Hello my friend,
(Do I sound like Mr. Roger’s when I say that? I say it all the time, especially when I’m talking to the girls, but I realize in text it may not read the same way. Oh well. A little Fred Rogers never hurt anyone.)
Sorry I haven’t blogged since Thanksgiving…here’s a little update for anyone who’s interested.
Thanksgiving was lovely. We went to Connecticut to see P’s family…
There were many high-class ballet performances by Sam & her cousin Emma
Sophie figured out buttons & refused to keep her top on
Talking to my family on Skype. It’s amazing how natural it is for my girls to talk to family over a computer, I guess that’s the future for ya. 
The morning after Thanksgiving P & I took our turn to cook for the family & made eggs benedict. It felt SO good to get in the kitchen again, I miss cooking terribly.
There was also a livingroom rave.
As for me, my lyme is back, not that it ever really left. Four weeks of antibiotics was not enough & since I stopped the Doxycycline my symptoms have been gradually returning & worsening. I was starting to get majorly frustrated because several Dr’s were telling me 2-4 weeks of antibiotics should be plenty, I just need to be patient & my symptoms will eventually go away. Thank you so much to whoever told me about the Lyme documentary “Under Our Skin”, it was eye-opening to say the least. Incredibly sad too however.
The nutshell version is Lyme treatment is completely clouded by politics & insurance company involvement. People are literally dying because of it. I hate conspiracy theories, especially political ones. I guess I just like to believe in the good in people but this is irrefutable. The good news however is that now I know better. I know that I need to find a Lyme specialist who treats aggressively & also that I’m not crazy. When a Dr. shrugs their shoulders at you & basically sends you on your way with no answers it’s easy to believe that you should just suck it up & move on. With Lyme however that’s the worst thing you can do, early treatment is critical. I have an appointment with a new ID Dr this Monday, if he also doesn’t seem too familiar with Lyme treatment than my backup plan is to go to a Lyme Clinic in New York that one of our family members was treated at. I still get really bummed out that I can’t live my life the way I want to but at least now we have a plan. If you have any interest in Lyme whatsoever I highly encourage you to watch this documentary! (I downloaded it on itunes) Also here’s a little tidbit for you that I learned from the movie & think is important…50% of Lyme test results are false negatives. Yes, FIFTY! If you think you might have Lyme please keep getting tested or seek treatment regardless of the results, early treatment means the difference between one bottle of antibiotics & a much longer, harder recovery with some serious side effects. (paralysis, speech loss, heart failure, even death)
But enough of that. This isn’t turning into a medical soapbox blog, I promise!
I actually do have some fun stuff planned for this week, awhile ago I made a tutorial for a ribbon backpack that I never posted as well as pics of our Christmas decorations & a new recipe post. Hang with me gang, lately I’m figuring life out one day at a time…
Those eggs look SO yummy my tummy growled out loud!
I remember you writing some time ago about interviewing multiple OB-GYNs to find the best one for Sophie’s delivery. It sounds like you just have to do the same for Lyme. Hope you find the right doc and get the right treatment soon!
I’m glad you found it beneficial (I was going to say “I’m glad you liked it,” but how can you like it. It was awful and disturbing) the film. I was so shocked. I hope you can find a specialist that can help you. Check out http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/when%20life%20gives%20you%20lyme
She has several posts devoted to her struggle with Lyme. I also recommend reading the comments on this post: http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-story.html
Hi Natasha. So sorry to hear that the Lyme is back. I too was hoping that you would be back to your self finally! I miss seeing your craft posts. I can honestly say that since I stink at crafting I can live vicariously through your crafting posts. lol
I hope that you find a doctor who can really help you fight through this and be done. Happy that you had a great Thanksgiving!
What is the name of the ny clinic? I have lyme and live in ny.
My step mother-in-law saw a Dr B Raxlen, his number is 212-799-1121
How’s your lyme? Have you had it for awhile??
I need a lyme buddy. (;
Thank you for putting the word out there about how serious lyme really is. Under our skin is frightening. I felt so bad for them. I just don’t understand WHY lyme is shunned and hidden.. there are a ton of terrible diseases that need persistent fighting and meds, yet this one is such a hush hush issue. Hopefully the more people talk about it, the more it will come to light. I couldn’t believe how many ticks ended up on that piece of material in that guys walk through the woods. SCARY. I am glad you are being persistent with the antibiotics. Keep pushing!
Have you tried Drs. Kane and Davis? http://www.kaneanddavis.com/
They are amazing docs. There are others in the practice but both Dr. Kane and Davis are amazing!!! So sorry you’re starting to feel worse and hope you feel better. LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!
