posted
Im a 19 year old in college who jsut found out i had lymes disease. this is not the first time, i had it when i was around 12. I must contract it at my summer house becuase there are many cases of lymes up there. i am currently on amoxocilian 2 500 mg pills 3 x a day. It is only day 3. But i still feel like **** (pardon my french) but there is no other way to describe it. I have 2 midterms next week, a paper, and a test all due. I feel hopeless and like i should take a leave of absence. I cant sleep (hence my 3 am post) and when i get to sleep i neevr want to wake up. Im nausous from the medicine and i cant seem to feel ok. I really love college and i know i belong here, but i already dropped a class... which my parents got angry at me for becuase i go to BU which aint cheap. And i can understand which is why i feel bad and don't know waht to do. IT is expensive and i can barely make it to class and when i do im leauges behind my other classmates. I do the work im suposed to do at home but for my language class im completely behind. My roomates dont understand how exausted i constantly am and they say that i sleep too much! as if i can GET enough sleep. my doctor gave me the wrong prescription for 2 straight weeks so technically i should be almost on week 3.. but waht can you do? so i was just wondering if anyone has some advice on my situation.. if anyones been in school before with lymes. Oh and by the way, the only reason i got tested for it on my own was because a boy i graduated with died this summer... which freaked me out into getting tested. thank god i did, i knew something was funky. But i can't do the things i love to do like rock climbing and going out on the weekends during the day.. im always asleep or exausted/stationary. i think i may have had lymes for at least a year or 2. probably a few years. I was wondering if anyone had a guesstimate of how long it will take for me to even start to feel better... let alone feel normal. Its awful. i feel and look tired. my eyes are dark now. they never were. and with my pale skin its even worse. Ive been so much more upset lately over small things taht shouldn't and normally don't bother me. My back is in constant pain and i get headaches occasionally. I mean i know illnesses don't pick people, but i feel its so unfair that i was a noraml healthy college bound student with sooo many ambitions for life and now i feel like it could all go down the drain. and that frightens me. if i take a leave of absence, theres no telling how long it will take for me to get better and then if i would ever come back/ be accepted back here at BU. I feel so alone because my parents, my friends.. no one understands what i feel like and some joke that i sleep all the time and ya know, its not a joke. i cant sleep like a normal person which bothers me the most becuase sleep is so important to me or i dont feel like myself. i just want to be normal again and ive adjusted my diet.. no milk less grains, more veggies, fruits, protein. ive increased my water intake to basically as much as i can/ when i remember which is around 8 cups of 16 oz a day. i take a multivitamin and fish oil each day but i still feel like #$@%! What else can i do to help speed up my recovery? ive been doing yoga to try to calm my mind and exercize my body but i just dont think this is enough. im so happy i found this website becuase i feel like i could really get some legit advice. everyone else ive talked to has no idea and like i said my parents are going nuts that i cant keep up with my school work becuase i'm an "a" type of student. i just feel like a dissapointment to my family and to myself. please give me some advice. thanks so much
Posts: 3 | From Boston, MA | Registered: Oct 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, hopefully what you are taking will work, but if you had it a year, maybe not.
Read Burrascano's Guidelines (On the ILADS site) and Cure Unknown.
Alot of doctors will poo, poo his guidelines, that is because they don't want to stick their neck out that far if you need that type of aggressive treatment.
No treatment is guaranteed, but if you fail low dose treatment, you may need more aggressive treatment.
This is not medical advice.
Posts: 743 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2009
| IP: Logged |
17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23747
posted
(I'm breaking up the post so others can read it.) ------------------------------------------------- cmcgrail says
Im a 19 year old in college who jsut found out i had lymes disease.
this is not the first time, i had it when i was around 12.
I must contract it at my summer house becuase there are many cases of lymes up there.
i am currently on amoxocilian 2 500 mg pills 3 x a day. It is only day 3.
But i still feel like **** (pardon my french) but there is no other way to describe it.
I have 2 midterms next week, a paper, and a test all due.
I feel hopeless and like i should take a leave of absence.
I cant sleep (hence my 3 am post) and when i get to sleep i neevr want to wake up.
Im nausous from the medicine and i cant seem to feel ok.
I really love college and i know i belong here, but i already dropped a class... which my parents got angry at me for becuase i go to BU which aint cheap.
And i can understand which is why i feel bad and don't know waht to do.
IT is expensive and i can barely make it to class and when i do im leauges behind my other classmates.
I do the work im suposed to do at home but for my language class im completely behind.
My roomates dont understand how exausted i constantly am and they say that i sleep too much!
as if i can GET enough sleep. my doctor gave me the wrong prescription for 2 straight weeks so technically i should be almost on week 3.. but waht can you do?
so i was just wondering if anyone has some advice on my situation.. if anyones been in school before with lymes.
Oh and by the way, the only reason i got tested for it on my own was because a boy i graduated with died this summer... which freaked me out into getting tested.
thank god i did, i knew something was funky.
