I had my first appointment with my new tick-borne disease specialist yesterday and and it was absolutely amazing. He was engaging and talkative, cracking jokes and treating us like people, not patients. His office was extremely thorough in gathering information from me and examined what my previous doctor and was not very happy. A lot of treatment routes were overlooked or ignored altogether.
I've been placed on two antibiotics (I'm choosing to not share what ones) and left the office with hope in my heart that this is the doctor who will get me better. I was offered IV antibiotics, but we're waiting on doing that unless I fail all other options, simply due to logistics.
My doctor is a 240 mile round trip from where I live so being monitored while on IV would be extremely difficult and in this case would alter insurance coverage. I am going to look into options near me (we have an infusion clinic near our house) and the financials to see what we can do.
We have even discussed staying near my doctor on and off if we are able in order to do IV, when and if the time comes. People might disagree, but my thinking has always been it's not worth doing IV if I can only do it for a very short period.
I want to be able to take advantage of my insurance paying for more than just a spark in the pan.
I was told my insurance, if I was closer, would cover long term due to my doctor being able to administer my infusions and monitor me directly.
Right now we are taking a multitasking approach that hits multiple infections, but he was very honest and told me that we may end up trying varied approaches over the next couple of months until we see noticeable results.
He is not integrative (body, mind, spirit), but that's okay. My other doctor is and is very good, just not so much with advanced Lyme and co-infections. I'm also looking into to seeing a naturopath (combines the wisdom of nature and the rigors of science) to do holistic and herbal treatments.
There is also an integrative practice right near where I live that offers primary care services. I am planning on moving to that office when I am able to.
Other options that I am dipping my toes into are biofeedback and acupuncture to help augment my treatment.
I will be starting my antibiotics today and will chronicle my journey as a go through treatment. Whether that be the good, the bad or the ugly, so that someone out there suffering from tick-borne illness can see that they are not alone and that there is hope.
Tomorrow afternoon I will be heading off to my first appointment with my new Lyme-literate doctor. I made my first call to his office in 2013 but due to various life circumstances I have had to reschedule multiple times.
This time it's real and I am set for a 2 o'clock appointment with that doctor, a past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, defender of patient rights and reseacher. I am hoping to finally get somewhere after years of proper treatment being promised only to see it not come true.
Even just the act of setting up to see him has been life-altering as it set off a chain of events that has put me in an advantageous position for once! Since July 2015 I have lost 40 pounds. Due to chronic illness and poor diet my blood sugar was high and in June my A1c was 7.1. It is now 5.9 and my average daily blood sugar is normal. This was achieved through a low carb, high healthy fat eating plan, high in fiber and as natural as possible.
Detoxing is also a daily thing as well. One of my liver enzymes I could never get below 40. It is now 29. I have also been doing some mental fall cleaning as well. I have finally begun to accept and confront my PTSD diagnosis. I also have put together a treatment protocol with my psychiatrist that will benefit me during tick-borne disease related treatment.
I have never had the strength to climb this far up the mountain, and while I am nowhere near the summit, I have crossed the line where I would have reverted back. It came to me viewing this as a life or death decision. Did I want to remain sick and unhappy, missing out on life in order to soothe my denial with unhealthy habits or did I want live, get better and regain my life?
I chose life.
My husband, also sick with Lyme, made this possible as well. We jointly made the decision to change our habits and with both of us working towards a goal it was made much easier and attainable. We've had two years of hardship and through that have opened a new chapter. We can smell the greener grass on the other side, now it's time to climb the fence!
- KMH 10/04/15