A time for everything.

" There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Last night might have been one of the worst pushes I've had. The pushes are always stronger at the beginning of the week because they are made over the weekend.

I got the push around 5:30 last night and started reacting around 6. Usually it takes an hour to react. It started with pain all over and nausea. It's not a kind of pain that you can describe. It's deep inside of you. Then I had fever and horrible jaw and throat pain, along with the body pain and weakness. I couldn't talk for a couple hours because of the pain. The pain continued to get worse for a few hours, almost unbearable. Around 8, I started to shake and I was so cold. Usually the shaking and ice cold feeling comes first. But, you never know what kind of reaction you will get. All of this continued until around 11:30. I was then able to get off the couch and be up for a while. I took a shower and read. Just when I thought everything was getting better, I got a migraine. I finally could take some medicine because I had let the push go on for 6 hours. The medicine did nothing. My mom rubbed my head for a while and pressed on the pressure points for headaches. That helped some. I finally fell asleep around 2am. I woke up at 3:30 with the migraine again. I took more medicine, so that helped a little. I went back to bed at 4 and slept until 7. I woke up again with a headache. Thankfully, I fell back asleep and slept until 11. It was a very long, exhausting night.

I'm thankful that we could sleep in today and go to the clinic this afternoon. I think I'm going to get the lowest dose of the push today so that I can recover from last night. Thank you for all the prayers, I really appreciate it.

The clinic is the place to be!

We had a really good weekend! We went to Lake Tahoe on Saturday. It was so pretty. Yesterday we went to church! We went to the North Virgina St. Church of Christ. We have gotten to know the people there from when we were here in December and January. It is a great congregation!

Today was a great day! The clinic was very crowded, but lots of the people we knew from when we were here in December and January were here again. It was quite a party!!!! We had a lot of fun and were probably way too loud...oh well! I didn't have any appointments today, so we got to the clinic around 11. I got another Placenta IV this morning. This afternoon, I got the glyoxal and detox shots. I also got the push. I went up a step with the push, which means a higher dose, so we'll see how that goes tonight!

"But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.'"

Isaiah 43:1-4

Lake Tahoe!

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

2 Weeks Down!

Well, I have finished 2 weeks of treatments! These have been 2 very long weeks...but at the same time, they seem like a blur. The past couple days have been long and hard. I've had fever from the push and haven't slept good at all. Last night I was up way too late with fever and pain. That made today very hard. I wanted to just stay in bed and not have to deal with any IV or shots. But that is not why I'm here. I'm here to fight this fight. I didn't get the push today though. I decided that it would be too much for me to handle. So I will start that again Monday. We met with the doctor yesterday. We decided to stay here for 2 more weeks. Today I got the list of all the medicines I have to take for 6 months. Oh goodness! I have 6-7 shots a day...along with lots of nutritional supplements and medicines. Thank goodness I'm not scared of needles!

Tomorrow, we are going to try to go back to Lake Tahoe!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This is a great song!

Changing Happy by Jadon Lavik

"I’ve always found that happiness hides

Just around the corner just out of my reach

And the moment its found the next that it’s missing

And I need to change my own definition

Cause nothing’s ever quite all that it seems

And I am not convinced that anybody is ever living the dream

And expectations kill as reality plays this show of your life

It’s a whole different scene

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy, what it means

Yeah, back to the way I know that it should be,

Close to YOU is where I need to be

No matter how hard we push or how hard we pull

There’s just a little bit more ‘til we’re full

Cause we’ve all tried to cover sadness and sorrow

With temporary things that never seem to last

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy, what it means

Yeah, back to the way I know that it should be

So explain to me why we fill up empty with empty and at the end of the day

We’re confused by the longing

change it back, change it back, change it back, oh change it

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy What it means to be happy, to be happy, truly happy

Close to YOU is where I need to be"

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

Psalm 105:4

This is Teresa, updating for Victoria. Victoria is very tired after a long day at the clinic. She had an appointment with a nutritionist late this morning that lasted a couple of hours. Victoria had a Bioimpedance Analysis done, and this test shows several important factors regarding cellular function. The test showed that Victoria has very poor cell membrane integrity and sluggish toxin removal, both of which can impede cellular energy production and recovery from the Lyme. She will start a few supplements that will aid in correcting these problems. After lunch she started a new iv treatment that helps the liver and the spleen in their functions of dealing with all the toxins that the Lyme bacteria releases when it is killed. She finished the day with the detox injection, the Glyoxal injection and the Chlorella Push. Big day with a lot going on internally! Victoria was able to visit today with Chuck Norris's wife. She is so very sweet and was such an encouragement to Victoria, and we are thankful that family is at the clinic. Thank you for all your prayers for my precious daughter!

