So, I’ve been in remission for Lyme disease almost a whole year, thanks to all sorts of different treatments at many different places (which you can read in more detail in my book when it comes out). It’s been really nice to feel in control of such an awful disease. I’m no longer stuck in bed for days on end, which is incredible. But what people don’t understand, is my body is still very fragile.
My immune system is weak, so when someone around me says, “It’s ok, I just have a cold.” When I catch what they had, I get recurring lung infections for two months and a lingering sinus infection. If you are missing me at public outings or church, it’s because I have been sick and can’t risk catching something else.
The beginning of April, I caught a cold and have been fighting it ever since. My cold turned into pnemonia, and once I got that under control, the lung infection kept coming back, making me so tired and miserable. A sinus infection plagued me for about four months as well and was missed by my doctor, so it was raging by the time we tried to get it under control. Yes, I’m able to get out of bed in the morning, go to work, come home and take care of the kids, but then I have to rest a ton so I can repeat the next day.
Thankfully my oldest daughter has been enjoying cooking lately and has convinced her siblings that it’s fun to cook and bake. My kids have made homemade enchiladas, tacos, onion rings, chicken nuggets, lots of desserts and more. They are pros at the gluten free diet, which we all have to follow, and I have enjoyed eating the meals they are so proud of making.
We have also split the house up into zones and each child has to keep their zone clean all week with daily and weekly cleaning, plus keeping their rooms clean and taking care of their pets. Then we rotate zones once a week. That’s the only way we’ve been able to stay up on the housework, there’s no way I can do it by myself. My kids are pretty amazing and helpful, most of the time.
I’m hoping soon to recover from being sick, and I’m trying everything to get better. It’s a slow process with lots of appointments, tests and treatments. I’m so tired and some days I want to lay down and give up. But of course I won’t. I have too much fight in me.
Resting is the only thing that will help me. I can’t overdo it, or I will become even sicker. So, I might not be having Lyme symptoms, but my body is recovering from years and years of chronic illness. It’s a struggle for me every single day.
I cry a lot. There are so many nights I cry to my sweet husband and tell him there is no way I can get up and go to work the next day. That there is no way I can take care of the kids and then do the impossible...make dinner. Jeff wraps his arms around me, reassures me that it will all be ok and somehow, keeps loving me through each hard day.
