Lyme-5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

FOXNews.com

Preventing Lyme Disease: 5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

By Karlie Pouliot

"Busy planning your first hiking trip of the summer or that weekend camping adventure?

Beware. Danger could be lurking in the form of an eight-legged, bloodsucking parasite known as the tick.

While some ticks are harmless — others are carriers of a potentially debilitating infection.

“Lyme disease is carried by ticks and it’s transmitted by ticks,” said Dr. Joseph Rahimian, an infectious disease specialist at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. “It can cause skin manifestations, joint manifestations and it can even affect your heart and brain.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which normally lives in mice, squirrels and other small animals. It is transmitted among these animals — and to humans — through the bites of certain species of ticks.If you live in the Northeast or out West, you are no stranger to these menacing creatures.

“Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and upstate New York … all these areas have the highest rates of Lyme disease,” Rahimian told FOXNews.com.

The culprit in the Northeast is the deer tick. In the Pacific coast, the disease is spread by the western-black legged tick.

“Lyme disease cases usually peak in the summer and spring,” said Rahimian. “It’s when ticks are around.”

It’s also when we spend the most time outdoors.

So how do we protect ourselves?

Here are a five easy ways:

1. Avoid areas where there is a high concentration of ticks. These areas include wooded and bushy areas with high grass.

2. Use insect repellent that contains 20 to 30 percent of the chemical DEET. Spray this on your skin as well as your clothing.

3. Cover up. Wear long a long sleeve shirt, long pants and tuck your pants into your socks or boots. Light-colored clothing is also a good idea because it allows you to spot ticks more easily.

4. Always check yourself for ticks after you’ve spent a lot of time outdoors — especially the lower part of your body.

5. Finally, if you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Be sure to remove the entire tick including the head. Use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick as close to the mouth, which is the part attached to your skin, as possible. If you are unable to remove the tick fully, call your doctor. Infected ticks usually don't spread Lyme disease until they have been attached for at least 36 hours.

Signs and Symptoms:

— A round, red rash that spreads at the site of the bite

— Flu-like symptoms

— Fatigue

— Headaches

— Sore muscles and joints

— Fever

Treatment:

"If you do get bitten or notice that characteristic bulls-eye lesion on your body, you should see your doctor right away,” said Rahimian. “The reason is because there are medicines that prevent you from getting the long-term consequences of Lyme disease.”

If you have early-stage Lyme disease, oral antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil are most often prescribed. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studies have shown that most patients can be cured within a few weeks of taking these drugs.

But if it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious health problems.

According to the Mayo Clinic, those problems include:

— Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee

— Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy

— Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory

— Heart rhythm irregularities

— Memory loss

— Difficulty concentrating

— Changes in mood or sleep habits

“Getting treated early is very important… especially in the first 48 hours,” said Rahimian.

“There's one study that shows if you get bitten and take just one days worth of the medicine it can prevent you from getting Lyme disease in the first place. So again, seeing a doctor early after you get bitten is potentially very helpful,” he concluded."

Source:
FOXNews.Com

Lyme. A Hidden Epidemic.

Become Lyme Literate. Educate Others About Lyme.

Chronic Fatigue and Lyme Disease

Interestingly, in my research regarding Lyme disease, I have made a discovery. This discovery may not be much to someone who is not fighting the battle of the disease. This discovery may not mean much to someone who is not fighting the battle to gain awareness for testing. However, with both of those battles in my lap, I feel the following linked article to be a great discovery.

www.chronicfatiguesupport.com

As you read the article, you begin to realize that someone is acknowledging factors that others are not willing to acknowledge.

First, this comes from Chronic Fatigue Support.com. They are acknowledging that Chronic Fatigue may actually be Lyme disease.

Second is a statement that I have gathered from many locations and sources into one and this link seems to sum it up rather profoundly.

"The incidence of asymptomatic infection has not been adequately delineated. There appear to be substantial numbers of patients who remain asymptomatic, but reactivate their disease a number of months or years later, following trauma, pregnancy, a medical illness for which an antibiotic is prescribed, or other stresses, including psychological stresses. The Lyme OspA vaccine has appeared to reactivate Lyme disease in a number of individuals who knew, but some who did not know, they had prior Lyme disease. The mechanisms responsible for the reactivation of the disease have not been defined, but may include both molecular mimicry and underlying infection."

Third, that many in the medical field don't recognize that there is Chronic Lyme disease or Late-Lyme disease. In this article, they are refuting those claims.

"That chronic Lyme Disease actually exists, and is likely the most common form of the disease, is supported by epidemiologic studies demonstrating that 30-50-% of treated and untreated patients go on to develop a multisymptom disorder typical of, and indistinguishable from, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue (1, 28). As with other multisymptom disorders, chronic Lyme disease is a clinical syndrome consisting of fatigue, arthralgias and myalgias,and other nervous system dysfunction(7).

Furthermore, the results of treatment studies appear to support the hypothesis that persistent infection is responsible for the chronic symptoms. It is likely that Lyme disease will serve as a useful model for other chronic multisymptom disorders. Whether the pathogenesis of "late" Lyme Disease differs from that of the chronic form of the disease remains to be established."

This last point is one that arguably could save the U.S. economy millions of dollars in healthcare costs, as well as saving lives and relieving stress of the individuals and families involved.

Sources:
Chronic Fatigue Support.com

Hyperbaric for Lyme

Lyme Disease. A Clear and Present Danger.

Mind Over The Matter of Lyme Disease

Chronic illnesses, such as Lyme disease, may create a vicious cycle of depression, muscle atrophy, and other illnesses brought on by body and mind inactivity.

What do you do to break the cycle?

First, many chronic illnesses include pain. Your body needs activity and stretching. This does not mean that you need to train for a marathon. This just means that you need to set goals for activity. By setting goals, I mean to say that you write them on your calendar and check them off.

