Monday, October 29, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Lymemares (nightmares)
Nightmares are often a part of late stage Lyme Disease. I have had many nightmares over the years. I can even recall a repeating nightmare in my youth. In my late teens I began to have nightmares. By the time I was in my late twenties, and especially in my thirties and forties, nightmares were a regular part of my life. I often woke in a night sweat trying to scream and flailing around in the bed. My husband often woke me to stop me. He said I was kicking him and making noises like I was trying to talk. The nightmares had a common theme of some disaster happening and my having no control over it. Or I would be watching something horrible. Or something horrible was happening to me. I never will relay the images I saw because thy are so gruesome I don't want anyone else to have these imposed on them. However, I can tell you there was light at the end of this long tunnel.
The treatment I received from the doctor in Boston did not stop the nightmares, but increased them. Nor did he ever ask me if I was having nightmares. When I had my initial meeting with Dr. Jemsek that was one of the questions he asked. I was so symptomatic that I did not think to ask him any questions, never mind why he asked about nightmares. All I could say was yes, I had them. Later in treatment, when I had my senses back again, I did ask. It seems, (now this is layman's terms, only from my experience) that inflammation in the brain stem and in the brain can cause nightmares. My interpretation is that the brain is the hot spot for spirochetes to harbor themselves. They love the nervous system and of course the brain is the motor driving the nervous system. When the brain has inflamed areas, that inflammation, in severe cases, continues down the neck and into the spine. Then can invade joints, etc.. Inflammation from spirochetes, their biofilms, and excreted toxins are again the root of inflammation. Inflammation, in a particular part of the brain, causes nightmares when due to Lyme Disease.When I was treated correctly for my late stage Lyme, my inflammation went down in my brain and, and guess what? NO MORE NIGHTMARES!!! I have not had a nightmare since being treated correctly for Lyme Disease and co-infections. I only have good dreams. I am reminded of this today because last night I had a very funny dream, and I woke up almost in disbelief at the difference in me. I cannot even express the gratitude I have at being treated in such a way that my nightmares have stopped. Not only have nightmares stopped. but joint pain, brain fog, overwhelming fatigue, and all the other symptoms have either disappeared or diminished. I am still in process, and may have to work on this my entire life to maintain where I am, but to me, in comparision to where I was for so many years, it is like death to life.
The treatment I received from the doctor in Boston did not stop the nightmares, but increased them. Nor did he ever ask me if I was having nightmares. When I had my initial meeting with Dr. Jemsek that was one of the questions he asked. I was so symptomatic that I did not think to ask him any questions, never mind why he asked about nightmares. All I could say was yes, I had them. Later in treatment, when I had my senses back again, I did ask. It seems, (now this is layman's terms, only from my experience) that inflammation in the brain stem and in the brain can cause nightmares. My interpretation is that the brain is the hot spot for spirochetes to harbor themselves. They love the nervous system and of course the brain is the motor driving the nervous system. When the brain has inflamed areas, that inflammation, in severe cases, continues down the neck and into the spine. Then can invade joints, etc.. Inflammation from spirochetes, their biofilms, and excreted toxins are again the root of inflammation. Inflammation, in a particular part of the brain, causes nightmares when due to Lyme Disease.When I was treated correctly for my late stage Lyme, my inflammation went down in my brain and, and guess what? NO MORE NIGHTMARES!!! I have not had a nightmare since being treated correctly for Lyme Disease and co-infections. I only have good dreams. I am reminded of this today because last night I had a very funny dream, and I woke up almost in disbelief at the difference in me. I cannot even express the gratitude I have at being treated in such a way that my nightmares have stopped. Not only have nightmares stopped. but joint pain, brain fog, overwhelming fatigue, and all the other symptoms have either disappeared or diminished. I am still in process, and may have to work on this my entire life to maintain where I am, but to me, in comparision to where I was for so many years, it is like death to life.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
My "Lyme Comas"
I am wondering if anyone else in the Lyme world has this happen to them. Sometimes, in the afternoon only, I go into this very deep sleep. I call them my Lyme Comas. It lasts from 2 - 4 hours. I am either somewhat aware of people around me but cannot respond to them, or I don't hear anything at all. When I wake up, I feel like my brain has 'reconnected' itself and I can think better than before I fell 'asleep'. This is not a typical nap, which I do everyday. This is a much deeper experience and one I cannot wake myself out of on my own. The effects don't last forever, but there is a definite healing occurring during this experience. Anyone else?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Steam Baths for Lyme Detox
I do not have a nice dry sauna in my backyard, and don't know anyone else who has one. Next best thing: A hot, steamy bath. I even include Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts act to pull out toxins in the skin. Heat does the same thing. Good combination.
