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Just A Glimpse…

by Eric Rutulante  •  July 28th, 2010  •  6 Comments »  •  Eric's Blog, LymeBites Blog

…at a day with Lyme when it comes to meds and supplements.  Many of the supplements, herbs, antibiotics, vitamins etc. can’t be taken with each other.  Or they have to be taken within so many hours of each other, or food.  I’ve recently added more things to the mix, all that need to be scheduled.  It has taken me the last hour to plan out the next 24 hours of meds.  I then have to set alarm’s on my iPhone for each one, telling me the time and what to take.  It’s 2am right now, I’m going to bed as soon as I type this up, but I wanted to give just a glimpse at what it’s like to live with this disease, and treat it.  Please note, I actually take less pills than a lot of Lymies do….so remember, this is just an average day in fighting Lyme.

7:00am Alarm goes off for something I have to drink mixed with juice.

10:45am Alarm goes off to make sure I’m awake in order to have the full two hours I need to function in the morning.  It takes a while to get your arms and legs, let alone your head to work.  That mixed with the effects of so many meds on the tummy turns the first 2 hours into basically one long cold splash of water against your fact trying to get moving.  But if I’m not up by 11, I can’t take my next meds at the right time, which then throws off the entire day.

11:30 Alarm goes off for first probiotic.  They are lozenges, and have to be taken 30-45 mins before any food, drink or medication

12:00 Alarm goes off to take daily pills.  This amounts to 29 pills, supplements, vitamins etc.  I cannot eat or drink anything for one hour after taking these meds

1:00 No Alarm, but I can eat and drink finally.

2:00 Alarm goes off for second probiotic of the day, again…nothing to eat or drink for 30-45 mins afterwards

3:00 Alarm goes off for mid day dose of supplements (this only requires 2 pills)

5:00 Alarm goes off to take second dose of med that needs to be mixed with juice (must be home for this, or have cooler with ice and the drink pre-made in it if I am out of the house)

9:00 Alarm goes off to take 3rd and final probiotic of the day, and once again….nothing to eat or drink for 30-45 mins afterwards

10:00 Alarm goes off to begin IV infusion, this lasts for one hour

11:00 Alarm goes off to take night meds.  This consists of 19 pills

12:00am, by this point the nightly meds should kick in and anywhere between then and 2am I will fall asleep

Please note that throughout this crazy schedule you have to factor in Aleve, Advil, pain killers, anxiety medicine and Benadryl…all as needed.  What I end up needing all depends on how the day goes.

It’s brutal to be a “slave to the clock”.  But it’s what we have to do to stay alive, get better, maintain our health.  You always hear how many pills we have to take, and see pictures of them, but now you know what one person’s day is like with his meds and what it requires to do it properly.  You miss one thing and you can mess up the entire day.  I share this with you to give you a glimpse into the world of living with Lyme.  If you have Lyme, you already know all this…but for all you family and friends, here is your glimpse.

If nothing else, use this as another reason to strengthen your resolve to be aware of Lyme disease.  Learn the symptoms.  Check for ticks.  Learn about proper testing.  Save your liver the torture of what it goes through every day when you fight Lyme.

I’d stay on my soapbox a little longer, but as you can see….I have to wake up in less than 5 hours to drink my medicine, though I can go right back to sleep after…it’s a long, tough trip the 20 feet to the fridge and I better get to bed now.

Be well, healthy, cautious and happy.  Live your life, don’t let your life live you.  (Wow, that was deep…where the heck did that come from?  It must be one of those 19 pills I took for bedtime speaking.)