Hello all! Well, before I get to the not-so-fun health stuff, I thought I would update you on our new house. I have been hesitant to call it that until now because a whole lot of things can happen from the acceptance of a contract to closing. However, so far so good! We found out there was a small termite issue, but no structural damage. They have treated, and we didn't have to pay for it! :) Our inspection was on Saturday, and it went SO well. There were only a couple of minor inexpensive things that we asked the seller to fix, but otherwise the house was in wonderful condition. It really doesn't even looked lived in, and the inspector was impressed. That is always a good sign!! We are still waiting to hear the results of the appraisal, but we are guessing it won't be until Tuesday evening as that is when we are going to meet with our lender. It's exciting to see things progressing! Right now, we are aiming to close the last week in February.
Another great praise is that Brian found a church that he likes. The head pastor actually used to be the youth pastor at a church in Kearney, NE (where we used to live). What a coincidence! It's a small church, and they really welcomed Brian when he visited. He is going to try and attend there when he can, and hopefully he can start building relationships and get some local christian support as we walk down this difficult road. Maybe someday, I will get to go there too!!!
Now onto the health update. This is where the "rough" title comes into play. After about 4 1/2 weeks off, I got back on my treatment round rotation. This past Tuesday was my first day, and I finished yesterday. It was REALLY rough. I haven't experienced symptoms like this before, and it was definitely a struggle to get through the weekend. I am experiencing some neuro side effects that keep me from sleeping. I already struggle from horrible insomnia, but this one tops the list of challenging symptoms. Starting on Tuesday, I started feeling like little needles were in my skin all over my body. I have felt sharp painful stinging sensations and the intensity has gradually increased the further I got into my treatment round. I know it's probably the result of the Lyme that has infected my nervous system, but it has been pretty difficult to deal with. I have also had a lot of trouble with increased nausea, fatigue, dizziness and my sensitivities have become worse along with my asthma. Not a fun time. Brian and I were talking, and we aren't sure if it's because I took a longer break in between my treatment rounds (we had to get on a new schedule because of Brian's job) or if it's just that my body is fighting the disease. Either way, it has definitely been a struggle and this is honestly the worst I have ever felt since we began this journey. However, even as I say that, I find comfort that I am right where God wants me to be.
Tonight, Brian and I were reading our devotional together and it was talking about how "God works all things together for good". That is from a verse that I memorized as a young child and is definitely not one that is easy to swallow when you are in the midst of a trial like ours; however, the truth of God's word prevails in every circumstance. It's a comfort to know that God is reigning over our situation and that this time is "good". Maybe not a "good" in the sense of positive events or perfect health, but a "good" that represents spiritual growth and perseverance. We may not get to experience our own earthly definition of "good", but we have the privilege of experiencing His "good" which is far better than anything in this world. It is always our prayer that our life will be a testimony to others. The devotion than went on to discuss 1 Thess 5:18 "In everything, give thanks". Hmm...once again a difficult challenge, but an important reminder. Brian and I definitely have a lot to be thankful for, but sometimes those things get lost in the midst of physical suffering. It's good to be challenged to once again fix our eyes on Jesus with a thankful heart who is the only one that can bring us comfort, joy and peace during this journey.
So, as we start this week, we would appreciate your prayers on a couple of things. First, that my symptoms would quiet down now that I am done with this round, and that I would get some sleep. I have to be able to work (I was way too sick today, so I had to get a substitute) my job. I can work from my bed, so that is a good thing! Second, that I would be able to take two new medications without allergic reactions or negative side effects that my doctor wants me to try. Third, that God would continue to pave the way for us to purchase the house, specifically a positive appraisal, a closing date the last weekend in February (the first weekend in March won't work because I will be on treatment again and will most likely be bedridden), stamina for me to be able to make it through the actual closing (being chemically sensitive makes it very challening to be in uncontrolled environments), and a decision on whether it would be more beneficial to paint with some No VOC paint (good for chemical sensitivities, and also would seal up the flat paint on the wall) before we move in or leave everything as is. Finally, that Brian would continue to learn at his new job, and that he will enjoy it. He loves everything so far, and it seems like they are impressed with him. Yay!!!
