Lesson From Lyme

Before I start this post I want to say that I have been feeling phenomenal.  There has been lots of downers, (one of which you'll read about right now) to get me to this point, and I know there will be more low points during my treatment.  But if my highs feel like this, then I'll take the down days, killing more bacteria!  I have been ill for 5 years with Lyme disease.  For the first time in five years, pieces of the real me are shining through.  It feels unbelievably great to be feeling better, there are no words for it, just smiles. :)

My body has been unresponsive for five years.  For the last six years, up until I started treatment for Lyme disease, I used to wake up at 5 am and go to the gym to do fasting cardio, followed by weight training.  I did this 5 days a week and I also ate a clean diet of 1200-1400 calories a day, anymore I would gain weight.

Throughout the last five years I've eliminated gluten, dairy, grains, and sugar.  Still, my body is unresponsive. Did this frustrate me?  Yes.  Did I work as a personal trainer and struggle with my own body? Yes.  Do I still?  Yes. Did I know why my body wasn't working correctly?  No.  That is until I figured out that I had Lyme disease, which had hindered everything in my body, including, my hormones and thyroid.

My body has a great amount of healing left to do, and my thyroid and Lymphatic system still aren't functioning where they should be.  I try not to stress about it, because I know things will get better, but my health has to get there first.  It is disheartening, I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to know that I do everything I can physically, and I'm unable to achieve my fitness goals for reasons beyond my control.

I had a bad experience when I entered the second antibiotic into my new protocol for my treatment of Lyme. I had my first herx reaction from hell, and I broke out into a horrible rash all over my body.  If you are unaware of what a Herxheimer reaction is, head back to this post.  http://brewlifewithlyme.blogspot.com/2015/03/lets-talk-about-herxing.html

This happened because I was not detoxing my body like I had been previously.  I wasn't taking the best care of me; pushing myself too hard at the gym, nearing passing out on several occasions.  I stopped taking epsom salt baths, wasn't drinking enough water, and wasn't eating foods that heal.  I know this wasn't an allergic reaction, because I made sure to do my trusty scratch testing.  Below you can view my scratch test for Amoxicillin.

This is only a 2 on my scale.

With every new challenge that arises in my treatment for Lyme, comes a lesson. I'm always trying to figure out the lesson from my Lyme.  I believe that certain things happen to certain people at definitive moments in their life. Lyme found me in the field, and it sent my life on an entirely new path. I can be pissed about it, or I can take this experience and grow from it.  Once I've crawled my way out of this hole, I will be a changed person, I already am.  My Lyme lessons will be with me wherever I go.

The video above describes my feelings about this rash, and what exactly was going on with my body. 

Below are a few photos.

By the way, I feel fucking amazing. I am killing those lil fuckers.

There is a lot of superficial in life.

I work in an industry where taking selfies in front of a mirror is the norm, people put sole value on their external appearance.  We all know that external beauty fades and I'm lucky enough to experience my body in a completely different manner.  Having an illness like Lyme disease, does that to you, it takes away all control, and weird bacteria take over.  The saying, "you are what you eat" doesn't apply to me, because I have lil spirochetes eating away at cells, collagen and entire systems within my body. That's one of the first things I remember feeling when I knew I was sick, but didn't know with what.  I remember feeling as if aliens had taken my body over, I had no control.  When your entire body is infected and not functioning properly, you begin to see the human body for what it is, not just a nice ass and a hot pair of shoulders.

If this rash could happen to me because I wasn't taking the necessary steps to detox my body, it got me thinking....How else am I damaging my treatment and overall purpose to get better? 

As symptoms started to improve, I began to overdue some things and became a little too nonchalant about my current health situation.

 I'm learning to find a peaceful balance, but it takes time, a little trial and error, and a lot of love.  Self love. 

Don't overdue it, only do what you are able to physically.

If I overdue it, you can find me on the bathroom floor, puking...and where is the self love in that?

This is one of my favorite reading sites.  Here is another woman's struggle with her body and Lyme disease.
http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/lyme-disease-weight-loss

Repeat song of the week.

Thanks for reading
Becky