Ah - news!

Dear readers,

I can't believe I'm here writing this!  I've wanted to post so many times.  Thank you all for your kind words and prayers.  Can't tell you how much they mean to me.

It's been an incredibly difficult summer.  Lyme disease is tough to explain. You would think you take a dose of antibiotics and get better, but it's not that simple.  Once you've had it for a while (it was 5 and 1/2 years before I was diagnosed), it works its way through your body and gets entrenched, so to speak.  The only way to get rid of it at that point is to take lots of antibiotics for a *long* time.  And the antibiotics make everything worse for a while, as they kill off the Lyme and flood your body with dead bacteria.  (Ugh...)

I can't remember how much I've told you in the past, but after being diagnosed I was on antibiotics (strong, 2 or 3 at a time) for 18 months.  At that point, we were seeing some progress, and my doctor wanted to give my body a break because the antibiotics themselves can be so hard on the body.  So I went off for 6 months and took herbal antimicrobials to try to hold everything at bay.  But that wasn't enough.

So, at the beginning of the summer, I started the process all over, with a new round of antibiotics.  It seems that there are co-infections as well (deer ticks, which spread Lyme, are like little sewers, and can also infect you with babesia, bartonella, ehrlichiosis...).  Because the antibiotics are rough, I had to start with small doses and work my way up (you take a small amount, get knocked out for a few days, up the dose, get knocked out for a few days... on and on).  Just last week I reached the full dosage.

So I spent a lot of time flat on my back this summer -- and a good bit of time praying desperately that the anti-nausea meds would kick in.  I'm so thankful for the friends and family who help take care of me, especially my parents.  I couldn't do this without them.

Just in the last week or two I've started to notice a difference.  I can do a little more, my brain is a little clearer, I don't have to go back to bed until noon every day and rest for hours every afternoon and evening.  I'm so thankful.  I'm hopeful that the new meds are working and will continue to work, that I'll continue to see improvements.  I'm guessing I probably have another year left in treatment at least, but I pray that I'll continue to be able to do a little more and remember what it's like to be able to live life rather than laying on the couch and watching it go by.

And I hope to be able to resume these daily quotes!

I covet your good thoughts and prayers.  Thank you!!

best,

Lori

For more info about Lyme, check out the wonderful documentary Under Our Skin.  Also, read about Amy Tan's experiences.

Comments

[kimmy]

You are back...thank goodness. Good to know that you are getting better. We've missed you.

Warmly,
Kim

[Laurel Ann]

I have missed your blogs Lori. I am so glad that you are feeling better. You are so brave. Take care, Laurel Ann

[Lois]

It's so great to see you again! :) And hope you keep getting better! :)

Lois

[Joni Hipsher]

It's good to see your words again, Lori. You continue to be in my prayers. May you healing continue. Blessings, Joni

[katie]

Dear Lori, I am so pleased to see you are back at the keyboard!! Sounds like a rough summer, but necessary and beneficial. Next week is JASNA conference in Chicago. Can't wait for a mega-dose of Jane. Love, Katie

[Pam]

Welcome back! And thanks for the update. I missed your blog a lot. Hope you keep feeling better!

[Felicia]

Hi Lori!

It's great to have you back, I've been so worried! I'm glad to hear that you are improving andI will continue to pray for you.

[Hannah]

So very glad to hear that you are feeling better. Will definitely be lifting you up before the Father!

[Bonnie Buckingham]

I got teary reading all you have been through
and worried when I would come online and not
see you. The Lord strengthen and heal you!
I will pray for you.

Bonnie

[Bonnie Buckingham]

I got teary reading all you have been through
and worried when I would come online and not
see you. The Lord strengthen and heal you!
I will pray for you.

Bonnie

[Lizzie Knightley]

I am so thankful that you are up to posting again! I have missed your quotes all summer but know that you were obviously feeling awful to not even be able to post. I have been praying for you earnestly and will continue to do so. Keep us updated and may you continue to heal. May the Lord work a miracle in your body!

[Phoebe]

Dear Lori, I really enjoyed your book and am so sorry that you have been struggling so much. It is terrible that you have been so attacked by this disease. I will pray for God's grace in this time, and for your full recovery.

[Emily]

I hope you get better
It's great to see you again!

[Ellen]

Lori, I've been reading your work, A Walk With Jane Austen, but haven't finished it yet. I was in Oxford, England 20 years ago ... *before* I discovered Jane Austen, argh. Ah well, it's wonderful tramping through England through your book. Jane's books contemplate life and living and yours does as well. I'm enjoying the journey.

I'm sorry to hear about your illness. It sounds a long, hard road. I know a little bit about hard roads. The year that I was finally diagnosed with depression I called "My Character Development Year": my husband broke his back while bringing me a cup of coffee, we were on vacation so I had to drive our 3 year old and 1 year old from California back to Idaho while my husband flew, my sisters screamed at each other in front of my daughter on her fourth birthday, I screamed at my husband on our 10th wedding anniversary, I was diagnosed with depression, I turned 40, my husband got rear-ended and hurt his back *again*, the pharmacy erroneously dispensed an adult narcotic to our 1 year old (no ill effects - thank God). I started calling these episodes "another character developing experience..." I started to ponder, "God, do I really need this much character development?" What a silly question, of course I did. People ask me what I do; I tell them, "I run a character development laboratory." I get some really good, blank looks on that one. I'm a mom! I'm doing my best to instill and develop character in our two children - now 6 and 3. But this is really God's character development laboratory; he gave me children because I was in such desperate need for character development myself. Anyway, this is a lot of long-winded blah, blah, blah to hopefully encourage you a little bit. May your sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope (see Romans 5:3-5). Through motherhood and depression, God is both breaking me down and building me up; I pray that you will be able to enjoy God's blessings in the midst of your illness and recuperation.

[katie]

hey lori, i just read your book 'a walk with jane austen', and i just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful honest book! it was like i was reading a book that my heart had written. it was like god gave me an incredible older sister to learn and laugh with. my friends and i delightfully revisit our favourites chapters and paragraphs (especially about the absence of mr darcy's in church). thankyou so much for the part of your heart that you have shared with me.

~~and i am glad to hear you have learnt the wonders of tea! with tea and god, there is nothing that cannot be conquored!

much love and prayers,
katie xx
<3

[Martha Bildt]

Dear Lori,

The Lord BLESS you abundantly, Lori. I am so very sorry about what you are having to go through with the illness.

I truly enjoyed your book and then followed your blog for quite awhile (until life got busy-nuts), so I did not realize until today that you have had such a rough time again. How are you doing presently? I am on Facebook also, so I will look for you. Do you have any updates there?

I WILL and am praying for you.

Much love and prayers,
Martha Bildt