Keeping Sane While Recovering from Serious Illness

The best strategy for success over Lyme Disease, next to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is to get educated! We must become a student of our own personal journey in this life, medical history, available resources, traditional medical diagnostic testing/treatments, alternative treatments, nutritional strategies, emotions, and spiritual journey. This requires prayer and reflection, writing down what is happening and keeping records!

Personally, I have a few strategies to keep my mind engaged as the Lord leads me through this journey. They include:

Engaging in Bible study and prayer, listening to my pastor’s messages posted on the internet (since I miss church a lot), and fellowship with other believers in Jesus Christ, whether in person or by various forms of correspondence.
Listening to Christian radio whenever I’m near a radio, especially in the car.
Worship music: keep a CD player and CDs close to your bed or favorite crash spot. Reducing stress is critical so keep the music soft, soothing, positive, Christ-centered. The ultimate enemy is Satan and he wants you to believe the lies and negativity that may be roaming about in your head. Recovery from a serious illness is a spiritual battle as much as a physical one. Allow the Lord to wash over you in His mercy and grace; seek Him with your mind and your heart.
Writing a blog! Hey, thanks for listening to my blah, blah, blah, blog!
Keeping a treatment journal. This includes a section for ongoing, daily treatment, symptoms and responses. Another section is for my current protocol including list of medications, supplements, Rife protocols, and other treatment recommendations. The last section is for note-taking at my local support group, doctor/alternative practitioner appointments, and public lectures.
Regular internet searches on my active treatment strategies for updates, new information, recommendations from others.
Facebook pages and email forums/groups on Lyme Disease and my treatment technologies (i.e. Indianalyme Yahoo Group, and on Facebook: Northwest Indiana Lyme, Lyme Disease Awareness and Rife for Lyme Disease treatment) . There’s a huge network of sojourners out there!
Attend a local support group related to your illness. This helps to see that we are really not alone! If the conversation gets negative, encourage the group to include the positives or talk privately to the facilitators about it. They might be unaware and just might welcome your feedback! Stay away otherwise!
Checking the standards of care on ILADS.org, LDUC.org, and keeping up to date on conferences, new research.
Finding something you can do even if it is something new! As for me, that’s when Trinity Jewelry by Design was born! Get creative. Start slow. You can do it!
Keep moving. Do some slow stretching. Breeeeeeathe.
Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for medications to manage side effects when needed. Weeks of nausea will keep you in bed and weaker, setting you back in the long run.
Similarly, don’t be afraid to seek out new healthcare professionals for guidance to help you recover. Try to have them consult with one another where possible.
Consider the impact of other medical and environmental conditions on your recovery process, for example, the need for mold remediation.
Work on building your immune systems and overall health in addition to getting rid of the bad stuff.
Put together a humor journal, share comics about Lyme on your Facebook page, clip and post them, etc. We have got to lighten up and not take ourselves too seriously. Endorphins that come from laughing can reduce pain, stress, and help you breathe!
And rest as much as you need. I know that my symptoms can be worse if I’m tired, spacey, foggy — you get the picture!

In healthcare, we have a phrase for documentation of patient care that states, “if it isn’t written, it didn’t happen.” The written medical record is a legal document, intended to help us paint the picture of the care that was completed for everyone’s benefit. I submit to you that “if it isn’t written, we will make the same mistakes again.” There is just too much to remember! So let’s not forget to write down what’s going on and to keep learning. Sooooooo many times I have found an answer to my own question in my own notes! My own treatment log has made the difference and helps identify progress I would have forgotten about, especially when I’m sick and in need of relief. Praise the Lord, I can still read and write . . .