This morning I woke with a headache I felt before I even opened my eyes. It felt as though my brain was trying to push out of my skull. I was groaning before I even got out of bed. Already I was dreading the day. After an hour or so, when it didn't get better, I decided I had to detox somehow. Since running a mile is out of the question, I decided on a steam bath. I ran the water on the hottest setting possible. I added my Epsom Salts. When the tub was nearly full, it was ready. Hottttt, steam was rising all around me. And I began to sweat. My tub has jets which run for 20 minutes. I turned them on and sunk my head down into the water as far as possible. My neck and the bottom of my head were submerged most of the time. I must have been in the hot tub nearly an hour. I did have a bottle of water with me, which I drank as needed.
Moral of the story: I was able to get through my day headache free, and even did some house and yard work. What started out as dreadful became tolerable.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Dry Saunas for Lyme
I have not been able to find a good link explaining the detoxifying benefits of the dry sauna. However, it does increase an effective sweat to help speed up the process of detoxing. Anyone close by have one? :)
new treatment plan tomorrow!
Tomorrow I start a new treatment plan. This will run two weeks on, two weeks off. The two weeks on kill spirochetes and the two weeks off give my immune system a chance to get a workout. As I go through the two weeks off, (holiday, it's called), my immune system takes over and continues to work on the spirochetes and get stronger. This is the 'pulse' system. I am so happy to report I just went through a 17 day holiday, the longest yet, and had minimal fatigue, pain and temperatures. I did have to work on decreasing the inflammation in my spinal cord, and that has been very successful. Again, a good sign.
Over the summer I had a number of fevers lasting two weeks and more. This is the spirochetes fault, they can be the reason for most fevers. I am now going to attack the biofilms as best as possible over the next four months. Then back to D.C. to report how I have done.
This plan is multi-faceted, attacking biofilms and other forms of spirochete defense systems, such as the cyst form, and the intracellular form. This is not your typical bacteria. They are SMART . Biofilms are very difficult to break up. The treatment plan will find these forms, sending the spirochetes into a flurry of activity. I'll go through a go around of symptoms and detoxing, (or Herxing).
I will continue with my HOT Epsom salt baths and sweating the best I can. This is the best way to detox, through your skin. I wish I could run, but just pushing the vacuum around makes me sweat. Maybe my house will be super clean.
Each time I finish a holiday, and start a new treatment plan, I should feel less and less symptoms and Herxing. If not, we keep attacking. I have a feeling I will respond well, and be able to decrease my regiment after my next appointment. This is just a feeling of course, only time will tell. So, here I go, all I can say to myself is "sweat, baby, sweat!" Right, Liz! And, " hang though".
