the Van Dyke's

the Van Dyke's

Saturday, May 26, 2012

new routines...

I am officially on Summer Vacation! That means it's time to start a summer routine. 1st project was to take care of our medicine situation. Since {Lyme} has joined our family our kitchen counter has become a mini-pharmacy.


While this may not look like a lot to some, it has really been a change for us, especially Jon. In February Jon was only taking an occasional Tylenol or Ibuprofen, so to try to remember which med to take when is a little confusing. Some are to be taken with food, others on an empty stomach... there seem to be so many "rules" to follow. He seems to be getting used to it all, but it's definitely been a change. Many times we've had to really stop to think if we had taken a med or not. I'm hopeful my new system will be easier for both of us.

Now our counter looks like this...


I think we are both really going to like this system... it's just part of our new life.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We are staying home this year, and spending time together as a family. Jon has a 3 day weekend and is hopeful to get some things done around the house, and hopes to get some extra time to rest & relax. It will be good for us to just be together. {Lyme} may have joined our life without being invited, but we're not going to let it ruin our family. Instead we are going to be making memories we'll remember forever!!! Blessings to you all!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

a much needed break...

Not much has happened over here in the {lyme} light, and we are not complaining about that!!! Jon continues to have good and bad days. He is still working 8 hour days, which is great. However, once we does get home he is beat and spends a lot of time in his comfy chair, with achy feet and legs. I am trying hard to be a good wife by giving foot & leg rubs when the pain is really intense, but I think it would be pretty sweet to have a personal masseuse.

Jon took a much needed vacation from work and spent some time up north in Ellsworth with his brother in-law this past weekend. He was able to enjoy nature at it's finest and spent a little time in the boat catching bluegills. I think the break away from the stress at home and work was really good for him, now I'm just waiting for my turn... LOL!!!

He also had Monday off from work and decided to spend a little time in the woods behind his parents turkey hunting. This is the 1st year he hasn't spent hours in the woods waiting for the perfect tom turkey. Hunting was very different this year... the ambition was just not there, and paired with the pain in his body, it's been difficult. Well, I'm pleased to say that Monday morning he came across a tom and was able to take a shot. He was pretty happy, and for once in my life, I was thrilled. It was nice to see the glow in his eyes. It's been awhile since I've seen that joy, and it truly warmed my heart.

{Constance, Jon & Chloe}

You never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball. We are just trying to survive and enjoy the good moments together. Unfortunately there are plenty of bad days, but we are trying hard not to dwell on those days. We have been blessed with such wonderful family and friends. I know I say it all the time, but we really have. In fact tonight a good family friend stopped by and dropped off a meal, listened to me go on and on (yup, I admit it, I'm a talker... LOL!!!), and made me promise we would contact them if we needed anything. She left and I cried. What may have seemed like a small token of love in her eyes, was a seen as a HUGE token of love to our family. We truly are blessed!

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming. Jon started his new meds this week, and at this point we haven't seen any change, but it's early yet. We hope the future changes are for the good, but you never know, and we are trying to remain optimistic. 

This is also my last week of work and it is very bittersweet. I am SO ready for a break from work. Time to get things back in order here at the house and spend some much needed time with the girls and Jon. Yet in the midst of my excitement for summer vacation, I can't help but feel heartbroken knowing I will not be going back to the job that I've known and loved for so many years. I've been reassured that I will have a job next fall, but the decision is up to the district, and they could place me anywhere... and honestly, that scares me. I'm trying to stay positive, but sometimes you just need to break down. A good cry can do wonders for me sometimes.

Phew... what I thought was going to be a quick post, ended up being a little lengthy. Thanks again for all of your love and support... bedtime is in 12 minutes, time to rally up the troops and start bedtime routine. ((((((((HUGS)))))))) from our house to yours!!!!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

When it rains...

it pours!!!

Many of you have asked me how Jon's new meds are going... thank you SO much for thinking of him!!! His doc wants him to finish the meds he has been taking and once those are gone he will then start the next round of antibiotics. He has started the antidepressant, but those take a few weeks before they start to kick in. So in the land of meds, there hasn't been much, if any, of a change.

Unfortunately one of the "triggers" for Jon is stress. We all know that stress is a normal part of life, and if you know our family there's never a dull moment in the stress department. When Jon is stressed he can't sleep, gets frustrated, gets angry, his pain level increases drastically, which in turn leaves him exhausted, but unable to sleep. It's a vicious cycle, and this week there has been an increase in stress for our family.

A few weeks ago we received some bad news about my job. It's long, mess of a situation, and I won't bore you with all the details, but in 13 days my job that I've held for 10+ years will be no more. It's been really hard emotionally on me, especially since the situation is completely out of my hands. If you know me, you know I like to have everything in control, so giving up the control of the situation is very hard for me to stomach. I have been informed that I will be placed somewhere else within the district, but those decisions are not made until late July, early August. I have asked to be placed in a particular position, but there's no guarantee. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely lucky that they will find me a new position, but it's still hard. I'm leaving behind a job that I loved and knew well, not to mention some really special friends. Ugh, I could on and on, but I'll stop there.

I've been trying to stay positive about it and not add to Jon's stress level. However, like I've said before, we are a team and I wear my feelings on my sleeve. He's really trying to be supportive, but I know it's bothering him too. Please continue to send good thoughts and extra prayers our way. We just have so much going on right now... we are feeling a tad overwhelmed, but we WILL get through this.

