felt a few times in a week about a month ago, and - oh yeah - the fact that Sweetie reported to me right after her last appointment that she feels like throwing up every day! But all these negatives have passed her by, at least for now. And all in all, Sweetie has been dancing, moving, shaking, talking and alive! So good for us to see!
The doctor was happy to hear of this energy improvement, and took it as a definite sign that the Augmentin is working for Sweetie. I knew, going into this visit, that even though I had good things to report, we'd still be looking at about a month more on the meds. I was wrong. Good news = two more months on this antibiotic! I guess, the point being, now that we know this is the right antibiotic for her at the right dosage, and we can finally see some definite improvement, we need to give it a couple more months to really do its thing of killing off as much of the Lyme as possible.
Okay, then. Summer #2 of medicated Sweetie. We can do this!
And when those two months have passed, it'll be on to the herbal supplement portion of our program. Stay tuned...
So. Sweetie is on an upswing. Yay! In other news, we spent Father's Day Sunday at... wait for it... urgent care. Waiting to see the doctor, reporting flu-like symptoms that had been smoldering for Hubby and finally came to a head Saturday evening, and a strange rash that had appeared opposite from where he was bit by the tick just over 2 weeks prior.
Classic symptoms. Classic timing. Seemingly classic case of Lyme Disease. 3 weeks of Doxycycline was prescribed (I got it pushed to 4 weeks), labs were drawn (for Lyme and 3 other co-infections, as well as a blood count), and the rest of Father's Day included plenty of rest and quiet time for Hubby as he willed himself to feel better. Not quite the Father's Day he, or we, were wanting, but good to get some answers.
He's back to work today, after spending yesterday at home sleeping and gaining back strength and an interest in eating. By last night he was much more like himself. I'm glad he's back to work, but really hoping he takes it easy today and is truly feeling much better soon.
Even though we are bummed to get this diagnosis (well, technically, we don't yet have the lab results, so no official diagnosis yet. But, as I said, the doctor and we agree that it sure does seem like Lyme), we feel lucky that, this time around, we knew when he was bit and what to watch for for symptoms. Sweetie got the flu symptoms last year, but we were nowhere near as Lyme-savvy as we are now, so didn't even consider that she was experiencing anything other than the flu. It wasn't until 2 or 3 weeks beyond that that we finally figured her lingering headaches were fishy and took her in to see the doctor.
So, Hubby will be okay. We caught this early enough for him and got him the treatment he needs to kick this Lyme to the curb. He and Sweetie will be sharing probiotics for awhile, and reminding each other to take their medicine. What a fun father/daughter bonding experience! (ha!) But, in the end, he'll be just fine.
And Sweetie? Yeah, she'll be okay too. It's a tougher road for her. A long, winding road that seems to be smooth for now. Time will only tell if we'll run into anymore obstacles along her journey or not. Something tells me, despite her improvement, we still have twists and turns to discover. But, yeah. Through it all, she'll be okay too. She'll be just fine.
She'll be great.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Energy Boost
I have good things to report about Sweetie! But first, a word on our Hubby Watch, 2012...
As noted in my previous post, Hubby was bit by a tick a little more than a week ago, just before we were off on a weekend away, and after normal office hours for his (not Lyme literate) doctor.
We chose to just watch for any symptoms of Lyme with him - the bullseye rash, flu-like symptoms, etc.
So far, so good. He happens to be experiencing allergic symptoms to the pollen in the air. That, or a mild cold - nasal drip, slight headache. And he keeps asking me if these are "flu-like symptoms." No. You'll know if you're brought down by flu symptoms, trust me. You won't have to ask if that's what's going on.
We are also going to get Hubby tested for Lyme, as a matter of course. One lab tech I spoke with offered that this should be done 2 weeks after the bite. Now today I read, via a friend's friend, that antibodies won't be registered on a test until 3 or 4 weeks afterwards - which is "too late" in the game, if you are infected, for antibiotics to be completely effective. I think we'll try for the just-more-than-two-weeks testing, anyway. With all the hiking and outdoor activity Hubby's been involved in over the last few years, he is at a higher risk for Lyme, even without this known recent bite.
So, there's that. We will keep you all posted...
