Groundhog Day
Do you remember the Bill Murray classic movie, "Groundhog Day"? The premise of the story is, Bill's character, Phil, kept reliving the same day, Groundhog Day, until he stopped making mistakes. He replayed the same scene over and over and over again until he got everything just right. Our medical life is starting to have this same feel, as our oldest son just got the same Lyme diagnosis that our younger son has. While we remember a wood tick on our younger son, we do not remember an attached tick on our older son. But, living in an endemic area, you just never know.
So what does this mean? Well, I suppose since Lyme can be transmitted mother to baby, perhaps I need to get tested. Do I have symptoms? Well, some but not all, and not nearly all the ones my kids have. I didn't think Patrick had it because he presents differently than John, but here we are with the diagnosis.
How do you know the diagnosis is right? Patrick's doctor has been treating Lyme patients for nearly two decades. He, too, has Lyme, and is an ILADS certified LLMD. He gets it because he has it. He said Patrick's blood work shows it just isn't the mycoplasma pneumonia that we knew about. His data is consistent with Lyme, and he's had many years of experience with patients and personally that I trust his conclusion.
In these situations, I usually am reminded of song lyrics by Hot Chelle Rae. "La, la, la. Whatever. La, la, la, doesn't matter." Yeah, ok, it kind of does matter in many ways (Will my sons be able to be fully functional adults? Will they be able to pursue all their hopes and dreams regardless of their medical situations? Will they be able to have healthy children if they decide they want to be fathers?). But it also doesn't matter in many ways. We already do so many things right due to John's diagnosis.. eating foods that aren't inflammatory, using our supplements, keeping tabs on our blood work, networking with others, an indomitable spirit, and learning all we can as parents to support them.
What good will freaking out about it do?
I need to focus on the positives. I need to focus on the possibilities. Our health depends on it.
I am reminded of my favorite saying from quite possibly the wisest, sage-like, experienced woman who has been through more than a lion's share of medical issues: Let go, let God.
Translation: this is beyond my abilities to comprehend. There is a bigger plan here, one of which I have zero control over (I was never in my control to begin with). Give it up to Him, and let go. We are a stronger family for it because we can support each other on this walk.
Everyday, we can wake up and try hard to make it a perfect day, as if we are characters in Groundhog Day. Someday, we will get it right.
So what does this mean? Well, I suppose since Lyme can be transmitted mother to baby, perhaps I need to get tested. Do I have symptoms? Well, some but not all, and not nearly all the ones my kids have. I didn't think Patrick had it because he presents differently than John, but here we are with the diagnosis.
How do you know the diagnosis is right? Patrick's doctor has been treating Lyme patients for nearly two decades. He, too, has Lyme, and is an ILADS certified LLMD. He gets it because he has it. He said Patrick's blood work shows it just isn't the mycoplasma pneumonia that we knew about. His data is consistent with Lyme, and he's had many years of experience with patients and personally that I trust his conclusion.
In these situations, I usually am reminded of song lyrics by Hot Chelle Rae. "La, la, la. Whatever. La, la, la, doesn't matter." Yeah, ok, it kind of does matter in many ways (Will my sons be able to be fully functional adults? Will they be able to pursue all their hopes and dreams regardless of their medical situations? Will they be able to have healthy children if they decide they want to be fathers?). But it also doesn't matter in many ways. We already do so many things right due to John's diagnosis.. eating foods that aren't inflammatory, using our supplements, keeping tabs on our blood work, networking with others, an indomitable spirit, and learning all we can as parents to support them.
What good will freaking out about it do?
I need to focus on the positives. I need to focus on the possibilities. Our health depends on it.
I am reminded of my favorite saying from quite possibly the wisest, sage-like, experienced woman who has been through more than a lion's share of medical issues: Let go, let God.
Translation: this is beyond my abilities to comprehend. There is a bigger plan here, one of which I have zero control over (I was never in my control to begin with). Give it up to Him, and let go. We are a stronger family for it because we can support each other on this walk.
Everyday, we can wake up and try hard to make it a perfect day, as if we are characters in Groundhog Day. Someday, we will get it right.
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