Bartonella

I went to see Dr Andrew yesterday.  When I resume treatment properly,  I'll be being treated for Bartonella with Rifampicin.  Unexpectedly, because I thought I was being switched to oral penicillin, I have been asked to continue the Bicillin injections.

Cat scratch

Dr Andrew warned against severe herxes on this new antibiotic so I do not plan to begin treatment for Bartonella until after a holiday with my family.  So what is Bartonella you may ask?  It is a group of gram negative bacteria which are spread by ticks, mosquitoes, sandflies, fleas and lice.  One species is known to cause cat scratch disease.  Another - trench fever.  I don't think we have a test for Bartonella in Australia but I have been diagnosed with Bartonellosis because of my symptoms.

Symptoms include gastritis, lower abdominal pain, sore soles, and tender subcutaneous nodules along the extremities. Lymph nodes may be enlarged and the throat can be sore and there may be neurological symptoms, bone pain presenting as shin pain, back pain and neck pain and eye problems.  Dr Andrew said that kidney pain, stomatitis, headache, outbursts of anger and psychosis were also symptoms.  I would very much like to rid myself of my mouth symptoms and burning feet but unlike Dr Andrew, I don't think my recent problem with agitated depression (which is why I stopped blogging for a while) is part of Bartonellosis or Lyme.  Who knows for sure?  Clarithromycin can cause anxiety.  Whatever the cause, I was very sick and very distressed until the antidepressants and Olanzapine kicked in.

Other symptoms of Bartonella infection include: 

• subacute endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), which is often culture negative
• lesions in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, or other organs known as Bacillary angiomatosis (which could be related to the angioectasias I had in my duodenum perhaps???),  ie rash that looks like stretch marks
• atypical chest pain (reminds me of the time I went to hospital with chest pain which was not heart-related)
• depression
• anxiety

He Did It. I'm proud of him.

Diploma of Business

Farewell Cohen

Today is a sad day indeed.  Today St is moving with my grandson Cohen to Buronga in NSW which is closer to Adelaide than any other capital city.  She should have given B (the father, my son) notice in time for him to get legal help but she didn't.  The first I knew of it was last week when B phoned very upset.

I think it is about the cruelest thing she could possibly do to B who loves his son dearly and in fact moved to HB to be close by for access.  I know the distance is considered too far for reasonable access by the family law courts but what the ultimate outcome will be is only guess work.

I am so glad I got to see him one last time a few weeks ago when I babysat that one night.  B spent this past weekend with him going to the beach and Go-Kart track etc and phoned me so that I could speak to Cohen over the phone before he left.

Broken families are the pits.

Side Effect Update for Lyme Treatment

Doctor Legend added Tinidazole (chemical name) to my regimen on Wednesday.  I am starting with half a tablet twice a week and then 1 tablet twice a week.  I hear of people who are taking a lot more or even pulsing it two weeks on and two weeks off.  Every Lyme aware doctor prescribes differently and each patient's tolerance for these antibiotics is different. Furthermore, the ideal dose of these antibiotics for Lyme disease has not been established so there is a lot of room for different dosings.

Today I want to briefly describe my experience on all the antibiotics I'm on.

Clarithromycin (Klacid) 250 x 2
For the first 2-3 weeks building tolerance to Clarithromycin I had a return of several bouts of bowel spasms and one day of diarrhea. I have not had any bowel spasms that I would describe as an "attack" since then. Clarithromycin still gives me a bad taste in the mouth, stomach discomfort (gurgles and mild pain), smelly gas and finally gastric burning  worsening when I do not take it with enough food, but the constipation I was complaining about has gone at least for now.  I have required less pain killers since beginning Clarithromycin so that I can't be sure whether it is the Clarithromycin or the lack of opiates that have helped with the constipation.

One other thing that I have experienced while taking Clarithromycin is a return of mild heart palpitations on and off.   I have also had a lot of backaches - both mid back and between the shoulder blades on the spine which refers pain elsewhere.

Tinidazole (Simplotan) 500mg
I had my first half a tablet (250mg) yesterday and I had a big increase in gastritis, oesophagitis or reflux and  burning in the mouth.  Yesterday the skin in the centre of my face went red and itchy too.  It is alright today.  I only have to take this twice a week so I guess I will be able to put up with it but I can't say I like it because it interferes with my ability to lie down in comfort.  I still have a level of this kind of burning pain from the Bicillin so making it worse with Clarithromycin and Tinidazole is not fun.

