Life With Lyme Symptoms

Today was pretty much a typical day for me since I started my treatment (a 28-day IV infusion of Ceftriaxone). I've been told because I have had an exacerbation of my symptoms that I may be having what is called a Herxheimer reaction, which is when the dying bacteria release toxins, making my symptoms much more pronounced than they typically are. In any given day I will have times of functionality and then there are times when, quite frankly, I can't do shit. I have a to-do list that is constantly being pushed to a different day, or crammed with things when I'm feeling well because I don't know when I'll have another chance to get it done.

This morning I woke up tired though I slept the entire night, and my brain was so foggy I couldn't think straight for most of the day. Imagine you've injected yourself with a horse tranquilizer and there are bombs falling outside that will destroy your entire house if you don't get up and get out, and you might have an inkling of what it feels like. After barely eating breakfast (my appetite hasn't been too good the last couple of days) I had a bout of hypoglycemia around noon and only ate enough and drank enough juice to keep myself alive. I tried to make a grocery list, tried to clean, but it was as if I was attempting to think and move through sludge at the bottom of a pond, as if my brain was irritated. Somewhere in there I fell asleep for a couple of hours and when I woke, the fogginess hadn't cleared. Most times it's made worse by a mid-day nap, I am not sure why. Went grocery shopping with my husband and three kids but barely made it through, feeling nauseous and not being able to walk for any length of time. Wal-mart in particular has become the bane of my existence lately, because it is so big the thought of marching across the store to pick up some milk is just unfathomable. Got home and took care of my IV infusion, which has left me more nauseous, dizzy, and with a hell of a headache. Nothing on that to do list is going to get done tonight, that's for sure. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to stand up for ten minutes in the shower.

I'm going to a Lyme Disease support group meeting on Thursday in Kansas City. Hopefully they'll tell me something I can stake hope in, or if nothing else, at least make me feel less alone in this whole thing.