First, drink plenty of water. You should drink at least 64 ounces of water each day unless you are overweight. If you are overweight, increase your water intake and discuss with your physician what amount will be appropriate for your weight. To create a habit of being properly hydrated, document your daily water intake. Mark this off as one of your goals.

Secondly, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, say thank you (in your mind) for all of the little things. You can say "Thank you that I have a bed with blankets and a pillow to sleep in.", "Thank you that I have modern plumbing", "Thank you that I have a warm shower (or bath)", and on and on. Your mind will turn from your frustrations with your illness to the wonderful things you are thankful for around you.

"Happier thoughts lead to essentially a happier biochemistry. A happier, healthier body. Negative thoughts and stress have been shown to seriously degrade the body and the functioning of the brain, because it's our thoughts and emotions that are continuously reassembling, reorganizing, re-creating our body."

--Dr. John Hagelin, The Secret

Third, go outside. Take a walk to the end of the driveway if that is your first goal. Then, stretch yourself to reach further destinations. By getting outside you will find that you don't get that closed-in feeling like living in a cave, you get vitamin D from the natural sunlight, and you get exercise and circulated air.

Next, extend your exercise routine to include lifting weights. These may be only 1 pound weights, however, the use of these weights will increase your strength, and doing weight lifting exercises helps to increase your bone density.

Remember, following your exercise routine, no matter if it is a walk to the end of your driveway, lifting weights, or other exercises you choose, your muscles need stretching. Now that you are strengthening your muscles, you need to lengthen. You will find that using exercise and stretching alleviates much of the pain and anxiety you have felt from being chronically ill.

Nutrition is extremely important. Talk to your doctor about the best diet/nutrition and supplement program for you. Mangosteen and Noni Juice (liquid forms) have made a great deal of difference for me, in addition to Bio 35, Vitamin D, and important food choices.

For those with chronic illness, more sleep is usually very key in helping to create a more healthy person. Be sure that you sleep when you need to, however, don't linger in bed when unnecessary or the atrophy/depression cycle recurs.

Don't lay down and watch brainless TV. Pick up a good, uplifting book. I regularly read my scriptures, The Secret, Joel Olsteen books, and others. I also love a good political thriller. These books will help your brain to stay awake and out of the fog of chronic illness.

Find a hobby. I find that making my friends and relative homemade cards is great fun. I also love to blog, read, play board games with my kids (which can be done while I am laying down, if need be), and many others. These hobbies will help you to learn about your talents, as well as keep your mind off of your illness.

"...I crashed an airplane. I ended up in the hospital completely paralyzed. My spinal cord was crushed...I couldn't eat or drink, my diaphragm was destroyed, I couldn't breathe. All I could do was blink my eyes. The doctors, of course, said that I'd be a vegetable the rest of my life. All I'd be able to do is blink my eyes...it didn't matter what they thought. The main thing was what I thought. I pictured myself being a normal person again, walking out of that hospital.

The only thing I had to work with in the hospital was my mind, and once you have your mind, you can put things back together again."

...I had set a goal to walk out of the hospital on Christmas. And I did. I walked out of the hospital on my own two feet. They said it couldn't be done. That's a day I will never forget.

For people who are sitting out there right now and are hurting, if I wanted to sum up my life and sum up for people what they can do in life, I would sum it up in six words:'Man becomes what he thinks about'."

--Morris Goodman, The Secret

I have had the attitude during my time with Lyme disease that I would contribute to society in any way possible and that my disease was a temporary thing. Currently, I have been off of my antibiotics for about four weeks, have no co-infection, and am doing quite well. This is not without great effort. However, following 8 years of illness, I expect there to be effort involved in my wellness.

Life is great! No matter your chronic illness, you can overcome many of your challenges by challenging your body and your mind in positive ways. I promise that this mind-body connection is strong and by utilizing these methods you will see wonderful results with your search for wellness.

Cognitive Therapy and Lyme Disease

Anyone who has been chronically ill for any length of time understands that you, many times, may feel less than adequate to handle your day-to-day activities. How do you take that thinking and change it to the positive? Cognitive therapy.

"Cognitive therapy seeks to identify and change "distorted" or "unrealistic" ways of thinking, and therefore to influence emotion and behaviour." wikipedia

"One etiological theory of depression is the Aaron Beck cognitive theory of depression. His theory is regarded as the most verified psychological theory of depression. His theory states that depressed people feel the way they do because their thinking is biased towards negative interpretations. According to Beck’s theory of the etiology of depression, depressed people acquire a negative schema of the world in childhood and adolescence. (Children and adolescents who suffer from depression acquire this negative schema earlier.) Depressed people acquire such schemas through a loss of a parent, rejection by peers, criticism from teachers or parents, the depressive attitude of a parent and other negative events. When the person with such schemas encounters a situation that resembles in some way, even remotely, the conditions in which the original schema was learned, the negative schemas of the person are activated.

Beck also included a negative triad in his theory. A negative triad is made up of the negative schemas and cognitive biases of the person. A cognitive bias is a view of the world. Depressed people, according to this theory, have views such as “I never do a good job.” A negative schema helps give rise to the cognitive bias, and the cognitive bias helps fuel the negative schema. This is the negative triad. Also, Beck proposed that depressed people often have the following cognitive biases: arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, overgeneralization, magnification and minimization. These cognitive biases are quick to make negative, generalized, and personal inferences of the self, thus fueling the negative schema."

Through therapy with someone who is trained in cognitive therapy you soon realize that no matter what happens TO you, you can create your reality based on YOUR reaction to what happens. This therapy also helps you create your reality the positive way, regardless of what has happened in your past.

When I have listened to, watched YouTube videos of, or read about those who have been chronically ill with Lyme or with other illnesses, it seems that many wallow in their situation.