Bicillin LA Injections (fortnightly)
I am still reacting to the Bicillin injections.  I always have an increase in gastritis, other gut burning and reflux for several days afterwards and this has eased more and more as I get closer to being due for my next injection.  I usually have an increase in joint pain and muscle pain which eases after about 5 days.  The intensity of this pain seems to have decreased over time.   I sometimes feel like I am relapsing after Bicillin with more of a feeling of illness and weakness.  Last fortnight I did not feel it but this fortnight I have.  Most would probably call this worsening of the illness, a herxheimer reaction.  Since Wednesday's injection, I have had a return of that internal shakey feeling, heart racing and felt the need to slow down my activity in order to avoid a crash but I am still nowhere near as ill as I was.  I am still getting out of the house mostly every day taking my burning gut with me.

The increase in anxiety that I have experienced since being treated may or may not be related to taking Bicillin and Clarithromycin.  I can't really tell.

Anxiety triggered by Qbuild easing

I've been very uncomfortable with this anxiety.  Initially this bout was triggered by Qbuild and the Department of Housing and I am not finished with being concerned with what kind of job is going to be done and how I am going to cope with putting gear in boxes for them to move the furniture or get to the floor space in the cupboards.  There's only one problem.  I don't have boxes.  Nevertheless I am not so consumed with this anxiety feeling today. It could change again tomorrow because I have to drive to Maleny and I am hoping there will be no rain or fog on the range.  We have had so much rain.  Saturday was the only day we had a cloudless blue sky during February.  We have had at the least, showers and at the most, floods.  My moods are not so good in dull weather.  This is not new for me.

I told you I had been getting rid of stuff but I've been on a go-slow since the weekend with B, Paige and Cohen. Not that I saw them much but I did spend a lot of nervous energy on them - waiting.   It has not been much of a physical crash but it is tending to make me feel less active.  Tired too.  Yet it is still feeling boring at home.  I don't really want to sleep through this mild crash like I have wanted to in the past but the horrible feeling inside has not made me feel grateful for a relatively good quality of physical stamina.  I have been so ill in the past yet still instead of feeling happy living has been a chore that just drags on.  If it wasn't for the fact that I begin to experience withdrawal on anti-depressants after a couple of years on them, I would actually seek them out.  Perhaps I should anyway.

However, there could be another explanation.  Some of my online friends report anxiety and panic attacks while being on antibiotics.  It is listed as a side effect for the Clarithromycin that I am on (at full dose now) despite the odd upset tum, bad taste and continuing but milder gut burning when in bed.  Ever since I have been on it I have been waking up in the early morning and have not been able to get back into a deep sleep. And I am getting up every half an hour to ease my bladder.  However I have been going to bed earlier too.  I get more sleep than a lot of my chronically ill friends so I should be grateful for what I get.

One sad discovery this week has been that my little portable hard drive that contained all my photos dating back as far as I have been able to  take digital photos, has died.  I don't even remember what else was on the drive - 250 Gigs worth.  Windows 8 (which I switched to because it is kinder to my slow computer) is saying that it does not recognise the device.  I have the ones that you Zena have but there were so many more.  More than I needed including duds that I had never deleted.  I hope some of them are in this blog.  Some of them made it to getting burned on CD's but that did not include videos which take up so much more room on.  I have the recent past...the last two or three years.  Hard drives are not that reliable.  Actually nothing is.  I've seen the sliver stuff come off CD's and DVD's or else they are unable to be read by the next DVD drive you upgrade to.  Nostalgia is over rated anyway.  I am getting tired of hanging on to the past.  It beats me why I have spent my life collecting stuff.  Hence my cleaning out spree.  It is not like the boys are going to want much of anything that is in this house.

