The Value of a Firm Handshake

“Handshaking is a very common method of transmitting the cold and influenza virus”. This quote has nothing to do with the value of a firm handshake, but I am not sure where to start today and I figured since flu shots are now available around town that this quote was somewhat topical. 

Speaking of flu shots, with my weakened immune system I have been strongly advised not to get one for the past two years. No big deal. I have only gotten one flu shot in the past ten years, it was about 6 years ago, and I got the flu shortly after receiving the shot. I have snubbed the flu shot ever since. People always look at me like I am crazy when I say I don't get the flu shot; it is the same look I get when I tell people I don’t eat processed sugar. You heard it here folks I avoid flu shots and processed sugar; gosh I am so weird. Speaking of processed sugar, Halloween is just around the corner. This means I am going to have to steer clear of the candy pushers who get ridiculously offended when I turn down candy at the office. "No thanks" I say, "I prefer to snack on these raw almonds". Nobody believes me. 

WOW! I am totally off track. My intention was to write about how my treatment to break up the biofilm (discussed in my previous post), combined with me discontinuing one of my antibiotics per my doctor's request (forgot to mention that in my previous post) has led to increased discomfort, tingly feet and crippling pain in my right hand, and I am right handed. The hand pain sucks and it happens to be the reason why my writing has slowed down. Trust me I have endless amounts of Lyme-related information and experiences to share, but by the time I get home from work it is hard for me to make a fist with my right hand and typing is the last activity that my hand wants to participate in. My hand has also been cranky about opening up jars, bottles and squeezing toothpaste out of the tube.  The hand situation also led to an interesting first two weeks at my new job which I started a month and a half ago. Additionally, I haven’t been sleeping very well for the past two weeks. I am exhausted, a little spacey and I am experiencing bad headaches. I apologize in advance for all of my rambling. (Perhaps I should have prefaced this post with the lack of sleep/headache/rambling information). I could cut and paste it, but this is a good example of what goes on in my head during the week when I am trying to work, prepare all of my food, keep up with my Lyme disease antibiotic regimen, etc., while not getting enough sleep.

Guess what. I think I just figured out how I should begin this post! On July 29^th I started a new job. Like any typical new job it involved orientation, a lot of paperwork, and shaking a lot of important people’s hands from many corners of the agency. In my mind, when meeting people for the first time whether you are in a professional or personal setting there is nothing worse than a limp handshake. Oh wait, there is. A sweaty limp handshake. Luckily for me my hand temperature is perfect. 

About three and a half weeks into my new supplement and antibiotic schedule I began to notice some changes. I had increased pain and discomfort in all of the places that usually have pain and discomfort (neck, shoulders, hips, legs, knee, etc.) and one new place; my thumb. The side of my right thumb became very tender and constantly felt like it was bruised from below my nail bed to my wrist. If I used my hand too much throughout the day the bruised feeling turned into shooting pain that radiated through the rest of my hand. I was trying to get used to this new annoyance when I experienced a herx reaction. I discussed herx reactions in November 2012 in the following posts: "And then my immune system woke up" and "Buckle up and enjoy the ride". A quick review:  A Herx reaction occurs because the Lyme bacteria, under attack from the antibiotics, start to break up and die, releasing toxins and other harmful debris as they do so. This, in turn, causes the body’s immune system to temporarily go into overdrive in order to cope with the abrupt deluge of toxins and debris.

I hadn't had a herx reaction in about six months and while I wouldn't say this was the most severe one I have experienced during my Lyme treatment, it did keep me in bed for about two and a days; Friday thru Sunday morning. When I went back to work that Monday, coincidentally my last week at my old job, I was feeling exhausted, extremely sore, achy and a little out of it. Two days later I took the day off to attend Mayhem Fest with Laikisha in Bristow, VA. What is Mayhem Fest? Mayhem Festival is a traveling metal festival that includes bands that represent a broad range of sub-genres including thrash metal, death metal, metalcore and power metal; just to name a handful. It is an all day event that involves a lot of walking around from stage to stage, standing, shopping, people watching and head banging. With my constant neck issues I did not partake in the head banging  but I will tell you watching other people throw their heads around made my neck hurt more. The picture on the top left is a fine example of a t-shirt that I refrained from buying while we browsed the merchandise. 

