About this Blog

~Hi, my name is Courtney. I was a full time college student, starting to be a dancer, and used to work with kids part time, living on my own until my illness disabled me.
~I became sick in 2005. I created this blog in the summer of 2006 to record my "headache" diary and to see if anyone finds it interesting.
~12/2006 I lost my job then after, failed a year of college.
~2/2007 Dx Lyme Disease with Bartonella: prescribed 8 months of oral antibiotics. I'm not even sure if I ever had the Lyme Disease.
~11/2007 The doctor took me off medicines while I was still improving but not fully recovered.
~6/2008 Dx Chiari I Malformation by a neurosurgeon in Beverly Hills.
~8/2008 Decompression and Lamenectomy helped 80% of my problems.
~2/2009 Dx Hypermobility by an Orthopedic Surgeon/School Doc: Started PT, dancing, going to school and working.
~6/2009 Started working full time as an Infant-Toddler teacher, which requires lifting. Dancing part time, maybe I'll finish school eventually...lol
~12/2009 Dx Chronic Sinusitis: Stopped dancing due to constant infections.
~2/2010 Sinus Surgery & complication: Severe Epistaxis: Became severely anemic.
~3/2010: Dx Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: by Geneticist
~4/2011: Switched jobs, now work at a Pre-K teacher for 3 and 4 year olds. Less lifting!
~5/2011: Started PT and exercising again

Friday, March 23, 2007

Whooping Cough

I got my test results back today at the doctors. No suprise i'm negative with the Western Blot for lyme disease and babosia. The labs accidently did wrong labs and tested me for B. Pertussis (aka whooping cough virus). And my results were high!!! weird! But nonetheless my doctor is continuing my treatment of Lyme like illness with Zithromax 1x a day 250mg.

Friday, March 16, 2007

going out of the country/feeling better/school

Last Tuesday was mike and my couples group. Well I was giving an update on my health with the ladies during prayer requests: I said i have been feeling a lot better on my antibiotics, happy, hopeful, thinking i might actually enjoy my wedding. I said i should know my dx next Friday. One lady mentioned "what if your doctor says you shouldn't leave the country?" We are going to Mazatlan Mexico for our honeymoon. I straight up said (although she was just making a mini joke) "I wouldn't go".

Tonight I was thinking about that, how sad that is, a honeymoon is soooo wonderful and one of those things (especially if you pay so much for it) that you just don't give up. I must be so devastated by my illness to think that I would rather shoot myself than go on a trip that would keep me sick. And thats sad.

well I've been feeling rather good comparatively. I can walk the dog, walk around campus, lift my arms, etc and not feel like i used to. I can think clearer. Its pretty nice.

but today i crashed slightly. I was in the library finding books for my ballet term paper and felt this rush of this drained feeling. I didn't go to Spanish class. Well, I can't feel bad. My teachers are all supportive, but I wouldn't blame them for giving me anything less than a C. At least I'll have a report from the doctor to give my school and that'll help with showing why i did bad this semester.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

feeling clammy

is this a symptom of anyone? And what is usually associated with it? For me its a sinus thing as well with sticky feeling in my sinuses. its weird. I feel wiped out usually at this time too.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

underarm abscess...

the other tick disease caught my attention (the cat scratch thingy) and I found a picture of what i used to get. abscess under armpit? any one ever get these? i got it 3 times. it was strange, never had them before, this was 6 months after i possibly got sick. one time a doc said it was folliculitis but it was the size of a golfball. another time the other doc said it was inflamed sweat glands. just curious

Lymie Headaches

I've heard you guys mention this headache that you all get. would you guys describe it?

I remember complaining to my first doctor about headaches and he just said they were migraines when I knew they werent because i actually did get migraines in high school and randomly still did but this headache was different. went to a different doctor who said it was tension and i needed to see a therapist (neither of these doctors listened to my other symptoms cuz i was crying that i wasnt feeling well so they just thought i was depressed)

anyways, it would be nice to hear some different descriptions...

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Azithromycin aka Zithromax

I'm on it. I don't have my labs back yet but i've been on it a week and have significant improvement. The doctor said today that it was interesting I was improving. I don't know what he meant by that. Do you think that means I probably have lyme? Or based on your experience what do you think? I guess I'm just impatient and cant wait till my next appointment in 2 weeks to find out.

anyways i live in los angeles and i distinctively remember hiking with some friends and we sat on this wood thing and it had a whole lot of tiny black ticks on it. The more I look into it I really think they were nymph black legged ticks. so im not sure if i got sick in another country a year earlier or i got sick then...

Monday, March 05, 2007

no diagnosis as of yet...we'll see in a few weeks. I didn't have hope before. alot of my dreams i had to set aside because I thought i would never get well. now that i have a good doctor i have hope agian.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

documentary on lyme disease

http://www.lymediseasefilm.com<--watch this film trailer!!!


Lyme disease may be the fastest growing infectious disease in the U.S., yet each year, thousands are misdiagnosed. Many don't look ill, but suffer from crushing pain, numbness, and fatigue.

Others lose mobility, memory and even speech.

Why are physicians so unaware of classic Lyme symptoms and the true extent of the epidemic?

Once diagnosed, why are so many doctors and insurers refusing to treat these patients?
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