Not sure what to do about the TV room.  At the moment a lot of the antenna cable is under the temporary carpet and out of sight as it runs its way from one room to the other.  After the carpet is laid (I am assuming that I will get carpet now) I won't be able to tuck cords under it.  In fact it could be quite dangerous as far as tripping up goes so now I have to consider putting in another TV outlet preferably before the carpets are done.  I don't want to deal with that either and I don't want to go to the doctors and get my injection tomorrow and possibly be put on an additional antibiotic.  I don't enjoy it like the others seem to.  I hate thinking tablets and timing of tablets every day with no end in sight.  I'm already starting to forget to take the second dose of Clarithromycin.  And if I don't take it with quite a bit of food, I do have gut problems with it. I skipped last night's dose because the morning dose gave me diarrhea but it seems to have been a "one off".

This is such a dribble of a post.  Goodnight.

Cohen Weekend Photos

Videos of Cohen the Prep A boy

I did some baby sitting Saturday night.  It was a friend of B's 30th birthday and he, P and Cohen drove down from HB for it.

Slides I scanned today while thinking of QBuild

I have been in a real tizz since Qbuild want-to-be contractors have been phoning to ask for a time to come and measure up my home for flooring.  It no longer feels like my home.  All of a sudden after a  week or two feeling much calmer, yet bored silly, I can feel everything knotted up and my heart rate going overtime.  I am supposed to think to myself that it will all work out: I won't be stuck with really dark carpet;  I won't be stuck with vinyl in the bedrooms and that I will manage to pack up all the cupboards in time before the winning bidder invades my home to do their will.  Them being the Department of Housing.  I'm not going to say too much about that now because I am now expecting to be notified about what is happening but the order only got to Qbuild from Housing yesterday.  All I know is that the tenders have to be in by 25th February, only a few days hence.  And it seems like I am going to be forced to have tiles on the kitchen  floor, you know those big square white ones which certainly won't complement the big blue ones in the laundry and bathroom nor the small outdoor murky tiles in the toilet.  Unless they are also planning on ripping the others up.  What a mess that would be. 

I am handling the anxiety OK today but I am not comfortable with this feeling.  All it has done is spur me into using up nervous energy by wandering around and picking out a few things that I can get started on already.  There is so much I should get rid of rather than cart it from A to B (the garage probably) and then back to A.  Vermin, especially those Geckos have made a lot of what was in the garage, "not very nice" to handle.  It is a shame some lovely books don't look so lovely any more and the ones that are OK, I never look at anyway.  I should get rid of the lot!  Then I would have room for a temporary move of gear into the space left.  Who knows if I will have the time or the energy to get that far before the expected call or letter that will give me a week's notice if I am lucky.

The point today is that I just finished off scanning a box of slides so that I can put them and the film scanner away in its box.  One less thing to get off my computer desk when the time comes to move out the furniture.

Nana and Grandad's farmhouse at Yea

Grandma and Grandpa's home at 51 Radnor St Camberwell

1962

Dawn Greenwood

 

Mum wearing "my" sweet 16 dress

Box Hill North Primary School Uniforms

Sue Barclay

 

I think this was our first holiday after I became separated.  Kings Beach.  This is a scanned negative.

 

Feeling Better

I seem to be up and down like a yo-yo don't I?  I did not stay teary after I got off the phone.  I think the main problem is that I have to face the fact that my life is pretty boring.  I get these runs of good days now - especially in the second week after the Bicillin - but I don't know what to do with them.  I have been doing more housework, more moving around and more shopping.  The shopping poses a problem when the money runs out so fast but I have needed to replace my fat clothes.  Going swimming is not always an option with the run-off from the recent rains making the passage muddy and some pretty blowy weather making it unpleasant.  I have not got enough friends and I've had so much smelly wind from the Clarithromycin that I want to keep to myself anyway.  Many days I just don't feel like I will get much pleasure from any of the things I consider doing so I don't go anywhere at all.  I don't really like shopping for instance.  I guess the main thing to be thankful for is that I feel like doing something beyond the walls of this house because I have the energy to do it.  I am still dealing with varying pain levels but having the energy is a good sign that I am improving.  I may have a slower day the next day but payback has not been severe and mainly just in the form of increased pain or fatigue.  I have not been feeling fluey.

The weather is rainy lately and it is pouring right now but it may clear.  I was up early and I went for a walk down to the water and back before the rain came and I hope I have not over-done it on my hot, sore knees that have flared up since yesterday's Bicillin injection with Blue Care.

