The Flares are Fo Real

I had about 3 months of glory this summer!!  My health was back to a place I remember dreaming about while writing this post http://brewlifewithlyme.blogspot.com/2016/02/what-do-i-even-say.html.  

Then I had a flair and realized well FUCK....I'm sensitive. 

My songs coincide with my feelings if you haven't noticed through my past blog posts.  So it should be no surprise that I walk around singing a song like this when I'm feeling sensitive. 

The first time I remember being told I was sensitive was at my grandmothers funeral.  I must have been about 7.  The tears could not stop streaming down my cheeks as I met the eyes of one of my moms cousins.  I remember feeling bashful; unable to control my emotions and scared. My mother looked at me sitting in the same pew I once sat at with my grandma and told me I was sensitive.

Today I'm talking about a different kind of sensitive.  The kind of sensitive that doesn't show itself as a face full of smeared mascara.  It's the internal scars of what's been going on within me this last decade and it slowly reveals itself at any opportune moment.

I had some learning experiences this August/September and I also had some things to re-learn after feeling well and forgetting I have chronic Lyme.   Letting up on very important treatments can have long term detrimental health effects for those with chronic Lyme.  September was a warning and a reality check for me as to how scary and REAL chronic Lyme disease is.  Isn't it lovely though, that even for a short bit I can say I had forgotten I had Lyme?

He keeps an eye on me but doesn't tell me about the chocolate on my mouth.

My gains:

1.  The methylation supplement 5-MTHFR (active B) that I take for my duel genetic mutation C677T and 1298C is very important!!  I have a flair of sorts that causes extreme fatigue, muscle soreness, and more if I run out and don't take it for a week or two, or three.  The great news is that I finally see the connection with this particular supplement and I have backup bottles on hand from here on out!

2.  Any hormonal change can disrupt my sensitive self.  Keeping up on my compounded T3 and Levothyroxine is a must.  Taking 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3.  NOT taking any other form of hormonal pills, such as birth control or Levonorgestrel.  Day to day and monthly hormonal change is fine so long as I'm balanced.

3.  I am sensitive to my environment!  Yeah yeah yeah, I know this already.  The molds, chemicals, and allergens...but summers in Spokane welcome a new kind of environmental challenge.  Smoke from forest fires.  Breathing unhealthy air can make a healthy person sick.  When I'm exposed I have a painful flair in my muscles of the mid-thoracic region. This means air filters, closed windows, and staying indoors when the air quality is poor.

4.  HORNET STINGS!
Holy shit, I've had two this summer.  Lucky for me a hornet nest lives in my front stairwell.  Both stings were on my calf.  I had pitting edema and a whole body reaction of pain with the first one.  The second sting nearly sent me to urgent care;  I was stung in the same location on my calf!   The second sting swelled everything under the knee, including my ankle.  The swelling lasted 7 days and got continuously worse until day 5.  The entire area was warm to touch and itched like a giant welt!  If there's a third sting I'm gonna be in trouble.  I learned from the first sting and administered ice right away, elevation, Kinesio tape for swelling, and detoxed with supplements.  I was able to avoid the whole body reaction from incorporating the modalities mentioned above.

Sting two

The reality is that things effect me.  Minor things that do not effect most people can and most likely will make me sick.  This is something I have to be prepared for and I have to accept.  It's hard to be the person that needs to be looked after in way, is how I feel.  That's just not how I've rolled throughout my life.

With all that said, on a positive note I visited Montana last weekend and I've noticed I've become way less sensitive to foods at the moment.  I was able to take less precautions and get away with eating under less strict Becky guidelines.  It was impressive, not even an eye swell or an upset stomach out of the whole weekend.   This is great for me.  Huge improvement in that department.  I'm feeling good again, learned my lesson, preventing, and prepared for future obstacles.

Feeling good should by no means be forgetting to take care of myself!  This hiccup has had consequences that I am now dealing with on a daily basis.  Unfortunately there is some bad news that involves my eyes.  Surprise surprise.  My eyes which I have already mentioned in nearly every post since starting this blog have been my worst symptom.  This time I'm scared. For good reason.
We'll talk more in the next post about that.

Also November 2018 marks the 4th year since receiving my Lyme diagnosis and beginning treatment.
Thanks for reading!