Yesterday I had a dark field. A dark field is where they look at a drop of your blood under the microscope and project it on a tv. There is a little Lyme back in my blood. Also, my liver, spleen, joints, and central nervous system are inflamed. I started the push last night too. I didn't have much of a reaction. Just pain and my arms shook a little. It wasn't bad.

This morning I had skin testing. I have 11 allergy shots and they had to test me on them. They take a shot with a little of each medicine and put it right under the skin in your arm. I had to have 12 shots because I reacted to one of them. Then I had another detox IV. They decided to change my PICC line dressing today. They changed it and I started reacting to the medicine they cleaned it with! So that means another dressing change. I also had an EKG today. Everything with my heart is fine!! That is great news! We just got back to the apartment and I'm starting to react to the push.

Changing my PICC line dressing

This pictures are from the family's ranch that we went to on Sunday

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Psalm 37:4-7

One Week Down!

One week is behind us! We still don't know how many more weeks we will be here. You learn to take it a day at a time here.

Friday was a really bad day. I was in a lot of pain so they gave me an arthritis push in my IV which helps with inflammation. After two of those, I felt better. The doctor decided to have me wait until today to start the push. I also didn't have the EKG Friday. I'm not sure when that will be. Today I have a dark field test to see if the Lyme is back in my blood. I will start the push today too..

We had a good weekend! On Saturday we went to Lake Tahoe to eat lunch. We sat on a beach for a while too, but it was really cold! Lake Tahoe is gorgeous! Yesterday morning we went to church! Then in the afternoon we went to a friend's house about 45 mintues away. They have a ranch on the very top of a mountain. It was really pretty!

All of these pictures are from South Lake Tahoe

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

Last night I started having an allergic reaction to the dressing on my PICC line. When I woke up this morning the rash on my arm was worse. We got to the clinic this morning and I had another Major Auto-Hem. Everything went fine! They did a liver detox IV instead of the hydrogen peroxide. When we were leaving for lunch they had to flush my PICC line with saline and heparin. Right after the nurse flushed it, everything got quiet and I got dizzy and almost passed out. We made it to lunch around 2:30. When we got back they had to change my PICC line dressing again because of the allergic reaction. At 3:30 we had an appointment with the doctor. We decided that I am going to start the push tomorrow. In the morning I will get a placenta IV. It helps support the immune system and helps to create stem cells. Then in the afternoon I will get my 3 shots. The last one is called the push. The push is a shot that goes in a vein in your arm. It kills the Lyme bacteria and creates an immune response to the Lyme bacteria so that the immune system will start fighting the Lyme. This treatment is also called the "shake and bake". About 45 minutes after you get the push you start reacting. First, it feels like ice is running through your veins and there is a deep pain inside of you. Next, you start shaking. Its like your having a seizure. That can last up to a few hours. When that finally stops your fever starts to rise really fast. Mine has gotten up to 103 from this treatment. Also, pain and weakness start to hit. You really can't eat or drink anything or you will be sick from shaking so bad. The doctor wants all of this to run for 6 hours without any kind of medicine. Six hours of all that is a long time. If you really can't handle it anymore you can get in a bath of apple-cider vinegar. The vinegar pulls out the medicine and stops the reaction. It only stops the shaking though. The fever and pain are still there. Everyday the doctor encourages you to go up a step on the push. That means a stronger reaction.. Tomorrow I shouldn't have a bad reaction since it's the lowest dose. Tomorrow I am also having an EKG. My heart has been skipping beats a lot, so the doctor wants to make sure everything is ok. Later, I might have some immune system testing done. The doctor thinks mine isn't working right now. My adrenal glands are not working either. We will be trying to get everything working again through detoxing and the push. The doctor is concerned at how much weight I've lost. He isn't going to do anything about that yet.