New Dress

Yesterday, after my needle, I went to Kawana Shopping World for the first time this year and I did not need to use a scooter.  I got sick of walking around as I usually do and in particular, standing still at a rack, because my back hurts but it helped fill up the day.  I even called in to Brenda's place for a cuppa on the way home.

The day before that it was grocery shopping and before that K-Mart one day and my first 'walk in water' since the floods another day.  But the days seem so much longer when I am not ill and I can't fill them up with anything that is truly satisfying.  I have checked out the Community section in the local paper but I cannot find anything I want to join or be a part of.  There is not much to pick from.

I've seen more of Karla but I am often irritated by her conversation.  I pop into Jan's every so often and she is a good friend.  I'm doing what I can but I am still not sure what I want to do given that I am still very wary about how much I do and in particular, what I eat.  I don't seem to fare too well eating out or having meals at other people's places.  I had a bowel attack after the meal I had with Jan recently.

It is hard to remember what it was like this time last year when I did not think I could even look after myself properly and was gearing up to buy a scooter just so that I could get outside the four walls.  At first you really appreciate and revel in the new sights when you have been holed up in the house but after a while it becomes 'old hat' and it is not enough to give one a sense of purpose.

After a marathon effort playing with RAM chips, I have not managed to fix my computer.  I had to pat myself on the back for even attempting it, but it seems that one of my RAM slots is fried.  The computer won't boot up at all if I use that slot.  I am slowly backing up to a corrupt external hard drive just in case the computer dies completely.  I can't really fix the hard drive while there is stuff on it and I have nowhere to back it up to since it is bigger than the space left on my computer.  Ho hum.

Did S tell you that he was delivering phone books when he phoned for your birthday Zena?   He has also started Martin college this week but he seems to think it is going to be too hard and will consult a student counselor so he says.

A book I ordered because it was recommended by Dr Andrew, arrived yesterday so I might be doing a bit of reading today.  It is called Healing Lyme by Stephen Buhner.  It is going to suggest to me even more alternative treatments for Lyme disease and its co-infections that I won't be able to afford.  Grumble.

Medicine Barriers Rise Up - Clarythromycin

I had a bowel attack last night and everything I put in my mouth tastes disgusting.  I'm blaming the Clarythromycin taken in the form of an Oral Liquid called Klacid so that I can start off with small doses and try to build tolerance to taking it.  The idea of patient persistence despite side effects was my attitude for the first couple of days but after last night's bowel attack I have become afraid to take the next dose.  If I'd had an attack after eating MacDonald's I know I would be avoiding MacDonald's until I was brave enough to have a re-challenge a couple of year's down the track.  That is what I wanted this morning with regard to this Klacid.  I wanted to stop it.  It is a Macrolide and my local GP has me down as reacting to Rulide which is another one ending in 'mycin'. 

Then I had to acknowledge that I had been sort of constipated though and I had eaten pasta at Jan's.  I already know not to eat not to eat but a small portion of gluten or starch.  It was a tiny portion.  But maybe it wasn't the Klacid.  Nevertheless if I get vomiting I'm quitting and I was close to it last night during the cramping.  I collapsed on the bed after I got one lot of diarrhea and woke up with the TV going an hour or so later and the major cramps had gone.  Now I am left with the residual after-cramp aching plus I have had a lot of pelvic and possibly bladder pain along with urinary frequency all while treating vaginal thrush and Candida so the cause of the pain is hard to define down there but it is worse this morning.  So's the gut burning.

I woke with the decision to quit though because I really was scared to take another dose.  I emailed the doctor and his wife who apparently vets all his emails as the owner of the practice replied on his behalf.  I was told to try half the dose of the tiny syringed dose I am already taking and as I sit here I don't relish the thought.  I tried to eat a scrambled egg but I loaded it up with tumeric and it (along with parsley - so far) reacts really badly, with the taste left in my mouth from the antibiotic, so that it tasted disgusting and I could not eat it.  My food does not want to go down anyway.  It sits in my throat too long.  I'll try a fortified milk shake after a while...aka smoothie.

Do you know what else I am experiencing right now?  NUMBNESS AND TINGLING IN THE TIP OF RIGHT RING FINGER progressing along elbow nerve and beyond right now.  The right pointer is trying to join in sympathy and my right shoulder pain that I call mouse shoulder is now evident but the tingle or numbness in the top of my finger has been there for 2 days, this is the third. 