But i can't do the things i love to do like rock climbing and going out on the weekends during the day.. im always asleep or exausted/stationary.
i think i may have had lymes for at least a year or 2. probably a few years.
I was wondering if anyone had a guesstimate of how long it will take for me to even start to feel better... let alone feel normal. Its awful.
i feel and look tired. my eyes are dark now. they never were. and with my pale skin its even worse.
Ive been so much more upset lately over small things taht shouldn't and normally don't bother me.
My back is in constant pain and i get headaches occasionally.
I mean i know illnesses don't pick people, but i feel its so unfair that i was a noraml healthy college bound student with sooo many ambitions for life and now i feel like it could all go down the drain. and that frightens me.
if i take a leave of absence, theres no telling how long it will take for me to get better and then if i would ever come back/ be accepted back here at BU.
I feel so alone because my parents, my friends.. no one understands what i feel like and some joke that i sleep all the time and ya know, its not a joke.
i cant sleep like a normal person which bothers me the most becuase sleep is so important to me or i dont feel like myself.
i just want to be normal again and ive adjusted my diet.. no milk less grains, more veggies, fruits, protein. ive increased my water intake to basically as much as i can/ when i remember which is around 8 cups of 16 oz a day.
i take a multivitamin and fish oil each day but i still feel like #$@%!
What else can i do to help speed up my recovery?
ive been doing yoga to try to calm my mind and exercize my body but i just dont think this is enough.
im so happy i found this website becuase i feel like i could really get some legit advice.
everyone else ive talked to has no idea and like i said my parents are going nuts that i cant keep up with my school work becuase i'm an "a" type of student.
i just feel like a dissapointment to my family and to myself. please give me some advice.
thanks so much
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
momindeep
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7618
posted
cmcgrail,
It is downright scary and upsetting when an illness comes along and kicks you in the butt.
All you can do, all anyone can do is the best they can. When a body fails you for a time, you have to adjust to that, and if you can continue with status quo, then so be it, but if you cannot continue with how you are doing your life, then adjustments have to be made.
I believe you can take action to get a medical leave from your college. Things vary from school to school, but sometimes, when things are explained and you have a doctor to back you up, arrangements can be made.
Lyme disease is not a situation to be taken lightly...and since you are an A student, then you are going to need to excel at getting better.
Your folks are just freaking out right now because money is "going down the drain", and sometimes it takes time to see the situation for what it really is. They aren't on board yet...hopefully it is just a matter of time for them.
Darling, I don't know how you are pulling off school with being this sick. You must be a trooper....but with that said, you have to ask yourself, is this helping me or hindering me?
Hopefully, your goals will have to just shift for the time being, just temporary, but everyone on Lyme net would agree that you need to take care of your Lyme first, so you can have a life in the future.
Sue
Posts: 1512 | From Glenwood City WI | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
First of all, I just want to say I'm so sorry that you are having to go through this. It's terrible to be sick at any stage of life, but being so young and full of potential makes it even worse.
Your parents help and understanding about this disease are SO important to helping you get better. If you could find a way to get the documentary "Under Our Skin" and let them watch it, maybe that will be all it will take to open their eyes to the truth of this disease.
I'm sure that others will come along and give you more good information.
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Welcome! I also don't see how you manage to go to school and deal with the fallout from this disease. I'm sure it's terribly difficult.
I'm not sure how much you've tried to educate your parents about lyme. If you can get them on board towards supporting you through this, they'll understand if you have to make adjustments regarding college.
There is NOTHING fair about this disease. I've seen so many people work their whole lives, get to retirement age expecting to enjoy the fruits of their many years of labor, just to have that robbed from them by Lyme Disease. No..nothing fair about any of this.
Are you taking any other supplements for support? Magnesium is a biggie. You also need liver support and probiotics esp while you're taking the antibiotics.
I would check out the treatment guidelines on Dr. Burrascano's site, that another poster mentioned. There are supplements that he recommends.
In the medical questions forum there are numerous posts regarding supplements as well.
You probably figured out that you need REST. You might think you're already resting, but your body needs strength to fight this. Learn to pace yourself, and to not overdo. Easier said than done, especially when you've got a schedule such as you do.
I really hope you're able to get your parents on board. You're going to need their support. At the least you need their understanding.
Posts: 624 | From Oklahoma | Registered: Jun 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
thanks everyone! this is probably going to be one of the most difficult times in my life and im pretty down right now, but it is such a great comfort to have people who know how i feel when my parents and friends just can't comprehend.
Posts: 3 | From Boston, MA | Registered: Oct 2010
| IP: Logged |
Not sure the second book has the absolute latest info, but it would be a good starting place for your parents.
You might also want to see if there is a local support group in your area. See green menu box left side of this page. Click on support groups line.
One thing you need to be prepared for is that when you start killing the bacteria, the symptoms will get worse for a while. This is called a herxheimer reaction. So, you may feel even worse on meds for a while, and might want to consider the medical leave so the money is not going down the drain.
Hoping you have a good lyme doc because if you have had this for a year or two, treatment is going to take some time.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic