Happy Thanksgiving!!! :)

Hello Folks! Happy Thanksgiving! This is my official T-giving post. :) I know, it's been a couple of weeks since my last update, but we have had a couple of crazy weeks. God has really been working on my heart to give thanks for ALL things even the tough stuff. So, I have made a point to note something I am thankful for every day this month. I already did days 1-7, so here is the rest. I will make them short so that I don't create a book, and I can also add an update about my two doctor's appointments. :)

November 8 - I am thankful for God's Word, and how it encourages my soul.

November 9 - I am thankful for today's technology that allows all of us to communicate virtually.

November 10 - The food I can eat is a blessing. I am down to about 15 foods, but I cherish the fact that I can enjoy black bean chips and blueberries. :)

November 11 - I am thankful for the wisdom of my doctors. God has used them in amazing ways.

November 12 - I am thankful for the Lyme community. I have found so much valuable information and they have helped me so much!

November 13 - God helped me get a master's degree! I am so thankful for that opportunity.

November 14 - Even though I can't work in a church ministry, God has still opened doors for me to minister to other people. What a blessing!

November 15 - I am thankful for Arizona. Although we miss our friends and family in Nebraska, we know that this place is the best place for my extreme allergies. I praise God for the low outside allergen count! :)

November 16 - Brian's job has been an incredible blessing. His company is amazing, and they have been so supportive.

November 17 - I am thankful for laughter! Even though times are tough because of my health, our home is filled with laughter.

November 18 - I am so thankful for our marriage. We have been through so much, but God continues to help us keep our marriage strong.

November 19 - Last year, my parents-in-law got me a Kindle. I was having trouble reading books because of the chemicals in the print. This has enabled me to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies.

November 20 - I am thankful for music. It is so uplifting and encouraging. What a gift from the Lord!

November 21 - Passion City Church has been a blessing to us. Even though it's in Atlanta, Pastor Louie Giglio's sermons challenge us to always pursue a strong relationship with our Lord.

November 22 - I am so thankful for my time in college and at Christian Student Fellowship. I can't put into words how much that ministry impacted my life. I met so many incredible people and made incredible memories! I cherish those 3 years!

November 23 - I am thankful for the amazing Godly women God placed in my life before and after I got married. They were incredible mentors and taught me a lot about what it looks like to walk in faith on a daily basis.

November 24 - I am thankful for this blog! It has given me an opportunity to share what God is doing. I hope that we can be a blessing to others as much as they have been a blessing to us!

Well, that's my 24 days of thanksgiving! It's times like these that really put things in perspective. Brian and I have so much to be thankful for, and we praise the Lord for all that He has done in our lives. Now onto the updates....

On November 12th, my husband and I traveled to Califorina to see a new doctor my Lyme doctor had recommended. We really liked her. She understood how my body has been impacted by Lyme and all of the other infections extremely well. She ran a lot of tests, and we found out that I have a lot more infections and viruses in my system than we thought. It was a great appointment, but we walked away more confused than ever. We thought we just had to beat Bartonella, but it looks like we have a lot more to tackle. At this point, we are having to balance the need of treatment with what my body can handle as far as my kidneys/liver go and also making sure not to increase my candida issue.

Today, I had a phone appointment with my doctor's PA. We had so many questions for her especially after meeting with that other doctor. She had a lot of good things to say. Again, I am SO incredibly thankful for this practice! We are up against a big battle and running out of options, but I appreciate how she remains optimistic even with my tricky case. We are going to try Biaxin which is a good medication for me and one I haven't been on in awhile. She said that if we don't want to get a PICC (we are still deciding) to help with my dehydration, then we should look into finding a traveling nurse that can come to my house and insert a peripheral IV once a week during the times that I am struggling with the dehydration issue. It seems to be on a pattern every month, so it's tied to my hormones in some way. Brian and I really don't know of anyone, but we do have a new lead with a local PA that is willing to work with Lyme patients. I have an ppointment with her next week. Please PRAY that she is receptive and willing to work as a team with my Lyme doctors. I am also going to keep taking Rifampin for now.

Another thing she wants us to look into is doing once or twice a week Bicillin injections. We would do the first one in the office in January, and then they would teach Brian to give them. I don't know much about them right now except I have heard they really hurt. I also know they are really expensive, but my doctor's PA said she thinks she can get them approved through our insurance. Brian and I have a lot to talk about. At this point, we are very cautious what we try because of our financial resources and also because it just seems that the right treatment differs for every person when it comes to beating Lyme and all of the infections that come with it. It's a big guessing game as what works for one person doesn't always work for another. We aren't giving up, but we are just cautious with every step we take.

