Wednesday, March 3, 2010

CYTOKINES


After seeing Dr. Martin Ross yesterday and the naturopath the day before, the general conclusion is that I just have a virus.
"But it feels so much like my Lyme symptoms coming back," I said to Dr. Ross.

Not to worry, he told me. The Lyme symptoms are caused by cytokines, which cause the achy feeling and everything else, and the immune response to the virus creates more cytokines.

"Well, it's really thrown me for a loop," I said. "I was doing so well in December and January!" This virus has been dragging on for over two weeks, and iit's the second virus to hit me in the past month.

Dr. Ross always has a way of reassuring me.

"Don't worry, I see this a lot," he said. "With Lyme it can sometimes just take a long time to get over something like this. But you will. I can see you are so much stronger than when I first saw you. You have a essence of strength that you didn't have at your first appointment with me, and that isn't gone even though you're feeling a little run down right now."

Then he popped the question.

"Do you want to get off the Rocephin injection?"

Do I? Of course I do!

And I said no. It's working and I don't want to change anything that's working, even if it means a big fat needle in my derriere every morning. Besides, after two more months I can brag about getting an injection in my badonkadonk every day for a year. Serious street cred.

So I signed myself, and the Poet-- the manly administrator of said shot-- up for two more months.

Overall the mood of the appointment was light-hearted. This the second appointment with Dr. Ross when we've made jokes and laughed. He was downright celebratory. As for me, I kept saying, yes, I'm really happy. But it was the kind of happy when you just say it. You don't let your heart feel it, because you have this crappy virus, and besides, you don't want to jinx yourself. Because it feels like that day might come when you will throw your hands in the air and boogie, and you don't don't don't want to spoil the chance of that happening.

3 comments:

Brittany said...

Hi! My name is Brittany. I'm a lymie from So Cal. I am looking into two drs in Seattle: Ann McCombs and Susan Marra. Have you had any dealings with them?
Email me if you have the time: brittvolpei@gmail.com

MCK said...

Hi There! I am a Seattlite Lymie who just had a positive LabCorp WB, and am going to see Drs Ross and Brooke-Nelson in a week. New in this journey and ECSTATIC to find a local lyme blogger. I have been looking for support groups in town without luck so far. If you have any insight, or just wanna give a holler to another local, please get in touch: mollyckastner@gmail.com

greeneoisie said...

Hi MCK:

You will be in good hands with Dr. Ross!

I am glad you found my blog, although it's been a while since I posted here. I am always planning on getting back to it...

I'll send you an email!

Naomi