Well, that is all for now. I will try to update this coming weekend. I hope everyone enjoys their last week in January. February, here we come! :)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
We got the house!
Hey Everyone! This post won't be too big, but we've had a big week and I wanted to update you.
Brian started working full-time at his new job as a accountant for a local firm. He LOVES it. He said it's a perfect fit for him and he is learning so much. I have to brag that they are already very impressed by him. :)
As you can see in the title, we got the house! Yay!! We are so excited. It was such a tense week as we went back and forth with the sellers. However, we settled on a price. We have a prayer request though. The appraisal is set for this week and we need it to be appraised for a specific amount. If not, then the sellers will definitely need to come down in their price. Our realtor is a little uneasy just because the housing market has depreciated so much in AZ and there are so many short sales and foreclosures in the neighborhood. We are also doing our inspection this week. Brian has an appointment to meet w/ the inspector on Saturday. So, things are moving along. It will be a relief once we get past this week, but it is exciting times!!
Health-wise I am hanging in there. My allergies have really flared and we are not sure if it's because of the stressful week from the house-buying process or if it's because I stepped up my dosage on a medication. I will most likely be talking to Dr. J's nurse if it gets too much worse.
Finally, we received some wonderful news last night. Chrystal, Brian's sister, called and told us she was engaged! We are so excited for her and her fiance. What an exciting time and the Lord has truly blessed them both with a wonderful relationship. We know they will have many blessings ahead of them.
Well, that's all for now. I start another round of treatment next week. We are switching my treatment schedule to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so that Brian can take me to get my blood drawn each time on Saturday when he is not working. So, I will update around Sunday. Have a great week!
Brian started working full-time at his new job as a accountant for a local firm. He LOVES it. He said it's a perfect fit for him and he is learning so much. I have to brag that they are already very impressed by him. :)
As you can see in the title, we got the house! Yay!! We are so excited. It was such a tense week as we went back and forth with the sellers. However, we settled on a price. We have a prayer request though. The appraisal is set for this week and we need it to be appraised for a specific amount. If not, then the sellers will definitely need to come down in their price. Our realtor is a little uneasy just because the housing market has depreciated so much in AZ and there are so many short sales and foreclosures in the neighborhood. We are also doing our inspection this week. Brian has an appointment to meet w/ the inspector on Saturday. So, things are moving along. It will be a relief once we get past this week, but it is exciting times!!
Health-wise I am hanging in there. My allergies have really flared and we are not sure if it's because of the stressful week from the house-buying process or if it's because I stepped up my dosage on a medication. I will most likely be talking to Dr. J's nurse if it gets too much worse.
Finally, we received some wonderful news last night. Chrystal, Brian's sister, called and told us she was engaged! We are so excited for her and her fiance. What an exciting time and the Lord has truly blessed them both with a wonderful relationship. We know they will have many blessings ahead of them.
Well, that's all for now. I start another round of treatment next week. We are switching my treatment schedule to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so that Brian can take me to get my blood drawn each time on Saturday when he is not working. So, I will update around Sunday. Have a great week!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Holding Steady!
Hello everyone! I wanted to write an update about my phone appt. w/ Dr. J. The more treatment we do and the more medication I am on, the spacier I get, lol. I told Brian that he is going to have to be conferenced in on the next phone call because frankly it's a bit of a blur. However, I will do my best to remember the details. :)
Since starting treatment, we have noticed a couple of things. The more rounds I do, the more difficult it gets. That is because my immune system is actually starting to fight the bacteria instead of letting it lie dormant in my body. However, it definitely is not pleasant. We have also noticed that when I am on treatment I herx (symptoms that appear as the result of a die-off reaction of the Lyme bacteria) a lot including an increase of pain, dizziness, nausea, a racing heart, fatigue, insomnia etc.. However, my sensitivities actually stabilize. Yay! Dr. J's method of treatment is pulsing the drugs (taking them every other day and then having one or two week breaks between treatment segments) which he feels like is the best treatment method because it allows your body to recover. However, the worst part about gaping treatment for me is that my sensitivities seem to get worse when I am not on the antibiotic therapy. Dr. J explained that this is because while on the drugs, my immune system is ramping up to fight the Lyme and progress is made. However, when I take the necessary rest between treatments my immune system is still reved up, but no longer has the antibiotics to help fight the Lyme and so it causes an over-reactive immune system resulting in a TON of allergic reactions. As you can see my case is very complicated.