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Fair Trade: Improving Lives
A departure from Lyme, I know. It's another thing I am passionate about.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Lyme Around the World
Blogging is fairly new to me, although when I look back, I have written a number of blogs. Time flies. At first I was just plain excited to know people from around the world were reading my blog. The number of countries keeps growing as I go along. Countries from N. America, Europe, Eastern Europe, Down Under, and India. I was and am pleased to be a help (I hope) to everyone. Then, last night as I was falling asleep, it hit me like a brick. Lyme is world wide! Of course I knew that, from reading, but it really HIT me last night. I was no longer excited, but became concerned and extremely compassionate about the fact people from all over the world are suffering from this infection/parasitic invasion of our bodies. The strains are slightly varied around the world and even here, but the symptoms are the same, and the lack of treatment goes unspoken. It saddens me.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Ticks and outdoor temperatures
As I picked two ticks off my cat yesterday, I was reminded of the fall desperation of ticks. If they have not gotten their blood meal yet they are out for blood! Ticks can live all winter in warmer climates. However, in Maine, if we get freezing temperatures, (sometimes below zero for a long stretch...) they die or hibernate. However, when temperatures reach over 40 degrees, out they come. Ticks are active in temperature 40 degrees and over. Last year we had a warm winter and there were a lot of people and pets who got bit. Even if it freezes, then warms, out they come. Ticks only need one blood meal to reproduce the large batches of babies in the spring. If they have not gotten it, they come out looking for it. Just FYI.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Inflammation in Lyme
Inflammation. Ouch, it hurts. But what came first? The chicken or the egg? Inflammation or the tick bite?
Here is a formula I learned from a nurse at the Jemsek Clinic:
BUGS = TOXINS=INFLAMMATION=SYMPTOMS
The answer is the BUGS come first. It is the TOXINS from the spirochetes that cause INFLAMMATION. Toxins must be detoxed out of your body. As a matter of fact, when I had my first appointment with Dr. Jemsek he told me he could not start treatment until we got my inflammation under control. Antibiotic treatment brings out the spirochetes, which increase toxins, which increases inflammation, which increases symptoms. If we had started treatment right away, the killing of of the spirochetes would increase the toxins in my body and cause even more inflammation. That may have been too much for me. I spent the first three to four months detoxing and decreasing inflammation. I did this by taking a number of supplements including Magnesium Malate, B12 sublingual, Methylfolate, green teas, Epsom salt baths, and a number of other things. I also went on a strict diet meant to decrease inflammation. This was a gluten free/sugar free diet. A challenge. I was encouraged to use Stevia for my sugar. I took a number of naturally occurring supplements, found in our cells, to develop a health immune system.Within a few months, my inflammation was down to a level that he could work with.
All in all, it has proven to be a winning combination.
Here is a formula I learned from a nurse at the Jemsek Clinic:
BUGS = TOXINS=INFLAMMATION=SYMPTOMS
The answer is the BUGS come first. It is the TOXINS from the spirochetes that cause INFLAMMATION. Toxins must be detoxed out of your body. As a matter of fact, when I had my first appointment with Dr. Jemsek he told me he could not start treatment until we got my inflammation under control. Antibiotic treatment brings out the spirochetes, which increase toxins, which increases inflammation, which increases symptoms. If we had started treatment right away, the killing of of the spirochetes would increase the toxins in my body and cause even more inflammation. That may have been too much for me. I spent the first three to four months detoxing and decreasing inflammation. I did this by taking a number of supplements including Magnesium Malate, B12 sublingual, Methylfolate, green teas, Epsom salt baths, and a number of other things. I also went on a strict diet meant to decrease inflammation. This was a gluten free/sugar free diet. A challenge. I was encouraged to use Stevia for my sugar. I took a number of naturally occurring supplements, found in our cells, to develop a health immune system.Within a few months, my inflammation was down to a level that he could work with.
All in all, it has proven to be a winning combination.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
ILADS - Lyme Disease Conferences Videos - Joseph G. Jemsek, MD
ILADS - Lyme Disease Conferences Videos - Joseph G. Jemsek, MD
last year, this year is Nov. 2-4 in Boston. ILADS site has info.
last year, this year is Nov. 2-4 in Boston. ILADS site has info.
Monday, October 1, 2012
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