Starting Off The New Year on Round 40

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Happy New Year everyone!

A lot has happened since my last post!
We have a new grandbaby who was born at the end of November!
We traveled across the country and spent Christmas with family and was able to have dinner out 3 times in a week!
I know that might not sound like a big deal, but it is!

Let me start at the beginning...
I was able to get 39 rounds of ACC chelation in before our trip to SoCal.
That last round was a little rough, as I had run out of 5mg ala (because the supplier was out), so for round 38,  I had enough 12 mg capsules to split for one round. Round 38 at 6 mg went fine.

For round 39, my husband split 12.5 mg capsules, so the dose was 6.25.
No big deal, right?
Wrong.
I had increased symptoms (ear ringing, dull headache, adrenal symptoms).
Not what I needed right before an 8 day trip.

I didn't reveal this, but my daughter and I flew out to SoCal for our oldest daughter's baby shower, and the Tuesday before we left (on Friday), my head cleared 100%. It lasted for 2 full days! That was so awesome and a much needed answer to prayer.
The whole Charlotte team of American Airlines gave me exemplary service from literally the 10 seconds after I set foot in the door, until I was assisted onto the plane. A passenger even helped us on the plane and got our bags down from the overhead compartment once the plane landed. Still, I had a little meltdown once on the plane from the stress of all the preparation that's needed to get onto an airplane.

The  American Airlines team in Charlotte set the bar so high on that trip, but I understood that wasn't going to happen every time I flew.
Still, my husband was accompanying me on the December flight, so I knew it would be ok.
 While the American Airlines Charlotte team still offered assistance, traveling so close to a holiday makes things a little more chaotic. My adrenals are definitely better because we got to our seats on the plane with no meltdown!

After a wonderful Christmas celebration with family(the last time was in 1999 before we moved), we spent the week with our daughter, helping her organizing our grandbaby's room(my sister did a lot!), moving the last of her things from another residence and organizing her apartment. One day I worked so hard that I felt like I "broke" on the way back to our hotel.  I have been sleeping better, so I was fine the next day.

Being on the freeways in Los Angeles was still a "white knuckle ride" for me, so we limited our driving time and driving distance.
We got together with friends at a restaurant on Thursday. In the past, going out to a restaurant hasn't been enjoyable, it's merely been a test of surviving to the end.

Wings at Simmzy's Venice Beach

On Saturday, we met my brother in law and sister in law for dinner. The room wasn't loud when we arrived at the restaurant, but it was loud when we left. I call it success that I was still able to follow the conversation and enjoy the experience.

We went out again Sunday night with my family, but this time, it was not as easy to follow or engage in conversation. Still, much better that it has been.

We returned home on New Year's Eve.

It had been a busy week and I knew that it was going to take me a couple of weeks to recover.
I don't think it's related to my trip, but on Sunday (6 days after returning home), I woke up to my blood pressure spiking at 210/107. I waited 30 minutes and when my bp was still high I woke my husband up and we tried some things to lower it (hibiscus and putting my feet in hot water). My chest has been hurting in the area of my heart (near the sternum) for several weeks, so it was a bit disconcerting. My blood pressure lowered a bit, but then began going higher. With the chest pains, I felt I should get it checked out, so we went to the ER. Labs were good, with the exception of low potassium. The doctor had no explanation for either the blood pressure spike or the chest pains.
I'm continuing to monitor my blood pressure at home.

I skipped doing a round that week.

I just finished round 40 yesterday. The round was uneventful; hopefully the next few days off round will be, as well.


Here are 7 things that might help you when traveling by plane:

1. Purchase a good carry on that fits under the seat to keep needed supplements and food while you fly.

I purchased this one because it was large enough to fit my laptop inside. There's plenty of room inside and in the outside section and pockets. The only other feature I wish it had is spinner wheels.
 

I used 2 of these packing cubes inside my carry on bag to keep my things separate and organized.

2. Pack healthy snacks and bring the supplements you'll need while you're in the air.

3. When you get to the airport, request wheelchair assistance to and from the gate. (there isn't a charge for this, but it brings some cash to tip your assistant)

4. Make sure you book a seat that's convenient for you. When we traveled in December, we paid extra for the aisle and middle seats so that my husband could help me up when I needed to use the restroom.

5. Carry a cane if you need one. I carry a cane, which helps me, but also alerts others that I may need help or may take a little extra time.

6. Be sure to board first when the gate attendant calls for people who need extra time and help to board. 

7. When you get off the plane, if one isn't already there, ask for wheelchair assistance to the baggage claim. Sometimes, it's a very long walk!

There are a few other things we did while staying in the hotel, such as stopping off at Trader Joe's to pick up fruit, muffins, milk and Fiji water, so we could have breakfast in our room without having to get dressed to go out to eat or wait for room service. I brought my favorite organic tea, infuser and RTIC tumbler with me so I could make tea first thing in the morning. (there was a Keurig and a mini fridge in the room).

Hope your 2019 is off to a good start.

Have a Happy New Year!

Pam

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Beginning Month 9 - Back on Track...Again

Last month I told you I was back on track and started to feel like my old self again, but the day after I posted, my father passed away. The day after that, I flew out to Southern California with my daughter. At the time we made the arrangements, I had hoped to see my father one last time, but he passed a few hours after I booked our flight.

view from my dad's patio

I would have had trouble navigating the airport had my daughter not been with me. The noise, hustle and bustle of all the people in a place I don't go to every day sent my brain into total confusion and I couldn't think or even figure out how to use the machine where you print your boarding pass. It was difficult to follow directions.

