M.S., Parkinson's, or Simply Lyme Disease?

Have you been experiencing symptoms of illness, knowing that something is wrong but the doctors cannot seem to find the answer and have begun looking at you as a psycho case?

The symptoms constantly change and migrate. They may begin as nagging nausea or swollen lymph nodes for long periods of time, but then you find that you're used to the doctors saying they can't find anything wrong and you get settled into your life again.

Of course, once your able to get along with the nausea and swollen lymph nodes (or whatever symptoms you begin with), along come migraines, unbelievable fatigue, stiff joints, loss of memory, speech impairment, tremor, and seizures. This becomes the process of your life...if you can call it living.

This is exactly what I've experienced over the past (at least) 8 years, although they say I most likely have had Lyme for up to 20 years. During my series of ill years I experienced five bouts of mono, was misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, told I had Lymphoma, misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, experienced depression, anxiety, misdiagnosed with plausible Multiple Sclerosis, and more.

I wouldn't take PLAUSIBLE as the diagnosis.

What was the final diagnosis?

Through a string of events, including physical, mental and spiritual, I was able to visit a doctor who ran some tests (ELISA and the Western Blot) that showed positive for Lyme Disease.

Why didn't I get tested for Lyme Disease earlier in this series of illnesses? Well, on a follow-up with one of my other physicians, I found that he actually tested me with the ELISA test and it came back negative, which is very common as testing for Lyme is not completely accurate.

Click Here For Statistics By The CDC
note:  The CDC acknowledges that their statistics are not necessarily accurate.  In fact, the numbers from independent sources tell us that Lyme disease numbers are higher than AIDS.

Based on where I live, the doctors were not likely to test me. However, when I look at those statistics and look at my resulting diagnosis, I take other statistics into perspective, which make me exclaim about why there is not an alert for doctors to perform the simple blood test for Lyme Disease.



Take, for example, the fact that Lyme Disease mimics symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

MS World Map Link

"Multiple sclerosis (ms) is the most common, disabling, neurological condition, to affect young adults in the world today."

If you have a patient who you suspect has MS and have prescribed a lumbar puncture that does not come back as positive for anything abnormal, even with brain lesions (which can occur with Lyme Disease), wouldn't you test the patient for Lyme Disease before stating that they must have PLAUSIBLE MS and prescribing injections that may cost them thousands of dollars per month (not to mention lasting side-effects)?

What about Alzheimer's? Tremor and memory problems along with similar symptoms that may cause a doctor to diagnose someone with Alzheimer's can occur with Chronic Lyme Disease (being infected with Lyme Disease for a length of time).

Alzheimer's Site Link

"Every 72 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s"

Parkinson's Disease is the same as the above diseases. This is a disease that is very hard to diagnose and there is actually not a very firm procedure of diagnoses. Wouldn't doctors be wise to perform a simple blood test to verify that the symptoms are not Lyme Disease?

Parkinson's Disease Link

"How is Parkinson disease diagnosed?
The process of making a Parkinson disease diagnosis can be difficult. There is no X-ray or blood test that can confirm Parkinson disease. A physician arrives at the diagnosis only after a thorough examination. Blood tests and brain scans known as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be performed to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms. People suspected of having Parkinson disease should consider seeking the care of a neurologist who specializes in Parkinson disease."

Fibromyalgia is another mysterious diagnosis, and a growing number of people are being diagnosed and treated with medication on a daily basis.

Fibromylagia Statistics Link

"Prevalence Rate (Fibromyalgia): approx 1 in 73 or 1.36% or 3.7 million people in USA"

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is another mysterious illness, yet I found a quote regarding Lyme Disease under "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" on the following link.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Link

"Lyme disease and related tick-borne infections. Lyme disease does not always present acutely with a rash, and less than half of sufferers recall a tick bite (the nymphal deer tick is the size of a poppy seed, and secretes an anesthetic to prevent the host from feeling its bite). Furthermore, the characteristic joint pain is not always present. For these reasons Lyme can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in its later stages, at which point symptoms are virtually identical to those of CFS.[118] The accuracy of blood tests for Lyme remains highly controversial, especially since they depend on an effective immune system response, which many researchers believe is compromised by the disease. As a result, some clinicians believe Lyme is under-diagnosed."

If you know anyone with symptoms as I have listed above, please have them tested for Lyme Disease. Finding you have Lyme disease can relieve a lot of stress from yourself (a loved one) and your family. The treatments may take time to work, however, just think of the consequences of continuing down the road of a diagnoses of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's instead of a simple diagnoses with an actual treatment and hope for the future.

Please feel free to view my Lyme video diary and please subscribe... located here



Sources:
www.cdc.gov
www.themcfox.com
www.alz.org
www.parkinson.org
www.wrongdiagnosis.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.hopkins-arthritis.org

Migraines. Treatment and Prevention. Stop the Pain! Stop the Madness!

