Being Thankful Regardless.

I couldn't get out of bed for a few days. When I mustered the energy, I went to see my primary physician who is also my Lyme doctor.  I told him the brief history from the summer months on. I explained about the oral surgery, the steroids and the antibiotics.  He totally agreed with me. Man, how often does that happen? We as patients can usually figure things out for ourselves. We live with the pain and symptoms every day.  Anyway, he told me that steroids are one of the worst things a doctor can give to a Lyme patient. It makes sense, because it shuts the immune system down and the bacteria go on a growing spree.  That's exactly what was stirred up in September.  After starting this second round of Doxycycline for the re-infected bone graft, the Lyme started to die off  and at the same time overloaded my body with toxins. This is what causes the classic Herxheimer reaction.  It basically feels like your body got rolled over by an 18 wheeler.  It's brutal. I just need to rest and keep flushing with fluids. So, at the very least, I know it's not the food sensitivities causing me to have this extreme pain. Although, I am sure my immune system will be much happier if I eliminate and cut back on certain foods especially sugar.   Now I just need to stay focused on getting through this flare.  Been down this path many many times.  Thank God I am going to my brothers for Thanksgiving.  I know I couldn't handle the holiday myself.  With all that goes on in a chronically ill persons life, there is always something to be thankful for. We have to work very hard to turn our thoughts away from our aching and broken bodies and look to all our blessings.  In doing that, it offers a bit of pain relief because our brain is only capable of  focusing on one thought at a time.  So count your blessings despite how crappy you feel.  ;)