Big Trip: Off to the Lyme Docs

By the time you get this blog entry we'll probably be on the road to the Lyme doctors.

Both of my parents are taking me, and Abbie is taking care of Asher Dasher/Fuzz Face. I always look forward to my divorced parents being on a car trip together--NOT! I bought some good ear buds for my iPod to block out all the shop talk and disagreements over navigation! No, really, they do pretty well, but it can be entertaining. I'm VERY lucky that they unite for me. And Abbie is great to take care of Asher and to feel comfortable with Mom and Dad travelling together. They both like to be present at the doctor's appointments. Also, my mom doesn't enjoy any city driving whereas my dad doesn't mind at all. My mom is great at covering all of the maps and navigation as well as ALL of my food and medical needs. They each have their 'duties'! haha.

I will be seeing two doctors on this trip:

1. Dr. Lyme, whom I first saw in 2005 and has been monitoring my care since then via phone consults. This will be our first trip to see him since my original visit.

2. Dr. Y, an alternative doctor who deals with a lot of Lyme patients. The woman who first helped me to find Dr. Lyme is now working with Dr. Y and having REMARKABLE results, so I am going to see him also.

The two doctors are only one town apart, so we are going to be able to see both easily in one trip.

I'm not really looking forward to the travel, taking the whole house with us, and not having my Tempur-Pedic bed (and Asher to cuddle with), but I figure if I could do the trip in 2005 when I was MUCH sicker, I can do it now.

We've rented a Subaru Tribeca (keep your fingers crossed, as they don't guarantee anything when you rent a car). If we don't get that, we'll take Abbie's Forrester. We're hoping the Tribeca will give me lots of space to recline and put my feet up for the long drive (about 6-7 hours).

Usually, before I would venture out to see a more alternative doctor (or any new doctor for that matter), I would be obsessively researching ahead of time. For some reason this time around, I'm not. I feel completely at peace. I trust my friend Jenn and her instincts. She found me a good doctor in Dr. Lyme. She's been through the wringer in the traditional and alternative medical world in her 15 years of being sick with Lyme disease. She's incredibly motivated to get well and find the best treatment available. She never stops searching for answers or fighting for better health. I am going to go into my appoinment with Dr. Y with an open mind and trust my gut.

Most exciting about the trip is that I will be meeting Jenn! She has been one of my most cherished mentors and friends that I met through DINET and has helped me to find my way on the Lyme journey. She is the person who originally sent me an email that said, "Emily, I don't want to push anything on you, but your story reminds me so much of mine. You are like a poster child for Lyme disease." She left the door open for me to decide whether or not I would like to pursue Lyme more. Her email came at the same time Dr. ANS had also suggested Lyme as a possibility in the summer of 2005. Since then, we have become friends and she has been a great mentor to me.

She is going to meet us at the hotel before my appointment with Dr. Y and have breakfast with me, and then head over to his office with us. She is also going to stay with me through the appointment so that, if I do decide to follow this doctor's treatment plan, she can be my mentor. Our visit time will be short (and I'm sure I'll be running on adrenaline and not quite awake in the morning, as I never am awake in the morning!) but just to meet her in person and give her a hug will be great! We know we will see each other again!

It should be a beautiful fall drive (if I'm awake for any of it). The Lyrica has been helping my pain a great deal and I'm hoping it will help with the trip. Car travel is really difficult for me, but we must make this trip. I know I can do it. I'll just need some serious recup time when I get home! I'm loaded up with extra Klonopin, Zofran, candied Ginger, a bazillion pillows, my prayer shawl, my iPod, and every other possible comfort item I can think of. We really DO need that Tribeca to fit everything in.

The year 5768 is here. A new birthday year is on the horizon. I feel full of peace, joy, hope and healing. I'm not sure where all of this is coming from, but I feel good about the Jewish New Year and about turning 32. I'm in a much better place than I was when I turned 30 or even 31.

I feel that my spirit has finally blossomed into the butterfly it's been longing to be. My body is still a turtle, but it's a turtle that's gaining on that hare. In the past couple of months I have felt an indescribable transformation taking place within me.

I'll report on the big trip when I am able!

Blessings,

Emily

Photo: Zinnia in our neighbor's yard. They have a huge patch of gorgeous wildflowers that have been blooming all summer long, and are still going strong.