The weather here is so nice so we might try to drive to Lake Tahoe this weekend! It's only about 30 minutes away from here. I hope you have a great weekend!

You can see a little of the rash around my PICC line. The picture really doesn't show it...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Today I had a vitamin C IV. It had a lot of Vitamin C along with other vitamins and minerals. That much vitamin C acts just like an antibiotic and kills bacteria in the blood and helps the immune system. After I finished the IV, I got two injections! Best part of the day! Just kidding.. Everyday you get 3 shots. The first is an arm shot. That shot is for detox to help clean out toxic junk and help the next shot work better. Next is the glyoxal shot. This is everyone's favorite...it goes in the hip. It is pure oxygen and is also called the oxygen bomb. It kills viruses and the cyst form of the lyme bacteria that hides inside your red blood cells. This one hurts so bad that people have passed out from it! Once you get it you have to walk the pain off. Some people prefer jumping up and down...haha. You always can tell when someone just got THE shot. You also continue to do this shot when you get home. The last shot of the day is called "the push." I haven't started this one yet on this trip. Tomorrow I am doing another Auto-Hem (which means no shots!!) and we meet with the doctor. It will be a full day!

Sierra Nevada Mountains in Reno

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

One Day Down!

Today was a very long day. First, I was tested on IV ingredients to see what I was allergic to. Then we got the doctor's order for me to have an Auto-Hem. An Auto-Hem is where they take out almost all of your blood. Ok.. maybe just a pint...but it seems like all of your blood. They take it out through an IV and it goes into a big bottle. Then they mix it with ozone, which turns it bright red and kills any bacteria in it. Next it goes through a UV light, which also helps clean the blood. Once it goes through the UV light it goes back in you. After it all goes back in, which takes about 2 hours, they start an IV of hydrogen peroxide. The whole procedure takes about 4 hours. Today, it didn't go well. It is so weird because you can taste every IV and shot they give you. The taste alone is enough to make you pass out. They started taking all the blood and I got so shaky and was so close to passing out. This has never happened before to me. Thankfully, I didn't pass out. I made it through the rest of that part just fine. Right when they started the hydrogen peroxide I started having an allergic reaction. The taste was horrible and made me really nausious. I all of the sudden got so hot and achy and almost passed out again. My mom came over and made sure I didn't pass out while the nurse ran to get the doctor. They immediately stopped it and started me on fluids to flush the hydrogen peroxide out of my system. It took me a while to recover from the reaction. When I could finally sit up, they decided it was time to change the dressing on my PICC line. That took a long time but went great! With the Auto-Hem you don't get any shots, so we were done for the day! We got to leave the clinic around 6. I'm doing better but still worn out from the reaction. Please pray that I don't have anymore reactions to any of the medicines. This is such a great verse about not worrying. Taking it one day at a time with the help of God.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

We're Here

We got to Reno late last night. I will update later tonight with what's going on at the clinic and everything. On our flight here we saw the prettiest sunset and clouds!!

Rough Couple Days

The last couple days have been rough. I was able to go to church on Wednesday night, even though I had to be in a wheelchair. It was SO great to be able to worship with everyone again!! I hadn't been able to go to church in almost 3 weeks. But now, I'm exhausted from getting out of the house on Wednesday for a few hours. It was so worth it though!!!!

We finally figured out all of our travel plans and where we are staying in Reno. We leave Monday afternoon. This weekend my plans are to finish packing early so that I can rest and go to church Sunday!! I also have lots of IVs to do from home so that I'm really hydrated before we leave.

These are such encouraging verses!

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."

Lamentations 3:22-26

Getting Ready for Reno...

Next Monday I will be leaving for Reno, Nevada. My mom is going with me while my dad and brother stay home. We will be there for about 3-4 weeks while I receive treatments. This is my third time to go to the clinic there. While I'm there I'll get at least one IV every day along with lots of other treatments. This time I have a PICC line and I am SO thankful for it! I have tiny veins that like to collapse so usually they have to stick me 3 or 4 times. They even just gave up a couple times and I had to skip the IV for that day. So the PICC line will be so much easier. It may be really hard to keep clean and dry but it's a lot better than having to be stuck 3 times every day!!

This picture is from when I was at the clinic in December. This is part of the IV room.