New Blog!

Hi Friends, It's been a long time. Over a year, in fact. Yikes. My eyes are crossing from a couple hours worth of typing, so this post is short and sweet. First, thank you so much for the emails and comments you've sent to me. Lately, I haven't been able to return as many as I'd like, but I have a bunch of down time now and will get back to you asap. If you've sent me an email and I haven't responded, please send another if you'd still like to chat. As for the updates many of you have requested, I have some good news: I've started a new blog that focuses on family life, treatment, raising kids with a chronic illness, etc, all from a positive perspective (I hope! haha). I would love it if you'd join me over at Leave A Light On (http://lightsonlyme.blogspot.com/) Thank you! Sara

Better Days Ahead

Well, my short break turned into a long one, but not for depressing reasons. When I ended my IV treatment early this year, the hearing issues I was experiencing cleared up almost immediately, (we're thinking it was an issue with the antibiotic itself) and surprisingly, I began to improve on my own.

I've said many times that the people who have had success with Lyme treatments are not hanging around the internet talking about Lyme Disease; They are out living and moving on. Most want to leave the disease behind and not look back. Over the past few months, that's exactly what I was doing--living a (mostly) normal life with my family.

We were blessed with an early spring here, and I can't begin to describe how grateful I feel to have been able to run with my kids outside, take them to parks, do simple tasks like grocery shopping or running mundane errands. These activities did not leave me bed-ridden for days or weeks afterwards. On a personal level, I was able to reconnect with old friends, make some new friends, go out on a few dates with my husband, and even shop for some clothes that don't have elastic waistbands!

My husband found a new job that he loves, and with the help of our part-time college student, I've been able to care for the boys much better than I've been able to in the past while Mike is at work.

Unfortunately, I began a setback about three weeks ago, but I'm refusing to let it get me down. With the help of a new doctor, I am getting back on meds (antibiotics and herbals), and I will continue to hope that a day will come where I will experience more healthy months than sick ones.

I've received many kind notes lately asking about my whereabouts and if I will continue this journal. The answer is yes, I'd like to keep this open to help and hopefully share some stories from other women who have gone through a Lyme pregnancy. In the meantime, I'm compiling a list of FAQs I often answer and will be posting them within the next few days.

Thanks for your patience and support. It's helped tremendously.

Our Healthy Baby Boy is Here!

We are happy to announce the arrival of our son, Emmett Michael.
Born July 28, 2011 at 8:04 am, 6 lbs. 14 oz., 19.5 inches.

We had zero complications. Emmett's birth was quick and, dare I say, easy. So far he is strong and as healthy as can be. You'd never guess this little guy came from a Lyme Mama!

Thank you all so much for your support, prayers, and well wishes. I have many things to share in the near future, but for now we're taking some time to relax and enjoy the new addition to our family.

Be back soon!

XO
Sara

Another Boy!

It's official: We're having another boy!

We had our Level 2 scan with the high risk specialist, and all is great so far. Growth is right on track, and he's a very active baby. They did find a "freckle" on his heart, but I've been assured that this is normal and we should not be concerned. Sometimes heart freckles are a marker for Down Syndrome, but in our case, all of our tests came back negative for Down, and in most cases, the freckle will disappear before babies are even born. My gut tells me that this is a very healthy boy.

He's much different in personality and looks than his brother. On the ultrasound, Wyatt showed us his boy parts before he even showed his face. The tech put the wand on my belly, and BAM, there is was, hangin' out there for all to see. Good thing we didn't want it to be a surprise!

Wyatt's new brother is shy. He turned from the wand as it came at him. He crossed his legs for so long and kept his stuff hidden--the tech thought he was a girl at first-- mysterious little guy, I guess. Overall, he is much gentler on my body than Wyatt was--so far at least. I still have at least 16 weeks to go (we are all assuming I will have to deliver early again, as I'm ready to jump off a bridge due to Lyme pain in the third trimester.) My occasional cravings are frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, and fruit. Thank God. With Wyatt I wanted Cheetos, cheese, strawberry milk, and every other junk food you can imagine.