I'm going back to bed, with a headache and much more ache.  Hopefully I will be able to re-emerge so that I can get the lenses swapped over in my new glasses this afternoon.  But I guess it does not really matter if it is done today.  It is just up at the local PW shopping centre which is pretty sparsely populated with shops these days other than the two supermarkets.  I do like having Woolworths MSA meats but I really, really, really miss the Warehouse and more recently a clothes shop.  The rent is too high for the amount of traffic they get.

Relatively speaking I am not too bad today post Bicillin

Relatively speaking  I am not too bad today for two days after a Bicillin shot.  Yes the gastric and reflux burning is back with a vengeance and I am taking Losec and Nizac and Alka Seltzer Gold but I have put up with worse.  It still only seems to be really bad after lying down.  My appetite vanished again and I have not eaten a main meal for two nights so I am trying to at least have a cooked breakfast when my appetite does kick in.  The heat and lack of energy for cooking does not help so mornings are best for that - or rather, mid-morning.  I was definitely functioning better during my treatment break though and it is a bit of a blow to have to go backwards healthwise.

The drive to Maleny and back on Wednesday was made hairy by the downpour, the cloud and fog of the range but I survived.  But it is closer than going to Noosa for me.  It takes less than 3/4 hour but it will depend on whether I get stuck behind a truck going up the range from Landsborough.  Andrew was just happy to see that I still was not a sobbing mess as I was the week before and nothing has changed that you don't know about.  I am hoping that dropping back to fortnightly injections, which meant changing arrangements with Blue Care, will mean I will get a bit of relief from the added bone pain and gut burning I experience in the second week but who knows what will happen when I add Clarythromycin into the mix.  This is all a bit like chemotherapy having to endure the side effects for the sake of provoking a remission.  Some say that the mood side effects happen on the antibiotics that cross the blood-brain barrier.  At any rate, Dr has already labelled me as "sensitive".

Dr was writing an information brochure during my appointment (that he wanted me to take) while I was rattling on about my goals for the future which was my homework. I think either he is hyperactive or I am boring!  I remember being fit enough to have a million projects on the go and always being busy like that.  I sort of miss it but at the same time, I must take time out to relax no matter how well I become. Fingers crossed.  Here is an interesting part of the brochure still in draft form.

Here's another interesting bit of the brochure:
During therapy, we often see a return of symptoms seen in early infection or illness.  This is a phenomenon called "full circle" and is significant as a marker for recovery.......There is also the concept of residual deficits.  These may be problems that remain because parts of yourself are irreversibly damaged.  Some problems may take years to recover, things such as neurological concerns may take up to two years to return to normal.  There is also the risk of irreversible damage.  This is difficult to predict........Particularly difficult are the following symptoms - severe neurological complications, deep set bone pain and gut paralysis.

Relapse is also a risk - it is important not to create the same environment that caused the disease in the first place.
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I had a liver function blood test today, early, with a few other things thrown in: CRP, ANA, IgE, and that's all I remember.

SNORE Australia have sent the results to Dr too and all I got today was a note saying the same, an offering of a private consultation and all these warning brochures about driving with sleep apnea so I hope they are not suggestive of my results.  I am not in a great hurry to find out so unless I get a phonecall re any of my results, I will not contact them before my next appointment on the 28th.

I was wondering Zena if your suggestion of putting something under my knees to stop sliding down the bed when jacked up on pillows was because of you have had plenty of experience sitting up in bed during asthma attacks.  Thank you for my present :)

I just made a yummy smoothie with lactose-free milk, frozen cherries, a handful of baby spinach leaves, maple syrup, plain yoghurt, a qtr of a banana and a dash of vitamin C powder.

Supplements and Still feeling relatively well physically

I got in 2 days of early morning short walks before the rain came

I am still enjoying being in less pain with my joints and muscles and not feeling like I have the flu.    I had an increase in pain for a couple of days but I was going out every day and possibly overdid it.  Now that the rain has come, my natural inclination to hibernate has kicked in and my pain levels are tolerable.  I also am feeling better in the gut since starting Nilstat on Thursday (despite some gurgly side effects) so I am hoping it is the Candida I am getting under control.  I think I had better get some more vaginal cream though - it is not quite there yet.