Laikisha and I had a lot of fun soaking up the sun and people watching while listening to the music. I am not going to lie though, walking around all day was adding to my increased aches. Take a look at the photo to the left of me throwing devil horns with a nice man that I met wearing half of a bear suit. My thumb is in the wrong spot. It is not because I don't know the proper way to rock the devil horns, it is because my thumb was too stiff to bend into the proper position. The half man/half bear didn't seem to mind, so neither did I. Long after the sun had gone down and Laikisha and I had dodged some seriously insane mosh pits, my posture was incredibly slouchy and my legs and neck were throbbing, but none of that stopped me from thoroughly enjoying Rob Zombie's performance which closed out the night. Laikisha and I left the venue covered in dust with hoarse voices and bizarre new followers on our social media accounts due to the Mayhem Fest references and pictures of Rob Zombie we had posted. At work the next day I was more exhausted, achy and robotic than usual, but I survived the last two days at my old job and had a phone full of unique photos from my Mayhem Fest experience to share with my co-workers. 

I had a weekend to rest up, but I was feeling less than rested when I reported for my first day of work on July 29th. I was stifling yawns during orientation, I was trying to ignore the pain in my hand while filling out loads of paperwork, I was limping because my knees and ankles were so sore and I was hoping that I was only wincing on the inside when people were coming in with the death grip to shake my hand. Not wanting to be known as the "new girl with the limp handshake" I tried my best to firmly shake back which on a few occasions caused my shoulder to crack. Talk about a bunch of vigorous handshakers. 

It was a good two weeks of multiple handshakes a day before my hand finally got a rest. I mentioned to a few of my friends that my thumb and hand pain had intensified due to all of the introductions at work. My hand looks totally fine to the naked eye and I didn't want people to think I was rude and making up a hand injury by not wanting to offer up my hand when they stuck theirs out. Some of my friends suggested buying a wrist brace, while others told me to lick or sneeze into my hand upon meeting people. I was trying to make a good impression. Licking or sneezing into my hand before extending it would have given off the wrong vibe, and  worse yet, if I had been sick I could have spread germs to my new colleagues if for some strange reason they still chose to shake my hand. 

Formication, Bruising & Biofilm

 “I feel like I have bugs crawling on me again” I said as I gingerly ran my hand through my hair. “It’s called formication, not to be confused with fornication” replied my doctor as he continued to scribble in his notebook while laughing at his joke. It had been about two months since my last appointment and I was sitting in a chair giving him a review of my symptoms when the subject of formication popped up. It is the physical sensation of insects crawling on your body and/or biting you---with no evidence that any are actually doing so. It can have various psycho-, neuro-, physio-, or pharmacological causes. Earlier on in my treatment I experienced this sensation over the period of a few months, sadly it has resurfaced and I am still waiting for it to subside again. You are probably wondering how I responded to the joke. I've got two words for you: Polite giggle. 

While my on-going battle with tick-borne diseases continues to spiral in multiple directions, I am thankful that at least one aspect of my experience has structure; my  appointments. We always start by discussing my symptoms; are they better or worse since my last appointment/medication change and are there any new ones to report? Next up, a brief change of scenery as my vitals are taken in a different room; occasionally an EKG is thrown in for good measure. (According to a recent warning issued by the FDA one of the antibiotics I have been on for almost two years can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm). After my vitals are recorded we return to the room we started in and wrap up the appointment with a discussion of my latest blood work results and medication and/or supplement adjustments. 

After I issued the polite giggle mentioned above, and before my arm was fitted with a blood pressure cuff, I dove into the details of a concern of mine regarding my toes. While getting ready for work one morning this past April I stepped into a pair of frequently worn shoes and headed out the door. Around mid-morning my big toe started throbbing but I didn’t think much of it because I am always experiencing ebbs and flows of random aches and pains throughout my body on a daily basis. Later in the day it became increasingly hard to walk and it wasn’t until I hobbled up the stairs into my condo after work and took my shoes off that I saw my swollen and angry looking toe (top picture). When I put my shoes on earlier that morning my toe was fine. When I walked to the metro and then to my office my toe was fine; it wasn't until later in the morning while sitting at my desk that my toe began to throb. The next day my toe was bruised (bottom picture) and everyone I showed it to assumed it was broken and that I had dropped something on it. Within two and a half days the swelling, the pain and the bruising in my toe had vanished. Most likely it was a burst blood vessel. Since April this has happened a hand full of times to both of my big toes while wearing various styles of comfortable shoes that are easy for me to get around in with all of my joint pain. (Translation: old lady shoes). Why is this happening? Nobody really knows, but I shall keep you posted if an answer materializes. 

