Thanks so much for praying for H! We have felt love and care from far and near.
We got word last week that she is free from Lyme disease!!!! We are praising the Lord!
Our area of the country is known as "Lyme disease capital of the world." Pennsylvania's wooded landscape and mild temperatures make conditions ripe for ticks that carry the disease.
Here's why this whole thing has been so trying and tricky:
Lyme disease is from a bacteria that is shaped like a spiral. When it's not caught early, it literally drills into the body and eventually reaches the nervous system where it is no longer possible to eradicate, and people suffer with pain and disabilities associated it with it for their whole lives. But when detected early, it can be eliminated with high dose antibiotics.
We are so thankful that we recognized the early symptoms in H and that her doctor treated her right away. There were some complications along the way as she is allergic to penicillin, leaving her with only one possible antibiotic to take. Also because of her genetic mutation, her immune system was too weak, and the normal dose of antibiotics wasn't enough. We sought additional care from a functional medicine doctor who prescribed her Lauricidin, a type of fatty acid that has just recently been proven to specifically target Lyme bacteria while also strengthening the immune system and killing yeast overgrowth. She followed that regimen for 3 months.
Another thing about Lyme is that even though it's so prevalent here, the testing for it isn't adequate to detect the bacteria. The tests can only detect antibodies. This means many times, a patient's symptoms will subside, antibodies will ebb, but the bacteria lay dormant. A test will show a false negative, and the doctors and patient will think the disease is eradicated, until years later when a catalyst causes it to awaken. We know many people who live in this reality of suffering from chronic Lyme. We sought counsel from a physician friend who is a doctor of integrative medicine. She recommended sending H's bloodwork out of the country to have it tested for the bacteria itself, not just the antibodies. While testing for Lyme, this German blood test can also screen for co-infections, also common with tick bites. These stealth viruses enter the body through the same tick bite, aren't killed by antibiotics (because viruses aren't bacteria), and have subtler symptoms or symptoms that don't present themselves for many years but lead to chronic diseases such as STDs, Epstein Bar Syndrome, and others. The family medical doctor is a wonderful Christ-filled man, and he and his team are some of the most respected in town, but they don't test or treat for co-infections.
Months after her initial tick bite, H was still showing symptoms and feeling fatigued daily. She'd sleep 9 hours a night, and then lay her head on her school books at 10AM. H is studious and driven, so it was definitely not like her to be so lethargic. We felt confident we needed to pursue further testing. We were unsure if she still had Lyme or if other things were also complicating her health.
Now we know with certainty that her Lyme is gone! Thankful is an understatement!! But her bloodwork did show a positive for a stealth virus. H's tests also showed markers for "chronic immune suppression." She continues to see our doctor of integrative medicine who is treating her immune system, genetic mutation, stealth virus, and now adrenal system, which has been overworked from the stress of many conditions.
The doctor doesn't feel that this virus alone can account for all of H's symptoms or the drastic suppression of her immune system. Mold exposure is a likely cause. Because of H's gene, same as me, she doesn't filter toxins at normal capacity. The source of mold is uncertain--it could be that the polluted water from last year took root in her (and in me, as I'm still struggling in some areas that are consistent with mold exposure), or it could be that there is mold somewhere in our home. Doc is recommending a mold test done on our home before any other medical tests are done on either of us. We are hoping and praying that there is no mold in our house! Under other doctors orders, we have removed most of the carpeting, had the duct work cleaned, and the water well was recently tested for a check-up, and all is working properly. Karl and his dad have been inside the walls when refinishing our basement, and saw no mold. Logically, the polluted water of 2018 is the most probable cause. If we couldn't filter out the toxins in it, it's possible/probable that we have internal mold overgrowth. But there's a simple test we can order online to make sure that there isn't any mold lurking somewhere hidden.
Please pray with us as we hopefully rule out mold in the home, and undergo treatments for killing mold overgrowth in our bodies.
In the meantime, H is improving day to day with these many treatments. It's not an immediate fix, which can cause her to feel good some days and then bad the next. She and I both have to be very strict at eliminating toxins from our lifestyle as well as managing the unavoidable toxins. We've found herbal tea, chiropractic, massage, and topical essential oils to be beneficial in this process. Remembering what it was like to live overseas with limited options, we're thankful for the many resources and opportunities here!
Please continue to pray for H, and while you're at it, if you could pray for the northeast to get control of its tick population, that'd be good too! :)
This weekend, H will be in a production of the Nutcracker ballet. Preparing for this show has brought her a lot of enjoyment during this season of not feeling well. Ballet has been a choice prescription to keep her moving and strengthening her body while keeping it low impact. We're all looking forward to seeing her dance this weekend!
