The Good:  we have more answers and we have new treatments underway.

The Bad:  I have levels of lead in my body that are (as my doctor puts it) “respectable” and as high as those who have been affected by the water contamination in Flint.

The Ugly:  I have mycotoxin levels that are through the roof.  Complements are part of our immune system.  A rise in a specific complement shows that the body is reacting to a specific substance.  C4a is the complement that rises when the body is affected by mycotoxins (specifically due to mold).  C4a levels should be 0-2,830 ng/mL.  Mine are 18,847.

We don’t know where the lead and mold came from.  We tested the house for mold and the water for lead and both are free and clear.  Both are deep in the tissues of my body so it’s most likely that I contacted both somewhere along the line over the last 10 years and my immune deficient body held onto them.  Whatever the case, we are treating the ugly mycotoxins first with a powder that sucks it out of the tissues.

Still treating the tick infections with IV antibiotics 5 nights a week (rocephin and azithromycin) and a handful of pills every morning and night.  And if all of this seems like a lot to you, imagine how it feels to me.  It IS a lot.  Somedays, it feels completely overwhelming.  I get discouraged by the sloooooow pace in which we are making progress – the reality is, we are making progress.  One day at a time.

Dr. Horowitz (a leader in the Lyme & tick disease community) has termed illnesses like mine as Multi-Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome.  You can learn more about it at the links below.

Dr. Horowitz MSIDS Presentation

Huffington Post Article on MSIDS