In my last post I mentioned my doctor’s assumption that a Bartonella flare-up was the cause of my post travel "hangover". During the review of my blood work his assumption was confirmed and a new issue was brought to my attention. Lyme bacteria can create a biofilm that allows it to evade antibiotics. Sounds like the foundation for a creepy pandemic Lyme disease movie doesn’t it? While it is creepy, I am now taking enzymes to break down the biofilm that was so prominently featured in my blood work. Click here to read more about biofilm.

“How much longer are you going to be on the medication” and “When are you going to get better” are the two most popular questions I am being asked these days. The answer to both of those questions is very open-ended. The day I show up at an appointment to see my doctor and tell him that I am symptom free I will have a better idea about how to answer those questions. Till then I will just smile and nod and say “But I feel awful” when people respond to my not knowing the answer to their questions with an enthusiastic “Well, you look great!”

A Different Kind of Hangover

Never under estimate the value of rest and a clean diet while battling chronic Lyme disease. It’s not that I didn’t sleep in Vegas; I just didn’t get the amount of sleep I have grown accustomed to getting in order to function like an upstanding citizen. It’s not that I didn’t leave for my trip with good food intentions; previously I mentioned I had prepared a lot of snacks and breakfast food for my trip. Every day for breakfast I would eat my “Lyme friendly” granola or muffins and then as the day progressed my food choices would unravel. I enjoyed Wolfgang Puck Pizza, Gordon Ramsay’s French fries fried in truffle oil and sprinkled with powdered sugar, gelato, pork tacos… you get the picture. Quick recap of foods I consumed that I am supposed to avoid: Dairy, gluten, fried food, processed sugar, and caffeine. Hey, don’t judge. I was on vacation!

Once I returned to DC it didn’t take me long to realize that I had overdid it in Vegas. (My definition of overdoing it in Vegas has changed drastically since the last time I visited there, but that is another story). Imagine waking up after a seven hour nap feeling dizzy due to a mild case of vertigo and then realizing while you are in the shower that you are in so much physical pain that it actually sucks to be taking a shower.  Try not to be jealous, but this is what happened to me on the first afternoon back from my trip. My entire body felt bruised to the touch. The water coming out of the shower head literally felt like it was beating down on my shoulders. Attempting to soap up my body was a painful endeavor. The fun did not stop there. 

Agitated, disoriented, exhausted and sore; my condition upon returning to the office after my trip. Black-Eyed Demon and The Anti-Christ; names my colleague called me to my face during the first three days I was back. For those of you who do not know me personally, I am a very social, easy-going, happy laid back individual. Even with all of my current medical issues I’ve still (for the most part) maintained my disposition. Don’t get me wrong, I have my moments of grumpiness and anger toward my current health situation, but for the most part those moments are not in public places. 

In addition to feeling like a gigantic off-balanced bruise I was really angry when I returned to my office. My smile was nowhere to be found. I was annoyed that people were stopping by my desk to ask me about my trip. I loved my trip, I just didn’t want to hear people’s voices talking to me nor did I want to answer them. In a low cube no privacy environment like the one our office adopted over a year ago, my agitated state did not lend itself to being nice to my peers. I also had blotchy skin, pupils that were dilated to the point where there was no color in my eyes and brain fog. Not only did I not want to converse with people, when I did open my mouth in an attempt to either have a nice rational conversation or yell at someone, I couldn’t even remember what I was trying to say. One afternoon I was so angry I had to throw some office supplies on the ground in my cube to get some aggression out and make myself feel better. This episode highlighted the immediate need for me to hit the reset button on my body. I turned to a local DC company that delivers homemade raw vegan organic treats, tonics and sprout salads to complete my mission. 

