New beginning, scary, but gotta walk forward!

Hi! I know it's been awhile, but I wanted to wait to update until I had something substantial to say! Well, in my opinion, I always have something substantial to say, but my husband would probably beg to differ sometimes. These days, by the evenings, he is having to finish my sentences more and more. Thank you Lyme! I told him it's a game and he has to play "find the right word". Not sure if he's totally into it yet, but he likes competitions so maybe if I tack on a prize to the game he will go for it!

Okay, enough of my babble, lol. Here is our update. In the last 2 1/2 weeks we have had a lot of change. First, we had to basically get rid of our kitchen. We sorted through everything and threw out anything plastic, coated ceramic (our dishes) or any coated pots and pans to try to reduce my toxin load. In the middle of it, Brian looked over and I was crying. I am such a sap. Almost all of it, we got for our wedding. Those were the good old days when life was grand, we were able to leave the house and the sickest I got was a sinus infection. I think it was hard because we have had to basically do a 180 degree life turn from our dreams, future plans and our day to day activities. I don't say all this to get pity, because that is definitely not what we want. This is the life God has called us to as of right now and we have accepted that. I just want to give you a picture of how sometimes it can be pretty emotional. So, we said goodbye to another memory and gave it all to the dump.

The fun part was I was able to get all new stuff (well, not fun for the budget, lol). I joked w/ Brian and said we should have a "Lyme Disease" shower. Ha! Glass dishes, stainless steel pots and pans and glass storage containers were some things that were purchased. We are still struggling to answer the question, "What do we freeze stuff in?" because we are not supposed to heat or freeze anything in Ziploc bags. Bummer! We have ordered some glass jars that are not supposed to have any latex in the metal lid and the sealant. Hopefully, they will work! We'll definitely let you know!

I have also spent the last few weeks trying to expand my food list. Up until this point, I wasn't constantly trying things because I was so reactive that we were afraid that if I got set off w/ my food, I would just go downhill. However, about a week ago, I started reacting to my "safe" foods and we knew it was time to branch out so we could get on a rotation diet like my new doctor requested. So, I have actually added about five new foods to my list. Yay!! Some of them I can't eat a ton of like fresh strawberries, blueberries and carrots, but thanks to NAET treatments I am actually able to eat them w/out freezing them or cooking them for the first time in about 10 to 15 years. Yay! I also added brown rice (Yummy!) and lentils (Not so yummy!). Oh, I can also eat white tortilla chips. I need to get on a rotation diet where I only eat foods once every three or four days. So, that is our goal. Hopefully, my body will allow me to get there!

Well, tomorrow (Tuesday) is when we start my new treatment protocol. I am a bit nervous as I had a lot of trouble getting treated for the Zithromycin that is one of the drugs. I had a lot of reactions when I got treated via NAET. However, in the end, I did end up passing the treatment, so I should be able to take the drug now safely. I am trying to have realistic expectations; however, I have so many friends who have multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) and horrific allergies because of Lyme Disease and when they took this drug they noticed a big improvement. I am trying to remember to place my hope in the Lord and not the drug. It would be incredible if this was a game changer for us! I will be taking Zith Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Thursday and Friday, I am supposed to take the "evil drug" Flagyl. I took this drug on my last treatment protocol, but I only took it one day. When I did, after my second dose I got so sick I could barely walk to the next room. So, we really don't know what to expect with a second day of this drug. It will be a dosey though!

I have not been able to get my saline IV infusions set up. My insurance won't pay for home health care and they said I had to have a local doctor administer it. I wish I had a friend who had a nursing degree that could give them to me! We are struggling to find someone local willing to administer it with an out of state prescription. My local doctor would not be willing to because she is not Lyme literate and would not agree w/ my protocol. So, that has been put on the back burner for now as we can't afford to pay out of pocket for the home health care and the IVs. It's so hard to know when and where to spend money. With a possible IV drug treatment protocol looming in the future that could cost us 1000's a month, we want to be wise about what we spend our money on now. Saline IV's were recommended to help me detox, but my new doctor said they weren't absolutely necessary.

So, we would ask you to please pray for a some things. Please pray that I can tolerate the new antibiotic Zithromycin and the new supplements she wants me on. Please also pray that I can get enough new foods to go on a three to four day rotation diet. Please pray for my nerves and emotional strength as we begin this new/second journey. It's so difficult to know what the right path is and as soon as you choose one, you find someone with a different opinion and ideas about the best treatment protocol to be on and the best doctor to see. Don't get me wrong, I love the advice and knowledge of all my friends, but it's so hard sorting through all the information never knowing for sure if you have made the right decision. It literally makes my head spin.

With Lyme, there are so many methods of treatment and each doctor seems to have his or her own philosophy. Also, what works for someone might not work for the another person. Then, at the same time, each doctor you see and each treatment you do, costs a lot of money. So, I guess I am always concerned that we will spend all our of our money on finding the right fit for me and then by the time we get there, we won't have any money left to do the treatment that I will desperately need. You can see why this journey is so taxing on so many levels. I have to just trust that God has led us here for now, and we need to walk forward even though the unknown is scary. I think once you read the next paragraph, you can see how God spoke to my heart in a mighty way.

It's been a difficult and emotional few weeks. It's sometimes hard to remain hopeful and strong when obstacles are around every corner. Well, this past Sunday, someone sent me a text during a church service. We sometimes watch this service on live streaming feed over the internet, but on Sunday we didn't. I think I have only talked to this person a total of two times in the last four years. So, I know it was God who laid me on his heart. I received the following message through facebook:

"Everything bows in his presence Dawn. Don't know if u were watching the live stream but EVERY sickness and disease MUST BOW!!!
Amen."

I still get goosebumps as I read it! What an incredible word picture! I can just imagine Jesus standing over my disease and making it bow in His presence. This encouraged me beyond words! I have to remember that God has already won this battle! He has the Victory! So, as I come to a close, I just want to encourage each one of you no matter what you are going through, please know that the Victory is won! We can rest in His peace knowing that each step we take is guided by Him alone. It's such a relief to know it's not my job to figure out this puzzle. I hope it's a relief to you too!

Below is a song via video that has really ministered to my heart lately. To listen to it, you will have to press pause on my music player at the bottom of the page. It's worth it! It's titled "What Faith Can Do" by Kutless. I'll make sure to update you on Sunday or Monday on how my treatment week went! Thanks for your prayers! Blessings to all of you!