The Hysterectomy Summit

Well, my week in paradise came abruptly to an end when I started Week One of my new three-week antibiotic protocol on Monday. Not to be gross, but this protocol involves a lot of throwing up, constant diarrhea, and extreme exhaustion. I was taking Omnicef, Artimisinin, Doxycycline, Mepron (GAAAAAAG) and on the last days added Flagyl and Diflucan. Now I have the weekend off of antibiotics, with the exception of the Lactoferrin/xylitol water mixture which I do for three more days. A new week and protocol begins on Monday.

So this is where I enter the cheer that Mini and I share when each antibiotic week is done (now five years old BOOHOO) "I week down! Two weeks to go!" Followed by a high five.

While the week was awful, I will acknowledge that I was much more lucid and was able to handle the treatment better than before. I think it's partially because I got away from it all for a week of everything good in life, and returned energized. I also think that removing Septra helped a lot. I still spent a lot of time being gross, but I was at least able to be awake for a couple of hours and watch TV here and there.

On the hysterectomy front, there is a bit of a battle going on. Both of my Lyme literate doctors are hellbent that it should all come out. While my OBGYN didn't say no, he was pretty insistent that I keep the one ovary I have left for hormonal reasons. I have now gotten a referral to go to Dartmouth Hitchcock on Tuesday for evaluation. I have PLENTY of reasons to have this procedure and I honestly want it done. I'm almost 40 and to be honest, I have not only been told that my body could not handle a pregnancy (which is not surprising given my lifelong issues), but that I would never want to pass Lyme to a baby in utero.

I've never really had that physical biological clock. When I say that, many say it's BS because I adopted a baby girl when I was 34. But all my life I thought and talked about adoption and so when it seemed the right time, before diagnosis during a lengthy time when I was moderately a-symptomatic (although now I know just how symptomatic I actually was), I knew I was meant to adopt. I see my daughter as a gift from the universe, who knew I should not have a biological child, but rather a child who lights up every room, who is thoughtful and kind, and despite her Central Asian heritage, looks so much like me it's kind of creepy.

So please pray, send the fairy dust, good vibes, healing thoughts or whatever you choose in life to help the doctor on Tuesday agree to this FULL hysterectomy, because we believe that if I get it ALL out, I will be VERY close to long-term remission, our goal.