Please sign petition: Blue Cross extreme rate hikes!

Even if you don't have Blue Cross, it just opens the doors for other insurance companies to raise their rates as well.  Currently Blue Cross is raising rates by 39%.  I just had a large rate increase in December!  My monthly payment went up from $125 to $160 to $210.  They also stated that they may raise rates again this year.  They don't cover my medical as it is!  Please sign the petition & pass it on to everyone you know!



http://pol.moveon.org/bluecross/

Better days . . .

So today is the 4th day in a row that I have been feeling decent.  Yesterday I was tired, and had a headache, but nothing compared to the swollen brain feelings I sometimes get.  I get my energy at night.  Somewhere between 7pm & 8pm.  What a bummer.  That's when I want to leave the house & go somewhere.  Anywhere.  Last night at around 9:15pm my step son & I took off & went to the grocery store.  I wish I felt like this during the day.  Oh well. 

I am going to see my WONDERFUL LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) on Tuesday and I am excited to see her.  She lowered her fees to accomodate the economy.  So my follow ups are only $175.  When I tell people, that I have the most caring doctor, I mean it.  She is so intelligent & caring, that I like going to see her.  I am keeping a notebook to remember any questions I may have for her.  And am interested in hearing anything new she has learned since we last spoke.  I last spoke with her beginning of December.  She called me out of the blue to check on me.  I LOVE THAT.  I have recently referred 3 people from my various online Lyme connections to see her.  2 people for sure made appointments.  I've heard back from one & the feedback was great.  So happy she is thrilled with my LLMD. 

I just ordered a new supplement today called Lauricidin.  It was recommended to my husband for me by one of his clients.  She just learned I have Lyme Disease & swears by it.  I did some research & saw several people with Lyme take it & I saw nothing but great reviews.  So while it's not a cure-all, it can't hurt.  It is inexpensive so I am looking forward to trying it.  A representative from the company responded to an email I had sent & they said to start SLOW!!  You can experience a herx reaction from it.  So I will start very, very slow.  As I am very cautious.  And quite wimpy at that!  It took me 3 months to even try a little bit of my Artemesia & Clove.  But eventually I gave in & am doing great on it.  I take it 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off.  Found a cheaper place to buy it online too.  I'm good at that!!

I'll let everyone know of any changes made to my protocol one I see my LLMD.  I may also be taking my Western Blot on Tuesday.  Someone in her office will draw my blood becuase I couldn't find a lab to do it here.  No one will do an outside labs test kit.  Yet another hurdle for the victims of Lyme Disease.  I kind of want to take my test when I feel sickest (which was for the 9 days I was in bed), so I will see what my doc thinks and may just have to drive out to see her when I'm sicker than I am lately.  The test is very expensive & I raised the money on Facebook & I don't want to "waste" the test if timing matters.  Wish me luck!!  Pray for a CDC positive result so that I can get my PiCC line :)

Oh, I also recently purchased the DVD called Rethinking Caner.  I had stumbled upon it several times in my research.  Parker Posey, the actress, also has lyme & left conventional medicine to try holistic alternatives.  She is promoting the DVD as something that changed her mind.  I ordered that and a book about Detoxing.  There is one man in the documentary that has lyme & recovered using the methods.  The DVD is based on the book of the same title:

Blah

I had 7 days of not feeling well.  The last 5 were in bed.  Then suddenly Friday, I had energy & although I still felt like I had Lyme Disease, I felt "good".  Caught up on a TON of laundry & organizing and house cleaning.  Then woke up Saturday & today and I'm stuck in bed feeling like I partied like a Rockstar the night before.  But I didn't, I promise.  I layed in bed aaaaalll day yesterday and today.  I did get up last night after my shot and went for a walk like I always do. 
I'm sad.  Being sick makes me sad.  Not being a good wife to my husband makes me sad.  I want to live.  I want to DO something.  I want to cook dinner.  Because I can cook.  Hubby, not so much. 

I watched 3 documentaries this weekend.

Have I reached the plateau?

So I am so incredibly happy about the money I was able to raise for my meds on Facebook.  Still reeling from the excitement.  I raised $1400!!  Twice my goal.  I was able to order my Bicillin, aretemesia & clove, LDN, and my B12.  I think I have enough left over to get my Igenex.com western blot.  I was going to go today but realized I have to wait a few days for the money transfer from my PayPal acct into my bank account.  AND you can't ship the blood on a Thursday because it would arrive on the weekend and no one is there.  So what's the point.  So if you pray, please pray that it is positive.  So that the CDC will accept my results as positive and my insurance will kick in a litle for the PiCC line.  Otherwise I will have to do some serious fund raising.  It's hard to do a fundraiser from your bed.  Granted, these days, most of my days are spent out of bed.  THANK GOD!!  I have been stuck in bed since Monday.  I was doing really, really exceptionally well for quite a while and not sure what's going on.  Have I hit a plateau with my treatment?  Or has it stopped working?  Or is this the lyme cycle?  Who knows.  I just know I feel like crap and all I do is lay in bed.  But like I always say, I can't complain because it's never as bad as it was in the beginning.