I first stumbled across Goûter (Goo-TAY) at my yoga studio one evening when they were handing out free samples of their products. I was blown away by their delicious raw vegan snacks and tonics and have been enjoying them ever since. The Goûter tonics come in different flavors, are very refreshing and are chock full of vitamins, energy-boosting nutrients and antioxidants. I had been hearing great things about their 3 days cleanses and decided it was a good time to try one since my body had gone completely haywire. I contacted them through their Facebook page and I ordered a 3-day tonic cleanse which was delivered to my front doorstep. There are multiple cleanse options. I requested the one that they thought would be best to combat inflammation. 

Over the course of three days I drank 18 tonics, one every three hours while I was awake (6 per day). My friends kept asking me if I was hungry. I wasn’t hungry at all. I was able to keep my regular schedule of work and yoga without a sign of a grumbling hungry stomach. After the first full day of the cleanse my skin cleared up, my eyes returned to their normal state and my brain fog lifted. By late morning of day two I was suddenly the friendliest person on the planet; bitchy Jules was nowhere to be found. I didn’t take my antibiotics for three days because taking those without food in my stomach would have led to disaster. I still had all of my aches and pains, but I didn’t care. I felt refreshed and happy; the best I have felt since before my treatment for Lyme disease started. I literally felt like a new person. For those three days I also didn’t have to worry about preparing/cooking food which was a delightful break as well.

A couple of weeks after my cleanse I had an appointment with my doctor. I sat in his office and told him about how before I left for my trip I was experiencing pain and swelling in my forearm and elbow along with visible bruising. I told him about my post–Vegas experience and the cleanse while he sat quietly in his chair nodding his head. He told me that the sore tendons/muscles and the attitude shift were signs of a Bartonella flare-up. He changed my medication, and sent me to the lab for more blood work. He was also intrigued by the cleanse and the great results I had, and suggested I try it again.

Would the Bartonella flare-up, which was already in the beginning stages before I left for Vegas, have been as severe if I had not traveled? 

While I didn’t ask my doctor this question when I was in his office, the look on his face when I was telling him about my trip and what happened after my trip spoke volumes to me. That being said, I had a blast traveling with Marisa and Rachael and will gladly do it again, perhaps with less consumption of gelato and french fries. 

**If you are local to DC and want more information regarding Goûter you can find them on Facebook or follow them on twitter @heygouter where you can keep track of when and where there tonics are available for sale. Not only am I fan of their product I am also a fan of Steve Mekowski and V Orban; the team who founded the company. They are armed with knowledge about raw vegan food and its health benefits and have provided me with wonderful information regarding a few questions I have asked them**

Some of What Happened in Vegas is Now on my Blog

Whether it is for a long weekend or a two week vacation packing my suitcase is never easy and I'm  usually left with many questions running through my head. Did I bring too much clothing? Did I bring enough clothing? Did I bring too many shoe choices? If I leave that one pair of shoes at home because they take up a lot of room in my suitcase will I be annoyed if I can't wear them with that one outfit that I packed that I may or may not wear? If I buy anything during my trip will my suitcase even zip up when it is time to return home? March 2013: While packing for Vegas my main concern was trying to figure out the best way to bring 4 days worth of my antibiotics and supplements with me in my carry on along with Lyme disease friendly snacks and breakfast food that I had pre-prepared. It really was a miracle that I left DC with clothing in my suitcase at all; Lyme disease really has changed everything. One of the most popular questions I was asked by people after mentioning that I was going to Vegas was: Are you going to have trouble making it through security will all of your pills at the airport? I am glad to report that I didn’t have any issue boarding the plane with my traveling pharmacy. 

What are you going to eat in Vegas with all of your diet restrictions? What is Peepshow? Are you even going to have fun in Vegas if you can’t drink? These were the other popular questions I was peppered with upon announcing my plans to travel with a couple of friends to Vegas. While we didn’t kidnap Mike Tyson’s tiger we did manage to have a blast.

“Do you know if the hotel is pager friendly?” I asked to Marisa and Rachael as we walked into Caesars Palace. They both turned around with looks of confusion on their faces. Marisa replied “I didn’t know people still used pagers” at the same time as Rachael said “I didn’t know you had a pager”. That is when I realized that I was in Las Vegas with two people who had never seen the movie “The Hangover”. And then just for the hell of it I asked “This isn’t the real Caesars Palace, is it”?