Dr. J was honest and said that he is not going to pretend to know exactly how to develop a treatment plan for me because how I have reacted to Lyme is very unusual. However, he did say he has one patient who has identicle symptoms to mine and he has had success and no longer has as many sensitivities which has led to a better quality of life. That was SO encouraging. He is the first doctor to not try to put my symptoms in a box and throw a treatment plan at me. He told me he would get me well, but emphasized again how long it would take because of how slow we have to go.
So, as a result, Dr. J said I am still too sick to ramp up my treatment. I was really disappointed because I saw how the antibiotics helped stabilize my reactions. However, he said because my allergies/allergic reactions basically explode after I am no longer on the treament, that if we ramped up treatment now, during my resting weeks (or drug holidays as we call it), I would be extremely ill. He said it would do more damage than good. Even though it was hard to hear, I have to agree with him. I am down to only being able to eat 3-5 foods so we definitely don't want to take a chance of losing those. He gave me a medication to help me sleep (since I sometimes can't fall asleep until 4am) and then also wanted me to try another supplement and increase two medications that I am already taking.
Thankfully, he said that I was way too ill to travel and told me he would not allow me to come to an actual office visit until he thinks I can handle the trip. What a relief! Brian and I were racking our brains trying to figure out how, in my current state, I would ever get to Washington DC. We are always so impressed with how willing he is to sacrifice so much for his patients. Most doctors would never let you gap in office visits. He was also very compassionate on the phone call and even commented how hard the isolation and restrictions must be for us. For six years, we have lived like this, and we have never had a doctor say that to us before. He truly is a gift.
We did talk about the future and if at some point I would have to switched to IV treatment. He said he could see that IV (through a picc line or port) might benefit me as I could infuse saline, minerals and do other detoxification treatments, but antibiotic infusions I would definitely not be able to handle for a long time. On the flip side though, he also thinks at this point I am probably too sensitive to tolerate the procedure and the infusions. So, that is a ways off. It is our prayer that I will improve with just oral medication as treatment by way of IV is astronomically, mind boggling expensive because insurance will not usually cover the cost.
So, that is a summary or at least the details that I remember. Ha! If you could be praying that I will be able to tolerate the new meds and that my system will calm down and I'll be able to sleep, we would appreciate it. Dr. J said I cannot step up treatment until those things happen.
On to other things....Brian started his new job last week and loves it. His last day of working at the grocery store is today and I could tell he was super excited. :) He loves what he has done so far at his job and thinks this career will be a perfect fit! I start school on Monday. I am a little apprehensive about this semester as the classes I am taking are going to be extremely difficult and time consuming. Maybe not stepping up on treatment yet is a blessing. It's nice to know God's timing is perfect, it's just the waiting game that I kind of stink at. Ha!
Speaking of waiting game, today we looked at a house, loved it and are going to put an offer on it. AHHHH!!! This is an actual house, and it's not a short sale so if they accept our offer, we could be in contract by the end of next week. That is exciting and scary at the same time! The house is a beautiful ranch that was built in 2005. It's super clean and a perfect size for us. I'll post pictures once we know for sure we got the house. You never know these days, and we aren't sure if there are other interested buyers. So, if you could pray that God's will would be done we would appreciate it. We only want this house if it's God's idea because obviously it's a HUGE commitment. We think it will be great for my sensitivities and I could go on and on about the benefits. However, we are just laying it in God's hands and asking him to move (or let us move...no pun intended there, lol).
Well, that is all for now! I will update later next week or once we find out whether our contract has been accepted. Exciting times! Thanks for all of your prayers and encouraging words. It means so much to us to have family and friends who support us. Blessings!
