Mercola.com has put together the best overview on Lyme disease that I’ve seen in a long time. Even the CDC prevalence data is up to date:
Lyme disease in the United States
Author: Jesus is for the Wounded
Believer in Jesus Christ, Extension Master Gardener, and retired Occupational Therapist. I'm madly in love with and proud of my husband, Mechanical Engineer and Private Pilot: Steve! I invite you to "FOLLOW" my story of the Lord's work in my life at www.justjuliewrites.com
Wolfie, the bee and me
You might think that an Advanced Master Gardener who tested as understanding about garden insects would be a little less squeamish about bugs than the average person? Er, no.
You might think that scaring the wolf spider who fled under the passenger’s car seat, and the “barrier” of the light of a flashlight and a floor space clear of travel garb in which to hide would make the back seat a safe haven for the 6-hour drive home? Er, no. I opted for the trunk of the station wagon!
You might think that I’d be used to a sweat bee pestering us at the outdoor dining patio of a small town restaurant since it’s a common phenomena for late summers in Indiana? Er, no.
And you might think that the gnat in my wild rice was no big deal since I only planned to eat 2 tiny bites due to dietary restrictions; I’d already eaten them so I shouldn’t care right? Er, no.
Yeah, you might think that a 15-hour road trip to pick up my River Bear husband’s new kayak would be uneventful for the dutiful wife passenger . . . er, no! For me it was the little things that meant a lot when they were crawling and flying too close to my personal body parts, facial orifices, and comfort zones! Perhaps the 7 or so tic and seizure attack zips during the afternoon put me a little on edge for the first leg of the trip from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Erie, Pennsylvania. I had brought ample snacks, blankies, and a pillow for maximum cushy; the lush countryside as we travelled from the flat soybean fields of our homeland to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains made for ample eye candy in between rest stops as well. I guess I didn’t do so well after all. I just wonder why spontaneous adventures like these can no longer be, er, “normal?”
Sorry for the down mood. I spent most of the day in bed today recovering from our day trip. Gratefully, Steve has a beautiful Epic V12 surf ski in mint condition now, for a steal-of-a-deal price: $500 below the boat he sold to get it. My guy sure knows how to trade boats! As for me, I missed attending a meaningful wedding this afternoon with my beloved and many of our friends from church; I had more tic attacks and convulsions plus an additional 4 1/2 hours of sleep instead! I woke up worthless except for the intact ability to cruise the internet in bed for hours. Gratefully I’d made dozens of veggie turkey burgers two nights ago to sustain me with the intermittent, partial bag of Beanitos chips. Ahhhhh, such is the life of a person lost in the recovery from Lyme Disease.
So where am I now? I’m more stable as I’ve passed my bewitching hour of 9 to 11:00 p.m. when I usually have a noxious episode. Thank the Lord I already covered that one earlier today! My husband has graciously attended to some house chores and provided an occasional kiss of encouragement here and there. I, too, would have liked to have hidden in the dark under the “seat of life,” buzzed about aimlessly until I found what I was looking for, or curled up next to the softness of a mound of carbs . . . I guess from here I will proceed otherwise.
It’s time for me to crawl like the slow-moving sow bugs on our hardwood floors, before the Throne of Grace. I need Jesus. I need an infilling of the Holy Spirit, nothing else. I need to go it alone at what ever miles per hour it takes to drive home into my heart that this too shall pass. My thoughts need softening and only the Lord can bring this gently, lovingly, perfectly. Oh my Jesus, meet me here this night. Let there be Your light and nothing else. Thank you Lord for hearing me.
Just Julie
Her Color is Lyme
I am pleased to share with the Gentle Readers of New Hope Beyond Lyme, a second guest blog interview!
Introducing: Jennifer Steidl, a WordPress blogger from the State of Washington I met after we “liked” each others blogs a few times! What interested me in reading Jennifer’s story is her devastating exposure to mold biotoxins as a child then her battle with several other serious illnesses including Lyme disease. What kept me coming back was her gentle way of communicating her experiences and her faith in the Lord. Please check out her blog at: http://www.jeanvieve7.wordpress.com/ for more of her story.
And now let the interview begin:
1. Tell us about your life before Lyme and the development of mold biotoxin illness.
It is actually hard to recall life before illness, we moved into a mold filled house when I was 11 so my (our) health deteriorated after that point. It started with fatigue, sinus infections, and various other symptoms. It took years to discover the problem was mold. We lived in the house 6 years, and after moving out our health started to get better for a time before auto-immune symptoms started to make themselves known.
2. What role does your faith in God have in your recovery process?
It has been the essential element. I had times when I felt so terrible physically, and was so depressed I think I would have given up all hope if it weren’t for God. And knowing (even if it was only deep down at my core) that He had a plan and a purpose for me brought me through the darkness. I trusted that He led me to a team of doctors that knew what they were doing, and He would not have done so if it were not for the purpose of healing.
