The Duration of Your Illness Does Not Determine Whether or Not You Will Heal
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. I will spend this month pulling quotes from our about to be released book Lyme Savvy: Treatment Insights for Lyme Patients and Practitioners. I apologize for the delay in its publication. We had planned to be in print by May 1, but my father’s sudden illness and subsequent death pushed back the production schedule.
“It does not appear the duration of your disease determines whether or not you will heal. This is great news for patients who have been ill a long time.” – Dr. B. Robert Mozayeni, Lyme Savvy
Dr. B. Robert Mozayeni
When I saw Dr. Mozayeni for the first time in September, 2009, I had been sick for 29 years without reasonable explanation or viable treatment. Having been sick for so long, I almost thought I would never heal. I had seen too many specialists, developed too many rare conditions. I had almost given up hope.
After 19 months of treatment, I tested clear for Bartonella in April, 2011 and have tested clear for the five years since. I am still battling Babesia, which at this time is incurable but treatable.
This past weekend, I planted herbs and annuals in a small garden. My hands had not touched dirt since 2008 I think because of the vast fatigue these co-infections cause. Healing is happening.
I was the typical “List of Symptoms” patient. The simplest way to present my own history to you is to show you how many different types of physicians I saw, some of the major medical events that occurred, and of course, the various diagnoses I was assigned. I know many patients can probably relate to this snapshot.
Physicians I saw for symptoms
Often, I saw more than one each of the following:
Cardiologist, Chiropractor, Dentist, Dermatologist, Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, Internist, Neurologist, Gynecologist, Neurosurgeon, Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Oral Surgeon, Orthopedist, Osteopath, Otolaryngologist (ENT), Physical Therapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Rheumatologist, Surgeon, Urologist
Sharon’s Symptom History
1981: viral meningitis, unexplained fatigue and exhaustion
1984: diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers, grinding teeth/jaw pain
1988: elevated gastrin levels
1993: depression and anxiety
1995: migraines
1996: h.pylori infection
1999: shattered right foot
2001: recurrent sinus infections, night sweats, hot flashes, dry skin, itchy ears
2002: falling easily, pain in knees and thighs, muscle weakness, sensitivity to sunlight, memory loss
2003: clumsiness, repeated falls, muscle weakness, thigh pain, swollen joints, tooth dies
2004: gallstones, abdominal pain, fatigue, hair loss, noise sensitivity
2005: gastrin level elevated, depression, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, sticky blood
2006: diarrhea, headaches, daytime sleepiness and insomnia, elevated heart rate, word and name search, phasing out of conversations
2008: persistent, dry cough, numbness in hands and feet, chest pains, muscle twitching
2009: back pain, hip pain, occasional blurry vision, incontinence, unexplained rashes, positive Lupus test (positive ANA with speckled pattern)
Other General Symptoms
Allergies: seasonal allergies, chronic sinus infections
Cardiovascular: low blood pressure, perspire easily, dizzy upon standing
Constitutional: migraines, weight gain, fatigue, cold extremities, afternoon drowsiness, night sweats, sensitivity to chemicals
Ears, Nose, Mouth & Throat: sensitivity to sounds, ringing in the ears, sinusitis, mercury/silver fillings in teeth, mouth ulcers, jaw paint/teeth grinding, dental problems, unexplained face pain
Endocrine: heat intolerant, cold intolerant, thyroid disorder, low body temperature
Eyes & Vision: dry eyes, blurred vision, floating spots, light sensitive, peripheral waves
Digestive System: bloating, trouble digesting fats, hemorrhoids, ulcers, irritable bowel, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea/upset stomach
Genito-Urinary System: incontinences, cramps, heavy flow, PMS, menstrual irregularity, menstrual pain, pelvic pain, health fluctuates with cycles, hot flashes
Hematological: Anemia, leg pain with walking
Immunological: auto-immune disease (Lupus)
Integumentary: acne, dermatitis, yellow tone, brittle nails, dry/brittle hair, crawling sensation in skin, various rashes, on/off rashes, skin sensitivity, sensitivity to sunlight, hair loss
Muscular-Skeletal: back pain, intolerance to exercise, heel pain, disc problems, joint pain and swelling, joint stiffness, bone pain, muscle weakness, muscle twitching/spasm, muscle pain/cramping, sore soles in the morning, neck stiffness/pain, tremors
Neurological: clumsy, trouble balancing, numbness/tingling, forgetting simple tasks, disorientation/getting lost, difficulty with reading and concentration, speech difficulty, word and name search, memory problems
Psychological-Behavioral: vivid dreams, fearful/worrier, depression, narcolepsy, insomnia, emotional/crying easily, season affective disorder, feeling as though you are losing your mind
Respiratory: shortness of breath, chronic cough, air hungry, snoring, sleep apnea
Other diagnoses given:
Anxiety, Bursitis, Depression, Dry Eye, Epstein-Barr, Eczema, Gallstones, H.Pylori, Hashimoto, Herpes Simplex I, Hypo-Thyroidism, Idiopathic Hypersomnia, Idiopathic Intermittent Right Temporal Waves, Incontinence, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lipoma, Migraines, Peri-menopause, Peripheral Neuropathy, Shingles, Sinusitis, Stomach Antrim Atrophy, Vitamin D Deficiency, Viral Meningitis, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome possibility
Today’s symptoms:
Fatigue, night sweats, sensitivity to chemicals, sensitivity to sounds, thyroid disorder, low body temperature, dry eyes, incontinence, hot flashes, acne, back pain, intolerance to exercise, disc problems, joint stiffness, muscle weakness, muscle twitching/spasm, tremors, clumsy, trouble balancing, numbness/tingling, memory problems, controlled sleep apnea
The diagnoses I still have:
Depression, Dry Eye, Hypo-Thyroidism
As you can see, my body has made great progress. Am I 100% well? No. But I can hold a job and a conversation. I have a full life. No matter the severity or length of illness, it is most likely that you can heal, given the treatments that best suits your body, mind and soul.