We are truly blessed, and in the midst of all these "rain showers", we are trying to find the sunshine. This morning I was greeted by 3 of the most beautiful little blondies. The big one told me I was the best mom ever! The middle one came up and gave me a giant hug, and wiped her runny nose on my jammies. And the little one danced her way into my lap for some snuggles. Yes, we are indeed blessed!!!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Changes...

Today was Jon's doctors appointment. We were both a bit anxious (I think I was more than Jon, but that's pretty normal since I'm the worrier of the team), but also excited to get some questions answered. The nurse that took us back, wasn't the most pleasant nurse. She was lacking this thing called compassion, and therefor sent Jon's blood pressure through the roof. Thankfully when the doctor came in and rechecked Jon's BP it was perfectly normal. The doctor was wonderful with us, he asked lot's of questions, answered ours and gave us lot's of insight into the world of LD. Yes, we still have unanswered questions, but from what I'm learning about LD is that there are lot's of unanswered questions. He did change Jon's antibiotics, as Jon was really struggling with the limitation of not being in the sun. His new med also recommends to use caution, but we've been told it's a little less limiting. Jon will be taking Minocycline and will add Metronidazole 2 weeks into the Minocycline routine. He's also going to add some B12 and Magnesium Supplement into his daily med routine. In addition to all that Jon is also going to be starting some antidepressants to help take the edge off. I know it's not an easy thing for him to be on them, but I am SO proud of him for taking the step and asking to go on something. Between both of our meds our counter is beginning to look like a mini pharmacy.

We are very optimistic that Jon will go into remission of LD, but also very aware of the fact that LD can and will more than likely strike him again. We asked if there were "triggers" to the disease and our doc said that things like stress, and other sicknesses could very well be triggers. We aren't going to dwell on what could happen in the future, instead we are going to take things one day at a time (sometimes it's more like 1 hour at a time), and we are going to fight this nasty disease. Jon's attitude today was very positive... he's determined to fight this and win!!!

Thank you SO much for all the thoughts and prayers today and throughout this journey. Please keep them coming, especially as Jon transitions into these new meds. I will keep you all posted via facebook or the blog. Thank you for supporting us in this journey, much love from our family to yours...

the downside...

We are quickly learning that LD affects everyone in the family, well... at least that is the case in our home. Jon has good days and bad days. It's really hard to tell what each day, hour and even minute will bring for Jon. He is still working and trying his best to get out and do some of the things that he loves. He gets frustrated easily when he can't do something like he used too. He's not supposed to be in direct sunlight because of the meds, and since he works outside that is hard. Not to mention he is a die hard outdoorsman and is really missing the things he used to do all the time. LD has been tough on him mentally as well. He gets frustrated and angry quite quick, which is not Jon. He has always been one of the most laid back guys that I know, and lately that is not the case. He needs someone to take things out on, and that person is me. Yes, it sucks, I've been an emotional mess because of LD too, but Jon and I are a team and we will get through this. I promised him "in sickness and in health", and I know that this is going to make us stronger!!! Thankfully the girls are little yet, so they don't "get" what's going on. It has been more "intense" in our house lately though, but they are troopers and we are very open with them about what is going on. I think the thing that bothers them the most is that they don't get as many piggyback rides from daddy. They are enjoying being able to give daddy massages though. They are always 1st in line when Jon asks for a back rub. Even though LD has a nasty downside, we are blessed. We have an amazing support system, amazing family & friends who are constantly sending good thoughts and extra prayers our way and an amazing God who is going to see us through this journey!!!

our new life...

Life changed with a single bite... a bite from a little creature the size of a grain of rice. A creature created by God. A God that we serve & love. I'm going to be upfront and honest, this blog isn't going to be all rainbows & sunshine. It's going to be filled with the good & the bad, the ups & the downs... our life, "Our life in the {Lyme} light".

In the fall of 2011, my husband Jon came home from work with a little friend, well I guess I can't really call him a friend... enemy is more like it. He came home with a tick starting to embed in his body. Since he has (unfortunately) experienced ticks crawling on him in the past, he knew his new little enemy had to go. We both shivered and felt like we were covered in bugs, much like how you feel when someone starts talking about lice, but that was it. The tick had been on him less than 24 hours, so he felt like he was in the clear, and went on with life... our old life.

In the months that followed he began to "feel old". His body would hurt here and there, but nothing he couldn't deal with. Then in January 2012, things quickly went down hill, yet neither of us knew just what was in store for our family.

On March 5, on our way home from Jon's parents, Jon told me he thought he needed to go to the doctor. I had been begging him to go in for years, since I couldn't even remember the last time he went to the doctor, so when he brought it up, I knew something wasn't right. When we got home he showed me "the rash". There it was, surrounding the spot left by his enemy months ago. Thankfully our doctor's office has late hours on Monday and I was able to call and get him an appointment the next day. Our gut instinct told us Lyme Disease, and less than 24 hours later, his doctor shared the same concern with us.

His doctor shared with us that there were 2 different blood tests that could be done, one locally and one in California. The California test was his recommendation, but shared with us that insurance would not cover this certain test. A week later Jon had blood drawn and sent to IGeneX, Inc. in California.

In the meantime, Jon was put on the antibiotic Doxycycline. Of course this too came with a list of side effects. We're finding everything throws another curve ball at us.

3 weeks later, April 3 to be exact, we finally received the confirmation that we did not want to hear... Jon's testing came back positive for Lyme Disease.

Ugh, Lyme Disease... ticks... eew... how can a little creature, created by God pass such an ugly disease?!?!