I did not know how very sick I was. My "normal" was pretty intense. My original prescription for the PICC line treatment was for 8 weeks. I started in March of 2015, when Grey Gondella took me to the hospital for the insertion. She has been an amazing nurse, friend, boss, and encourager through all of this. I think she gets a little enjoyment out of seeing me get stuck and poked, after her own five years of Ovarian Cancer check-ups. The PICC line insertion was painless and very interesting. Grey had warned the doctor that I was a homeschooler and would ask 10,000 questions. Luckily, he and the nurse were both patient and liked to chat. Medicine amazes me.
I was able to hire my old neighbor and good friend Janice J. as my home healthcare nurse. She took great care of me and we got to visit once a week. The treatments were easy - if time-consuming - to administer. I did them at our homeschool conference, driving to meetings, watching TV, and yes, quilting, with all of those sharp scissors and blades. I think my doctor worried the most about my taking care of the chickens, rabbits, and horses with my PICC line. Janice worried more about my vermicomposting projects. My kids worried about me lifting more that the thirty pounds I was allowed with that arm. A bag of feed weighs about fifty pounds, but I figured that by hugging it to my chest the right arm carried at least forty of those.
I think you have to live life as much as you can when you can, or why spend all that time and money to get better?
The PICC line was still in in August. I volunteered right through our 4H Fair (with lots of livestock). I managed a few Stand Up Paddleboard and Shenandoah River tubing adventures. I can tell you that NONE of those "keep it dry" products work.
Dr. B. had finally written a prescription for taking the line out. After one of those float trips down at Watermelon Park, I accidentally pulled the line out a good twelve inches taking off my bathing suit. Grey took me to the hospital, where the doctor told me "I'll count to three" and pulled it on two. I was free!
The PICC line was a blessing. My headaches have changed from "all day for a month" to one every week. I hardly use Vicodin anymore, after living on two a day for three years. Those two things alone tell me that serious antibiotic treatment for Lyme Disease is working.
I'm not done yet. I am still rotating through a three week cycle of antibiotics with a week off. allowing the little guys to think it's safe to come out to play, then killing them. I am working my way through a Bartonella Co-infection right now. It shows up for me with pain on the bottom of my feet, a red rash around the brain surgery site, harsh anxiety, and fatigue.
But I am so much better. I am so grateful for my doctor. And for continued research into Lyme Disease treatment. We have to get insurance companies on board. Even with all of your generous donations, we have incurred over $10,000 of debt.
But, I am better. There is no price. And, somehow, I have faith. Huge faith that it will work out. My thanks to all of you.
 |
| My favorite place to hydrate, |
 |
| The site. Man this thing itched. |
