Runners and missing toenails go together like peanut butter and jelly; the longer the distance the more likely you are to have a toenail casualty. Back in my running days shedding toenails was a frequent occurrence which often led me to paint the nail bed where my nail used to be in order to give off the impression that I had ten toenails. In fact I was thinking of writing a book called “If I only have 7.5 toenails, can I get a pedicure discount”? I never got further than the title, but it did elicit laughter from those I mentioned it to. September of 2011 is the last time I was able to run. Imagine my surprise when in January of 2013 I took my shoes off one night and discovered that one of my big toenails was dead and partially separated from my nail bed. I removed it myself with a nail clipper, and it didn’t even hurt. Upon closer inspection of all of my toe nails I realized a few of my other nails were well on their way towards needing "medical attention".
Fatigue is a common symptom experienced by Lyme disease patients; it can be prolonged and very debilitating. The fatigue can be accompanied by either excessive sleeping or insomnia. Some patients may experience the fatigue intermittently or after exertion, while others may be bedridden. Since my treatment has started I have experienced both excessive sleeping and insomnia. I haven’t been bedridden for weeks or months at a time, but there have been a handful of days when I haven’t been able to muster the energy to get out of bed.
This past fall and winter I was blaming the cold, damp weather for my increased achiness and fatigue. As it turns out, the weather wasn’t the only thing that was working against me and my already annoying enough Lyme symptoms. During a visit to my doctor in January to review my blood work and discuss my on-going treatment and symptoms I learned about Candidiasis. Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by yeasts that belong to the genus Candida. There are over 20 species of Candida yeasts that can cause infection in humans, the most common of which is Candida albicans. Candida yeasts normally live on the skin and mucous membranes without causing infection; however, overgrowth of these organisms can cause symptoms to develop. Symptoms of candidiasis vary depending on the area of the body that is infected.
In layman terms this means I was diagnosed with a systemic yeast infection. Yes, it is about as exciting as it sounds. My toenails were a causality of the candida. Factors including stress, poor diet, a suppressed or compromised immune system, toxicity and the extended use of antibiotics, alcohol and steroids can lead to a candida infection in both men and women; my compromised immune system and extended use of antibiotics are what led to my infection. Hilariously enough, I started taking another antibiotic to combat it. There are a host of symptoms that come along with Candida overgrowth that affect your nervous system, digestive system, skin, eyes, hair, etc. Fatigue, muscle and joint pain and irritability are just a few of the issues someone with a Candida infection may experience. My Candida infection is under control for now, but it is my understanding that I won’t be able to get rid of it completely until I am healthy again and not on any antibiotics. Click here to learn more about Candida. As it turns out, my strict Lyme disease diet is a natural way for me to battle the Candida.
But wait, there is more. My blood work also showed that my Vitamin D had taken a dip. My doctor told me it could be one of two things: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or my body having trouble absorbing Vitamin D due to my on-going treatment; both result in fatigue. Judging by a notable change in my fatigue ever since the days have gotten longer, I would venture to guess that winter made me SAD. I’ll get the medical answer at the end of the month at my next appointment.
It was a perfect storm of Lyme, Candida, Vitamin D deficiency and the weather that increased my discomfort throughout the fall and winter. With no end date in sight regarding my recovery I must admit that sometimes it gets tough to just grin and bear it. Lucky for me on a lazy Sunday afternoon in late November a plan to kick off the spring with some fun in the desert sun was hatched. It gave me something to look forward to while I was feeling very crappy. Rachael and I had fallen behind on season 3 of "Ice Loves Coco" and were in the middle of watching four episodes back-to-back when Coco announced on the show that she had been asked to headline "Peepshow" for a limited amount of time while the current star was on maternity leave. "Peepshow" is billed as Las Vegas' only striptease spectacular. Within a matter of days I had roped my friend Marisa who lives in Arizona into joining us in March for a girls weekend. Marisa had no idea who Coco was when she agreed to come to Vegas to hang out with us and see the show. If you don't know who she is either you can always look her up on the internet --NSFW. Planning the trip and looking forward to some fun in the sun with my friends was just what I needed to help me push through my annoying set back.
That is an excerpt from an email that appeared in my inbox on December 23, 2012. I immediately sprang into action. Before you shake your head thinking I have become extremely gullible as I continue to battle Lyme disease, I would like to mention that this email was sent to me by my sister. Dee Dee was in India working as an editor/reporter for a three month internship at the New Indian Express in Chennai and had been assigned to write about Christmas in the United States. My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas but that did not stop her from writing her story, nor did it stop me from riding around DC and taking photos of Christmas decorations, per her request. 
