Doctors Doctors Doctors

So what has been going since this Piccline has been out?

I ended up getting sick. I guess this makes sense since I was on about 5 antibiotics for months and then just stopped. I ended up having a bad sore throat and bad ear pain/pressure. I went and saw my primary doctor who thought I  probably have Strep Throat or Mono. I felt so sick that I could barely get out of bed..

I then made an appoint with my Lyme Dr to see if it was my Lyme flaring up. He thought I may have Mono too.. So I went and had the Mono blood test- good news- no mono.. but I am still sick. I also saw my integrative medicine doctor who said my Lyme was in remission but I am still fighting off metals: mercury and lead.

I then went and saw an ENT who said my Eustachian Tubes were completely blocked. He then said steroids would be the best thing to open up my ears. Us Lymies know that steroids and Lyme are NOT a good combination. But I really had no choice- I was losing my hearing and in SO much pain. I ended up taking the steroids and the ear pain did get better. I am getting allergy testing done this week. It has been about 4 weeks that I have been fighting this cold/virus and now I have a deep cough.

Overall, I think that it is just hard to fight anything right now because my immune system is so compromised. I am continuing to workout out in the wellness program, eat well, taking supplements and try to heal my body.

I did meet with my Lyme doctor who told me that my c6peptide number was low! YAY! I was at 1.60 in January and now am at negative 0.70! I had more blood work taken on July 24.. I will find out how my numbers are on August 16- please pray that my number is still low! I also got a CD57 blood test done as well. Very nervous but hopeful for good results!

I also saw my neurologist and he was super impressed with how far I have come. After talking to him I am starting to come off of my Neurotin. I just want to try to come off of as many meds as I can- but stay on all naturals because I know I can't be off of everything.

So.. how have I been doing? I still have the cold and at times still very exhausted. I am able to do many more things now but then I am tired- I need breaks and a 20-40 minute nap everyday. I did also have 1 scary episode. This Friday for about an hour and 15 minutes my leg went all completely numb and tingly on me. I had trouble walking again. I did lay down and put my tens unit on me and had to calm down because as you can imagine I was a hysterical mess. I did have workout in the wellness program extra hard that week and that morning so maybe that caused something but I do not know. Maybe because I just stopped the Neurotin? I have been fine since then but I am scared that these flare ups are going to happen. Are they always going to happen?

I continue to think positive and kick Lyme Butt!!

Good News- Going back to teaching in September after missing a whole school year! I am so excited and so blessed to be able to live my life again! Thank you for all of your support and prayers.

Thank you

It has been a month since I have had to get driven to Harleysville every day for IV infusion… I look back and I cannot believe how sick I really was! It has been 2 weeks since I have been in “PT” and I have now been driving for almost a month as well ( driving pretty locally). I am walking and starting to exercise in my wellness program! I really just wanted to give a public shout out and thank y...ou to ALL who have driven me to my doctor appointments, to Harleysville (and sat with me for hours during infusion, to Physical Therapy & to run many errands. I am so blessed to have you all in my life. You are the angels that God has put on earth for me. I truly love you all!

 My family: My husband- Jon, my mommy, my daddy, my step-mom, my step-dad, my mother-in-law,my Nanny, Danielle, Brittany, Jen, Bridget, & Jason.

My Friends: Shannon Kelly, Lindsay Minton, Tim Keck, Amanda McCleery, Laura Murray, Nicole Casciello, Stacey Pizzo, Kelly Short, Tammy Smith, Barb Newell, Terry Ciotto, Joyce Scheller, Betsey Gallagher, Nicole Smith, Karen Bennett, Christina Warren, Colleen Jaxel, & Connie Wyld. Thank you to Collette Stabb for setting me up with rides- so sweet! Thank you so much to Rick Williams too- thank you for always being someone that I can talk to and for all of your support! <3 love to all

Goodbye PT- Hello Wellness Program!

So last week was my last week of Physical Therapy. August will be 1 year since I have been in Physical Therapy! Here is a picture of me that my Physical Therapist took on my last day- he even brought in a graduation cap for me!