Since starting treatment, we have noticed a couple of things. The more rounds I do, the more difficult it gets. That is because my immune system is actually starting to fight the bacteria instead of letting it lie dormant in my body. However, it definitely is not pleasant. We have also noticed that when I am on treatment I herx (symptoms that appear as the result of a die-off reaction of the Lyme bacteria) a lot including an increase of pain, dizziness, nausea, a racing heart, fatigue, insomnia etc.. However, my sensitivities actually stabilize. Yay! Dr. J's method of treatment is pulsing the drugs (taking them every other day and then having one or two week breaks between treatment segments) which he feels like is the best treatment method because it allows your body to recover. However, the worst part about gaping treatment for me is that my sensitivities seem to get worse when I am not on the antibiotic therapy. Dr. J explained that this is because while on the drugs, my immune system is ramping up to fight the Lyme and progress is made. However, when I take the necessary rest between treatments my immune system is still reved up, but no longer has the antibiotics to help fight the Lyme and so it causes an over-reactive immune system resulting in a TON of allergic reactions. As you can see my case is very complicated.
Dr. J was honest and said that he is not going to pretend to know exactly how to develop a treatment plan for me because how I have reacted to Lyme is very unusual. However, he did say he has one patient who has identicle symptoms to mine and he has had success and no longer has as many sensitivities which has led to a better quality of life. That was SO encouraging. He is the first doctor to not try to put my symptoms in a box and throw a treatment plan at me. He told me he would get me well, but emphasized again how long it would take because of how slow we have to go.
So, as a result, Dr. J said I am still too sick to ramp up my treatment. I was really disappointed because I saw how the antibiotics helped stabilize my reactions. However, he said because my allergies/allergic reactions basically explode after I am no longer on the treament, that if we ramped up treatment now, during my resting weeks (or drug holidays as we call it), I would be extremely ill. He said it would do more damage than good. Even though it was hard to hear, I have to agree with him. I am down to only being able to eat 3-5 foods so we definitely don't want to take a chance of losing those. He gave me a medication to help me sleep (since I sometimes can't fall asleep until 4am) and then also wanted me to try another supplement and increase two medications that I am already taking.
Thankfully, he said that I was way too ill to travel and told me he would not allow me to come to an actual office visit until he thinks I can handle the trip. What a relief! Brian and I were racking our brains trying to figure out how, in my current state, I would ever get to Washington DC. We are always so impressed with how willing he is to sacrifice so much for his patients. Most doctors would never let you gap in office visits. He was also very compassionate on the phone call and even commented how hard the isolation and restrictions must be for us. For six years, we have lived like this, and we have never had a doctor say that to us before. He truly is a gift.
We did talk about the future and if at some point I would have to switched to IV treatment. He said he could see that IV (through a picc line or port) might benefit me as I could infuse saline, minerals and do other detoxification treatments, but antibiotic infusions I would definitely not be able to handle for a long time. On the flip side though, he also thinks at this point I am probably too sensitive to tolerate the procedure and the infusions. So, that is a ways off. It is our prayer that I will improve with just oral medication as treatment by way of IV is astronomically, mind boggling expensive because insurance will not usually cover the cost.
So, that is a summary or at least the details that I remember. Ha! If you could be praying that I will be able to tolerate the new meds and that my system will calm down and I'll be able to sleep, we would appreciate it. Dr. J said I cannot step up treatment until those things happen.
On to other things....Brian started his new job last week and loves it. His last day of working at the grocery store is today and I could tell he was super excited. :) He loves what he has done so far at his job and thinks this career will be a perfect fit! I start school on Monday. I am a little apprehensive about this semester as the classes I am taking are going to be extremely difficult and time consuming. Maybe not stepping up on treatment yet is a blessing. It's nice to know God's timing is perfect, it's just the waiting game that I kind of stink at. Ha!
Speaking of waiting game, today we looked at a house, loved it and are going to put an offer on it. AHHHH!!! This is an actual house, and it's not a short sale so if they accept our offer, we could be in contract by the end of next week. That is exciting and scary at the same time! The house is a beautiful ranch that was built in 2005. It's super clean and a perfect size for us. I'll post pictures once we know for sure we got the house. You never know these days, and we aren't sure if there are other interested buyers. So, if you could pray that God's will would be done we would appreciate it. We only want this house if it's God's idea because obviously it's a HUGE commitment. We think it will be great for my sensitivities and I could go on and on about the benefits. However, we are just laying it in God's hands and asking him to move (or let us move...no pun intended there, lol).
