I spent some time out on the front lawn swing with Christy, Elijah, and my neighbor, Timini. Timini is still in the midst of a bout with Lyme’s Disease, although it’s greatly improved for her…
How weird that suddenly I have Lyme’s Disease on the brain. Anyway…
She referred to Lyme’s Disease as “The New STD” (Sexually Transmitted Disease). The common perception among doctors is that you have to have actually been bitten by a tick carrying Lyme’s and gotten the “rash” (red ring) in order to have Lyme’s. Apparently, this is not the case, but it’s not yet fully accepted that Lyme’s is also passed by bodily fluids, and persists for many, many years. Apparently, the only way to properly test for Lyme’s is the existence of certain antibodies to the bacterial infection. Timini’s husband, Dan, is also positive for Lyme’s using more sensitive tests than the standard blood or tissue samples.
My symptoms are somewhat consistent with hers, but not quite. It’s still quite similar to Multiple Sclerosis, and may actually be one of the root causes of that syndrome and several others. It causes inflammation of nerve tissues, just like MS, and apparently seems much the same on an MRI. Yet she complained of “pinprick” sensations on her face and scalp, and terrific shaking, neither of which I’ve experienced. I’ve gotten the memory loss, difficulty concentrating, eye blurring, difficulty with limbs from time to time, and that stuff. Of course, I have to wonder how much are legitimate symptoms, and how much I’m just seeing now that I’m looking for it! It’s kind of weird when you second-guess yourself that way. Objectively, I know that I had difficulty standing (though I really haven’t had that in four days now), blurriness of vision (same time period), and reduced dexterity in my hand.
So weird, I don’t think it’s really possible to psychoanalyze yourself 🙂
Anyway, if the doctor tomorrow tries to tell me that “it’s all in your head” like the answer Timini got, I swear I’ll tell him he got his medical degree out of a Cracker Jack box and he’s full of crap. I thought it through last night, and I know what I know — what I suspect, I don’t think I’ll even talk about.
In other news today, Christy was “called” to be “ward chorister” and “ward choir director” for Church last night. Good old Toby invited us both to come while he “released” her from being Primary President. If you’re not familiar with those terms, a calling in the LDS church is just a job. A “ward” is a congregation. Choristers direct the congregation (song leader or conductor works adequately as well), and I think “choir director” is self-explanatory. Being “released” from a calling means that you’re laid off from the job. It’s not a bad context, though. People get new Church jobs all the time.
Anyway, he wants her to take lessons in playing the Organ as well. So she’s been busily practicing the piano today to prepare for eventually being the organist. The local ward really lacks keyboard talent. I play the piano, but due to my differences of opinion with the Church I doubt they’d want to extend or I would want to accept a calling to play 🙂
Regardless, this will be a fun adventure for her. Her largest experience in keyboarding was three months of lessons two years ago. I think she sounded pretty good, but she’s not sure of herself…