So am I 100% better and have a perfect gait... NO.. but I am better! I am actually still going to be at the PT office still 3 days a week but instead of doing Physical Therapy, I will be doing the Wellness Program. The Wellness Program in like a medical exercise program. The Therapists will still be there to support me when needed and put me on a program but I will be more independent. :)


I am still having very bad hip, knee and back pain. My hip seems to be pulling forward and it can mess up my gait even more. I think from me sitting for 5 hours a day for months and not having any use of my right side for months kind of messed up my body. So I am continuing to work those joints and muscles kind of reteach them how they are suppose to work.


I am driving!!! I have been driving locally for the past few weeks!!! It feels great to run errands! I actually can't wait to run to the food store or get gas in the car.. my independence is almost back 100%!!! woohoo! I am hoping to try longer distances in the near future!


So I have been off the Picc for over 3 weeks now and still feeling not that well. It turns out that I now have strep throat. I guess my immune system still has trouble fighting its battles and I will get colds easier. Just another fight to fight.


I met with my integrative medicine doctor on Wednesday and the Lyme still seemed to be in remisson but my Mercury was still active so I am still fighting that off. I know it will take a while before I feel great again.. even a year- I am just being impatient I guess. I see my LLMD on the 24th!! Hoping my C6peptide result and my Western Blot result show no active Lyme!!


I am in the process of detoxing. I am drinking lemon water like crazy, Epsom salt baths, PC pills, wheat grass cubes, organic chorella pills & organic cilantro drops. Any other detox tricks from you Lymies out there? Please share! :)

Peaceout Picc!

Hi All,

Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks now! So many things have been going on in my life. Saying Peaceout to this PIccline!!!

Soooo. The PICC is out!! The PICC came out on Wednesday, June 20, 2012!! I am very happy that I do not need to drive and sit for 5 hours a day now!! We did have a Hawaiian party at infusion! It was a fun way to say goodbye to my friend. I will truly miss the Lyme Friends that I have met. I know without their support I would not be where I am today. I pray for you all daily and hope for us to stay in touch! <3

                                            Last Bag of Vancomycin!

                                                  Saying Goodbye!!!!

So, overall since August, I had 98 Days of IV Rocephin and 70 Days of IV Vancomycin. I have 3 battlescars ( Piccline scars) and a mental scar for life. I know I will forever be a Lyme Warrior but I am hoping this girl is in remisson.

                                         My third Piccline battlescar!!!

How have I been feeling? Well Physcially.. I am doing 90% better than I was last August. No more walker, wheelchair, brace, Tens… ALL me! My gait is still off a little but not as bad as it was. I am having back/hip/knee pain on my right side. I knew I would have some problems b/c think about it? I sat for almost a year and when I did walk all of my weight was on my left side and my gait was always off. So I am not trying to get my body realigned. My hip and back are so bad. My PT has to adjust my hip every visit. My hip pulls forward causing me to have back pain. I do hip exercises daily to help the hip stay in place. I will need to keep an eye on this incase I need to see an orthopedic dr.

Mentally.. I have some good and bad days. I still have headaches and dizziness as well as ear pain. Also, at times I have confusion. I forgot how to wrap a present! I was staring at a box and wrapping paper-it was really scary how I forgot how to do this.

I am in bed sometimes and it really stinks. I feel that once I have energy and do something.. having a really good day. The next day I am bedridden paying for the day before. I guess I need to understand that just because my PICC is out I am not 100% healed. I have learned it may take up to 6 months-1 year to really feel good again. I am slowly learning this.

So overall I am just taking it easy. I am no longer on any antibiotics but I am on many supplements and Celebrex and Neurotin. I am also starting to detox. I do meet with my integrative medicine Dr. next week and my LLMD on the 24^th of July. I am hoping I do not need to be put back on oral antibiotics but I guess we will see….

