does anybody have to play catch up after a "spell?

It's stories like yours that make me grateful to be as well as I am. Whenever I have a day that I feel like being up I try to do all I can because I know down days are coming. As for your horses...If they're causing that much grief at your father's house, can't you find a neighbor that will board them? Your father's place might be cheap or free, but is it really???? I think all the folks here in the forum are used to hearing people vent...and offer encouragement. I hope you have some up days pretty soon....

I can't do anything lately, I actually felt ok the first few days while on abx. Now I feel like I literally carry the whole world on my shoulders, my legs, my sholders, my fingers and arms hurt. I hope this will resolve soon. I started painting before I went on abx and I have the roller sitting in the paint for ohhhhh I forgot how many days now! Husband is not doing much, he helps a little with the cleaning and doing the dishes. His job is quite stressful, they are laying off a lot of people.  THis is round 4 of layoffs.  I am still cooking, but watching my children is taking my whole day. Baby is being v. fussy since I started abx. I am still BF, I don't know if I should stop.  I called her doc and she said if I am on abx is ok to bf, but who knows?  I am so exausted, I can't get anything done except cooking and laundry, and even that is a challenge! I am here on the forum because I learned a lot, I wish I came here 2 yrs ago, when I first got the symptoms!

I feel so overwhelmed by the things I should be doing, but I need to concentrate on my health, so that is my top concern right now.  Hoping that I will get better is what gets me going.

Post Edited (Simela) : 8/27/2010 10:24:03 PM (GMT-6)

Please don't stop abx on your own. Talk to your doc. Rest whenever you can. Try to get your 'sleep hygiene' as good as you can.
Here is a little tidbit I copied from here;
http://www.naturaworld.com/blog/index.php/sleeping-with-lyme-disease-2403

Sleep hygiene and lyme disease

For Lyme patients, ‘sleep hygiene’ plays a vital role in the maintenance of everyday health and well-being. Supporting the internal clock with healthy sleep habits and a sleep-inducing environment helps.

* Tuck-in at the same time every night and wake-up at the same time every morning. Maintaining a regular sleep routine goes a long way to signaling when it’s time to nod off.
* Skip the coffee, tea, chocolate and any other stimulants that challenge drifting-off. If coffee is a must in the morning, opt for decaf or switch to herbal tea.
* Draw the blinds. Make your bedroom as dark as you possibly can for sleeping. The sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin, increases in darkness. Boosting melatonin levels equals more shut-eye.
* Shhhh! Keep it quiet. Take the TV to the den and keep the computer out of your bedroom. Clear your room of electronic gadgets to minimize sleep disruption.
* Practice calming, stress-relieving behaviors before bed. Lyme sufferers often struggle with related anxiety and depression. Calming behaviors like prayer, meditation, and gentle stretching (not cardio) can relax the body before lights out.

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Another thing that helped me was using lavender oil. Every night I would put a few drops of lavender oil on a piece of fabric, put that piece of fabric into a sandwich baggie - leaving it open, I would then slide the baggie under my pillow at night. I also take melatonin & magnesium oxide at night , just before bed.
A good herbal tea is Celestial Seasonings "Sleepytime tea". (I in no way receive any type of compensation from this company).

Hope this helps a little.
(((Hugs)))

When you are ready to make kefir at home, shoot me an email please. You don't have to purchase a 'kit' to make kefir.

I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better today!!!

How wonderful your family has been!! Driving down to help you out like that!!!

Go get 'em!!!! giggle!!

Most have no clue they need to worry about LD!! There are programs for schools that will educate not only the teachers, but the students as well.

Here is a link for LDA to the section on Lyme education
www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=49

I went through a period (twice now) where I couldn't hardly walk. My legs would just freeze up. The harder I tried to get them to move the more 'locked' they became. Once I would relax though, sometimes it would allow me to move - VERY slowly, but I could get my legs to move a slight bit at a time. Talk about frustrating!!!! I do still have momentary bouts of this, but it usually only lasts 10 - 15 minutes at a time now.

The rapid changing of symptoms is one of the reasons my hubby (& me too!) had trouble understanding. That is also something that seems to make it hard for a lot of people to believe that we aren't making this stuff up! When I first started seeing my gp (a couple of years ago now), he would - of course- ask me how could one person be experiencing all of these symptoms, being slightly skeptic. I would tell him - every time - Believe me, I feel bad enough that I don't have to make up ANY symptoms, I'm here to hopefully get rid of some!! He's generally a good doc & he has learned a lot about chronic LD, & Lyme arthritis among many other 'Lymie" things through me.