The big test will be when I get my next Bicillin injection after this two week break.

Anyway while I am feeling well and believe that I am tolerating all these things, I wanted to record what I am taking from Dr Andrew's list of supplements.  I certainly cannot afford them all.  I have continued with:

• Aloe Vera Juice
• Chia Seeds (as a coconut-milk pudding, stirred into smoothies or yoghurt and/or bunged into omelet or rissoles to make up about 2 teaspoons a day)
• Probiotics - Sacchromyces boulardii which 2 of the docs and the ILADS Lyme conference recommeded to prevent Clostridium Difficile infection (Jarrow Formulas from iherb with MOS) and Lactobaccilus reuteri (as in Blackmores Digestive Biobalance or iherb alternative) and Dr A said to avoid the Shirota strain ones because they can worsen reflux/burning
• drinking 1.75-2 litres water (I include any electrolyte drinks in that total) per day that I sit on the window-sill to allow the chlorine to evaporate from

I have been skipping the probiotics while on the Nilstat because I wondered if the Nilstat was killing them off anyway but I don't feel any worse.  The Aloe Vera Juice has not prevented me getting Candida and I had a lot of gut problems while still on it so I am not sure if it will be something I will let go as something else more important is suggested.  The Probiotics certainly have not prevented me from getting Candida but I swear by the Chia Seeds and water for keeping me from getting constipated and the Aloe may play a part in that too.  However, psyllium husks attract water to the bowel too and may be cheaper.  I have had reflux from psyllium in the past though and think it could be a bit scratchy on my bowel when it flares.  I prefer the Chia seeds because they provide nutrients (incl protein) unlike psyllium.

I have been taking NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) - a glutathione precursor and powerful antioxidant which is also good for lung and liver function.  It is expensive but I first noticed welcome weight loss while taking that back a while.  I read it helps with fat metabolism but my metabolic problems seem to be with starches so I do not know why the weight loss occurs for me.  It is not on Dr Andrew's list though.

View from the swings while trying to train head not to go dizzy in the process

Other things on Dr Andrew's list that I am taking now which I am not having any bad side effects from are:

• Serrapeptase - used as a biofilm buster (I am using the cheaper Doctor's Best brand from iherb)
• Cat's Claw - an antimicrobial (Nature's Way Standardized but not TAO-free which is often recommended but not proven to be necessary) but I am flat out remembering to take it more than once a day.  So many of these things have to be taken on an empty stomach.
• Salt - I have increased my salt intake but I am not measuring at this stage
• C - I still tend to forget to take it unless a symptom prompts me but I have deliberately avoided it since my reflux/gastritis was flared up by the Plaquenil
• Magnesium - I was taking Magnesium Taurate just once a day but I have read about it contributing to biofilm formation so now I just rub the liquid into my joints or muscles when they are sore
• Zinc - I was taking it last year but the biofilm argument applies to Zinc as well so I probably won't take it regularly and just keep it for when I have a cold or something

I intend to replace the Cat's Claw with the Cowden Protocol's Samento and Banderol and will probably follow Marty Ross's simple protocol.  Please note that for me the latter link rarely works in the mornings from my Australian Internet Connection.

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One more plug for buying from iherb - If you use my code RIZ901 you can get $10 off your first order for a limited time and I will also get a further discount applied to my order when you order.
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Can you see my car with the Lyme magnet sticker on it?

Family stuff
B did not come down this weekend.  His car broke down and he needs to spend the money on it instead of visiting Nick and I bet all the Australia Day celebrations were either cancelled or washed out so I was kinda glad he was not going to be driving in cyclonic weather.

S is not getting any work from his new job.  He said "They have no work".  He says he is emotional about it.  I think he has bombed out from being accepted back into his Open University course because of his fails although he has applied for special circumstances. He is still planning on doing accounting at this second college - Martin College but it does not start until Feb 14th so he is doing nothing right now.  I know all about doing nothing when you feel like doing something - it sucks.