We got word last week that she is free from Lyme disease!!!! We are praising the Lord!
Our area of the country is known as "Lyme disease capital of the world." Pennsylvania's wooded landscape and mild temperatures make conditions ripe for ticks that carry the disease.
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| Lyme disease cases in the US, 2017 |
Lyme disease is from a bacteria that is shaped like a spiral. When it's not caught early, it literally drills into the body and eventually reaches the nervous system where it is no longer possible to eradicate, and people suffer with pain and disabilities associated it with it for their whole lives. But when detected early, it can be eliminated with high dose antibiotics.
We are so thankful that we recognized the early symptoms in H and that her doctor treated her right away. There were some complications along the way as she is allergic to penicillin, leaving her with only one possible antibiotic to take. Also because of her genetic mutation, her immune system was too weak, and the normal dose of antibiotics wasn't enough. We sought additional care from a functional medicine doctor who prescribed her Lauricidin, a type of fatty acid that has just recently been proven to specifically target Lyme bacteria while also strengthening the immune system and killing yeast overgrowth. She followed that regimen for 3 months.
Another thing about Lyme is that even though it's so prevalent here, the testing for it isn't adequate to detect the bacteria. The tests can only detect antibodies. This means many times, a patient's symptoms will subside, antibodies will ebb, but the bacteria lay dormant. A test will show a false negative, and the doctors and patient will think the disease is eradicated, until years later when a catalyst causes it to awaken. We know many people who live in this reality of suffering from chronic Lyme. We sought counsel from a physician friend who is a doctor of integrative medicine. She recommended sending H's bloodwork out of the country to have it tested for the bacteria itself, not just the antibodies. While testing for Lyme, this German blood test can also screen for co-infections, also common with tick bites. These stealth viruses enter the body through the same tick bite, aren't killed by antibiotics (because viruses aren't bacteria), and have subtler symptoms or symptoms that don't present themselves for many years but lead to chronic diseases such as STDs, Epstein Bar Syndrome, and others. The family medical doctor is a wonderful Christ-filled man, and he and his team are some of the most respected in town, but they don't test or treat for co-infections.
Months after her initial tick bite, H was still showing symptoms and feeling fatigued daily. She'd sleep 9 hours a night, and then lay her head on her school books at 10AM. H is studious and driven, so it was definitely not like her to be so lethargic. We felt confident we needed to pursue further testing. We were unsure if she still had Lyme or if other things were also complicating her health.
Now we know with certainty that her Lyme is gone! Thankful is an understatement!! But her bloodwork did show a positive for a stealth virus. H's tests also showed markers for "chronic immune suppression." She continues to see our doctor of integrative medicine who is treating her immune system, genetic mutation, stealth virus, and now adrenal system, which has been overworked from the stress of many conditions.
The doctor doesn't feel that this virus alone can account for all of H's symptoms or the drastic suppression of her immune system. Mold exposure is a likely cause. Because of H's gene, same as me, she doesn't filter toxins at normal capacity. The source of mold is uncertain--it could be that the polluted water from last year took root in her (and in me, as I'm still struggling in some areas that are consistent with mold exposure), or it could be that there is mold somewhere in our home. Doc is recommending a mold test done on our home before any other medical tests are done on either of us. We are hoping and praying that there is no mold in our house! Under other doctors orders, we have removed most of the carpeting, had the duct work cleaned, and the water well was recently tested for a check-up, and all is working properly. Karl and his dad have been inside the walls when refinishing our basement, and saw no mold. Logically, the polluted water of 2018 is the most probable cause. If we couldn't filter out the toxins in it, it's possible/probable that we have internal mold overgrowth. But there's a simple test we can order online to make sure that there isn't any mold lurking somewhere hidden.
Please pray with us as we hopefully rule out mold in the home, and undergo treatments for killing mold overgrowth in our bodies.
In the meantime, H is improving day to day with these many treatments. It's not an immediate fix, which can cause her to feel good some days and then bad the next. She and I both have to be very strict at eliminating toxins from our lifestyle as well as managing the unavoidable toxins. We've found herbal tea, chiropractic, massage, and topical essential oils to be beneficial in this process. Remembering what it was like to live overseas with limited options, we're thankful for the many resources and opportunities here!
Please continue to pray for H, and while you're at it, if you could pray for the northeast to get control of its tick population, that'd be good too! :)
This weekend, H will be in a production of the Nutcracker ballet. Preparing for this show has brought her a lot of enjoyment during this season of not feeling well. Ballet has been a choice prescription to keep her moving and strengthening her body while keeping it low impact. We're all looking forward to seeing her dance this weekend!
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