My blog has opened up the opportunity for me to be in touch with many, many people who are dealing with Lyme and chronic illness. I am so thankful to be able to talk with you, explain my experiences, and pray for you as you determine your path to wellness. I am so passionate about the methods that are used by Drs. Jernigan and Jowdy. I find myself trying to figure out a way for me to be able to learn from them and study to help others in the way that they have. In that respect, I am praying for guidance and orchestration of the right timing, because I know that this longing I have to reach others who are ill is leading me somewhere. The how and when is yet to be determined :)
So in honor of my good friend, Sherry, who is fighting Lyme herself, I thought I owed you an update on life after Hansa. She recently e-mailed me with a few questions, so I thought I'd go ahead and answer them here!
Do you feel any better?
Absolutely!! Bella is actually fabulous. Just yesterday we went to King's Dominion - an amusement park near Richmond, VA. She rode everything she could! Just last summer she rode practically nothing - not because she didn't meet the height requirements (because she did), but because she was afraid of getting sick. Bella had motion sickness and headaches quite often, and roller coasters and thrill rides just didn't mix with her symptoms. This year it was like she was a different person. She did so well and was so proud of herself.
As for me, I was able to go the whole day without getting tired, having severe joint pain, or just feeling like a sick person. I did great - and even rode a few rides myself (I wouldn't have tried them in my dreams before) without getting sick. It was a great day.
So yes... we feel TONS better.
Are there symptoms that still remain?
A few. I am still dealing with are digestive issues. If you know me, you know that I am very discriminating about my food choices. And I still have to be. I would say that things are a little better in that respect, though. I do not have the gall bladder pain that I used to occasionally have. I so have random joint pain on occasion. But that is usually after I've had a really good workout that morning or the day before, so I'll take that :)
One of my most annoying symptoms was my cardiac arrhythmias. My heart would feel like it was flipping in my chest, and often I couldn't sleep at night because it would start pounding and racing when I would lie down. That has improved greatly. I have had a couple of rough nights since I've been back, but compared to a few sleepless nights a week, it's a definite improvement!
There is still some healing to take place with my thyroid and adrenal glands, as well. They've been quite damaged over the years, and I may need to be on some level supportive medication indefinitely. However, taking one or two little pills in order to feel wonderful wins out over taking fistfuls of pills to never really get well any day!
Are you still taking the vitamins and supplements you took before your trip to Hansa?
Some of them, but not many. The doctors there frequency tested us for the supplements that our bodies still needed, and we take those things.
Are you taking anything that the doctors at Hansa prescribed and if so how long do you have to take them?
We are both still taking the remedies that the doctors tested for us. For me, some are to deal with specific lyme bacteria, and others are for nutritional, digestive, and other support. I will likely finish the prescribed course of the remedies before we return back for follow up in July. At that point, the doctor will test my body and find out what still needs to be dealt with.
Have the lyme bacteria and co-infections been eradicated from you?
No... but that's really not the point of this treatment. Not even with the most aggressive antibiotic treatment for years on end can you ever eradicate every last harmful microbe. That is why so many people relapse when they finally do discontinue antibiotic treatment for Lyme. The purpose of the treatment at Hansa is to allow the body to achieve optimum health, regardless of whether or not you are living with Lyme or any other infection or microbe. If the body is optimized and the immune system is allowed to function properly, anyone can live harmoniously with any microbe that enters the body.
Did the doctors at Hansa do any blood tests or any other lab tests on you either before or after your treatment?
Before I return in July, I will do a saliva test that will help determine at which level my adrenals and other hormonal glands are functioning.
Have you had to follow any diet restrictions as you have in the past?
I am, because my digestive issues still need some work. And because I just feel better when I do :)
Bella, on the other hand, has been able to eat a much wider variety of foods without feeling any adverse effects!
And that about covers it! Life has been good, and we are steadily getting better and better. I am emotionally so much stronger, as well, because I now have hope, where I once was struggling to find it. I feel that I am more patient, forgiving, and handle life much better now that I am not constantly exhausted by pain. I am learning what it feels like to feel well again, and it's good - really good.
Every day my family gives thanks for the healing journey that we are on. We are thankful that God led us to the Hansa Center. We also constantly pray for those who are dear to us who are still struggling to get well themselves. One of the hardest things for me since I have been back has been to advance so far in this fight - only to turn around and still see my friends struggling. And that is why I will be working on finding a way to help them, too.
I'm praying for you, and I will continue to have hope that you will find your way, too - even when you can't seem to find the strength to hope yourselves :)