Brian mentioned to me today via text message that we should go and have me prayed for again. I agree! We will let you know when we decide to go do that. Our list of options to get me well is dwindling very quickly. So, we want to make sure we are wise and definitely want to include the Lord in every decision we make. We are still believing God for a miracle!

Well, I would like to wish each one of you a Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a blessed holiday with your family and friends!

Giving Thanks!

Right now, I have Christmas music playing. I know, Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet, but I can't help it. Christmas music just puts me in such a good mood all the time! However, I don't want to skip the holiday Thanksgiving either. I have seen quite a few people write what they are thankful for on Facebook for every day in November. I like this idea, so I will do it on my blog instead. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but I have a lot to be thankful for! Here is my list so far...

November 1 - I am thankful first and foremost for my loving Savior Jesus Christ. He is my comfort, my sustainer and my source of hope and joy.

November 2 - I am so thankful for my husband. He is such a blessing from the Lord. I can't imagine this life without him. He makes me laugh, and challenges me to be a better person.

Our life isn't easy, but with him, it's still fun! Brian, your the love of my life, and I thank the Lord every day for you!

November 3 - The Lord continues to provide for us day after day. Our medical expenses and food budget (because of my special requirements) are extremely high, but the Lord always provides exactly what we need every month.

November 4 - I am so thankful for our friends and family who have stuck by us through this LONG journey. I know it's not easy for all of you as we have had to miss a lot important events, but we appreciate your understanding and your encouragement.

November 5 - My precious Lyme friends...I can't put into words how dear you are to me. Each one of you is such a priceless gift from the Lord. You have brought me through some of the toughest times. Thank you for being there for me. Your joy and attitude about life has ministered to my heart in so many ways. Your medical wisdom has helped us find answers to my health issues. God has used you abundantly in my life! One of these days girls, we will all be on a beach healthy and celebrating! I love you all!!!! <3

November 6 - I am thankful for our sweet and spunky puppy. I know, it sounds kind of ridiculous to be thankful for a dog, but it's a miracle we can have him since I am pretty much allergic to the world. Toby has brought so much spunk and laughter (he has quite the personality) to our lives since we are stuck at home most of the time. It's amazing because he is the only dog I can tolerate being around without having horrible allergies. That little guy is a miracle from the Lord for us.

November 7 - I am grateful for our house. It has been such a safe haven for me. It was so challenging to live in an apartment where we couldn't control what chemicals our neighbors used or if they smoked etc. It's a beautiful house and has enabled us to have people come and stay with us to help out or to visit.

Well, that's the first 7 days! I will continue to make a list and will post it periodically.

Now, onto the update. Since I am back on rifampin, we are actually seeing improvements! Yay! On Saturday, I did sleep in, but I didn't have to take a nap in the afternoon. I wasn't tired! I also was able to help with the dishes, pick up the house, fold a little laundry and take out the trash. That is a monumental step for me! We hope to keep seeing progress the longer I stay on this drug.

For now, the water issue has improved also. We are praising God for this! We were willing to get a PICC line, but didn't want to have to go through that process if we didn't have to. So, we are just hanging loose for now to see what will happen in the future.

Saturday night, we began to try the mast cell stabelizing protocol. Unfortunately, it was not successful. We are not sure what happened, but my symptoms actually did the opposite. I had a lot of other crazy symptoms that popped up too when I took my morning and nightly dose of Lyrica on top of that medicine. So, we can't figure out if I had a bad drug reaction or if my body just responded the wrong way (wouldn't be the first time) to the protocol. My reactions were definitely not listed in the side effect list of the drug on the internet. Surprise, surprise! :) Sunday was a bit rough, and I still think my body is trying to settle down. So, please be praying that things will upright soon!

We got my back my recent labs, and my kidneys are starting to show signs of elevation. It's not at a place where we need to be too concerned, but when I was off drugs they went back to normal, so we are praying this is not an upward trend because of rifampin. I really need to be able to handle this drug for about 4 or 5 months straight to see if we can finally beat this disease!

We are suppsoed to be traveling to California to see a new doctor on Saturday. She was recommended to us by my doctor in San Francisco and works with him a lot. She made a special Saturday appointment for us. We are still praying whether or not to go. I am kind of having some reservations about it, but not sure why. It will be expensive (first appointments always are), and it's kind of bad timing for Brian's work. Please pray that God will give us wisdom. Also, I just got an e-mail from our local Lyme support group. There is a new Lyme doctor actually in Tucson. She is real young, but just recently completed a fellowship with the physician who is the president of ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society). My case is too complicated for someone with hardly any experience, but we have been looking for a local doctor who can work with my doc in San Francisco. I have a call into her office for an appointment. We shall see how this pans out.

I think, that is enough for today! We have a lot to be thankful for even during hard times! Blessing to you my friends!