Migraine

wikipedia.org

"Migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily experiences, painful headaches, and nausea. It is a common condition which affects women more frequently than men.

The typical migraine headache is one-sided and pulsating, lasting 4 to 72 hours. Accompanying complaints are nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia) and noise (hyperacusis). Approximately one third of people who experience migraines get a preceding aura, in which a patient may sense a strange light or unpleasant smell."

What have I taken this morning for my migraine (which, I am certain, was caused by eating chocolate last night while I was busy making chocolate spiders for the top of cupcakes)? Maxalt and one Excedrine Migraine.

What is Maxalt? Triptan

"Triptans. For many people with severe migraine attacks, triptans are the drug of choice. They are effective in relieving the pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound that are associated with migraines. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) was the first drug specifically developed to treat migraines. Related medications include rizatriptan (Maxalt), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova) and eletriptan (Relpax). Side effects of triptans include nausea, dizziness, muscle weakness and, rarely, stroke and heart attack. In recent studies, a single-tablet combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium relieved migraine symptoms more effectively than did either individual medication. This combination tablet will likely be marketed soon."

While this hasn't helped the nausea. The migraine pain is mostly under control and it only took about 1/2 hour for this combination of Maxalt and Excedrine Migraine to work.

I have the saliva test for my estrogen and other hormones. I have not felt well enough to take the hour that is necessary (before eating any food for the day) to complete the test. I am motivated to take the test...after all, it cost me over one hundred dollars and is not covered by health insurance. I just need to feel well enough to have the hour, when I have not eaten since the night before, and when I don't need to drink water to take something for a headache.

An additional remedy that I find very good is to stay busy on the computer (once the medications work well enough that my sensitivity to light, including the computer, is lessened) working on my writing, responding to my emails, working on my Facebook or other social networking sites, or just surfing the Net.

"Prevention
Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of migraines. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

Avoid triggers. If certain foods seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, eat something else. If certain scents are a problem, try to avoid them. In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.

Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent migraines. If your doctor agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling. Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches.

Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you're a woman with migraines and estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the amount of medications you take that contain estrogen. These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your doctor about the best alternatives or dosages for you."

Might I also suggest a preventative measure...don't watch the news or read about what is going on in the world:)

Sources:
My Personal Migraine:)
en.wikipedia.org
www.mayoclinic.com

Positive Attitude Regardless of Frustrations

I've been frustrated today regarding a few things, which of course never happens to anyone else on the planet, hah, hah.

1. A nagging migraine from my Lyme Disease that just won't stop...pretty typical for many with the disease.

2. Contractors still working on my house after having it "finished" over a year ago.

3. My site on Blogger being crawled by Adsense and one of my URLs being blocked so all of my Adsense ads won't show up and not getting answers after a full day with Blogger and Adsense...of course there are no phone numbers...you just have to wait until you hear back from their help groups or help forums with the answers.

4. Deleting the story/article I spent time on that was blocked (the URL) when Adsense sent their spiders to crawl my site on the 6th and knowing that I'll never get that work back...just so that I might find a fix for the ads.

However, I choose to live on the positive side of life. Here are things I am grateful for today...

1. I had contractors at my home that were willing to fix some of the issues that had not been previously fixed by the builder's previous contractors. They had a positive attitude and were professional...and didn't leave me with a giant mess to clean up.

2. I had time with my Husband (still unemployed) while we were working on computers we have set up side-by-side in the loft of our wonderful house that we are blessed with. I love time with my Husband. He is my best friend and we have a lot of laughs!

3. My husband let me feel good about laying down to take a nap to try to get rid of my headache (didn't work, but I did need the rest). He took care of getting the kids their snacks, meds, homework, dinner and ready for bed. Did I tell you I have an awesome Husband?!

4. I don't live in Iraq, Israel, Pakistan or Iran but here in the U.S., where I count what constitutional rights we have available and uncompromised a blessing.

5. I have family who is a great support, rallying around us in our time of unemployment and my time of illness and recovery, helping us provide monetarily, emotionally, and spiritually. True blessings!

6. I have great neighbors who watch out for each other and care for one another. We have a tight knit group in this new little neighborhood. A wonderful thing to watch! Everyone caring for one another's children while they are playing all over the neighborhood. Everyone caring for concerns about those who are having problems with paying for their houses during this housing crisis, or with selling their houses, and with their needs in general.

7. My children attend a great elementary school with a Principal who knows them and me by name and is happy to see us every day, out of the 1200 children that attend. They have wonderful teachers! They are starting wonderful programs (new school)!

8. We attend a fantastic ward (a group that meets at a certain time at my church building) on Sundays for our church meetings. They are such a support and they care very much about our well being!

