Doesn't it just figure. Life seems to be going great. You are meeting goals you set for yourself. Everything just seems to be falling into place and WHAM something happens or comes up that throws a wrench into everything. We seem to be at that point. I've been dealing with some pain in my knees for about 6 weeks. I inherited my mother's grace (or rather, lack of). I assumed I had over-worked them doing chores in the deep snow...or somehow managed to sprain them. Instead of getting better despite working through the pain or resting them, they continued to get worse. Climbing the stairs to our bedrooms was excruciating. I dreaded going to the bathroom because it hurt so bad to get back up. Finally after a yearly doctor exam two weeks ago, Monday, I made time to go to the urgent care center to have my knees checked. My left knee was extremely swollen, full of fluid, and warm to the touch. The doctor asked me a few questions and said he felt it was some sort of infection in my knee rather than an injury. He ordered a handful of blood labs and referred me to the rheumetologist. After I had 6 tubes of blood drawn I made my appointment for Wednesday afternoon. Over the next 24 hours my left knee continued to swell. On Tuesday the urgent care doctor called with my lab results. They indicated I may have Lyme Disease? I was shocked. I hadn't had a tick that I remembered being on for any length of time. Living in the country and being outside as much as we are we're very diligent about always checking the kids and ourselves everyday after being outside. I had also never had the tell-tale bullseye rash that we are told to watch for. After some research it seems only 50% of Lyme patients get such a rash and because the tick that carries Lyme is so tiny, most people never know they had a tick until they start showing Lyme Disease symptoms.
The first stage of Lyme Disease happens in the first 1 to 4 weeks. This stage is the early localized reaction. Symptoms may include: A circular bullseye looking rash that gets larger with time. Lack of energy, which is the most common symptom. Headache and stiff neck. Fever and chills. Muscle and joint pain. Swollen lymph nodes. Some people who get Lyme will not notice any of these first symptoms. Not everyone gets the rash and the other symptoms are brushed off as the flu.
After getting the call that Lyme Disease was indicated I started researching to see what other symptoms I had in the past that I missed. Sure enough after reading the first list of symptoms I could recall have joint pain in my hands, wrists, and shoulders during the summer even though at the time I couldn't remember an actual injury. I thought I just slept on them wrong or something to that extent. Eventually they got better and I forgot about them.
I read on to Stage 2. Stage 2 is called the Early disseminated infection and happens around 1 to 4 months. Symptoms at this stage may include: Being tired. Additional skin rashes in several places on your body that develop as the infection spreads. Pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms or legs. Inability to control the muscles of the face (paralysis of the facial nerves). Recurring headaches or fainting. Poor memory and reduced ability to concentrate. Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or sometimes damage to deep tissue in the eyes. Occasional rapid heartbeats (palpitations) or, in rare cases, serious heart problems.
This stage I could recall specifics about. In August I developed a horrible rash on my feet. I COULD.NOT.STOP.ITCHING! I thought it was athletes foot and self treated with over the counter medications. It did not get better and eventually developed into a large splotchy rash up my legs to my thighs. My family doctor diagnosed me with eczema and prescribed a steroid cream. It didn't help but the rash eventually got better on its own. I started getting headaches on an almost daily basis. I thought it was possibly a hormonal imbalance because I had also been diagnosed with post partum depression and an anxiety disorder. I was also exhausted all the time but I have a baby who is still up frequently at night due to teething so I thought nothing of it even though it usually didn't matter whether I slept well or not. I was always tired.
And finally this is where I'm at now.
The 3rd stage called Late Stage Lyme Infection. Symptoms at this stage may include: Swelling and pain (inflammation) in the joints, especially in the knees. Numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back. Severe fatigue. Partial facial nerve paralysis, which usually occurs within the first few months after the tick bite. Neurological changes, including problems with memory, mood, or sleep, and sometimes problems speaking. Chronic Lyme arthritis, which causes recurring episodes of swelling, redness, and fluid buildup in one or more joints that last up to 6 months at a time.
The knee pain and swelling being my biggest symptom. I had also mentioned to Ryan a week or so ago that I felt like I had pregnancy brain again. I was forgetting little things, misplacing things and just had a general mental fogginess. I blamed it on my extra tiredness.
The urgent care doctor started me on Amoxicillian 500mg every 6 hours. Doxycycline
Friday morning, while I was getting ready upstairs Sawyer jumped over the gate we use between the living room and kitchen so Danica can't get near the wood stove. What I didn't hear was the gate actually fell. Sawyer came up to talk to me and as he turned around to go back down he started talking to Danica who had managed to make it up the stairs. Before I could get to her I heard her fall. I picked her up to find blood dripping from her mouth. She nursed and stopped crying. She caught the inside of her lip with her teeth and had a fat lip but didn't need stitches thank goodness. It was a very rough morning.