Research has proven the mind-body connection regarding illness and healing. When your mind is constantly on your illness or disease, it tends to cause the symptoms to get worse and often times causes a delay in healing.

When you talk to others, do you constantly discuss your illness?

When you are at home, not feeling well, do you just lay around?

Keep up on world affairs and/or other topics (other than your disease or illness) that you love. Use those as conversation pieces.

When you are not feeling well and are at home, do you set goals for yourself? Set a goal of what accomplishments you'd like to take care of during any particular day. Make these goals reasonable. Don't make a long list. You will be happy and boosted up by accomplishing those little tasks that you set as goals.

Additionally, when you have down time, don't lay and watch TV. Read. Stimulate your brain. Read uplifting literature. Take time to stretch your muscles. Use a beginner Yoga and/or Tai Chi video to make yourself stronger. It will make your mind and emotional center more calm, as well as help your muscles to become stronger and less sore. You will be amazed at the results!

Without cognitive therapy and the practice of what I have been taught, I would not make it through each day in such a positive manner. I love life! There are endless possibilities!

Lyme Disease..."What is going on?"

Lyme Disease: Medical Nightmare

Part One
Part Two

Lyme Disease...Open Your Eyes!

I post this as back-dated because I have been ill from Lyme this week...I call it a Lyme week. I saw a specialist on parasitology Friday. He said that I need to go off of the Doxycycline. It should be interesting to see how it goes from here since I have been sick for 15-20 years (estimated) and I have only been treated with Doxycycline for 4 months. This disease is baftling, frustrating, confusing! Life is great and is meant to be lived!

With my research on this subject and my ability to speak out clearly about it, I choose to be a spokesperson on this subject. I have lived, am living the life of Lyme disease. Life can have quality! Life should be quality that is great! It is my goal to help others with this dreadful disease have great lives as well!

Lyme Disease...We Can Make A Difference.

Ignorance of a Plaque. Conclusion.

Concluding from the past two Fridays, the following is information regarding a report written by Dr. Scott Taylor called "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague".

The more research I do, the more I come into contact with interesting bits of information that I can relate to my own experiences with Lyme. One such piece of information was this.

"Lingering Lyme: The Chronic Persistent Infection

Some symptoms and signs of Lyme disease may not appear until weeks, months, or years after a tick bite. This stage typically involves intermittent episodes of joint pain or numerous neurological symptoms such as: meningitis, Bell's palsy, dysfunction of cardiac rhythm, and migratory pain to joints, tendons, muscle and bone. Arthritis is most likely to appear as brief bouts of pain and swelling, usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees. In some patients, the first and only sign of Lyme disease is arthritis. In others, nervous system problems are the only evidence of Lyme disease. However, any combination of symptoms can be present.
...
The course of the disease can best be described as persistent, with periods of worsening symptoms, often cyclical every few weeks or monthly. Especially disconcerting are persistent symptoms such as pain, headaches and fatigue. Some patients are more symptomatic than are others, which may reflect gender and genetically-determined differences in response to infection. The disease is progressive, destructive, and debilitating, and in severe untreated cases, it can be fatal.
...
Lyme disease causes metabolic/endocrine dysfunctions that lead to weight loss or commonly chronic weight gain.

Generally, women struggle with chronic Lyme disease more severely than men do. It is not known for sure why."

In the past, I have written posts that have included lists with Lyme disease symptoms. However, my lists have not been as inclusive as the following from this report.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

"As I mentioned before, every organ and organ system can be affected, here’s a list of some of the LD symptoms as they relate to specific areas of the body:

Head – headache, neck pain, facial pain and paralysis, difficulty chewing, pain in teeth, dry mouth, loss of taste/smell, numb tongue/mouth. Peculiar metallic or salty taste is also common in LD. This is likely due to the BLPs present in the system.

Bladder -- frequent or painful urination, repeated urinary tract infections, irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis.

Lung -- respiratory infection, cough, asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy, chest pains

Ear -- pain, hearing loss, ringing (tinnitus), sensitivity to noise, dizziness & equilibrium disorders.

Eyes -- pain due to inflammation (scleritis, uveitis, optic neuritis), dry eyes, sensitivity to light, drooping of eyelid (ptosis), conjunctivitis, blurry or double vision, swelling around eyes / bags below the eyes.

Throat -- sore throat, swollen glands, cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing

Neurological -- headaches, facial paralysis, seizures, meningitis, stiff neck, burning, tingling, or prickling sensations (parathesia), loss of reflexes, loss of coordination, equilibrium problems/dizziness (these symptoms mimic an MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s like syndrome)

Stomach -- pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, anorexia

Heart -- weakness, dizziness, irregular heart-beat, myocarditis, pericarditis, palpitations, heart block, enlarged heart, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, mitral valve prolapse.

Muscle & skeletal system -- arthralgias (joint pain), fibromyalgia (muscle inflammation and pain)

Other Organs -- liver infection / hepatitis, elevated liver enzymes, enlarged spleen, swollen testicles, and irregular or ceased menses.

Neuropsychiatric -- mood swings, irritability, anxiety, rage (Lyme rage), poor concentration, cognitive loss, memory loss, loss of appetite, mental deterioration, depression, disorientation, insomnia

Pregnancy -- miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, stillbirth

Skin – EM, single or multiple rash, hives, ACA

Another interesting symptom often noticed is an increased susceptibility to electrostatic shock. This is likely due to the BLPs causing a change in the electro-potential in our cells/nervous system. Some of these toxins are likely sodium channel agonists and can change the electrical potential of our body. Thus, the likelihood of electro-static shock."

During his section regarding the diagnoses of Lyme, Taylor states the frustrating issues with the tests, such as ELISA and Western Blot, which often have false negative results. Clearly, Western Blot has fewer false positives. However, many doctors will stop at the ELISA test when that proves negative, not following up with the Western Blot. Again, an emphasis needs to be placed on the percentage of false negatives and re-testing should always be the clear consideration upon a negative result.