Paris Las Vegas vs. Paris France 

The next best thing to traveling to Paris, France is to travel to Paris, Las Vegas. What’s not to love? Paris is known as the city of light. Vegas has a lot of lights. Paris has the famous Eiffel Tower that everyone loves to go to the top of to get a view of the city. So does Vegas. Arc de Triomphe... yep, you guessed it, Vegas has one too. Paris is a fashion hub. No need to look any further than the casino in Paris Las Vegas to see the high fashion that are the cocktail waitresses walking around with everything hanging out; no matter their age. There is a red light district in Paris. I believe all of Las Vegas is a red light district. Do you like Crepes? Every step you take within the Paris casino, you are guaranteed to run into a crepe. There are beautiful fountains in Paris. Directly across the street from the casino in Vegas is the beautiful dancing fountain at the Bellagio. I don't believe the fountains in France have water shows every hour set to music. I could go on and on with the comparisons; suffice it to say Paris Las Vegas was an excellent place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Las Vegas in the future. 

Tacos El Gordo

The morning after we landed in Vegas my swollen elbow (mentioned in my last post) was even more swollen and had become bruised over night. While this did concern me, I wasn't about to let it stop me from enjoying tacos for lunch.  A co-worker of mine suggested that we go to Tacos El Gordo while we were in Vegas. She is well aware of my dietary restrictions but I was so enthusiastic while telling her about my plans to take a mini vacation from my food restrictions while traveling, she thought it necessary to send me to this awesome hole in the wall taco joint in a strip mall on Las Vegas Blvd. It was pouring down rain and we were wet when we ran into the restaurant. Actually, Marisa and Rachael ran. I sauntered into the restaurant behind them because running is not an option with all of my current joint and muscular issues. The pork spinning around on a vertical rotisserie immediately caught my eye and I ordered pork tacos;  they were amazing. I guess now would be a good time to mention that back in September of 2012 I decided to eliminate all animal protein from my diet. After two months of being a processed sugar, night shade vegetable and gluten free vegan I decided that every once in awhile I was going to eat fish and eggs. It makes perfect sense that I ordered pork tacos, right? Before I continue on I just want to make one thing clear: Tacos El Gordo makes some bad-ass tacos. If you find yourself on Las Vegas Blvd wanting tacos, I suggest you go there. You will not be disappointed.

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort 

Luxurious. Beautiful chandeliers. Tiles so clean you could see your reflection in them. Gigantic reclining chairs. Bright lights. Flowers as far as the eye could see. Welcome to the bathroom of the Encore Casino. Talk about a spacious bathroom stall, I think it was bigger than our hotel room. 

After we finished our tacos the rain had stopped, but it was a gray and windy day. We decided some touring of the casinos was in order. A mere twenty minutes into the tour I had to make a break for the bathroom. Adios pork tacos! The tour resumed and ten minutes later I found myself in another bathroom at the Wynn. Let me tell you, Steve Wynn likes the fancy bathrooms. In both of his casinos the bathrooms were so spotless, I didn't even feel the need to hover over the toilets while using them; total opposite of all of my New Jersey Turnpike pit stop experiences.

Outside of the bathrooms, Wynn and Encore are two incredibly beautiful and spotless casinos. The decor, the flowers, and the atmosphere are like no other casino you will find on or off the strip in Las Vegas. We found out, while talking to an employee of a bar at Encore, that all of the flower arrangements throughout both casinos are real and are constantly being replaced when they start to show signs of wilting. There is no smoking allowed in either establishment which is a welcome change from breathing in the stale air from the other casinos along the strip.

PEEPSHOW

As fans of "Ice Loves Coco", a reality show that follows around Ice T and his wife Coco, we decided a trip to Vegas was in order when we found out that Coco would be starring for a limited amount of time in "Peepshow" at the Planet Hollywood Showroom. During Las Vegas' only striptease spectacular nursery rhymes get a naughty twist. The show features sexy strip tease and over-the-top production elements, making it one sultry spectacular you won't want to miss - with a review like that you can't help but wonder what exactly you are going to see when the curtain goes up. The show turned out to be very entertaining. The cast was great. They sang, they danced and they shook what their mommas gave them (even the men). Audience participation was relied upon for some good laughs during the show and the wide range of people in the Planet Hollywood Showroom made for some fun reactions to watch throughout the show. Coco was fantastic and she looked like she was thoroughly enjoying every moment that she was on stage. No, her breasts are not real. And yes, she is really topless during the show. And yes, her booty really looks as curvy as it does in all of her pictures. I think that covers all of the questions I received about Coco and her assets upon returning home. 