Shortly after a friend from church picked up me and the kids. We dropped of Sawyer at "Grandpa" Victor's house. Then we headed down to Marshfield for my appointment. She took Danica shopping with her while I was seen by the doctor. The doctor tried to remove some of the fluid from my knee but because of the inflammation and infection I could feel every time she pulled back on the syringe. She got enough fluid to send to the lab so they could confirm the Lyme. She said the antibiotics should start helping soon. I scheduled a follow up appointment for 3 weeks later.
Friday night during the night I had to get up with Danica only to find I could barely walk. My other knee was also swollen and painful. By morning I was in tears. I called my mom and asked her to come and get me in the kids. There was no way I could take care of them.
Both the boys were so helpful. Sawyer got me clothes and diapers for Danica so I could get her changed while I laid on the couch. They both picked up all their toys. Landon vacuumed the living room and made him and Sawyer peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. My mom and step dad got here shortly after. They did chores for me and helped pack up some clothes and we left for their house.
Of course, not to be outdone by Danica, Sawyer fell outside at Grandma's shortly after we got there. Thankfully, even though there was much blood and tears, no stitches.
By Sunday the pain and swelling was even worse. I called the on call doctor who prescribed me Prednisone which helps with inflammation and suggested I wean Danica so I could go on the stronger antibiotic I mentioned before, Doxycyclene. Within 24 hours of starting the Prednisone the knee pain was much better. I was still sore by the afternoon but not in the excruciating pain I was before. On Tuesday the swelling and pressure still hadn't gotten better and Danica was down to just one nursing at night occasionally. ( I had been working on weaning her down with all the pain medications I was on already) I called my doctor and she called in the prescription for Doxycycline. She told me she had a lady with Lyme Arthritis as bad as me earlier in the winter. Once she started the Doxycycline the fluid and pain got better within 3 days.
Wednesday I came home with Sawyer and Danica and was pretty sore, swollen, and stiff. We went to bed early. Danica slept in the playpen and Sawyer and I slept on the spare bed in the playroom. Thursday we had a very lazy day in our jammies. Someone from church brought over lasagna, homemade spaghetti sauce and noodles, and two loaves of bread and Ryan's mom came over to do chores again. Friday we had another lazy day. I was really having terrible headaches on top of my knee problems. I spoke to my doctor and she prescribed a new pain medicine and mailed it out to me. Ryan got home about supper time and I was able to rest the entire evening on the couch with my knee up. He made supper and took care of the kids. Yesterday morning I woke up with much less swelling and fluid which of course I took advantage of. Today I'm sore and stiff again but not nearly as bad as it has been. I'm confident I'm on the upswing now. Ryan will be home for the week to make sure I have help while I keep recuperating. Hopefully by the time he leaves I will be mostly back to myself.
My pill regimen...yuck!
The first stage of Lyme Disease happens in the first 1 to 4 weeks. This stage is the early localized reaction. Symptoms may include: A circular bullseye looking rash that gets larger with time. Lack of energy, which is the most common symptom. Headache and stiff neck. Fever and chills. Muscle and joint pain. Swollen lymph nodes. Some people who get Lyme will not notice any of these first symptoms. Not everyone gets the rash and the other symptoms are brushed off as the flu.
After getting the call that Lyme Disease was indicated I started researching to see what other symptoms I had in the past that I missed. Sure enough after reading the first list of symptoms I could recall have joint pain in my hands, wrists, and shoulders during the summer even though at the time I couldn't remember an actual injury. I thought I just slept on them wrong or something to that extent. Eventually they got better and I forgot about them.
I read on to Stage 2. Stage 2 is called the Early disseminated infection and happens around 1 to 4 months. Symptoms at this stage may include: Being tired. Additional skin rashes in several places on your body that develop as the infection spreads. Pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms or legs. Inability to control the muscles of the face (paralysis of the facial nerves). Recurring headaches or fainting. Poor memory and reduced ability to concentrate. Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) or sometimes damage to deep tissue in the eyes. Occasional rapid heartbeats (palpitations) or, in rare cases, serious heart problems.