Taylor suggests that treatment be multifaceted.

"The best approach to therapy is a multifaceted and comprehensive treatment regimen that includes conventional antibiotics, numerous complimentary and alternative therapies, and a nutritional regimen specifically designed to reduce inflammation, aid the liver in detoxifying the BLPs, decrease the risk of yeast infections, repair damage caused by the disease and strengthen the immune system."

One source he sites for better treatment than the basic course of antibiotics as offered as the conventional treatment is protocol for sarcoidosis found at www.sarcinfo.com.

Sources for therapy that are listed as "Papers for Physicians" at the www.sarcinfo.com site are the following.

"Antibacterial Therapy induces Remission

Implications for Autoimmune Disease
(Here is Fulltext preprint)

Antibacterial mechanisms for ARBs

Antibiotics in Sarcoidosis- The 1st Year

Rationale for abx in Sarcoidosis

1,25-D and Angiotensin II

"New Treatments Emerge.."

Jarisch-Herxheimer in Sarcoidosis

Vit.D and Calcium in Sarcoidosis

Protocol Phase 1-First 3 months"

If you are familiar with the conventional treatment plan, these plans listed are much more multifaceted and comprehensive.

One treatment, often used with Doxycycline is Metronidazole (Flagyl).

"Metronidazole (Flagyl) is a very effective antimicrobial for treating chronic Lyme disease. It distributes well throughout the body and is able to penetrate tissue and cells. This ability allows metronidazole to reach the cryptic borrelia throughout the body and kill it. Metronidazole is also effective at attacking the cyst form of borrelia. This may be the single most effective antimicrobial pharmaceutical for treating Lyme disease. The disadvantage of metronidazole is it’s toxicity to the liver and neurological system. It can raise liver enzymes and cause peripheral neuropathies similar to LD itself. These side-effects must be prudently monitored."

...
"Several antibiotics work together synergistically to improve the therapeutic effect against borreliosis. Examples of antibiotics that work well together when combined include: amoxicillin, metronidazole, clarithromycin or zithromycin, and co-trimoxazole. Co-trimoxazole works well in late stage Lyme disease, especially when given in combination with other antibiotics like amoxcilliln and/or a macrolide such as azithromycin. Earlier, one exception to antibiotic combinations was the use of metronidazole and the tetracyclines together. It is now believed that these two antibiotics do work well when combined. For example, there are reports of good result when doxycycline is used with flagyl."

Additional therapies recommended in Taylor's report are "Hyperthermia", or hot baths, showers, or saunas that raise the body temperature, "Pulse Electro-Magnetic Fields" (pemfs), "Rife Machine", "Beck Electrification", "Lauricidin", "Colloidal Silver", "Cat's Claw/Samento/Saventero", "Artemisinin", "Goldenseal root", "Teasel", "Olive Leaf Extract", "Garlic", European (or Hungarian Mistletoe", "Peroxide", and "Ozone".

This report is amazingly detailed. Taylor has remedy recommendations for controlling inflammation and the immune dysfunction, protection of the nervous system from neurotoxins, detoxifying, etc.

Additionally in his report, Dr. Taylor explains and emphasizes tick protection and prevention.

I conclude with his conclusion, as I have no way of wording my feelings any more concisely or clearly.

"As the word spreads about the complex nature of this disease, the hope is that more doctors will begin to learn about Lyme, and will take the actions necessary to fight this disease. It is critical that the public and the medical community are made aware of the true prevalence and dangers of borreliosis. Until this gap of ignorance is filled, many unfortunate individuals will suffer needlessly with Lyme disease."

Sources:
www.autoimmunityresearch.org
www.sarcinfo.com

Ignorance of a Plague. Continued.

Continuing from last Friday, the following is information regarding a report written by Dr. Scott Taylor called "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague".

In his report, Dr. Scott Taylor explains some of the quandaries regarding the reporting procedures for the CDC regarding Lyme disease. Additionally, he explains the problems with finding a "Lyme Literate Doctor" or an LLMD. Adding to this, one of the main correlations with finding the correct doctor will be asking whether they have a background in Parasitology or parasites. If they have not dealt in that area, they are not going to help you get rid of Lyme disease or its co-infections.

Lyme disease expresses itself much the same as Sarcoidosis. That is that it presents itself as inflammatory disorders.

www.nhlbi.nih.gov

"What Is Sarcoidosis?
Sarcoidosis (sar"koi-do'sis) involves inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in various organs in your body. The lumps are called granulomas (gran"u-lo'mahs) because they look like grains of sugar or sand. They are very small and can be seen only with a microscope.

These tiny granulomas can grow and clump together, making many large and small groups of lumps. If many granulomas form in an organ, they can affect how the organ works. This can cause symptoms of sarcoidosis."

Because of the similarities between the two disease presentations, Dr. Trevor G. Marshall, Ph.D, and Frances E. Marshall, Grad. Dipl. Pharm, have a theory that there may be the possibility that both could be treated with the same medications.

"In summary, Dr. Marshall’s discovery reveals that during the pathogenesis of borreliosis the BLPs of borrelia trigger inflammation via TLR signaling pathways or by other intracellular activation of NF-kappa B, which stimulates the gene expression for inflammatory cytokines. When the inflammatory cascade goes chronic, it eventually goes into the self-perpetuating cycle described by Marshall. This cycle will continue to produce disease until it is stopped by intervention.

In my opinion, Dr Marshall’s discovery that A-II perpetuates a TH1 inflammatory cascade is nothing short of major medical breakthrough.

Dr. Marshall’s work has not only given us the model for the pathogenesis, he has also given us the therapeutic approach that breaks the perpetual cycle that maintains the inflammatory cascade.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade. The angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) called Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) has specific ARB properties that block this self-perpetuating inflammatory cascade.