My brother has had Lyme for 2 years, its very hard to treat…. He has been on chinese herbs and acupuncture, it seems to really help him. You can always compliment traditional medical treatments with herbs and acupuncture, might really help you.
Kane’s family is asian? they look viet!
Haha, that picture is surprising looking I’m sure! His stepfather is from Hong Kong. Luvvvv having Chinese relatives, the food is amazing. (;
My mom got Lyme and it took a lot of fighting to get it dealt with, in Canada as well. We’ve started hearing ads about Lyme on the radio because it is something that isn’t talked about as much as it should be, and I just don’t understand why. As a result of her Lyme, her allergies/intolerances wound up being kicked into high gear and her fragrance intolerance turned into a full-blown case of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder. Her health is still up and down, four or five years later. 🙁
^ My mom got a lot of help from acupuncture and a naturopath, as well.
Hi Natasha! I just wanted to give you some support about a) your blogging, and b) your health. First off, your blogging, don’t worry yourself about losing readers and letting your blog turn into a black hole. I don’t care if I have to wait five days or five weeks for a new entry. I always enjoy whatever you blog about, whether it’s consistently churned out or not. Secondly, your health. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two years ago. It was a HUGE shock and it’s something I struggle with to this day. I know exactly how you feel when you talk about being on a quest for the best doctor and having to deal with others’ misconceptions about the disease. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve had to explain to people that even though I look perfectly healthy on the outside (not overweight, someone who exercises frequently and eats a balanced diet), I can still be very ill on the inside.
I wish you the very best as you try to figure everything out. Just know that we’ll all be here through thick and thin. : )
Hey girl –
Just read this post and wanted to pass on to you… We live in Nashville now and my doctor up here specializes in Lyme disease. He actually just stopped seeing “regular” patients and only sees those with Lyme and autism. Not sure what he does or how good he is, but thought I’d pass it on. His practice does offer lots of holistic options, which I’m always drawn to, but not sure of much else. Cool Springs Family Medicine, Dr. Kalb…
Jennifer
Thank you so much! I’ll def keep that in mind. And I absolutely adore Nashville so any excuse to go would be nice (:
Just came across your blog via Pinterest and saw the Lyme post. I’ve had Lymes since 2003-its been a long, hard struggle! Best advice I can give you- find a Lyme literate physician. I found a great one here in PA- Dr Joseph T Joseph. Google state Lyme association groups, email them for doctor referrals. That’s how I found Dr Joe. Pulsing now with antibiotics and feel good. This summer was the best I’ve felt since I got the disease. I would be happy to be a Lymes buddy with you. Hang in there- with proper treatment it will get better.
Thanks Brenda! I’m searching for a Dr who “gets it” but your comment reminded me how important it is. Let’s def be Lyme BFFs (:
Hi there- I battled Lyme for over five years… I live in northern va and eventually found an amazing infectious disease doctor who cured me. Her name is dr. Mary Schmidt in fairfax….email me if you want other info about local drs….I went to countless drs in md, and va. I hope you are doing better.
Oh wow, thank you so much! I actually have been feeling MUCH better, I’m not sure if I’m “cured” or what but I’ll definitely remember that name in case I need it later. Thanks!
Just noticed my name was misspelled in my last post…. It’s setareh.
Hi Natasha,
I found your blog via pinterest and as soon as I saw your catergory “lyme” I had to pry. I live outside of Baltimore and had the same yucky illness 2 years ago. My symptoms were very vague..dizziness, headaches, anxiety, and confusion. I honeslty thought I was going crazy and my primary dr gave me the “you’re fine” diagnosis. Luckly, I nannied for a psychologist at Johns Hopkins and broke down one day and told her my symptoms. The first thing she recommended was a Lyme test. She also said that her psych clinic diagnoses more cases of Lyme than their ER and med clinic combined. Crazy huh?
Hang in there Natasha, it does get better. Best Wishes!
Wow!! That’s crazy, no pun intended… (;
How fascinating though, and sad. Have you seen “Under our Skin”? It’s a Lyme documentary and one of the things that shocked me about it was all of the wrong diagnosis people with Lyme received. So many were told they were crazy or just looking for attention. It’s terrible.
I’ve been feeling a lot better, thank goodness. Some joint pain still here & there but overall so much better. Lyme sucks!
Thank you for your comment, it’s always nice to hear that I’m not the only one. (and not crazy!)
I am so glad to read that you are getting better, how long did it take you to feel better?