Next Stop: Lyme Junction

I had an initial health consultation with a new natural doctor this afternoon, one with a specialty in Lyme disease. She is very well versed on the subject, explained things to me in a way I actually feel like someone understands what I've been struggling with these past three years and has herself healed from a Lyme infection. That validation is really meaningful.

Basically going to cut and paste the email I typed to my mom and husband:

Thought I would put this in writing so you can refer back to it as I have a lot of detailed information to relay. It's a complex issue.

Foremost, in addition to having Lyme disease, Dr. Marra also is concerned about the presence of an h-pylori infection. Let me back up for a moment.

Lyme is one of the oldest known bacteria in existence and has about two billion years of evolutionary history. So it's very smart. Once it enters the system, it can wreak all kinds of havoc. It's really hard to get rid of.

Imagine your body as a well tended garden. Lyme is a noxious weed. Once it begins to flourish, it can throw other systems into chaos. Soon what was once a beautiful garden is covered in weeds, which can allow other similar weeds to invade, such as h-pylori in my case.

Lyme is quite serious. Dr. Marra is of the medical opinion if it goes for too long untreated, Lyme can lead to more debilitating and potentially fatal diseases such as Parkinson's, ALS or MS.

She explained my previous faintness spells, which she acknowledged as not only scary but also dangerous; damage to my vasovagal nerve/receptors. Because of my symptom profile, Dr. Marra believes I have a multi-organ infection with this harmful bacteria spread to my heart (palpitations, BP fluctuations), lungs (breath shortness), brain (headaches/congestion, ear aches and ringing) and stomach (digestive issues). The good news is, based on my physical exam, my good balance, reflexes and cognition lead her to believe the disease has not progressed too far at this point. My knowing makes me feel as though it is more progressed than a year ago. The rate of progression in general is unknown and varies widely by individual. I think all the other supportive work I have done (acupuncture, chiropractic, etc.) has greatly helped keep me as healthy as I can possibly be.

The other good news is all the work I've done with dietary changes and balancing my thyroid have created a great foundation for going after those pesky, noxious agents. To better explain my diet to you, my internal tissue has a great deal of inflammation. Inflamed tissue is a poor channel for autoimmune receptors. It's like trying to talk to an angry person, they cannot hear you. Foods such as wheat, dairy and sugar are all inflammatory. These foods I have mostly avoided to help support calming/supressing inflammation. Other foods such as nuts and shellfish/seafood I have avoided as a matter of testing positive to being allergic to them. Interestingly enough, Dr. Marra said it’s highly likely I picked up h-pylori from sushi, which I used to love and eat on a somewhat regular basis.

To better explain my symptom profile, Lyme and h-pylori are anaerobic. They do not use oxygen to survive. When I am asleep at night, these bacteria are most active. So I awaken feeling mostly unrefreshed by sleep, and it takes me a while to get going in the mornings. Also, plane travel is particularly disruptive due to the various levels of oxygen stress, the bacteria become increasingly active. So after and during air travel I feel wiped out, sometimes distressed, and then add the stress involved with traveling. It’s a poor combination and explains better why I have grown to dread it.

Next steps are Dr. Mara also wants to look at co-infections and explore other tick-borne agents I may be carrying. She suspects I may have a mild pneumonia bug tampering with my breathing, hence my periodic shortness of breath. Ordinarily my autoimmune system would have resolved this long ago. At present and for the better part of the last few years my autoimmune system has been working overtime and thus hasn't been as effective at any of its many jobs.

Dr. Marra also prescribed two antibiotics, antifungal and probiotics. It’s a very specific and rigorous treatment course. I’m nervous about it. The big picture is I could be on a complex course of scripts and supplements for a year or two. That's OK because I have already been quite regimented for the past three years.

Bottom line is I have not been close to running on all cylinders for the past three years. More than that I am feeling very grateful for all I have been able to do despite my circumstances. I'm also grateful I may have a real chance at recovering my health. If we're successful, there is a good chance my thyroid issue will resolve itself. I have several more lab tests this coming week and then a follow up with Dr. Marra in late January. I'll know more in the next several weeks and will keep you posted.