Benicar therapy is a medical miracle for those suffering with chronic borreliosis."

I have yet to find this being used as a therapy in the forums, blog journals and other sites I've investigated. It would be interesting to find feedback regarding this method of therapy. I will do more research for another post on this therapy.

Another interesting point made in his report...

"Killing of Borrelia burgdorferi by macrophages is dependent on oxygen radicals and nitric oxide and can be enhanced by antibodies to outer surface proteins of the spirochete."

"Borrelia lack the microbial toxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPS) however, they have over 150 genes that encode for the BLPs that are the key to their pathogenicity. This is over 50 times greater than other pathogenic bacteria. That is, other bacteria usually only have 3 genes for lipoproteins, while borrelia have 150!

With this many BLPs [Bacterial Lipoproteins] triggering an imbalance of the immune system and other innate responses in the body, it’s not hard to see how a cascade of chronic problems can arise from this."

The above terms may seem extremely complicated. However, later he goes through a question and answer sequence that is very interesting. One of the question and answer items is particularly interesting.

Q: It seems that many people are not even symptomatic until years after the original tick exposure.

A: This is true with borreliosis...(this happened in my case). It's also true with syphilis.

This may be due to borrelia's ability to code for so many different BLPs. They have the genetic code for over 150 different BLPs.

Depending on which ones and how strong the expression of these BLPs genes are may determine how virulent the borrelia is at different times

.

We know that borrelia change the expression of these genes when exposed to different environmental factors such as temperature.

They express different BLPs in ticks since they are in ambient temperature, but once inside a mammal, they begin to change the BLPs that they express.

They also have an effective ability to accept plasmids and pick up other pathogenic genes in this way.

Work has shown that removing certain BLPs from virulent strains makes the borrelia avirulent.

The evidence is very suggestive that BLPs determines the pathogenesis of borrelia."

There are so many fascinating aspects to this incredibly detailed report.

"Gulf-War-Syndrome (GWS) has very similar symptoms to chronic borreliosis."

Dr. Taylor states that the bacterial lipoproteins of borrelia "have the ability to turn our own immune system against the extracellular proteins of our body".

What does that mean? It means that our immune system is fighting against the very "mortar" that holds our cells together. Borrelia "have the ability to grow slowly and avoid attack by the host's immune system", as well as suppress the host's immune system.

For many, Lyme disease is characterized by the "bulls-eye" rash, along with flu-like symptoms. However, when there has been no rash detected (only detected in 50% of Lyme cases), Lyme can remain dormant for months to years before presenting itself with "mystery illness"-type symptoms.

"Lyme disease is an extremely challenging infectious/toxic disease for both doctor and patient. It can exhibit many different symptoms. The clinical picture of LD can be similar to fibromyalgia, including: chronic fatigue, joint pain (arthralgias), muscle, fibrous tissue and tendon pain. Lyme disease can also manifest primarily as a neurological disorder, including fatigue and many neurological symptoms. It is important to remember that there are hundreds of symptoms that are caused by LD and it can mimic many diseases; for this reason, LD is often called, "the great imitator."

Because there is so much to this report, I am continuing this information in next Friday's post.

Note: I've been on Doxycycline for 5 months. I was having headaches whenever I wore my contacts (my glasses weren't so bad because the prescription was outdated). I went to my eye doctor and my vision has improved considerably in both eyes. If you are experiencing headaches while being treated, please visit your eye doctor to see if your vision may be a contributor.

Sources:
www.autoimmunityresearch.org
www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Ignorance of a Plague

Doing research for Lyme disease, I found an extremely detailed report, by Dr. Scott Taylor from 2004. The title of his report is very agreeable to those suffering with Lyme, "Lyme Disease (Borreliosis): A Plague of Ignorance Regarding the Ignorance of a Plague". Link Here

Through this report, his primary objective is to "help inform the layman and the medical community about the extremely complex infection called Lyme disease." He wrote this following his own diagnoses and experience with fighting the disease.

"The disease affects every tissue and every major organ system in the body."

"Physicians not familiar with the complex clinical presentation of Lyme disease frequently misdiagnose it as other disorders such as: Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Motor Neuron Disease (ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -Lou Gherig's disease), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS) and numerous other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety."

Lyme disease is something that most will agree that they have heard of, however the majority don't realize the impact it has on the body, most especially the impact following years of misdiagnoses.

"This report is an urgent warning for everyone. Lyme disease is devastating the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and we are all at risk. Many patients are suffering with chronic Lyme disease and continue to be misdiagnosed and mistreated. In many cases of Lyme disease, a correct diagnosis doesn’t occur until after several months or more often many years of suffering with the disease. By then it has caused severe illness, disability and permanent damage. The disease is widespread and the prevalence is significantly higher than reported by health officials."

Dr. Taylor extends further into awareness with key factors regarding why Lyme is misdiagnosed and mistreated.

One very important point is that "there are more carriers of LD (Lyme disease) than just the deer tick".

Regarding treatment Taylor reports,

"Patients need longer and more comprehensive treatment. The standard therapy of 4 -6 weeks of antibiotic treatment is not sufficient to treat chronic Lyme disease. Chronic Lyme disease is often a life-long illness. Months, years, and often indefinite antibiotic therapy may be necessary to manage the disease. Ignorant physicians often use the standard treatment and consider the patient cleared of Lyme disease afterwards. Often these patients are not treated long enough to clear the stubborn Borrelia from the body. So, when the standard regimen of antibiotics is finished, the patients relapse with Lyme symptoms soon after the residual Borrelia reemerges. Unfortunately, the relapse is often not recognized by doctors and the patients are misdiagnosed with a different disorder. Not only does treatment be directed at the infection; it must also manage inflammation, help eliminate the BLPs produced, support the immune system, and many other associated problems such as hormone deficiencies."

