Month: August 2015

Up Again

the last few days I have been feeling better having ended cycle two of my progesterone a few days ago…phew. 

I am set for round 3 during my trip to Disneyland in September (!), i am going to have to talk to my doctor about possibly skipping or if there is something else I can do to counteract the fatigue and other effects so I don’t spend my vacation lying on my face in the hotel room 😒

So we shall see. But I am enjoying the last couple days feeling like myself again and not a drone. 
In other exciting news I took on a bit of a challenge (gulp) to try and step up our fundraising for our Disneyland trip;

I posted that for every 10 dollars donated in the next few weeks I would ride my bike 1 mile. I think I am up for the challenge, God is good because I couldn’t have even thought about it last week. I have already had a couple people throw the gauntlet down and it is good for me because I know exercise helps whether I feel up to it or not.

Here is my Facebook post:
SPONSORS NEEDED! CYCLING 🚲CHALLENGE!!!!….I need sponsors to make 50 mile goal in the next 2 weeks
Okay, I am taking a step of faith here as I am feeling a little better today than I have been, and I am looking for mile sponsors… Read on
My sister and I are counting down the days now until our Dream vacation to Disneyland 🏰 *(more info below) and we have scraped together the funds for plane tickets, but still need accommodations and park tickets. We are going to do everything we can to raise funds fast.
Here is the challenge….ready? For every $10 donated for the next several weeks I will bike 1 mile. There is no cap on this, if we raise $200 I bike 20 miles, $400= 40 miles, etc.

By God’s grace I will rise to the challenge. I will log my miles with my Map My Ride App and post for all to see so you know I am actually doing it. This will also be good for me because I have fallen off exercising due to a little health slump and I need to get up and moving again.
So ANY amount helps! And remember, increments of $10 gets me peddling 😉
Donate:
http://www.gofundme.com/tj2t5ss
*My name is Jennifer and my sister Holly and I have been sick for many years. The last decade especially has been the toughest with seasons of job loss (due to illness), being bed-ridden during treatment, chronic fatigue, pain, cognitive and neurological issues, pulmonary issues and edema….the list goes on and the story is too long. The Lyme is under control as we are just past the 3 year mark for specific Lyme treatment, but we are still dealing with a lot of autoimmune stuff and still receiving IV’s and other ongoing treatments. Because of all of this we have not had health or finances to have much fun in a very long time (I personally haven’t been on a vacation for 16 years). The last few years going through Lyme treatment we have had an ongoing dream of going to Disneyland, and every year it has remained a dream. A few months ago we decided that this year we would shoot for the stars and land at the Happiest Place On Earth. So that is the plan 😉
We want to profusely thank the people that have been able to help so far, it means so much. We have a ways to go and less than 30 days to do it, but we will make it happen.

~Lyme Warriors

P.S. If you would be open we would also love for you to share this post

Stumbling

the last 6 weeks or so I have been struggling. After getting myself on a “good cycle” for a while with the help of my docs I have been in another bout of fatigue, gut stuff, worse swelling…. (My ankles tonight actually scared me). 

I know a big part of it is that the progesterone therapy has been really hard to adjust to. When I started my first round I was knocked down so hard the first 5 days or so with fatigue I couldn’t even stay awake during the day (yes, I am taking it at night). This second round has not been as bad but I am in the midst of what has become the common state of my life for so many years; a state of fatigue and downright tiredness. Now I am going to go into “Lymie speak” because I know the Lymies and the chronic illness sufferers will understand this; this isn’t the same level of “deep to the bones, mind numbing, I think I am going to die, and if I’m not please someone kill me so I can sleep fatigue” that is your life in the midst of the worst of this disease, but it is more like I am still myself but with layers of mono, anemia and maybe a dash of flu. Plus of course the swelling and gut.

But I must say the bad swelling and gut stuff might be exacerbated by the fact that the progesterone strips me of my self-control and makes me want to EAT. And by loss of self-control I am not talking about carbo loading or major cheats, I am talking what bad eating looks like for me, which is stuff like eating pumpkin seeds several days in a row, or some dark chocolate (the good ingredient low-sugar organic kind), and my boldest cheat, gulp, some sheep milk yogurt today. 😔

My body hates me, that’s all I can say. Because the reaction I get feels like I did something truly dreadful like sour dough bread and butter. 

My mind toggles back and forth between “this is crazy, something is desperately wrong because those little things should not cause a full-on autoimmune freak out” and “you have not given your body the break it needs to get better. A bite here, and item there…it’s my own self-sabotage“. I am immensely guilt ridden when I don’t make it though the day with flying colors and can’t control myself as strictly as I would like to, and frustrated that I have been knocked from getting back into a good exercise routine, back to ground zero because of fatigue.  I really want to do a 2 week vegan cleanse just to give my body a break if I can muster up the will power.

Even my coworkers said I looked drained and have been looking sicker and more tired. My skin and color aren’t as good either.

So, how do I get back out of this? I’m not sure but there is one bright light in all this; I have been just rejoicing in the Lord and He has been sustaining me. I have also been able to keep my creativity up, which is also a blessing. Hopefully my body follows soon.  

 

This one isn’t about me

hello friends and fellow Lymies. I know we all have it tough and most of us are struggling with our own health and finances. But I wanted to ask for help for a friend who I met online who is suffering greatly with Lyme. Stephanie lives alone in Minnesota and does not have family support. She has only been able to work part time and even that is becoming impossible. She is in desperate need of help so she can afford to start treatment for her Lyme and other issues.

This is a dear sweet lady who is in a very bad situation and even the smallest amount of money would help. Can we all forgo a couple cups of coffee and help Stephanie?

Gofundme