Facing Lyme Each Day

Thane and I continue to work the journey of Lyme Disease. It has not been an easy six months, but the reality is that he is so much more the dog I knew two to three years back.

Its required a lot of patience over the years- testing one disease after another before Lyme was diagnosed. It's taken even more patience the past six months from diagnosis through all of this treatment- bringing him back from chronic late stage disease.

One of the hardest areas for me to be patient with right now, is the return of coat fur, coat health, and coat color to what it was originally. The process is beginning, but anytime my mom comes for a visit, I am destined to go through a funk because she always has a knack for pointing out the negative. He's either too thin or his coat is sparse or something. This isn't just since he got Lyme either, but it makes it especially hard when I am trying to focus on the improvements which are many and she always has to point out where there is a problem. I guess I am *the glass is half full* type of person while my mom is *the glass is half empty* type. I'm trying not to focus on the things she had to say too much, but it is hurtful when she is rarely around any more and when she is, absent as she has been from our daily journey, she says negative crap.

I will admit we are struggling. Thane's energy has come back and most symptoms have resolved, if not completely, they are pretty diminished. There are however still some symptoms that I really need to be on my toes with as we work through them. This kind of thing definitely makes one feel like they are back working a green dog again.

There has been a lot of positives with the collagen supports I have implemented with hopefully more to come as die-off continues.

There have been some negative times too. As we work on the right additional protocol for Thane, some things have not been good choices. Recently a very small dose of a good Lyme protocol ingredient had some tough side effects come forward. Its too bad that it caused heightened senses and acted like a diuretic. I was taken by surprise by these symptoms after how thoroughly I researched it. The diuretic effect was discovered only after Thane stood inside the door releasing  his bladder all over the carpet while I was putting his turfs out for him to busy. Before anyone judges him or me, this isn't typical of Thane. I was shocked and pissed at the same time.

It had already been a very long day. Cleaning up his bladder dump and steam cleaning where the last thing I needed to be doing, but when you own a service dog, sometimes these are the kinds of things you have to deal with. While I was cleaning it up, I was thinking about how nice it would be to not have carpet.

Thane's journey is not over. The vets are getting impatient and my vet seems to have an attitude about my finances. If Thane is not negative when the med refills are gone this time, they are stopping his meds any way. That is scary stuff. Stopping meds when the disease is still there will just allow it to come back.

There are other things I can do if it is not gone and the meds are stopped, but it's a really uncomfortable feeling with all the knowledge I have on how this disease works.

For now, I am thinking positive where it comes to Thane's status with Lyme. I am nervous about some symptoms that have not gone away and seem to volley back and forth, but I continue to tell myself that with patience they too can resolve.