Did you know that the first case of borreliosis in the U.S. was made by Dr. Rudolph Scrimenti in 1970? It wasn't until the early 1980's that it was named Lyme disease. Not a wonder there are few physicians with the knowledge regarding the disease. After all, how often are text books updated?

"Spirochetes are very difficult to grow (fastidious), identify, and study in the laboratory. In the laboratory we still cannot grow the spirochete that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum. This makes it very difficult to perform research and develop better diagnostic tests and therapies for borreliosis. Borrelia species grow extremely slowly; they even grow slower than many fungi and mycobacteria. Their growth rate is also slower than Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. Borrelia’s slow growth partially explains its ability to cause chronic disease and the difficulty identifying it in the laboratory.

Borrelia exists in three different life forms: 1) the cyst, 2) the spheroplast or "L form", which doesn’t have a cell wall (commonly called: cell wall deficient (CWD)), and 3) the typical spiral-shaped bacteria form that has a cell wall and flagella as seen in figures 1 & 2. Spirochetes have a unique mode of motility that allows them to easily travel through tissues of the body. By rotating their axial filament (endoflagella) the flagellum rotates causing the spirochete to actually move in a cork-screw fashion. This mode of motility allows spirochetes to literally "screw" themselves into and through the tissues of the body. They can also contract like a spring and move through tissue as they uncoil. Spirochetes hide their flagella from the host’s immune defenses, which are normally antigenic and would trigger an immune response if detected."

Did you think that ticks were bugs? I did.

"Ticks are bloodsucking external parasites that feed on humans, wild and domestic mammals, and birds. Ticks are not insects; they are 8-legged arachnids along with chiggers, spiders, and mites."

"Ticks are carried by a number of different host animals, not simply deer. The hosts for adult ticks are numerous and include: fox, coyote, dogs, cats, cattle, rabbit, skunk, raccoon, rats, squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and humans. Nymphs get on many of these same animals as well as larger animals typical for adults. Ground nesting birds including bobwhite quail, pheasants, turkeys and chickens are also tick hosts. Forty-nine species of migrating birds have been found to carry ticks, transporting them large distances and contributing to the national spread of Lyme disease. Potential minor vectors for Borrelia species include: chiggers, mosquitoes, biting flies and fleas. Cases of LD being contracted from infected pets are well documented; likely due to the pet bringing infected ticks into the home. Borrelia can also be transmitted in utero from an infected mother to a child during pregnancy. Congenital transmission can cause miscarriages, severe neurological disabilities, or other major system dysfunctions to the baby. Other modes of transmission probably exist that we are not aware of. I am personally concerned that transmission may occur through blood transfusions without authorities knowing about it."

According to Taylor, in order to understand how to treat Lyme disease, you must understand how borrelia causes disease. A key factor regarding borreliosis is Bacterial Lipoproteins (BLPs), which have a key component, Pam3cys. This triggers "an innate immune response that cascades into the disease borreliosis...The inflammation triggered by the fat-soluble BLPs toxins is responsible for most, if not all symptoms of borreliosis."

TO BE CONTINUED...

For the next half of his findings and summary of his report, please see next week's Friday Lyme disease post.

Lyme Testing

The CDC recommends certain protocols regarding testing for Lyme disease.

If you are one of the many patients suffering from the symptoms listed on my post from January 5, 2008 Link Here , or a medical practitioner who has a patient with these symptoms, please do not hesitate to test them for Lyme disease.

The following is the testing protocol recommended by the CDC for Lyme disease.

"CDC recommends a two-step process when testing blood for evidence of Lyme disease. Both steps can be done using the same blood sample.

1) The first step uses an ELISA or IFA test. These tests are designed to be very "sensitive," meaning that almost everyone with Lyme disease, and some people who don't have Lyme disease, will test positive. If the ELISA or IFA is negative, it is highly unlikely that the person has Lyme disease, and no further testing is recommended. If the ELISA or IFA is positive or indeterminate (sometimes called "equivocal"), a second step should be performed to confirm the results.

2) The second step uses a Western blot test. Used appropriately, this test is designed to be "specific," meaning that it will usually be positive only if a person has been truly infected. If the Western blot is negative, it suggests that the first test was a false positive, which can occur for several reasons. Sometimes two types of Western blot are performed, "IgM" and "IgG." Patients who are positive by IgM but not IgG should have the test repeated a few weeks later if they remain ill. If they are still positive only by IgM and have been ill longer than one month, this is likely a false positive.

CDC does not recommend testing blood by Western blot without first testing it by ELISA or IFA."

As stated in my post, dated January 19, 2008 Link Here , if you initially have a negative result from the ELISA test, re-test, as there are many instances when there are false negative results and many people actually find that they have Lyme disease.

Here are some general comments from others who have been through the testing and treatment ordeal. Disclaimer: These are strictly opinions and may contain information that individuals may state is factual. All stated as fact has not been verified as factual. Link Here

"The Infectious Disease doctors I've worked with are usually very reluctant to diagnose Lyme disease even with a positive test. It looks like a lot of other diseases as the summary states."

******

"More than any two week treatment of antibiotics that your average physician would prescribe for Lyme.
I improved moderately under their care – but I've seen people whose lives were completely turned around. They went from being completely debilitated to living on their own, getting jobs, and just being healthy. I've seen autistic children treated by these doctors who had previously been unable to function around people - and after weeks and months of treatment, it became obvious that they were doing much better.
Such medical journals that dispute the existence chronic Lyme make a very compelling argument, but then again, I've been sick for 8 years and continue to improve under the guise of being treated for chronic Lyme."

******

"If you have the bullseye, you're lucky. Only approximately 30% do. It is true, that if you see it and catch it early, you can eradicate it before it gets into organs or the central nervous system. I however, was not so lucky and floundered around for 4 years worth of "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" "Chronic Mono" diagnoses that went nowhere."