Well, that is all for now! I will update later next week or once we find out whether our contract has been accepted. Exciting times! Thanks for all of your prayers and encouraging words. It means so much to us to have family and friends who support us. Blessings!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Can you really be allergic to the world? I think SO! :)
Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve/Day with your friends and family. I can't believe how quickly this year has past. Brian and I were talking yesterday about all the changes that have taken place since we got married. Good grief, it's a lot. Life is quite different then we expected, but thankfully God has and will be with us every step of the way. I honestly can't imagine making it through all this without Him. Thankfully, we don't have to! :)
Well, we do have some major prayer requests, but before I get to that, I wanted to write about our little Christmas miracle. As you know, I am super allergic to a lot of things which interferes with both what I can eat and what I can cook in our house. Not only has my diet changed drastically since the start of this Lyme adventure, but Brian's diet has had to be altered quite a bit because I react to things in the air when they are being cooked. So, when we were planning what to cook (for just the two of us) on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, we didn't know if it would happen. Well, God gave us a gift. I not only was able to cook dinner both days, but I always was able to eat it. We were pretty shocked. We had Baked Ziti on Christmas Eve and then waffles on Christmas morning (family tradition), Christmas cookies (a very bland version, lol) and then prime rib with mashed potatoes and broccoli (obviously they were not mixed together, lol). It may seem like that is not much, but it's HUGE. I normally can't eat most of those things. Anyways, I didn't react to anything. The crazy thing is, the day after Christmas, I tried to eat leftovers and reacted to about everything. So, we call it our "Christmas miracle." I thank Jesus for the special gift he gave me for Christmas. It was SO wonderful to be able to taste some of those foods again!!
Now onto our update and prayer request. Starting the day after Christmas with my reactions to the food, I kind of created the perfect storm. I think my system was already set-off from eating all that stuff (I don't regret any minute of it though, lol) and then I tried to add in a new med from my Lyme doctor (new meds are always such a gamble with me). This med was supposed to calm down my autonomic nervous system which then would work to calm down my histamine system as it would help to make it not be so trigger happy. Well, the med worked for about 4 hours and then it did the opposite. I wanted to give the medication a good shot so I took it for about 4 days. That turned out to be pretty detrimental. I am extremely reactive now. I am reacting to almost all of the food I could eat (I am down to about 3-4 foods) and I am reacting to everything in my environment. Even my dog is bothering me and he usually doesn't. :( These flare-ups have happened to me before, so I know the drill. However, it's always pretty hard and never fun to make an already small and limited world get even smaller.
So, that would be our first prayer request. If you could pray that my system would calm down, we would appreciate it. Another prayer request is for my phone appointment with Dr. J on January 7th. On my last blog, I wrote that I was having trouble getting a phone appointment. Well, I finally got to talk to his nurse and they agreed to fit me in this coming Thursday. This couldn't come at a better time. Please pray that the doctor will have wisdom on what steps to take especially with me in my current state. I am hoping we can start a more intense treatment plan (I'm crazy to hope that, right? LOL) because my system actually seems to calm down when I am on the antibiotics, and then when I'm off it seems to flare-up. I am praying that I don't cry on the phone, lol. I always get so emotional when I am in this state. Brian is used to it, thank goodness! :0)
Finally, if you could continue to pray about our housing situation. For my health, it would really be beneficial for us to get out of this environment. We think it really makes everything worse dealing with all of things that come into our apartment unwanted. We have a small window here before interest rates rise (that is their prediction) and unfortunately, the two houses we really like are both short sales. Anyone who knows anything about real estate knows there is nothing "short" about a short sale. We have started the process on one house and will probably be starting the process on another on Monday. In AZ, you can actually submit offers on 4different houses if they are short sales. Short sales can take anywhere from six weeks to 5 months, so you can see our dilemma. We will continue to look for other options, but so far, these two houses are the ones we love. So, we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom on how to proceed and also that God would work a miracle and have our offer on one of the houses be approved quickly if it's His will.