This stage I could recall specifics about. In August I developed a horrible rash on my feet. I COULD.NOT.STOP.ITCHING! I thought it was athletes foot and self treated with over the counter medications. It did not get better and eventually developed into a large splotchy rash up my legs to my thighs. My family doctor diagnosed me with eczema and prescribed a steroid cream. It didn't help but the rash eventually got better on its own. I started getting headaches on an almost daily basis. I thought it was possibly a hormonal imbalance because I had also been diagnosed with post partum depression and an anxiety disorder. I was also exhausted all the time but I have a baby who is still up frequently at night due to teething so I thought nothing of it even though it usually didn't matter whether I slept well or not. I was always tired.
And finally this is where I'm at now.
The 3rd stage called Late Stage Lyme Infection. Symptoms at this stage may include: Swelling and pain (inflammation) in the joints, especially in the knees. Numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back. Severe fatigue. Partial facial nerve paralysis, which usually occurs within the first few months after the tick bite. Neurological changes, including problems with memory, mood, or sleep, and sometimes problems speaking. Chronic Lyme arthritis, which causes recurring episodes of swelling, redness, and fluid buildup in one or more joints that last up to 6 months at a time.
The knee pain and swelling being my biggest symptom. I had also mentioned to Ryan a week or so ago that I felt like I had pregnancy brain again. I was forgetting little things, misplacing things and just had a general mental fogginess. I blamed it on my extra tiredness.
The urgent care doctor started me on Amoxicillian 500mg every 6 hours. Doxycycline
Friday morning, while I was getting ready upstairs Sawyer jumped over the gate we use between the living room and kitchen so Danica can't get near the wood stove. What I didn't hear was the gate actually fell. Sawyer came up to talk to me and as he turned around to go back down he started talking to Danica who had managed to make it up the stairs. Before I could get to her I heard her fall. I picked her up to find blood dripping from her mouth. She nursed and stopped crying. She caught the inside of her lip with her teeth and had a fat lip but didn't need stitches thank goodness. It was a very rough morning.
Shortly after a friend from church picked up me and the kids. We dropped of Sawyer at "Grandpa" Victor's house. Then we headed down to Marshfield for my appointment. She took Danica shopping with her while I was seen by the doctor. The doctor tried to remove some of the fluid from my knee but because of the inflammation and infection I could feel every time she pulled back on the syringe. She got enough fluid to send to the lab so they could confirm the Lyme. She said the antibiotics should start helping soon. I scheduled a follow up appointment for 3 weeks later.
Friday night during the night I had to get up with Danica only to find I could barely walk. My other knee was also swollen and painful. By morning I was in tears. I called my mom and asked her to come and get me in the kids. There was no way I could take care of them.
Both the boys were so helpful. Sawyer got me clothes and diapers for Danica so I could get her changed while I laid on the couch. They both picked up all their toys. Landon vacuumed the living room and made him and Sawyer peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. My mom and step dad got here shortly after. They did chores for me and helped pack up some clothes and we left for their house.
Of course, not to be outdone by Danica, Sawyer fell outside at Grandma's shortly after we got there. Thankfully, even though there was much blood and tears, no stitches.
By Sunday the pain and swelling was even worse. I called the on call doctor who prescribed me Prednisone which helps with inflammation and suggested I wean Danica so I could go on the stronger antibiotic I mentioned before, Doxycyclene. Within 24 hours of starting the Prednisone the knee pain was much better. I was still sore by the afternoon but not in the excruciating pain I was before. On Tuesday the swelling and pressure still hadn't gotten better and Danica was down to just one nursing at night occasionally. ( I had been working on weaning her down with all the pain medications I was on already) I called my doctor and she called in the prescription for Doxycycline. She told me she had a lady with Lyme Arthritis as bad as me earlier in the winter. Once she started the Doxycycline the fluid and pain got better within 3 days.
Wednesday I came home with Sawyer and Danica and was pretty sore, swollen, and stiff. We went to bed early. Danica slept in the playpen and Sawyer and I slept on the spare bed in the playroom. Thursday we had a very lazy day in our jammies. Someone from church brought over lasagna, homemade spaghetti sauce and noodles, and two loaves of bread and Ryan's mom came over to do chores again. Friday we had another lazy day. I was really having terrible headaches on top of my knee problems. I spoke to my doctor and she prescribed a new pain medicine and mailed it out to me. Ryan got home about supper time and I was able to rest the entire evening on the couch with my knee up. He made supper and took care of the kids. Yesterday morning I woke up with much less swelling and fluid which of course I took advantage of. Today I'm sore and stiff again but not nearly as bad as it has been. I'm confident I'm on the upswing now. Ryan will be home for the week to make sure I have help while I keep recuperating. Hopefully by the time he leaves I will be mostly back to myself.
My pill regimen...yuck!
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