******

"They have found that Lyme disease mimics many of the major symptoms of these diseases. I have Lyme and I have been taking both drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's to help alleviate my symptoms. Further there is more and more evidence showing that many of these diseases may have roots in Lyme disease. Since Lyme is still very hard to diagnose it makes studying this even harder, but I can tell you in the Lyme clinic I go to, there are people there that have been diagnosed with everything from schizophrenia to Alzheimer's and ALL have made a recovery."

******

"At the age of 10 I had chronic headaches and inflammation in my leg joints to a point where I couldn't walk without experiencing excruciating pain. Over 2 years, I saw many doctors and was told that I had juvenile arthritis, was a generally weak person and needed to exercise, that I was born with one longer leg, that I was experiencing growing pains, etc etc. It was only until I was referred to a specialist for an x-ray that he took a single look and knew immediately that I had Lyme disease. Two months of anti-biotics and anti-inflammatories later, I was free, (and very pissed at my previous physicians)."

******

"I'm 27 now, I've had symptoms since I was 14 years old. For the past 3 years I've been taking antibiotics. It’s a slow recovery but long term antibiotics do help, immensely. I'm now recovering. There are a few issues I still have but I am so much better then I was when I started treatment. Lyme Disease has taken 13 years away from my life and what scared me the most is that I didn't know what they hell was happening for the first 7. It wasn't until my mom found this research center and they matched my symptoms for a Lyme disease test. Even after that, most doctors I see are reluctant to even admit I've been sick. I got to my doctor every week for shots and the therapy is expensive. To make things worse the Infectious Disease Doctors Association just released new guidelines earlier this year that pretty much rule out most cases of chronic Lyme. The Lyme community is up in arms about this, and if you think you may have been suffering from Lyme do not go to one these quacks. They will simply tell you that Lyme doesn't exist and the most amount of antibiotics you will get out of them is 4 weeks. Now mind you there is no evidence showing that 4 weeks of antibiotics even helps. They know this and still will not back down. Its makes me mad but I know I am extremely lucky to have found a doctor who knows how to treat chronic Lyme. I am not where religious but I have to say it is a blessing."

******

"For Lyme Disease? There are tests, it's just that most of the commonly performed tests (ELISA) can be wildly inaccurate and false negatives are common. PCR testing is apparently more reliable and accurate, with a PCR test they actually can determine whether or not you have DNA from the Lyme Borrelia spirochete in your body. False negatives are much, much rarer with PCR testing.

The other problem is treatment of the disease. The standard medical procedure is to treat with antibiotics for a few weeks and that should kill the infection, and in many cases it can, but some sufferers develop a chronic condition which can last years. Many sufferers visit so-called "Lyme Literate MDs" who actually know a bit about the condition, and how to treat it more effectively.

See the problem with the Lyme spirochete is that it is a really, *really* stubborn pathogen that likes to stick around in your body and has a whole host of defense mechanisms to avoid being killed. It can hide beyond the blood-brain barrier where some antibiotics can not reach, it can invade other cells to "hide" from the immune system, it can also morph it's form into "spheroblasts" where it goes into a kind of stasis or hibernation, and while in it's little protective bubble it is unaffected by standard antibiotics and goes relatively unnoticed by the immune system. When it's in this form you need to use antiparasitic drugs like Flagyl to destroy it.

It really is a royal pain in the arse to treat and eradicate, it's the Houdini of the microbe world, it seems like no matter what you throw at it, it has another trick up it's sleeve. How do I know so much about it? I was bitten by ticks five years ago and I endured illness for three years after, with countless doctor visits, MRIs, months of antibiotics and huge medical expenses. Thankfully, I now appear to be on the mend.

All I can tell you is this: knowing what I know *now*, DO NOT get bitten by a tick. Even if they don't carry Lyme, they can inject you with all kinds of nasty toxins and microbes. If you are in a known Lyme Disease danger area, and you are bitten, seek treatment by a Lyme Literate doctor IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT accept "there is no bullseye rash (Erythema migrans), so it cannot be Lyme" from your doctor, because the rash generally appears in less than 30% of cases. The quicker you treat it, the better chance you have of full recovery."

******
As you can read from the above comments, there are many differing experiences regarding Lyme disease, diagnosing, and treatment. The important piece of information that I wish my readers to take from this is that testing may lead you to the answer you have been seeking. If the tests ultimately end up with a final negative, at least you will have found that Lyme disease is no longer on your list of optional diseases for your symptoms. If you find that Lyme disease is your culprit, you will find great relief in mind, body, soul, and pocket-book.

Sources:

http://issuesoncall.blogspot.com (previous posts with sources)
CDC
Digg

Why Aren't Doctors Educated Regarding Lyme?

It's so frustrating to see others having similar problems to those I've had with mysterious fluxuating symptoms and no answers to why they are so severely ill. Why aren't doctors educated regarding Lyme disease? The testing is so easy. The symptoms are very broad, yes. However, when you have a patient who needs help and there are no answers, why aren't you testing them?

Here is an example of an online medical help forum where the doctor didn't even think of the OBVIOUS...

Med Help Forum Link

"I got suddenly ill after a camping trip 2 and a half years ago, and have never felt the same since. My initial symtoms were flu like, but much worse, I couldn't eat for a week, and I couldn't get out of bed for at least a week... I couldn't go anywhere for 5 months...The "mono" never went away, but it got slightly better...I have such strange symptoms though, I dont know what to make of it! I am of doctors telling me its anxiety...I can barely get out of bed and am tired all the time, and also many symptoms I have could not possibly be due to anxiety."

If you look at the forum, it takes, not the doctor, but another forum member to mention Lyme. Who knows if this person ever actually received that comment to get them the help that they needed.