3. How can I keep from blaming God or others for my illness or the things that are going wrong in my life?
I can honestly say I have never blamed God for years of struggles and illness. Been frustrated, angry, depressed, desperate, confused…yes, but not angry at God. I am not being arrogant at all, but rather I had to resort to what I knew was true of God; His character, and the way He works. I am a weak feeble-minded human being and I have doubted these truths many times….but somehow not at my very core. Dive deeply into His Word, pray fervently and honestly, don’t be afraid to ask Him why you are going through these struggles, He will reveal it to you in time. Be open to learning whatever He has to teach you during this time, and what He has given you to teach others.
4. What are your favorite verses of scripture or Bible stories these days?
- A Couple of my favorites: Hosea 6:1-3 “Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
5. What works the best for you with the difficult symptoms of Lyme and mold treatment?
It has changed over time depending what stage of treatment I am in, but one thing that has made the biggest difference in energy and weight loss has been Cholestyramine. It is used to rid the body of toxins that the liver alone can’t deal with, especially mold toxins.
6. What 2-3 things do you look forward to the most when you are well?
In some ways it is still scary to hope too much (the fear of not getting to do what I want to do), but that is something I am slowly getting past. On a small scale I would love to really get back to biking. I have a goal of riding 50 miles in one day. Also I would love to get back to yoga. On a large scale I have always desperately wanted to travel, with New Zealand being my number one destination.
7. Is there anything else you would like to share with the Gentle Readers viewing this blog post?
I hope with all my heart you have a good doctor or team of doctors that really know how to treat Lyme, it’s co-infections, and especially the secondary illnesses that accompany it; heavy metals, candida, parasites….If you do know that what you are feeling now is temporary, and it gets worse before it gets better. You can make it through. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor/s the tough questions. Do lots of research and know your illness as best you can. Reach out to others both to learn and be learned from.
Don’t let yourself battle this alone. I think this is one of the top struggles of Lymies because so few people are able to understand what you are going through. But be honest about your physical and emotional struggles with those who love you, don’t try and do it by yourself. No matter how terrible you feel at this moment, allow yourself to accept that you are in a privileged place (crazy I know). But God is drawing you closer, so let yourself be drawn into His arms of grace. There is abundantly more for you at this moment in Christ because all else has been taken away, hold onto it, embrace it, don’t let this moment pass you by.
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Thank you for sharing your story, your heart, and your hope today Jennifer. I pray that the Lord will bless you on your journey and see your through to complete healing and wholeness. Take care lady, :J
Let there be light
I am so glad I stumbled upon a videotaped performance this evening of the talented and zany Christian communicator, Patsy Clairmont. My own strength is waxing and waning at the moment so she provided the little something extra I need to make it through to tomorrow.
In her show, Patsy described her search for words to comfort a dear friend battling cancer and found it in Genesis 1:3. Here God reveals to us through Moses the beginning of the story of life as we know it:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Patsy points out that the first words the Bible records of God speaking are for there to be light. Ah yes, light dispels the darkness and guides our way; light is a symbol of God’s glory and presence throughout the Bible, and so much more. Intended as a meditation for her friend, the simple message of the verse, “let there be light,” became a joyful encouragement to both of them. I invite you to view the You Tube video for the moving story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HpRO8g9Qds
This evening was a dark one for my beloved husband, Steve, and me. He’s exhausted from the demands of work and his heart breaking as he watches his wife thrash about with convulsions every night. I am broken, depleted and in a good deal of pain most evenings from the same and the seemingly lack of direction in my treatment. It seems that every time I start on a new course of treatment for Lyme, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome or the myriad of related conditions I get sidetracked or have to stop due to increased convulsions. The current pattern of some form of these “seizure attacks” is for them to occur about three times per day on average with one miraculous 23-hour break earlier this week. Go figure.
I need the verse, “let there be light” to wash over my burdened soul this night. I need my Jesus to be the light of my sore heart, the light of my weary steps. I need my doubt to be transformed by blind faith in His shining light. I need there to be light.
And so I say to you as I write this in the middle of the night, scared to go to bed for fear of more attacks, “Let there be light.” And to my heavenly Father, “Let there be light.” And to those exasperated by the duration of my illness, “Let there be light.” And to all of those who are weary, “Let there be light.” Together we can find His light and know what that means in our own lives as the night gives way to the day . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
When you are no longer brave
If I were left to my own resources this day, I would not make it. Thankfully, there is more.
And the only resource worth pursuing is the One that is perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, love incarnate, eternal, and dwelling in my broken heart.
If I were to merely go with what feels right or good, I probably would not get well. Thankfully, there is more.
And the only emotion worth feeling is that of humility as I lay down my metaphorical sword and let the One who weeps for me wail His own mighty hand of power.
If I were to measure my patience, my progress by the time already invested in recovery or making things right, I could not find a tool with a good enough warranty to last long enough to even bother. Thankfully, there is more.
And the only period worth measuring is the one I must accept: the time that is indefinite, outside of a calendar or watch and yet fully calibrated and infinitely accurate in the hands of the Creator of time itself.
So if I were to admit that in the convulsive state of my existence that I can no longer go on I must proclaim on faith that there is more out there somewhere.
And my only hope lies in the protective wings of my Lord and Savior, the Alpha and the Omega, my Immanuel and King. So Here I am Lord . . .
A hymn: Here I am Lord.
Jesus is for the Wounded 
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