I am looking forward to living my life again and feeling like “me” again.. I am praying for the day the I wake up and feel 100%!! Please friend me on FB at Samanthas LymeLife. I update that daily J

i am runninnnggggg

Hi all. I am sorry that I haven't posted in the past few weeks. I have had so much going on... and Yes, my Piccline is out! yay!!! I will post about that this weekend. Here is a video of me running in Physical Therapy last week... my gait is still off and when I run my right leg turns in a little. I am having back and hip problems and my knee bothers me as well. I am SOO happy that I am walking that I will deal with the pain. :) I feel as if I almost have my life back... I am about  80-85% there!! :)

REMISSION???!!!!

So I got some great news today… My Piccline is coming out next Wednesday, June 20^th!!  As I mentioned on my previous post my 60 days on IV Rcocephin and IV Vancomycin was on Wednesday, June 6. After talking with my LLMD he wanted to extend me 30 more days on intravenous meds. His reason being that I am not 100% “me” again. Yes, I still have headaches, dizziness (which causes me to be nauseous), fatigue, joint pain, & neuropathy.. but I have definitely made improvements! I am now walking on my own, started reading books again, on the computer more, have better conversations, able to plan events.. etc.

I feel that part of me being sick has to do with the medicines that I am on. I was on 28 days of IV antibiotics in Aug/Sept. then on 70 days from March until present.. that is almost 100 days on IV antibiotics. On top on the IV meds. I am on oral azithromycin, Ceftin, Flaygl ( then switched to Tindamax), Duflucan, Neurotin, Celebrex, asprin, Samento, Banderyol..Plus many supplements. Overall, I personally think that my body needs a break. I have had blood clots, phlebitis and just want this picc out! Also, who knows the long term effects that my body may have from being on all of these antibiotics? I do have blood work done every Tuesday- overall everything comes back great! But sometimes I have had low red blood cells, high white blood cells.. overall it is just scary that we have to take all of these meds to get better but it could be damaging parts of our body. There is not one specific treatment plan that everyone should follow for Lyme Disease- everyone is different and should have different plans depending on their symptoms. Some people many only need 28 days (which I know that MOST need more- especially for Chronic Lyme) and I think every patient needs to be on a concoction of medications for to get to remission. I am grateful for the doctors that I have found –they were very aggressive!

So today I also met with my integrative medicine doctor.. and this was the FIRST time since I started going to him that he found that ALL my co-infections and my Lyme were cleared.. so that means he found that I am in REMISSION!!! Yay!! Finally!!!! It was wonderful news!!! I am actually in shock- b/c I do not feel 100%..

100%??? So after talking to my LLMD and my integrative medicine doctor it will take about 1-6 months for me to really see a difference. Once I am off these abx I will probably feel like poop and may get sick again.. Well, think about it.. my body is so use to being on abx that it has to learn to fight for itself again. I have been working on building up my immune system so hopefully it will pick up right away… only time will tell.

So.. here is goes… Next Wednesday we will see if I kicked this Lyme to the curb! Will I be “cured” sadly, NO.  I have Chronic Lyme Meningitis.. FOREVER… I will be in “remission” Could the Lyme become active again? Oh yes.. so what can I do to hopefully prevent this? I am going to start detoxing next week by taking pills, baths, drinks.. we will see. Also, eating healthy and exercising. Now that I am able to walk somewhat again.. I need to push myself. I can do it—I know it!

Sadly, right now I have had the worst back pain, hip pain, pelvis pain. I found that since my body was at rest for so long and now I am walking again my pelvis is off alignment and it is causing pain. I am going to talk to my PT tomorrow to discuss going to a chiropractor. This pain is terrible and is not helping the other pain that I am having… so we will see.

So I am going to be positive.. stopping antibiotics and helping my body heal naturally.. Hopefully stopping sooner than later will be a good thing for me.. Prayers are welcomed! I am hoping to go back to teaching preschool disabled in the September- I miss my class, I miss my life… here is to my new life & being grateful for the good days and dealing with the flare ups.. I will be patient & have accepted and that this is my new life- I hope all my family/friends can accept it and be patient too..  Thank you for ALL of your support.. I am blessed <3 

thank goodness Tindamax is done today!!

Didn't feel too well to type so here is a blog video of me today. Thanks for all of your support and Let's Raise Awareness!! :)