When people say that each pregnancy is different, they're not lying. If you had one terrible Lyme pregnancy in the past, it doesn't mean that it has to be that way again. Time is FLYING, and though my Lyme symptoms are still gaining momentum, I pretty much know what to expect. This time around, I'm able to just sit back and enjoy what is my last pregnancy, even when it's uncomfortable, because I will miss the indescribable feeling of carrying new life.

I feel a slight sense of sadness knowing I will never have a little girl--even as a kid, I'd always just assumed my babies would be female. At least one of them anyway. We are firm believers in not having more children than you can handle or afford. We're pushing our limit at two, though when I think of Wyatt having a little brother so close in age, I can't even dream of having it any other way. I will be surrounded by boys, and the more I envision it, the more I love it.
I feel lucky to have been able to get pregnant in the first place, and as hard as a Lyme pregnancy is for all involved, I will never regret my decision to have my children. As far as I'm concerned, they've made me feel like I'm the healthiest person alive.

Lea's Story

Lea emailed me about a week before I gave birth. I was so unbelievably nervous about the events that were about to take place, and I was terrified that I was about to become an example of a horror story. Up until Lea emailed me, I'd received a lot of encouragement, support, and a bunch of questions, but I hadn't actually heard from a new mom who was feeling pretty good after delivery. Lea was a blessing. Her email was short, and to be honest, quite unexpected--she just wanted to tell me that she'd recently gone through the pregnancy experience after having chronic Lyme and she thought she'd let me know that all went well for her and her daughter. Most importantly, her little girl was healthy and "awesome." Hearing her success story gave me hope, and I hope it does the same for you. Here it is, in a nutshell:

I contracted Lyme and Babesia while camping in Utah in the Spring of 2008. I knew immediately something was wrong, but it took six months before I found out what was wrong with me. A week after returning home from camping, the right side of my body became numb and tingly. I was having hot flashes, vertigo, and nausea. I went to the doctor who said he was suspecting that I had Multiple Sclerosis. I saw specialist after specialist, who all concluded that my symptoms were “all in my head.” Luckily, I researched all of my symptoms, and found an LLMD.

I treated Lyme and Babesia for over a year until I felt I was about 90% well. We spoke to my LLMD who said I could start trying to get pregnant. I was still taking medications that were unsuitable for pregnancy when I found out I was pregnant in September of 2009. I was still experiencing numbness in my limbs and face and vertigo when I became pregnant. I had horrible morning sickness and a very rough first trimester. After that, I still experienced symptoms, but to a much lesser degree. About two weeks before I delieverd I experienced a surge in symptoms, and my LLMD upped my medication. I was on Omnicef 900 mg and Zithromax 500mg, and then switched to 900 mg of Omnicef after I delivered. I also received two shots of Rocephin while in the hospital. Surprisingly, my OB/Gyn and all the doctors I encountered either were interested in Lyme or didn’t really care. I didn’t encounter any difficulties, and was referred to a high risk specialist to monitor my pregnancy (which just meant that I got really cool pictures of my babe in utero!).

My delivery was great. I chose to deliver without any medication because I am terrified of anything in my spinal cord, especially after experiencing numbness in my extremities! My water broke naturally and my labor progressed normally. I delivered my daughter vaginally and did not encounter and difficulties. Recovery was as easy as it could be! The hardest part of recovery was the first three months of my daughter’s life due to lack of sleep and little help.

My daughter has tested negative for Lyme, but I still worry. I think that is the hardest part about being a mom with Lyme. I worry everyday that I may have passed this to her. My LLMD and I decided that since I was doing so well during pregnancy and had few symptoms, that I could breastfeed. I felt the benefits outweighed the risks, but I don’t know what I would have chose if I was really symptomatic before I delivered. My daughter has met all her milestones on time and is a very alert child. She is pretty awesome!

Right now, I feel pretty good. I still get episodes of vertigo occasionally, but it is manageable. I am still on Omnicef twice a day, and I take fish oil and probiotics. I feel worse when I am really run down, but I somehow make it! Overall, even though it was scary, having a baby was the best decision I have ever made in my life! I truly can’t imagine my life without her.


Thanks for sharing, Lea, and congratulations on a beautiful, healthy girl!