Friday, July 23, 2010

Summer update

Well, it has been too long since I have updated this post, but life has been rather busy shuffling med charts , etc. We finally got Annie and Koty's results back and they both tested positive for Lyme disease. They have been on treatment for about 3 weeks now. Their disease is not as advanced as mine, so at this point their treatment will be a whole lot simpler and straight forward. Not sure of the time factor. Like all Lyme disease patients, it depends on the individual, how they respond, etc.

So far Annie has had a couple of rough moments, but thankfully they haven't stayed constant. Koty's medicine doses are very low, so it will take him a bit longer to respond. The doc's plan is to keep all of us on a low enough dose that we can still live without being completely wiped out by the disease or the treatments.

People often ask me what the kids symptoms are in comparison to mine. They both have muscle pain and twisting, however, they come and go and do not stay constant like mine. They both have some major stomach issues, Annie more so than Koty. Neck pain (in the back of the neck and head), headaches, hot flashes, mood swings, joint pain. Koty gets severe joint pain in his knees and ankles and has times when he is unable to walk at all. Annie has ankle pain and weakness. Sometimes she has to be careful when playing because it will start twisting up on her or give out completely and she will "wipe out". Insomnia is also a factor for them, Annie more than Koty.

We are planning on attending school this year, but honestly, that is one area I am still giving over to God. Not sure if I feel completely comfortable with it yet or not. Lyme disease can attack any and all of the body systems, and there are other symptoms that they have that could be a little embarassing and/or frustrating. Sometimes Annie has times when she is unable to verbalize her thoughts correctly or quickly enough and both Annie and Koty have had times when their bodies will not recognize the need to go to the restroom before it is too late. Also, there are moments for Annie when she has "panic" type attacks. I think it is mostly when her "inside" symptoms start to flare up, such as "the shakes" (you feel like your whole body is shaking, except that its not showing it on the outside) or fast heartbeat or seeing flashes in your peripheral vision. all of those things can be a little creepy to an adult, much less a 7 year old. Anyway, we would appreciate your prayers as we get ready for this next school year.