Let the Fun Begin

I (finally) started IV Rocephin about a week ago. It's amazing how quickly things move along when you have competent doctors.

No serious reactions or side effects, which is always a good thing, though I experienced my first herx a couple of days ago. Compared to what I've experienced in the past, this one was very mild. Mild, meaning a few days in bed with intensified symptoms and a bad case of the twitches. It seems to have subsided some today.

A lot of people treat a herx like it's the end of the world. That's probably because it feels like it's the end of the world. A lot of people also mistake side effects of their meds for a herx reaction. Unfortunately, antibiotics can make anyone feel like they're permanently out of commission, especially when on high doses.

The one thing I can say is that, pregnant or not, herxing or not, you can't let yourself get too discouraged. It also doesn't help to whine about it. I'm not trying to be harsh; I'm just being honest. The more positive you can stay, the better your chances are of healing. Plus, it makes that down time in bed a whole lot easier to tolerate. The discomfort won't last forever! Use this down time to make some peace and give yourself a rest.

I'm not sure if this is purely a coincidence, but I noticed that since I've taken the time to really detox this time around, my reactions aren't as harsh. When I say detox, I mean simple things.

While I appreciate it when people are willing to try unconventional methods of detoxification (i.e. ionic foot baths, sweat suits, strange mixtures/elixirs of kitchen items that don't belong together, excessive supplements) I'm just not in that camp. I do realize that many of our systems are compromised and that detox is difficult, but for me, I feel like a few small steps will go a long way to restore balance in time. Patience is the key word.

I drink at least a gallon of water (with lemon) each day. I've been taking my magnesium, probiotics, thyroid pills, and prenatal vitamins. I make sure I scrub well in the shower. But most importantly, I don't eat crap food. By crap I mean anything packaged, dairy, or bready, even when it's falsely advertised as "natural and healthy."

I eat lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. For grains I eat brown rice. Some people eat quinoa. (I can finally admit that I don't like the taste, so I say no thanks to that.)

The less our bodies have to work to filter out all of the crap we eat, the more energy it has to filter out the crap that Lyme and Co. leaves behind.

If all else fails, remember, all of this really is temporary.