Rhymes With "Jerks"

Before reading any further than the title, those of you also suffering from Lyme's know exactly where this post is heading...

I am again plagued with the Herx...herxes....the dreaded Herxheimer reaction. Funny that one delineation of the term rhymes with "jerks" as 1) my muscles are jerking and twitching randomly and 2) I am being a jerk because I feel quite dreadful. To borrow a phrase from my Granny, I am "ill as a dern hornet." In researching for this blog post I came across the below description which accurately describes what my body is enduring right now.

Along with the above list is the feeling of overwhelm, especially in a Type-A, dominate/driver personality such as yours truly. You want to get everything done on your list, and you try really hard, but mentally you just can't juggle all your tasks that day. The important things get done, other things fall by the proverbial wayside. Exhaustion sets in because of the previous night's insomnia, and a nap sounds like a fabulous idea...until you lay down and your central nervous system won't let you rest. Then the brain kicks in about the tasks you aren't doing. Then my favorite....just can't get comfortable. Phantom itching that isn't really there and tingling, over-sensitive skin that has caused me to rip or cut almost every tag out of every item of clothing I own. 

So, what caused it this time? We switched up my supplements again, changed my protocol to include colloidal silver as well as a yeast/fungal detox regimen. Silver is a very powerful anti-pathogen that kills virus, fungus, bacteria, you name it. It has been used for centuries to treat everything from eye infections to hepatitis to even treating drinking water. This is where the saying "born with a silver spoon" came from as it was discovered the aristocracy suffered much less and were apparently immune to many plagues and infections that wiped out entire populations. They ate with silver utensils and drank from silver cups. In my case, the same silver is wiping out entire populations of creepy crawly microscopic critters that have been plaguing me for years. 

Oddly enough, the Herxheimer reaction is also called a "healing crisis." Let that sink in. Healing is restoration, and a crisis is an intense, often dangerous situation. In essence, I am in an intensely dangerous state of restoration. Don't worry, it isn't physically dangerous as it isn't going to kill me...I just feel wretched. Believe it or not, the dreaded Herx is a sign of improving health.

I search for God's grace in every situation, and it is here with me during this one. I struggled harder yesterday that I am today, and on the way home from the office I remembered I would need to pull the recycyling bin back around the building. That was the LAST thing I wanted to do so I decided it would sit there until it either rusted to the ground or melted in the sun. I did the Scarlett O'hara thing, I would worry about it tomorrow. As I turned the corner I cut my eyes towards my driveway and the blue cart...and it wasn't there. Tears immediately streamed in relief and gratitude. A super sweet neighbor had taken it back for me, she made my day and I couldn't thank her enough. I have asked God for rapid healing, prayed for it mulitple times a day...perhaps He has His hands on me after all.

Gonna Make Ya Sweat!

Last night I found the Lyme's patient's equivalent to the Holy Grail: SLEEP. Sleep is very elusive for us. Between the central nervous system misfiring, muscle cramps/twitching, and waking to stumble to the bathroom every couple of hours after a day's worth of anti-inflammatories and detox herbs...we just don't sleep. I slept like a hibernating bear last night, and if it wasn't for 3 cats who are convinced they are starving I would probably still be asleep right now.

In the past, I have used an Infrared Sauna to detox; I either went to a spa or natural health clinic that offered the service. I gravitated back to this therapy a few months before I discovered the underlying cause for my failing health. I was spending a chunk of change to go to a day spa every week...then it dawned on me that I could just buy my own! I ordered an affordable infrared sauna tent off of Amazon. Lo and behold it appeared at my front door pretty much the same day I discovered the name of the beast within. I now enjoy this therapy weekly, right here in the comfort of my own home.

This little beauty is portable so it can be broken down and installed in less than 5 minutes. It has a stadium seat inside, which I line with a towel. There is a brace inside the front section so it doesn't fall inward when assembled. I dry brush my skin while I wait for it to heat up. Then I just sit in my tent, stick my head out the hole, zip it up from the inside, and chill for up to an hour. Actually, I don't chill....I SWEAT and I sweat a lot! It heats up to 150 degrees and forces the toxins right out of you. To prevent boredom (and my tinnitus driving me cray in the silence) I will use this time to catch up on that week's episode of Master Chef on Hulu. Or I will read. Or pray.

For those of you looking to add to your Lyme protocol, or anyone who wants a gentle yet powerful detox, I cannot recommend this therapy enough. If you have the room in your home and your budget for a stationery sauna, you can purchase a unit for around $1000 and upwards depending on the size. This is next on my list of things to invest in for my health. And it is an investment, a monetary as well as emotional one as this condition will literally bring you to your knees most days.

I got in my little personal oasis about an hour before going to bed last night. Rinsed the toxins off my skin in a lukewarm shower afterward, slathered a mix of frankincense and lavender on my skin when I got out. Took 2 of my natural muscle relaxers and crawled between my 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. Yes, I slept and I slept hard! I needed the rest as I have had quite a challenging week.

As always, if I can be of any help or offer any advice please let me know! I am also open to learning about additional protocols from other Lyme's sufferers as let's face it...there is no one answer to this often perplexing condition. God bless you all!