Ken68's Journal

let me tell you of a dream that I had well over 5 years ago. the dream was one in which I travelled inside my own body and during this dream trip I met a tick and saw what it was doing to me internally. what I saw was disease, bacteria entering and flowing into my bloodstream. it was like looking at an old drain pipe flowing with filth. 

   Then, not too long after this dream, back in 2000 I traveled down to southern Illinois to spend some time with good friends. We did a lot of backwoods hiking and swimming. We did find ticks on us after thorough tick checks. If I did get an infected tick bite I don't recall any symptoms nor did I get tested.... jump forward to 2005, July 4th weekend spent up in Prarie DeCheyne, WI  camping, hiking & kayaking along the Wisc. & Mississippi rivers. I knew that ticks are prevelant in the area so when I did any hiking I dressed for tick prevention. Put on insect repelent with deet as well. 

Back home and at work (July 13, 05) I was hit with extreme fatigue, headache, sweats, fever. My symptoms carried on for a week and a half to extreme back/neck pain, headaches, high fever, appetite loss, extreme fatigue, joint pain. I went to two doctors asking to be tested for Lyme. They told me that I don't have Lyme because its not in McHenry county. I then developed a large rash on my right thigh/knee area. The rash then spread from both hips and down to my calves and across my upper torso (back&chest) down to my elbows/forearms. More doctor visits seeking a Lyme test. No tests given. A month goes by and my symptoms come and go but the fatigue and joint pain persisted. Finally a sympathetic doctor tests me and 2 out 3 blood tests come back positive for Lyme. On anti bis for 3 weeks. More doctor visits and medical costs piling up due to no health insurance. About a week after antibiotic end I have tightness in my chest and trouble breathing. A good friend takes me to ER. There I get the typical/routine vitals check then I explain my condition to the doctor. He tells me that I am wasting his time since I went through the anti biotic treatment nothing should be wrong with me. 

  I still suffer from chronic fatigue, exteme joint pain, short term memory loss, some disability, muscle spasms, shortness of breath & chest/rib pain, headaches, sleep disruptions from my arms going numb/tingling and in extreme pain, head congestion, swollen glands....

My wife has noticed that some of my symptoms are getting worse, namely the fatigue and joint pain.

   After watching "under our skin" with her does she realize the scope of this mysteriously stubborn dis-ease. So much so that the next morning while I was hugging her good morning before I went to work I noticed she was crying. She tells me that she cried herself to sleep because of my condition and all those affected by Lyme. While hugging her through her tears she tells me she can only imagine what I'm going through. I could find few words to comfort her. The only words I found to offer were, "I'm just as scared and worried as you."  All day long at work she was in my thoughts. I realized how grateful I am to have her in my life. She is doing everything she can to help me.

  Lyme dis-ease has taught me several things; it has taught me to be a persistant researcher, it has taught not to take life for granted, it has taught me to appreciate the simple things in life and to appreciate life & all of its beauty & grandness. It brought me to my first in depth Reiki healing. Reiki affected me so much that I am now a Reiki master and hope to go on to Reiki teacher level.

  Life is short. Life is one long, strange trial. The Self needs to be strong and keep on keeping on.