Now, back to Sweetie...
She is currently finishing up her 11th week on antibiotics. Almost 3 full months on Augmentin. And Hubby and I can honestly say that within the last couple weeks we have seen a definite boost in her energy level.
It should also be pointed out that the last couple of weeks here have been uber busy, what with our move, a long road trip to a family wedding, birthday parties, and the end of the school year. So, if anything, you may think that Sweetie - heck! all of us! - should be way more wiped out than we normally are. But no. Not for Sweetie, anyway. She has been chatty and none-stop moving... just like she used to be!
Man! I forgot how annoying she can be!
(Kidding! I kid!)
But seriously... from her non-stop dancing at the wedding, to dinnertime conversations where she talks, talks, talks, talks, talks, to her "cuddling" up with us on the couch/can't stop moving even though she's trying to relax with us, it's all adding up to one Sweetie full of energy! And we love to see it!
Now that she's like this again - how she used to be - it really goes to show us how non-energetic she had become. No, at the time it didn't seem like she was way low key either. Just kind of consistently mellow, really. But, as compared to now - and now that we're reminded of it, before - we can really see the difference.
Does she still look tired? Yes. A little pale? Yeah, I think a bit. Did she have to miss some school a couple weeks ago due to not feeling well (Lyme related/Herxing/crazy life/bad eating results). Yes. So we still have a ways to go, I'm thinking. But for now, it sure is good to see this glimpse of a return of our Sweet girl.
And now for my latest concern with her: She was going to go jump rope the other day, but then changed her mind, saying out loud (mostly to herself) that she'd rather not do that because her elbow pits hurt a bit.
Hmmmm... elbow pits = joint pain. Joint pain = Lyme symptom. A Lyme symptom she's never mentioned before (and, had I not been close enough to hear her talking to herself, I'd still not know about.) I've been asking her ever since how her elbows feel. Last check, yesterday (trying really hard not to be obsessive with my asking!), they still hurt. Hmmmmm....
Lyme. It's a process, for sure, to get it under control. Her next doctor's appointment is next week. Curious to see what the next step in our process will be.
As noted in my previous post, Hubby was bit by a tick a little more than a week ago, just before we were off on a weekend away, and after normal office hours for his (not Lyme literate) doctor.
We chose to just watch for any symptoms of Lyme with him - the bullseye rash, flu-like symptoms, etc.
So far, so good. He happens to be experiencing allergic symptoms to the pollen in the air. That, or a mild cold - nasal drip, slight headache. And he keeps asking me if these are "flu-like symptoms." No. You'll know if you're brought down by flu symptoms, trust me. You won't have to ask if that's what's going on.
We are also going to get Hubby tested for Lyme, as a matter of course. One lab tech I spoke with offered that this should be done 2 weeks after the bite. Now today I read, via a friend's friend, that antibodies won't be registered on a test until 3 or 4 weeks afterwards - which is "too late" in the game, if you are infected, for antibiotics to be completely effective. I think we'll try for the just-more-than-two-weeks testing, anyway. With all the hiking and outdoor activity Hubby's been involved in over the last few years, he is at a higher risk for Lyme, even without this known recent bite.
So, there's that. We will keep you all posted...
Now, back to Sweetie...
She is currently finishing up her 11th week on antibiotics. Almost 3 full months on Augmentin. And Hubby and I can honestly say that within the last couple weeks we have seen a definite boost in her energy level.
It should also be pointed out that the last couple of weeks here have been uber busy, what with our move, a long road trip to a family wedding, birthday parties, and the end of the school year. So, if anything, you may think that Sweetie - heck! all of us! - should be way more wiped out than we normally are. But no. Not for Sweetie, anyway. She has been chatty and none-stop moving... just like she used to be!
Man! I forgot how annoying she can be!
(Kidding! I kid!)
But seriously... from her non-stop dancing at the wedding, to dinnertime conversations where she talks, talks, talks, talks, talks, to her "cuddling" up with us on the couch/can't stop moving even though she's trying to relax with us, it's all adding up to one Sweetie full of energy! And we love to see it!