Brian starts training on Tuesday for his job! He is nervous-excited. I know he will do great! If you could be praying for him also, we would appreciate it! Well, that is our update. I will write an update this week after I talk with Dr. J. I promise! :) Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement. It is such a comfort to us!
Well, we do have some major prayer requests, but before I get to that, I wanted to write about our little Christmas miracle. As you know, I am super allergic to a lot of things which interferes with both what I can eat and what I can cook in our house. Not only has my diet changed drastically since the start of this Lyme adventure, but Brian's diet has had to be altered quite a bit because I react to things in the air when they are being cooked. So, when we were planning what to cook (for just the two of us) on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, we didn't know if it would happen. Well, God gave us a gift. I not only was able to cook dinner both days, but I always was able to eat it. We were pretty shocked. We had Baked Ziti on Christmas Eve and then waffles on Christmas morning (family tradition), Christmas cookies (a very bland version, lol) and then prime rib with mashed potatoes and broccoli (obviously they were not mixed together, lol). It may seem like that is not much, but it's HUGE. I normally can't eat most of those things. Anyways, I didn't react to anything. The crazy thing is, the day after Christmas, I tried to eat leftovers and reacted to about everything. So, we call it our "Christmas miracle." I thank Jesus for the special gift he gave me for Christmas. It was SO wonderful to be able to taste some of those foods again!!
Now onto our update and prayer request. Starting the day after Christmas with my reactions to the food, I kind of created the perfect storm. I think my system was already set-off from eating all that stuff (I don't regret any minute of it though, lol) and then I tried to add in a new med from my Lyme doctor (new meds are always such a gamble with me). This med was supposed to calm down my autonomic nervous system which then would work to calm down my histamine system as it would help to make it not be so trigger happy. Well, the med worked for about 4 hours and then it did the opposite. I wanted to give the medication a good shot so I took it for about 4 days. That turned out to be pretty detrimental. I am extremely reactive now. I am reacting to almost all of the food I could eat (I am down to about 3-4 foods) and I am reacting to everything in my environment. Even my dog is bothering me and he usually doesn't. :( These flare-ups have happened to me before, so I know the drill. However, it's always pretty hard and never fun to make an already small and limited world get even smaller.
So, that would be our first prayer request. If you could pray that my system would calm down, we would appreciate it. Another prayer request is for my phone appointment with Dr. J on January 7th. On my last blog, I wrote that I was having trouble getting a phone appointment. Well, I finally got to talk to his nurse and they agreed to fit me in this coming Thursday. This couldn't come at a better time. Please pray that the doctor will have wisdom on what steps to take especially with me in my current state. I am hoping we can start a more intense treatment plan (I'm crazy to hope that, right? LOL) because my system actually seems to calm down when I am on the antibiotics, and then when I'm off it seems to flare-up. I am praying that I don't cry on the phone, lol. I always get so emotional when I am in this state. Brian is used to it, thank goodness! :0)
Finally, if you could continue to pray about our housing situation. For my health, it would really be beneficial for us to get out of this environment. We think it really makes everything worse dealing with all of things that come into our apartment unwanted. We have a small window here before interest rates rise (that is their prediction) and unfortunately, the two houses we really like are both short sales. Anyone who knows anything about real estate knows there is nothing "short" about a short sale. We have started the process on one house and will probably be starting the process on another on Monday. In AZ, you can actually submit offers on 4different houses if they are short sales. Short sales can take anywhere from six weeks to 5 months, so you can see our dilemma. We will continue to look for other options, but so far, these two houses are the ones we love. So, we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom on how to proceed and also that God would work a miracle and have our offer on one of the houses be approved quickly if it's His will.
Brian starts training on Tuesday for his job! He is nervous-excited. I know he will do great! If you could be praying for him also, we would appreciate it! Well, that is our update. I will write an update this week after I talk with Dr. J. I promise! :) Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement. It is such a comfort to us!
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