As this story from Michigan shows, doctors need to be made aware of the symptoms and testing for Lyme disease so that the illness doesn't become so debilitating for the patient by the time they are lucky enough to be diagnosed properly.

Link - Click Here

"He was an honor student and a star athlete. But when a mysterious illness suddenly sidelined a Roseville teenager, his parents were desperate for answers...By October, Cameron Holloway was too sick to go to school and too weak to even think about playing soccer...Amy Holloway (Mom) turned to the Internet for answers. She said she learned from a woman in Pennsylvania that it could be Lyme Disease...when she addressed the idea to doctors, they "seemed to laugh at me," said Amy Holloway... A first test was negative, but a second test confirmed Cameron Holloway had Lyme Disease...only 30 percent of people with the disease get a rash at all and it does not always look like a bulls-eye...Cameron Holloway is now being treated with antibiotics, but faces a long road to recovery. He is focused on building up his strength so he can return to school, his friends and hopefully play soccer...My knees get weak and they hurt. I have muscle pains. I get night sweats, numbness in my legs and it's been really hard," said Cameron Holloway...His parents are grateful their son is being treated, but wish his illness would have been diagnosed sooner."

Remember, if you get the symptoms as listed in my post Link Here from January 5, 2008, get the simple tests done for Lyme as listed in the same post. Additionally, remember that you are not alone. There are many of us that have suffered the symptoms that you have suffered and are here to help you through your recovery.

Lyme Disease. Welcome to the War Zone!

The Lyme disease war zone is described by Stephen Harrod Buhner, in his book called Healing Lyme, as "...a battle between people holding competing theories of Lyme disease and its treatment. The intensity of the conflict has regrettably reached almost religious levels amongst the different proponents. Caught in the crossfire are those with Lyme disease who are trying to understand what is happening to them, and to discover how best to deal with it. This is, in my opinion, reprehensible."

When pondering the thought of Lyme disease and how I was infected, most doctors would take me back in time, to memories of when I may have experienced a tick bite. Of course, having late stage Lyme, I cannot remember any such occassion. However, the physicians have never inquired regarding other causes of my transmitting the disease, nor have they inquired regarding my family and their health circumstances.

"In order to reduce the incidence of this disease, the education of health professionals, the public and politicians about Lyme, needs to be addressed."
--Wendy Leffel, M.D., "Healing Lyme"

Did you know that there are other possible means of transmiting Lyme disease?
Note: most of these are refuted through the CDC's site CDC Lyme Disease

*Human Breast Milk
*Tears
*Urine
*Semen
*also has been transmitted to babies in the womb
*mosquitos
*mites
*fleas
*biting flies
*other documented routes

The stereotype that Lyme is only spread through tick bites is one of the things that keeps the medical community from diagnosing and treating the growing, unreported, number of cases of Lyme disease..."...that a significant amount of reputable research is being ingnored by the mainstream medical community."

"Epidemiologic data suggest that the actual incidence of Lyme disease could be as much as 10 times higher than CDC data indicate. This probably is a result of a restrictive case definition from the CDC, inevitable misdiagnosis, and the fact that physicians tend to under report reportable diseases of all kinds."
--Jonathan Edlow, M.D., Harvard Medical School

These organisms (borrelia) are often present in such small numbers, and antibodies are so low in some of those infected that they don't show up on the standard blood tests for Lyme. Therefore, there is a desperate need for standard use of more sensitive tests to accurately diagnose the population. There may be many of those that have tested negative for the disease, who are actually infected.

"We desperately need practitioners on the frontlines who recognize and treat Lyme properly in the early, most curable stages and who take appropriately aggressive measures in later stages."
--Wendy Leffel, M.D., "Healing Lyme"

Other approaches to treatment need to be approached. Antibiotics are known as not tough enough in the fight against late-stage, or chronic Lyme disease. Even with this research and evidence, the CDC recommendations for treatment are exclusively built around antibiotics. See their recommendations for treatment here CDC treatments and links

"Science, though it often is, should never be the plaything of the powerful nor used to control the innocent for the accummulation of power and profit."
--Stephen Buhner, "Healing Lyme"



What treatments are the correct treatments?

What diagnostic data is the correct data to report?

What tools and tests should be used for diagnosis?

"Six points stand out to me after a rather long and intense examination of the existing material: (1) There is a lot of hysteria about Lyme disease. Everybody is pretty scared, most are not really sure what to do, including the physicians; (2) There are a lot more sick people than the statistics indicate; (3) Antibiotics are not nearly as effective as purported to be; (4) Clear, concise, unemotional information is hard to obtain; (5) Tests for Lyme disease are not very reliable; (6) Something very strange is going on in the field of Lyme disease and its treatment."
--Stephen Buhner, "Healing Lyme"

Why aren't patients, across the country, being tested for Lyme? Why is this such a hard diagnosis to obtain, when it is the correct diagnosis?

Sources:
www.cdc.gov
www.lymenet.org
www.lymediseaseassociation.org
Healing Lyme, by Stephen Harrod Buhner

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.

Drowning In Sleepiness

I feel like I'm drowning in the sleepiness of having to stay awake all day.

My body wants to go to a quiet place where I can be a superhero and save the world without moving a muscle except my brain.

Dreams are a relief from the reality of days when I go from 6am to 10pm without rest and without relief...pushing myself like the little train that could.

Pretending not to have Lyme Disease, to be a supermom, to be everything to everyone.

Laundry is done, the walk and driveway is shoveled, the floors are mopped and vacuumed, the dishes are clean, my kids are well, my family is happy, now I'm going to collapse!



Something I read today that I'd like to share...

Become a Better You, by Joel Olsteen
"You may not feel well today, but don't go around saying, "I don't think I'm ever going to get over this sickness." Instead, start boldly declaring, "God is restoring health unto me. I am getting better every day in every way."

No matter how I feel during the day, my push is to beat this illness and I know that I can do it!