Trip to Washington D.C.

Let me write about my day first before I get into the details about my D.C. trip. I did manage to get up this morning and started getting ready to go to work. About half way through I was in so much pain and was so exhausted that I called in my sub. I have the most amazing substitute. It's my dad. I feel so blessed to have him available to take my orchestras for me. Next year he won't be available because he will have his own full-time teaching gig, so I guess I need to get feeling better before that...lol! Anyways, went back to bed and woke up feeling a lot better and was able to teach my last orchestra of the day. This process has been going on for several weeks now, and it is really frustrating. I hate feeling useless, and unable to fulfill my responsibilities. Plus I miss my kids so much. Tonight I am going to go to bed extra early (like around 7) and see if the additional hours of sleep will give me the energy I need to teach the whole day. Wish me luck!


So my trip to Washington D.C.:

Mom and I flew out on Friday and figured that we could turn it into a mini vacation by going to see some of the sights. That fight and the flight home were some of the hardest that I have ever experienced. I was so ill. Thank goodness for in-flight movies and tv. We did manage to see the the Rocks/Mineral display at the Natural History Museum and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Unfortunately I was having a lot of Vertigo and dizzy spells that we couldn't spend as much time as we had wanted. Hopefully I will have more strength for the next trip so we can enjoy the sites. But that wasn't the reason for our visit. On Monday, March 29th, I went to meet with Dr. Jemsek. I was so anxious, worried that I would run into another dead end like I had in the past.

Let me say that appointment was a totally different experience for me. We went through my medical history in great detail, and not once did he make me feel like I was crazy with the questions that he asked when he wanted something clarified. He then did a physical exam and asked more questions. In the end he looked me in the eyes and said "Based on all the blood tests, medical history and exams you definitely have Lyme's and that you've had this for a very long time." I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of me. I was so close to tears. Finally, someone who was willing to listen! We spent the final minutes of the appointment laying out a treatment plan. First of all he wants me to have my gallbladder out. After going through several results from past scans and tests of my gallbladder, he was shocked that it hadn't already been removed. So planning on doing that in the next couple of weeks...fun, fun, fun! He is also putting me on a Gluten-free diet to remove the inflammation in my body, and having me take several supplements to build up my immune system in preparation for the IV treatments that I will start in about nine weeks. He also order an extensive blood work up to see where all my levels were at. The tech had to draw out 22 vials worth of blood for 32 different tests. It is such a blessing to finally have some answers and a direction to pursue. I am very optimistic that I will now be able to overcome this obstacle.