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!