"Forced into the Lyme-Light"

Good evening! I have a special and informative treat for you all tonight! I have a guest blogger who is an amazing testimony of God's divine intervention! I have the utmost respect for this family. They have been through so much in the past few weeks and recently while chatting with her, I asked her if she would be willing to write an entry for awareness and for the pure testimony of God's grace. She said she would and I was so excited to get it in my inbox tonight! I hope you enjoy the entry, learn something to help others who might be searching for a diagnosis and take a moment to thank God for all He has done for this family!

~This week a senior from EHS was diagnosed with Lyme Disease as well..please keep him in your prayers!

Let me introduce you to Liz and Hampton.....

FORCED INTO THE LYME-LIGHT

It was Friday night March 6, 2009….my husband and I, along with our 11 year old son Hampton, were playing rock band, laughing and having a good time. Suddenly, my son turned around, grabbed his throat, and said his throat hurt and he couldn’t swallow; he began crying and saying I feel so bad mom, so bad…..he went straight to bed. Little did I know he would be in the bed for 5 weeks solid; only to move to the recliner for 3 more weeks. It was as if someone had flipped a switch.

The next day, he had a lowgrade temp, and was so weak and fatigued, that he stayed in bed all weekend, and on Monday we went to the doctor assuming that he must have strep. Strep was ruled out, and the doctor thought it must be flu. We made repeated trips to the doctor over the next 11 days, ruling out all the norms, flu, mono, strep, cytomegalovirus, RSV, adenovirus, as well as checking all routine labs such as sed rate, CMP (complete metabolic panel) CBC, etc. Every lab was normal. We were sent home to let whatever strange “virus” we had to run its course.

Throughout this period, Hampton’s symptoms were increasing and more were presenting to include excruciating headaches, stabbing muscular pains, abdominal pain, rigorous chills, sweats, red flushed face, dizziness, anxiety & panic, paranoia, wobbly legs, tingling, numbness, increased sensitivities to sound & smell, skin tenderness, cognitive issues(foggy concentration/comprehension), withdrawal & lack of engagement in conversation, emotional outburst, chest pain, faint feelings, queasiness, shakes and tremors, involuntary jerks, testicular & urethral pain, and hearing auditory sounds that did not exist. He was literally worsening day by day, rising only to eat, use the restroom, and go to the doctor.

Increasingly worried, and concerned, we were praying and begging God for wisdom to know what was wrong in order to get proper treatment. On the morning of March 20th, while I was getting dressed, Lyme disease literally came to me from thin air…..I knew it had to be from God, as I didn’t even know a symptom of Lyme at that point. This prompted me to search the internet and learn about it to see if it sounded like what we were experiencing….It absolutely did…….

I was told of a local who had gone through this ordeal a few years back, and I immediately contacted her to get a first- hand account of her experience, and it was a carbon copy match with Hampton…….She had mentioned a knowledgeable doctor being in the Florida area. I notified him, and he ordered the test to be drawn on March 23, and on March 25th he called and told me it was positive for Lyme.

Hampton was put on Doxycycline and Omnicef immediately, and after initiation of antibiotics, he went down hill rapidly. This happens with Lyme because the mutants of the bacteria, called spirochete, actually go rampant and start dying. When they die, they emit toxins into your body which cause an increase in symptoms and make you sicker. This was very evident because Hampton began profuse vomiting, which he had not done the entire time. This would continue over the next 7 days off and on, all the while all other symptoms were increasing in intensity as well.

We also had labs drawn to test for co-infections for Lyme; seldom does one who is infected have Lyme alone. The tick usually always carries secondary infections as well. This result came back positive for Bartonella. At that point, a third antibiotic of Azithromycin was added. We will continue this protocol until the end of June, at which time we will go back for a check with the doctor.

At no time did we have a rash or any sign of having been bitten; infact, we find that most Lyme patients seldom remember a bite, see a tick, or have the rash. The deer tick that carries Lyme is minute; about the size of a poppy seed.

Hampton is improving and making great progress now; he actually had a huge improvement over Mother’s Day weekend, and did exceptionally well through May 17th. This week, however, we are experiencing some more “die off”, which is to be expected. He is very tired, low fever, and just feels bad; these times will come and go until it is eradicated fully. There is not a “quick fix”.

We are so thankful for the many prayers and support of so many, some of whom we don’t even know. We are thankful for God’s Wisdom and guidance throughout this ordeal; where would we have been had “HE” not intervened?

I hope that by writing this, someone may read it, and find it the “answer” to their prayer………..we know there have to be more people going from doctor to doctor searching for answers and they, too, have undiagnosed Lyme Disease. May this be their day of hope.

God’s Blessings to you all…….

Liz