Now that she's like this again - how she used to be - it really goes to show us how non-energetic she had become. No, at the time it didn't seem like she was way low key either. Just kind of consistently mellow, really. But, as compared to now - and now that we're reminded of it, before - we can really see the difference.
Does she still look tired? Yes. A little pale? Yeah, I think a bit. Did she have to miss some school a couple weeks ago due to not feeling well (Lyme related/Herxing/crazy life/bad eating results). Yes. So we still have a ways to go, I'm thinking. But for now, it sure is good to see this glimpse of a return of our Sweet girl.
And now for my latest concern with her: She was going to go jump rope the other day, but then changed her mind, saying out loud (mostly to herself) that she'd rather not do that because her elbow pits hurt a bit.
Hmmmm... elbow pits = joint pain. Joint pain = Lyme symptom. A Lyme symptom she's never mentioned before (and, had I not been close enough to hear her talking to herself, I'd still not know about.) I've been asking her ever since how her elbows feel. Last check, yesterday (trying really hard not to be obsessive with my asking!), they still hurt. Hmmmmm....
Lyme. It's a process, for sure, to get it under control. Her next doctor's appointment is next week. Curious to see what the next step in our process will be.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Tick Tock
... Speaking of Hubby...
(wasn't he supposed to be a co-author of this blog with me? Helloooo! Where are you?!)
... Last Thursday afternoon, right after 5pm, he found that he was bit by a tick.
Great! Now what? He didn't think the tick could have possibly been on him for very long at all. But still. With all the nasty stories and in-depth info on Lyme we've researched ourselves and heard delivered from Lyme experts, we knew that to wait for treatment even a little while wasn't the best plan of action.
But, it was just after the doctor office closed for the day, and we were leaving for a weekend away in the morning.
We knew enough that to go to urgent care would just result in him getting the typical 2 doses of doxycycline - a "preventative" measure most doctors seem to be prescribing that - guess what?! - doesn't work. At all. It is really a worse plan than to not do anything. Hmph.
So, no. We didn't want that.
And we also knew that what, ideally, should happen is for him to be put on antibiotics for a 28 day course - even without the diagnosis. However, hardly any doctor does this. Only Lyme literate docs "believe" in this method of preventative treatment.
Hubby's doctor (who is my doctor) is not Lyme literate. He's a great guy, for all intents and purposes. Maybe he'd listen to our family's history with Lyme, recognize our concern, and throw Hubby a bone. But it was doubtful. Very doubtful.
So... we were kinda sorta freaking out, initially, about what exactly he should do.
I called a not-really-at-all-close acquaintance from church, who happens to be a homeopathic, Lyme literate doctor. Yes, it was of course after hours for her, but there was a number to reach her at at any time. I didn't exactly reach her even there, but I left a message. Yes, you may remember us from church. No, we're not your patients. Would you possibly have any recommendations for us at all? Please and thank you very much.
I never heard back from her. Not surprising, considering that we aren't her patients. But, it was worth a shot.
I emailed another Lyme literate contact I have. She wrote back with a suggestion to see if Hubby's doc, in the morning, would possibly provide him with a week's course of antibiotics. Beyond that, ????...
So, that was the plan. Stop freaking out now, and call the doctor in the morning.
The next morning, after I had woken in the middle of the night to think on things a bit, I asked Hubby if he still thought we should call the doctor. My feelings were that, just as the 2-dose course of doxycycline doesn't do you any good, so too would a 1 week course not be beneficial. 2 pills or 1 week of pills - both, I figured, would be enough meds to prevent your body from making antibodies against Lyme - thus making any future Lyme testing return negative, but not enough meds to actually kill the disease if, in fact, it exists.
Furthermore, since we know when he was bit, we can simply watch for the bullseye rash to appear (assuming, if it's Lyme, that a rash will appear, as often it doesn't, even with the disease), as well as flu-like symptoms within the next few weeks. Because we've been through this with Sweetie, and we know better what to watch for and what to insist follows through as a treatment plan, if need be, it seemed best for him to just wait it out. If symptoms crop up, and he gets an appropriately long, appropriately strong dose of antibiotics at that point, that in itself would be soon enough to get the Lyme wiped out. The earlier Lyme is caught and treated, the better, yes. And this plan to wait will get us to the appropriate results soon enough to take care of it, I feel.
