This is my first attempt at blogging, so I'm sure my style and content will evolve over time. Please don't judge me on my grammar and spelling. I will try my best, but my main goal is to get my thoughts down and information across.
I am starting this blog for many different reasons. First is to give friends and family updates on Marissa's condition from my point of view. Second, I hope that what I write may help others in similar situations. I also hope that it will serve as a type of record that my family and I can look back on. Maybe at some point or on occasion I will throw something in that has nothing to do with illness. Maybe a craft idea or new recipe.
First off, for those who do not know, my 16 year old daughter, Marissa, has Lyme disease and a co-infection called Babesia. She contracted both from a tick bite in 2004. It was not until this last June, 10 years later, that she was finally diagnosed. I will try and answer some of the most common questions we get in the next few paragraphs.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection. The bacteria exist in 3 different forms within the body, making it very difficult to treat. It likes to hide and builds protective cysts around itself. There is also an intra-cellular form that lives inside of the body's cells. Current treatment consists of high doses of different antibiotics, supplements to help the body deal with the antibiotics, supplements to break up the protective barriers, limiting exposure to inflammatory substances and chemicals, clean eating and detox. Average treatment time is two years
Babesia is a parasitic infection that is similar to Malaria. It is treated with anti-malaria medications. Average treatment time is 5 months, though Marissa is on month three and has not seen any improvement yet.
Marissa got the tick bite in Western Washington, just outside of Olympia, by Summit Lake. Most people think of Lyme as an East Coast problem, but it is not. The strain of Babesia Marissa has was actually discovered in Washington.
How does Marissa feel? The answer to that is terrible. She started getting sick a lot in 5th grade. She missed about five weeks of school that year. She suffered from constant colds, sore throats and fevers. The following year she missed about 8 weeks of school. Each year she continued to miss more and more of school. She had her tonsils out, but that did not help at all. She started getting migraines. They started out monthly, but got closer and closer together until last October she got one that has not left. Yes, she has had a migraine/headache 24/7 since October of 2013. She does not get any relief from it. We have tried multiple medications, supplements, oils, elimination of foods, Chiropractic treatment, massage, cranial sacral massage, visceral manipulation, acupuncture etc. She has seen Dentists, orthodontists, Optometrists, MDs, Naturalpaths, Neurologists, Pain Therapists, Biofeedback specialists and more.
In addition to the headache, she is exhausted all of the time. Her energy level is always about a 3-4/10. Her stomach is upset, she has trouble sleeping, she gets muscle and joint pain. She has trouble concentrating and reading. She used to read all of the time and retain almost everything. Anything that was academic or called on memory was easy for her. It is not the case anymore. This could be caused by the headache, or it is also a symptom of Lyme.
She has not been able to attend school since last October. We are hoping that she will be able attend at least a few classes come Wednesday when school starts for the year. I have e-mails in to all of her teachers and am waiting to hear back from them to find out what classes and teachers will allow for a lot of absences and delayed due dates.
There is much more to tell, but I think that is enough for my first post. It will give people who do not know what is going on some quick background information. I will post again soon. If you have questions pleas do not hesitate to ask. Information and education is one of my goals of this blog.
Thanks for reading, until next time.
Kirsten
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