9. Quiet time...this time I have while everyone else is in bed, since I took a nap and am waiting for my headache medication to kick-in, to post to my readers, who I care to know about how much hope they can have to be positive when they are chronically ill. Silence in every one's day is imperative. It clears the mind of the "junk" and lets you focus on what really matters.

10. That every day is a new beginning...a new start...a do over. All of the things that I felt that I didn't do quite right today are things that I can do a little better tomorrow. I don't mean to say that one should procrastinate. I mean to say that you should never get those voices in your head festering that you didn't do well at this or that or the other thing. Just know that you did your best for today and you'll do it different tomorrow. That is life. You choose how you wish to live it. It doesn't control you. You control it...or how you choose to look/react to it.

Face of Lyme Disease, Today

I've decided to give my readers an expanded version of what it's like to have Lyme Disease, from the recovery process, which is just beginning. I will include reflections on my illness for readers to relate to as well as posts on the series that I have begun regarding the facts involved.

I feel it's important for readers to have someone to relate with, especially if they are going through something similar. If you know someone who is chronically ill, now is the time to have them subscribe to my blog because I've decided to get personal.

Here is what today was like.

Everyday is just a little bit different. It's kind of like a never-ending roller coaster ride...never very predictable, although moreso than it used to be.

I woke up, after hitting the snooze from 6:15am to 7:00am. I woke up my kids, two boys, ages 7 and 10 and then proceeded to wake up my husband so that he would be ready when I got my kids ready so he could drive them to school.

He is currently unemployed...much too long now...since October...In other words, we are hating it in the money department!

So, I have him drive the kids to school right now, so that I can take it easy in the morning until he has a job...not that I always take it easy, but I have a bit of nausea in the morning...mostly from the antibiotics and transitioning off some of the meds that have been pushed at me for conditions I really don't have.

Some days are more challenging than others because my 10 year old has high-functioning Asperger's Syndrome and my 7 year old has aspects of it, however, not as dramatically obvious...both being treated...both blessings!!!!

Today, I was really dragging when I got up, but managed to get their lunches ready and get them dressed in well-pressed clothes with their hair combed as usual. However, this morning's breakfast consisted of yogurt and poptarts. Not exactly the breakfast of champions.

Once they were out the door, I took my medicine and sat down to watch the local news...my normal morning ritual. I then had a bagel for breakfast and laid down to watch the national news and fell asleep on the couch until 11:30am. So much for productivity!

Once I woke up, I decided that I'd better make good use of my day before my kids came home so I logged onto the computer and did some networking on Digg and caught up on my email sites for 1 hour. After that I read for 30 minutes...uplifting material, followed by 30 minutes of yoga and free weights.



Knowing that the kids would walk in from the bus at any time, I decided to hurry and make the beds, clean-up the kitchen table and take care of the litter-box.

When they walked in the door, I was able to greet them with a smile, as if I had been productive all day. I had done a pretty darn good job with the time I'd used!

We did the typical after school stuff...snack, homework, chores, and then my kids went out to play with their friends for a bit. I finished taking down all of the Christmas stuff and putting the tubs and boxes down in the basement. Then, I re-arranged my family room, since the Christmas Tree wasn't there anymore. I like the way it looks. I used methods of Fung Shui and altered it from before we had the tree there. My kids like it. They get into reorganizing the furniture and stuff with me. It's fun!

Yes, my Christmas stuff was still up.

I then had my Husband help me fix dinner (he was gone all day), while I worked on fixing his glasses that broke today...don't have a job=no money for new glasses...no good...I tried for about 45 minutes...still broken.

After dinner, my Husband helped me get the kids to bathe and get ready for bed. We got them in bed. One got out of bed for a snack and back in bed. I cleaned the downstairs bathroom, did one load of laundry, prepped for tomorrow, showered, and here I am (my Husband is playing basketball with the guys at the church gym).

No, I didn't shower until 10:00pm.

Was it easy today? Not completely. I fought a migraine, which I have been fighting for 3 days now, and nausea. I also had to self-motivate quite a bit. However, once I did my yoga and read uplifting literature, I really felt quite motivated. I think that the nap was necessary as well. I used to feel guilty about those...as if they were some kind of laziness. However, I know now that my body is healing and when I need a nap, I need a nap.

Not too exciting, eh? But, I feel it was a lot better than Saturday and Sunday, in which I spent the majority of the day in bed.

Like I said...a roller coaster ride!!!

Lyme Disease Series (M.S., Parkinson's or...)

Look forward to more on Lyme Disease and related tests and links this week. I will include answers to questions and comments that I received from my posts and from my network sites as well. Thank you for your feedback. I feel as though I am receiving more from the post on Lyme Disease than I have given, thus far.