While researching the show I had come across information regarding meet and greets with Coco. For an extra fee we found ourselves waiting in line after the show with champagne in hand (my lucky friends got to drink mine) waiting to meet her. And meet her we did. Along with Ice T who happened to be in town for the weekend and their dogs Spartacus and Maximus. Coco had individual conversations with everyone who was waiting to meet her. She hugged us, complimented all three of us on our outfits, posed for pictures and signed some photos. She couldn't have been any nicer if she had tried. Ice T was also very friendly and got roped into the photos as well. 


After rubbing elbows with Ice and Coco we decided to hit the club in Planet Hollywood, and that is where we met the guy pictured on the right. Wow. What a way to end the night. Or should I say start the morning? No, your eyes are not deceiving you. His t-shirt says "Orgasm Donor". He was out with a handful of friends for his bachelor party. His underwear said "I love to Fart". I know this because he was wearing them over his pants. He also had a chicken drinking a beer perched on his head. One of his friends kept telling us how patient his fiance was. 

Mechanical Bulls

Late one night we were walking along the pedestrian bridge that runs between the Excalibur Hotel and the New York-New York Hotel and Casino when we were stopped by a man with an interesting proposition. One minute we were looking at the Statue of Liberty and the next minute this guy was trying to lure us into a limo which he claimed was going to take us to Larry Flynt's house where we would be able to watch a very raunchy male review which involved nudity and we would also get the chance to ride a mechanical bull shaped like a penis. This amazing night at Larry Flynt's house did not appeal to any of us, so we declined. But for a good hour afterwards all I could keep thinking to myself was "Why didn't he just say a mechanical penis. Why waste words saying a mechanical bull shaped like a penis"?

One night while sitting inside the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) bar we learned about the phenomena known as bare-ass bull riding. No I didn't mean to say bareback riding, I meant bare-ass. During the two hours we were sitting at the bar many drunk ladies hoisted themselves up on the bull in their short skirts/dresses while wearing thongs and attempted to break the mechanical bull riding record at the bar. Occasionally we would turn around to witness the madness because the drunk people sitting next to us were loudly commenting on the outfits (or lack thereof) and also rating the looks of everyone who got on the bull. One lady in a short white dress hopped on and as the bull started to thrash about I looked over at Rachael and said "Uh... did I just see what I thought I just saw"? and before Rachael could answer me the lady next to me said "O.M.G.... I just saw that girls shaved cooter". There you have it folks! One girl did dare to bare it all on the mechanical bull at the PBR Bar.

Gambling

I like my money in my wallet until I decide to spend it. That being said, one cannot help but partake in gambling while in Vegas. I set aside $20 for gambling. HIGH ROLLER. Before we left for our trip our friend Rob told us that we had to play red 23 on the roulette table. One night as Rachael was throwing some chips down at the roulette table I said "Don't forget red 23". She threw down one more chip, and Red 23 was the winner. An easy $100 was won, and Rob got a whole bunch of messages at an ungodly hour in the morning telling him about how powerful his psychic abilities at the roulette table were. The next day I won $100 playing black 13, and I immediately purchased a new pair of shoes. Success at the roulette table should always be rewarded!

In Summary

The next time you head to Vegas I suggest staying at Paris Las Vegas. You cannot beat the location and it truly is a beautiful hotel. If you are looking for amazing tacos while touring around town, go to Tacos El Gordo. Wynn and Encore are must see casinos. Check them out, and be sure to spend some quality time in the bathrooms. Go see Peepshow. Coco is performing through Sept 1, 2013. It is an entertaining show, Coco rocks and you should take advantage of the meet and greet after the show. Be sure to spend any money that you win gambling immediately so you won't have an opportunity to lose it while trying to win more money. Last but not least please wear long pants while riding the mechanical bulls around town; while they don't look really mean, they are definitely not clean.