posted
I will be running the NHMarathon on October 3, 2009. There was a time when I thought I would never run again.
February 2006 - 8-9 months of terrible symptoms such as below that no doctor could diagnose properly. I was diagnosed with many different diseases from mono to CFS to ME:
Severe debilitating fatique, usually made worse by physical exercise Impaired cognitive functions - inability to concentrate, calculation difficulties, memory disturbance, spatial disturbance, frequently saying the wrong word, being in a fog Chronic sore throat Tender and swollen lymph nodes Muscle pain Multijoint pain New headaches Nonrefreshing sleep
Not to mention a series of EKG's, heart monitors, echo stress tests because my heart rate averaged 130 just standing.
April 2006 - 10 months of symptoms - finally found lymenet and the words Lyme tests are not always accurate
May 2006 Started tetracycline and herxed within hours of my first dose. After almost 11 months of terrible symptoms, where I thought I would surely die, I finally got the antibiotics I so badly needed. On antibiotics 8 months.
September 8, 2009 - 2 years 8 months off consistent antibiotics. Back running for almost 2 years. Did 90 miles of running this particular week.
September 23, 2009 Currently tapering to run the NHmarathon on Saturday 10/3/2009. Why... "Because I Can!"
It used to think I would never forget what I went through to get properly diagnosed with Lyme. Today, I actually had to look up in my diary to read again my horrifying ordeal. My nightmare that I thought I would never recover from.
When I finally got my first course of antibiotics I felt like I wanted to crawl out my skin - it hurt so bad. This despite no labs being abnormal, no temperature. Nothing that would indicate an infection. My body had stopped fighting "It" and the bacteria was taking over.
I am very lucky. I found not only lymenet, that set me in the right direction, but a good doctor that truly cared.
I will run that marathon in celebration of being given another chance at life!
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I'll be cheering for you tabers. Thanks for the hope.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Thank you so much for this post, Tabers! That's a success story I really needed to hear today. I'll be cheering LOUDLY for you on the 3rd. Burn rubber!!!
Posts: 57 | From western Virginia | Registered: Apr 2009
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Wonderful news Tabers!!! Thanks for thinking of us and coming back to share your success. Very much needed and appreciated!
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
Tabers! Way to go! I hope to join you in the ranks of Marathoners some day soon! Take it for all it is worth, I am sure this race will be the sweetest one that you will have ever run!
Good Luck at mile '23' think of what you are running for and you will make it over that hump!
Feelfit
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
Thanks Everyone...it means a lot to me to be able to run a marathon, when 3 years ago, I could not even walk up 3 stairs without being out of breath.
Did your western blot ever convert to more positive bands with treatment? (I'm assuming it was negative)
Posts: 207 | From NH | Registered: Jul 2009
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tabers
Unregistered
posted
Hi purplemom,
I never bothered getting another western blot after having almost four without a definitive positive. My doctor treated me based on only band 39 showing positive and the symptoms.
I am well. 2 years and 8 months as of September 8, 2009 off consistent antibiotics.
Hi Brandinmc - I never did IV and personally glad I did not.
My current theory: I probably got bitten when I was young and my immune system was able to fend it off in general for >40 years. I had a bullseye on my butt when I was around 8 - we all thought it was a spider bite. And during my childhood I never got the diseases that my siblings got such as chicken pox or measles. We used to think I had this amazing immune system.
I think there are a lot of people walking around with subclinical Lyme. Then all it takes is a stressor like surgery or even another bite with either a tick, misquito or blackfly to make that toxic soup - that takes you over to acute.
Once it becomes an acute situation like mine did in 2005 either from my dental surgery or the stress my divorce...that is where it can do major damage if one does not get the treatment they need. I was very close to being significantly ill. I knew I got my antibiotics just in time.
The good news is that I feel that the longer one has the bug (it has to be years and years though) the weaker the bug is if one's immune system is able to keep in check. I feel it gets old just like we do. So when you get the treatment you need then it may be easier to kill. Research does show that the older the cyst the easier it is to kill. Just my theory. So for those of you that feel you are doomed if you have had it a long time - I am an example that you can get better.
I had not had any antibiotics since around 21 years old. I had an allergic reaction to it back then - not - it probably was a herx when I think back now.
By the time I got on tetracycline the "bacteria" was taking over. My body could not "put in back" in remission. The bugs were out to play so when I took the tetracycline it was a battle field. I think that is significant for some reason. Because I had not had antibiotics of any kind for so long I think the antibiotics "made its mark" well.
I was on tetracycline ~5 weeks (about killed me), biaxin/plaquenil between 6-7 months - thus ~8 months of consistent antibiotics.
I still had some symptoms when I stopped, but I knew I needed a break.
I then used chinese herbs and exercise to get back to where I am now.
At this point I do not feel that I have the bacteria. If I do it is so minimal that I am keeping it in check well. Being sick over 2 years one becomes very intuned with their body.
I feel pretty good. And at one point in my treatment I thought I would not make it.
So you can get better from Lyme or this Lyme-Like illness. You just have to hang in there and not be afraid to take breaks when needed.
Don't kill yourself trying to kill the lyme.
I cannot prescribe as I am not a physician.
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I rarely post here - but must say it is so good to read your story! After I had about 1 yr of abx, I was a lot better and then relapsed (my fault really, for not paying attention to the signs..) - so now I am back on abx.
Hopefully, in time, I will be up and running again! Thanks for sharing hope!
sig
Posts: 155 | From Norway | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
tabers, you are really inspiring! To be able to run a marathon after beating Lyme is just astonishing to me. I hope you have an AMAZING race!
-------------------- Misdiagnosed with CFS for 7 yrs. Diagnosed by LLMD in 2009. Aggressive treatment for 3 years with minimum improvement. Posts: 120 | From FL | Registered: Jun 2009
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and good luck on the marathon.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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