Break Down

It has been an emotional few weeks and despite skipping the Bicillin injection last week so that I could get to the sleep study with more confidence of not being in too much pain,  I have remained teary on and off.  I am usually worse in the morning but today I broke down while I was in with Dr Andrew.  I voiced a lot of my fears about treatment but at the end of the day I have to decide whether to go the antibiotic route or not.  In the meantime I am having a treatment holiday for another week.  I think I will then agree to do the Bicillin fortnightly so that I have a chance of more good days before the next jab and I suppose I will at least try his kid's syrup of Clarythromycin which is for the L-form of Borrelia.  Dr Andrew held my hand while he was talking to me knowing how upset I was.  I think that was the nicest part of the day.  At the same time he reminded me he needs my consent to treat me.  I will be going back to see Dr. Andrew next week.  I might have to empty out the boot before going up the range from Landsborough next time.  The clinic really is Bare Bones at this stage and has a "Vetenary Clinic" sign out the front.  Unfortunately there are no grounds where one can sit outside under some shade and the sun was beating down on the 2-car parks available so sitting in the car is not going to be an option.  Inside is often too confronting for me if I have a long term to wait nervously...not to mention uncomfortable, as most seating areas are for people who prefer to recline.

Cohen with Stacey's little brother - his Uncle!!!!

I will be taking Nilstat for the Candida and I will be adding more herbs when they arrive.  I'm taking plain standardised Cat's Claw which is antimicrobial already.  I've also been given some homework about "What Judy really wants" - goals if you will, for life.  He wants a bucket list. I'm supposed to watch the movie of the same name.  I've never liked to think about what I can't afford to do in life and I don't think I want much more than the right kind of companionship which is hard to produce out of thin air.  I still have not found a swimming companion in all these years of being at the Coast.  Amazing!

There is no doubt I have been feeling better without one week of Bicillin in every way except the depression, anxiety, and Candida.  I still have not crashed and even if I have tears while I am doing it, I have been swimming, walking and shopping for days in a row.  Tomorrow I will be catching up with Jan for lunch at the beach locally so I know I will get a swim then if I have anything to do with it.

Jan has torn something in her knee that requires an operation via an arthroscope which will be a long time coming so she has a lot of pain and is finding her mood very snappy because of it.  She has been given permission to walk in water and I am still trying to convince her that 22 (or more by the feel of it) degree Pumicestone Passage water will be fine.   She thinks it will be too cold and on these nasty humid days is thinking about going to the thermal pool.  I could not imagine anything worse in this weather.  If I had a dehumidifier in my bedroom I would breeze through the Summer nights here.

I only told one of you that B and his girlfriend Paige are sharing a duplex with another couple in another suburb of HB.  I am not exactly sure when the move took place but I knew it was coming.  They are meant to be coming to stay at Nick's place on Australia Day so I will get to see them on the weekend which will work out well now that I won't be in moansville from the Bicillin joint pain etc.

Cohen will be at Roger's as far as I know so I will miss out on seeing him but only because I did not want to babysit the whole weekend.  That would be asking for a crash.  I need my rests still that's for sure.  And I am having a bad run with my backache that comes on for a season between my shoulder blades making it hard to sit up straight for long.

Yes B is still a very happy chappy.  Work and home life is good.  The chain is from Paige.

S is not continuing with Carrick College.  Now he is going to try Martin College to get his accounting certificate.  He's still playing Soccer on Sunday's but he was not too confident about his job last time we spoke about it.

Connor's Birthday

I was planning on Connor coming over here for his birthday presents and I had them set up ready

but it did not work out that way.  Ange asked me to come to their place so I did.

Connor was very pleased with his $25 from you Zena and he read the card out quite well.  I gave him the field microscope and I did not let him have the present from you GrandNan until he had written the card as instructed.

It was short and sweet because he obviously does not find writing very easy.  It took him quite a while even with copying words because he could not even spell "thank you" as you will see by the crossing out.  He will be starting grade 4 when school goes back and he is nine years old today.

This is the present you gave him Mum.  That is Esha in the back ground.

Xavier

On the way home I called in for a swim

Good news from S.  He will be working for an older man selling solar energy on the days that he does not have to go to college.  I am pretty sure he starts tomorrow.  He starts college on the 17th.  S won't be seeing Connor for his birthday today but he ordered something online which hopefully will get there today...but maybe not.  I also got the little lead for the scooter in the mail that he took the time to send.  It's my turn next to send down a couple of jocks he left behind.

As usual for 2 days before I'm due for another injection, I am feeling much more lively.