I need to pray.  I haven't prayed for the past few days.  Need to get on that.

I have also decided to bump up my Bicillin shots from twice a week to thrice a week.  Like that?  Thrice?  Is it a word?  Well it rhymes and that's all that matters.  My butt is upset with me about this decision, but I have been getting less anxiety with each shot & only occassionally does the pain & swelling linger for more than a few days.  Actually, I will be doing a shot every 3 days, so that is not quite 3 times a week.  But it's more.  My LLMD originally wanted me to work up to 3 a week, but I was herxing & my rear end wasn't recovering, so she said to stick with three & move up if I felt comfortable with it.  After I get my western blot and other blood results (viruses, etc) I am going in to see her and we will work it all out.

I got the money I needed for my medication!

Thankfully, a bunch of friends from high school & some new friends & even a couple of people I don't even know rushed to my aid yesterday and I was able to come up with the $700 I needed by today to order my Bicillin.  I even surpassed the $700 and got enough to order my B12, my LDN, & some more Artemesia & Clove.  I also have a couple hundred left over that will be saved for my meds next month.  I am so grateful.  So many people gave so much and it made me feel loved.  I cried on & off yesterday (not sobbing, but tears) with every donation that popped up on my phone.  I am so GRATEFUL!! 
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I need help, if you are able to donate to my treatment.

My husband and I have been struggling to stay afloat since I was diagnosed in August with Lyme Disease.  I can no longer work to help out with the finances & the car that we had no car payment on took it's last breath & was layed to rest 2 days ago.  I need help from my friends & family to help come up with enough money to pay for my treatment medication.  I have 1 shot left & I can only buy in bulks of 10.  They raised the price by about $25 last time I ordered.  I need to come up with $700 really fast.  If you are able to help me, even $5 would be GREAT!!  You have no idea.  I even had to ask on my Facebook page.  My husband & I have donated to individuals we have come across on the web with Lyme when we are able.  Nothing big, but it's something, right?

I have been improving greatly over the past 3 months on this treatment and I need to keep going while it is still working.  If you or someone you know could possibly help, it would be greatly appreciated.  The donate button is here on my blog on the upper right or just scroll down, it should appear in this post.  Thank you in advance to everyone that helps.  It TRULY helps.

Not so bad

I had a couple of bad days, but that was it!  I'm not feeling like super woman or anything, but even my bad days haven't been that bad.  My neck has been stiff and that is my main complaint.  Life is good.  I am being more and more productive every day.  Finding things to clean (although my house is usually always clean), books to read, things to cook . . .  I even started working to market for our real estate business again.  I am living.  I love living.  And when I feel crappy, and people say, "I'm sorry you're feeling bad."  My first reaction is to say, "Hey, this is nothing, I can handle this!"  Now I need to find me some work to do and some hobbies.

It was a glorious 10 days . . .

I had 10 days in a row where I actually LIVED.  And I saw a very bright, shining light at the end of the tunnel.  It has finally appeared.  My own guarantee that I am getting better.  Don't burst my bubble people, I truly believe that I will fully recover from this disease.

In the past 10 days, I have gone out to eat twice, I have had company over & cooked the entire meal, I have taken my dogs to the park numerous times, I watched my step son try out for baseball.  I had a glass (or two) of wine, I showered instead of a bath, went to the grocery store, I did a ton of laundry, I cleaned my kitchen & the fireplace, my room, I vaccumed!  I played the Wii.  I left my house every day except for 1 and you know what else??????  I planned.  I made possible plans for the spring & summer.  I see myself being much better by then.  In the past I haven't planned anything because I never knew how I would feel.  Now, even though I have a misshapen booty with lumps in it (I'm hoping they'll go away with time), I am confident that my treatment is working so the pain & anxiety that the shots bring are worth it.

Ah, but those glorious 10 have come to an end.  I knew they would, but once day 9 hit, I was thinking, hey, maybe this is it.  Maybe I won't feel too badly anymore.  But late last night as I sat in bed, my neck started to hurt & I was getting a headache.  I hoped that when I woke up this morning it would all be gone.  Nope.  And as the morning wears on, it grows more & more intense.  Oh well.  But I don't get scared like I used to because it has gotten less severe as my treatment wears on.  My body is tough and I am strong and I can beat this!!!