Happy New Year!

Here we are, almost at the start of the New Year!  It is 5:40 p.m. as I write, so our evening celebrations have not yet begun.  Tonight, I don't really have the desire to be "whooping it up"!  A quiet family time is what we have planned - me, my hubby, and our kids.  In about an hour, we'll be enjoying some cheese and chocolate fondu, followed by learning how to play Blokus which my son received for Christmas.  And I'm afraid that we'll ALL be in bed before the clock strikes twelve!

As I reflect back on 2012, it was a pretty good year.  January began with quite an improvement in my health, after having begun treatment for Lyme six months earlier, in June 2011.  I was actually ready to return to work teaching (on a modified schedule) by March.  It was tiring, but I managed to persevere and make it until the end of June, when I could rest up for 2 months.  In September, I returned to my regular half-day position and have been handling it well.  In November, I was able to stop the antibiotics after 18 months!  Whether I have been cured, or have simply gone into remission, is an "unknown" I'll just have to live with.

I have several New Year's resolutions.....all related to my health.  I admit that I have not been very diligent in boosting my immune system since I finished treatment.  I've fallen into some bad habits, so it's time to start fresh and get some good routines into my life.  Here's my list:

1. Lose weight!  I gained A LOT while I was sick, so now is the time to take it off and feel like myself again.
2. Eat well:  Low sugar, low carbs, lots of protein, and veggies.
3. Sleep! I must stop burning the midnight oil, even though I've been a night hawk since childhood. I'm going to shoot for at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night.
4. Exercise at least 3 times a week.  I joined a health club in November.  Now it's time to really USE my membership.

My list probably looks similar to everyone else's lists.  Fairly typical resolutions.  However, these things are so important to the health of a Lyme patient.  Keeping our immune system healthy is very important so that we don't relapse.

I'm going to leave you with a bit of news from the Lyme world.  Here is an interesting report from Lymedisease.org that was published around Thanksgiving.  It's a review of many positive things which happened with regard to Lyme disease in 2012.  Click here to read the report.

I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!  May this be a year of good things for all of you.  If you are being treated for Lyme disease, may you have perseverance and peace.  The road will be bumpy, but it is one worth travelling to reach the destination of restored health.  My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

My quest for health

The approaching "end of treatment" date is sobering.  For the past few months, I've viewed the antibiotics as my safety net.  Sure, for the first year and a bit, those drugs were sustaining me, and then healing me.  But since I've been feeling well, they haven't had a significant purpose other than to insure that the bacteria have been beaten down sufficiently.  Soon, this safety net will be removed. 

ILADS doctors like to treat 2 months beyond the end of symptoms, and I'm currently weaning off the antibiotics.  I've gone from 2 doses of Zithromax daily, to one dose daily.  I'm having a phone consult with my LLMD next week, and we'll see what he'll do next.

Soon, my body will be on its own, needing to keep any remaining Borrelia burgdorferi at bay using only its beautifully designed immune system.  That means I need to support my immune system in the best way I can.  Sadly, I haven't been doing so well in that department, but it must begin to take on a greater importance in my life.

To that end, I joined a fitness club, something I haven't done in about 15 years!  I've certainly exercised in the past 15 years, especially when trying to lose my post-pregnancy weight, but it's been a very long time since I've had a club membership.  I decided it was time because I was having difficulty getting motivated to exercise.  Despite the fact that I have a treadmill at home, dozens of workout DVDs, and weights, I constantly found excuses to avoid exercise.  And exercise is what I need right now, not only to lose the 30 lbs I gained while I was sick, but to support my immune system.

So far, I've been doing the treadmill and the weight machines at the club.  I think I need to build up my strength a bit before venturing into a group aerobics class.  I'm dying to try Zumba, but I'd likely drop dead from exhaustion!  Perhaps I can ease into that class, doing a half class at first and working my way up.  If anyone has tried Zumba, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've also discovered the sauna!  I have a new appreciation for the Finnish and their natural approach to health.  I've been sitting in the sauna at the club for 15 min., just feeling all those toxins rising to the surface.  It's been great.

In addition to regular exercise, I've made a pledge to myself to work on other areas I've been neglecting:  eating well and sleeping an adequate amount each night.  I've definitely improved in the eating department.  I hauled out my old Weight Watchers information, and I've been watching my calories more closely.  I lost 2.5 lbs last week.  Who hoo!  As for the sleep, that is the hardest area for me.  I'm such a night hawk and thoroughly enjoy the quiet house at those late hours, so I've been cheating myself of a good night's sleep and dragging myself through the day.  That's certainly not good for the immune system.  I'm really going to work on that goal now.

For those of you reading this who might be very ill from Lyme disease, or who might be in the middle of treatment, know that it IS possible to feel well again, and to be able to make goals like this in the future.  When I was sick, these types of things were the farthest from my mind.  I was in survival mode.  And that's OK.  You can only do what your body will allow you to do.  But do have faith that your treatment will make you well again.  It really can happen.  It happened to me.

You are in my prayers.