I'm glad I brought my cane with me even though I hadn't needed it for awhile,  because by the time we got in the line for security I was experiencing pretty substantial tremors in my hands and head and was having some balance issues.

At the gate, there was seating marked for handicap persons and I sat in one of the chairs. Just before boarding, someone from the airline came over and asked us if we would like to board first, which was really helpful. 
I had a couple of leftover Valium from  a procedure I had done a couple of years before and took that once on the plane to calm me down. I don't normally like to take prescription like that, pain killers, or even tylenol, but Dr. Rawls mentioned on our Facebook group that something like that would be a good thing to take during a stressful time. I think my situation qualified for that!  I was glad I took a valium because I  slept for a couple of hours on the plane! By the time I woke up, it was almost time for the plane to descend.

We had to change planes in Phoenix and we had arranged for a ride from one gate to the other because the airport is so large, the gates are so far apart and I knew that I couldn't walk that far. It was a good thing we had done that back in Charlotte because the plane was late getting in and would have definitely missed our flight otherwise. Even with the ride, we were the last to get on the plane. 

We arrived at the (small) Long Beach airport and only had to walk across the parking lot to get our rental car. I was a little tired, but ok to drive. The streets there are straight and wide, with stop lights every 1/2 mile or so. I did not drive the freeway at all.

My husband arrived a few days later, thank goodness, because I was tired of driving and we needed to drive on the freeway to get to where we were going.

With the exception of one day, where I slept for half of it, I was able to function, had energy and felt well. I was glad I brought all of my supplements and my Migun infrared mat with me, even though they took up most of the room in my suitcase.

We were staying at my dad's place, so I had access to a kitchenette and was able to keep my eating routine pretty much the same as at home. We did eat out quite a bit, but I kept to the diet, except for 2 times when I had to have a cheeseburger from In-N-Out. I didn't break my diet until after the funeral, though.

On the way home, I had similar symptoms as when we flew out, but at least we were all flying home together and my husband and daughter both took good care of me.

I seemed to crash the week after getting home. I was really tired again. My tremors continued and I was having brain fog and balance issues. Brain fog, for those who haven't experienced it, feels like having had one too many drinks. I can't think clearly, stumble and slur my words. My brain, between my scalp and my skull also felt like it was smoldering. That symptom can be easily taken care of with a frozen gel pack placed on top of your head.

The tremors subsided after about a week or so, but the other symptoms remained for about 3 weeks. 

I was a bit frustrated with the new symptoms after traveling and wondered whether or not these symptoms were from a build up of ammonia in my brain (from bacteria die off). I've read that bacteria die off can build up in the brain and it needs to be detoxed, so I searched around the internet and found several people had good reviews for a product from Jernigan Nutraceuticals. I  used it for several days and then the brain fog was better. I don't know if it just subsided or the product actually worked. 20 drops is the doses on the bottle, taken 3 x a day. It doesn't taste bad.  You can find this product HERE. I read about this product on Suzy Cohen's blog. (she's a pharmacist)

 I started feeling better last week. I did have one day where I had a bit of brain fog when I was tired and on the way home from running errands. I had trouble with following the commands at the self checkout. It was a good thing I was only a couple of miles away from home.

The past several days, we've spent a lot of time in the garden doing Fall chores.

At my request, my husband picked up a few garden tools  that would make the Fall chores easier for me. Not that he wasn't going to help. We have gas powered tools that are too heavy for me to use and I'm not strong enough to pull the string to get the gas blower started. 

Let's just say, I went a little overboard on 3 different days.  Last Sunday I worked (with my husband) practically the whole day) at least 5 hours outside. Of course, I took several breaks, but we had to get everything done. We also had our young marrieds group (we lead) that evening and I was a little tired, but felt good.

I threw caution to the wind yesterday and went out again to finish up a bit in the yard. I worked 3 hours by myself and really pushed it. I probably should have given myself a day in between. Today I'm resting and have that smoldering feeling in my head, but I still feel pretty good. There are still about 30 shrubs that have to be trimmed and shaped, but that will have to wait. We're hiring some teenage boys to pick up the trimmings. That's half of the work!

As for what's next, I've ordered some extra herbs to treat the Bartonella symptoms. The protocol is listed on Stephen Buhner's website. The Vital Plan Restore Program is based on the Buhner Protocol. Restore includes some herbs that addresses microbes other than borrelia, but the Bart symptoms have been pretty strong since returning from our trip. I plan to take the herbs for Bartonella for 30 days.

That brings you up to date as I begin my 9th round of the Restore Program

Hope today is a good day for you.

Pam

ps: leave me a comment as to how you're doing if you are recovering from lyme disease.

Here are my symptoms as of today:

Generally, I feel good and symptoms are a minor annoyance

fatigue - changes daily, but today it's about a 3-4 Some days it's only a 2 :)

Numbness, tingling in feet got worse and now back to what they were last month

swollen pads on bottom of feet near toes- same

dizziness- only when tired

difficulty finding words (1- 3-4 when really tired)

blurry eyes ( has been worse lately)

urgency  (3)

light sensitivity (negligible)

noise sensitivity (3)

startles easily (2)

muscle pain - same as last month

aching forearms-haven't noticed any

muscle weakness (4)
tremors (had them when I traveled really bad, but went away after about a week and a half- also had them a      little previously)

high pitch ringing in the ears/low pitch ringing - have developed a 3rd pitch that comes and goes

brain "smoldering" - (3 - when I've work too hard the previous day)

brain fog ( 1 day last week- previously every day after coming back from SoCal)

not being able to follow directions (3-4) -comes and goes

98.6  

Weight is still the same- Have lost about 30 pounds since December