Another month and a half of waiting and my test results are all in!! To start with there was a total of 20 tests run. To sum them all up I have a current Lyme infection and my immune system is shot because of it. I should be starting my treatments very soon and I cannot wait. I may be completely freaked out about it but I know in the end I will be better.... when ever that end may be! I was told that I will have to get worse to get better. But I will fight this!!!!
OK... I will have to explain a bit with these tests and their results... so bare with me.
To break down Lyme disease... First of all Lyme Disease is an autoimmune disease mainly because the body has a hard time attacking the bacteria, that is Lyme, and instead attacks itself in error. The actual Lyme bacteria is called Borrelia Burgdorferi (aka: B. Burgdorferi or Bb for short.) It is a bacteria that is called a spirochete. That means it has a cork screw-like body. It can drill into tissue and cells to hide and protect itself from the immune system or antibiotics. There are only 3 known spirochetes and Lyme is one of them. It is transmitted in a few ways. Most commonly by a deer tick... Specifically the black legged tick. It can transmit the disease in two of its 3 forms. The tick starts as a Larva then morphs into a Nymph then to an Adult. It is in these last two stages that the tick can bite you and transmit the bacteria. The smallest one is about the size of the tip of a pencil. You could even mistake it for a freckle. This tick is tricky. It numbs the skin before digging in to feed. It will stay attached anywhere from 12 to 36 hours.
So, lucky me... I tested positive for IgG and IgM Lyme antibodies on the Western Blot. (It's the Lyme disease test.)
IgM is a sign of current infection
IgG is a sign of current infection, or of a past exposure to or past infection by the organism
So I have evidence of a past and current infection.
Sometimes these ticks can carry another bacteria or virus. These are called co-infections. Some of these can be worse or the same as Lyme as far as symptoms goes and can complicate treatment. The Co-infection tests came back negative for me. WHEW!
Other tests show 2 secondary infections that I have and my body is unable to fight off because of the low immunity levels that I have. One is a parasite and the other a nasty virus. BOTH of these will have to be treated in order to have a full recovery.
Another important test is called the CD 57. It is a test to check for a certain marker of your Natural Killer cells (NK) or as I know it to be: The killer T cells. NKT cells are essential for several aspects of immunity because their deficiency has been shown to lead to the development of autoimmune diseases (such as diabetes and atherosclerosis,) and cancers. The normal range for your body to be at is 60 - 160. I am at a 13. It is ridiculously low. Lyme is causing this and will need to be addressed in order for my body to be able to take over fighting and maintaining the Lyme after IV antibiotics are completed.
My regular Blood count came back the same as it was in February. Low count of RBC and WBC. (Red and White blood cells.)
My Spectra Cell test, (looks for vitamin deficiencies,) showed I am low in B12, D3 and Glutathione.
My Urine Metal Toxicity test came back with high levels of 4 metals. Aluminum, Mercury, Lead, and Cadmium, (which is carcinogenic... It means it causes cancer.) All of these will need to be lowered greatly if not completely, (especially Cadmium!) Lowering these levels also helps in addressing the bio-film communities that Lyme disease creates to protect itself. Its like the film in a fish tank is a microscopic community of organisms... Called a bio-film. Lyme can do the same. Antibiotics cannot get through the protective slime shields that they create. Bio-films are made up of several components including certain metals. If you remove the metals you make holes in the film that antibiotics can get through and destroy the bacteria. So this will also need to be addressed.
My thyroid checked out fine as well as a whole slew of other tests. Although a few tests showed of other past viruses and infections, the panel for these were low and suggested they were past and not the root cause. There are 5 of those with three in need of monitoring. One was Epstein-Barr, another HHB6, and another a mycoplasma type of bacteria.
SO!
What does this all mean? Well, I only know the Lyme protocol and nothing for all the others. We will be learning as we go, but there are a lot of things we need to address in the next year or two. Lyme treatments when shown past the first stage are typically 3 weeks of daily IV antibiotics through either a PICC line, Central line or Port. All send a tube directly to your heart that will get the antibiotic to the best place for treatment. Then following there will be an long in home regimen that I will have to follow and continue until things really improve.
I have an appointment this Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 9:15 am with an Infectious Disease doctor here in town to get his opinion and possibly begin IV antibiotic treatments that day. Depending on a lot of things, though.
The treatments should cost us around $15,000 in total by the time we are done. If my treatment goes over the 3 week time period, then it could be more. I will know more on this from the appointment Thursday.
Once treatments are started I may still go to Envita if we are able to afford them. I would recover quicker there but can as well here in town. It will just take a LOT longer.
I also have learned that I will need to add sugar to my already cannot eat list of gluten and dairy. HOW WILL I EAT??? Just kidding! I already eat gluten free being previously diagnosed with Celiac Disease, yes, another auto immune disease,) 15-ish years ago. So it's nothing to me. Dairy is not too bad... but SUGAR??? Fine. It's not good for me anyways. I try not to eat too many processed foods so all of this should be easily followed.
I am learning so much from this and hope to start bringing awareness to everyone on what to do if you get bit by a deer tick, the signs in the first stage, (remember if you catch Lyme in it's first stage you can COMPLETELY get rid of it.) I hope to also bring awareness that second and third stage Lyme mimics other diseases and is highly found to be the root cause of them. If I can help just one person.... The symptoms are so horrible! And to be able to get rid of 90% just be attacking the root cause. Its awesome to think of and even more amazing that it happens ALL of the time. Most of the cases of "chronic" Lymies, (that's a nick-name for a person with Lyme Disease,) when found out years later have been misdiagnosed with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, heart problems, and MANY more.
Any how. I promise never again to make a post this long. It was necessary!!! I love you all and hope you check out my YouTube Lyme Diary entries. I will try to keep them up through treatments. Please don't forget to go to my GoFundMe site and donate. The link is at the top of this blog. Thanks again!
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