Hubby agreed. Fine. No. Let's not call the doctor.
And so, we wait. It's now been a few days and all seems well, so far. Mind you, we just moved, and we just had a whirlwind weekend away, and he's off this week trying to settle us into our new home... and all of this is stressful enough. So, yes, he's tired. Yes, he had a headache yesterday. Yes, he kind of feels blah. But all of this seems par for the course of our crazy lives of late. No particularly worrisome symptoms specifically related to the bite have yet cropped up.
Here's hoping it stays that way.
(wasn't he supposed to be a co-author of this blog with me? Helloooo! Where are you?!)
... Last Thursday afternoon, right after 5pm, he found that he was bit by a tick.
Great! Now what? He didn't think the tick could have possibly been on him for very long at all. But still. With all the nasty stories and in-depth info on Lyme we've researched ourselves and heard delivered from Lyme experts, we knew that to wait for treatment even a little while wasn't the best plan of action.
But, it was just after the doctor office closed for the day, and we were leaving for a weekend away in the morning.
We knew enough that to go to urgent care would just result in him getting the typical 2 doses of doxycycline - a "preventative" measure most doctors seem to be prescribing that - guess what?! - doesn't work. At all. It is really a worse plan than to not do anything. Hmph.
So, no. We didn't want that.
And we also knew that what, ideally, should happen is for him to be put on antibiotics for a 28 day course - even without the diagnosis. However, hardly any doctor does this. Only Lyme literate docs "believe" in this method of preventative treatment.
Hubby's doctor (who is my doctor) is not Lyme literate. He's a great guy, for all intents and purposes. Maybe he'd listen to our family's history with Lyme, recognize our concern, and throw Hubby a bone. But it was doubtful. Very doubtful.
So... we were kinda sorta freaking out, initially, about what exactly he should do.
I called a not-really-at-all-close acquaintance from church, who happens to be a homeopathic, Lyme literate doctor. Yes, it was of course after hours for her, but there was a number to reach her at at any time. I didn't exactly reach her even there, but I left a message. Yes, you may remember us from church. No, we're not your patients. Would you possibly have any recommendations for us at all? Please and thank you very much.
I never heard back from her. Not surprising, considering that we aren't her patients. But, it was worth a shot.
I emailed another Lyme literate contact I have. She wrote back with a suggestion to see if Hubby's doc, in the morning, would possibly provide him with a week's course of antibiotics. Beyond that, ????...
So, that was the plan. Stop freaking out now, and call the doctor in the morning.
The next morning, after I had woken in the middle of the night to think on things a bit, I asked Hubby if he still thought we should call the doctor. My feelings were that, just as the 2-dose course of doxycycline doesn't do you any good, so too would a 1 week course not be beneficial. 2 pills or 1 week of pills - both, I figured, would be enough meds to prevent your body from making antibodies against Lyme - thus making any future Lyme testing return negative, but not enough meds to actually kill the disease if, in fact, it exists.
Furthermore, since we know when he was bit, we can simply watch for the bullseye rash to appear (assuming, if it's Lyme, that a rash will appear, as often it doesn't, even with the disease), as well as flu-like symptoms within the next few weeks. Because we've been through this with Sweetie, and we know better what to watch for and what to insist follows through as a treatment plan, if need be, it seemed best for him to just wait it out. If symptoms crop up, and he gets an appropriately long, appropriately strong dose of antibiotics at that point, that in itself would be soon enough to get the Lyme wiped out. The earlier Lyme is caught and treated, the better, yes. And this plan to wait will get us to the appropriate results soon enough to take care of it, I feel.
Hubby agreed. Fine. No. Let's not call the doctor.
And so, we wait. It's now been a few days and all seems well, so far. Mind you, we just moved, and we just had a whirlwind weekend away, and he's off this week trying to settle us into our new home... and all of this is stressful enough. So, yes, he's tired. Yes, he had a headache yesterday. Yes, he kind of feels blah. But all of this seems par for the course of our crazy lives of late. No particularly worrisome symptoms specifically related to the bite have yet cropped up.
Here's hoping it stays that way.
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