I wish you all a Happy and Healthy Holiday! I am so grateful I met you, so many of you have become a very important support in my struggle with Lyme!

Today I went back to the doctor and got my Echocardiogram back and everything was fine, I feel a lot of relief. I also got back my Bartonella and Babesia antibody panel and they were all negative, if I read it right I might have been exposed to Bartonella before but have no active infection. I hope that is right, I know I should have asked for the more accurate DNA test but I did not think about it then. I also got my sed rate re checked and I truly believe it has gone down since last time. In a few weeks I go back to the Podiatrist, hopefully he can come up with some good ideas and in a month I will go back to the Rheumatologist, maybe he can figure out something to help me getting over this stubborn inflammation.

I had a dream about being able to take my kids out for a walk to the park before Christmas but I am not there yet, it will still be a while. My feel still hurts too much for a walk even with my new wonderful Softwalk. I did dared to drive down to the park with my kids the other day and I felt well enough to be able to run and rescue my toddlers when they got to close to the very busy road. I have had a few really good days in a row and I start to feel my old energy returning. I am trying to work on building up my immunity system with whatever I can think of. My favorite is 70% cocoa chocolate, that is really good for your endorphins and it does not come in the shape of a capsule. I am also taking Omega 3, vitamins, probiotics, ginger and Arth X Plus in conjunction to swimming, hot baths with Epson Salt and Sauna. I also tuned in my grades this weekend and school is now over until Jan. 7 so I will have a lot less stress in my life for a few weeks. For the first time since it all started I am going out for dinner with a girlfriend tonight, this is the first time in a long time I feel like I have energy to socialize.

I am trying to stay positive, I know that will help me to heal.

Glad to hear the heart is AOK. One less thing to worry about.

My bart test was like yours. Its a past infection, doctor said most people with dogs/cat will have it sometime in there life.

I hope you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year

Julie

I fully agree, we have to keep going, or lyme WINS...Like you somedays are very hard, but I just keep going and going....

Merry Christmas

J

what a wonderful post! I'm so glad to hear that things are finally looking up for you. Before it slips my mind, let me just remind you NO STEROIDS for inflamation.... ok.

Something that might be helpfull if you're not already doing it, is to keep a journal, so you remember during your bad days that things are looking up. many times when we don't have a symptom for a while, we forget we ever had it...or how severe it was.

I know it breaks your heart as it does mine, about our kids, and what we wouldn't give to be able to be "normal" mommies, and yes, it would be wonderful to take them for that walk, but for this year, maybe do something different....just because it's different doesn't mean it isn't special. What about loading them up in the car sometime this week, popping in some Christmas music, popping up some popcorn and hot cocoa, and drive around looking at xmas lights! We had so much fun doing that one year, that we have made it a tradition.

I know so many of us lymies try to live and go on as though we are normal, and I think that's a good thing. because Jenn, you're right, our brains are powerful! if we keep telling ourselves "I'm sick, I'm sick, I'm sick", then that's all our brains will know.