Thursday, July 17, 2014

Lyme disease is pretty sucky. (Warning, long and rambling)

So here I am, bored at home with numb arms and legs, feet, and sometimes hands. It's been a few weeks, and I think they are starting to worry about me at work, but I keep checking in, and they keep saying, "You need to rest and take care of your health", so I'm trying to do just that.

We're at the point where Little M's memory is coming into question. Or maybe it's an attention span problem. He's just so psyched about whatever he's trying to tell me (the names and special abilities of EACH Angry Bird, for example) that he totally forgets that just 10 seconds ago I asked him to put on his shoes. I usually do the repeat tactic, "Tell me what I JUST said." But when he's into something, it's like we're carrying on two different conversations at the same time, and he can't focus on mine until he gets all of his out.

He had us fooled for a long time about needing help in the bathroom. One day I asked him what he did at school, and when he said he did it himself (!) that was the end of getting help at home. Although occasionally he'll still yell, "MOM! I need help going to the potty!" Me: "Uh, I can't help you with that part, just push slowly!" Still, it's better than it has been.

He's so excited to be going to Kindergarten in the fall. Well, like a month from now. But I don't think he's considered that he won't see his friends from preschool unless they come to the B&As (that's before and after school care at his preschool). I know he'll make new friends and be fine, but this is the first time he's having to say goodbye.

He still makes a new BFF every time we go somewhere. At Chick-fil-A on Wednesday there were brothers around his age and the younger one checked to see that we were parked on the same side of the restaurant because he wanted to hold hands on the way to the cars. I told him we were staying a few more minutes, and we'll have to do that next time. So stinkin' cute.

Little M usually finds someone to run around with and on the way home he'll ask, "Did you get my friend's phone number so we can have a playdate?" And I'LL ask, "What's your friend's name?" Him: "I don't know." Well, my psychic powers only extend to what HE does behind our backs, and even then, sometimes it can be days before I find the stash of mentos in the pillowcase. Crazy child.

I'm pretty sure he's unaware that I have at least an hour between when I get home and when I pick him up to go through his room. The other day he noticed that I moved things around when doing his laundry and asked who was in his room, so maybe he'll catch on...

He's come so far since the last time I wrote. He's reading, out loud and to himself. He dresses himself, and is actually starting to help out around the house, which REALLY is great since this Lyme disease has me WIPED OUT. I wish I had more energy to play and take him places, but I just don't. Which sucks for both of us. And since Big M is wiped out too because of medications he's taking, we're pretty lame on the family activities.

We did make it to the July 4th parade, THANK GOD it's only about 15 minutes long. But we had fun and saw some friends, so we'll call that a win. I'm on my second course of antibiotics, and I'm hoping I'll get the numbness at bay so I can actually drive more than 2 or 3 miles before my nerves conk out on my. It's very frustrating. I've been out of control of my body before, but never so unexpectedly. I knew what my weaknesses were with dermatomyositis, but Lyme has me flustered with it's feeling fine one minute, and needing to crawl into bed the next.

Here's hoping I can get it together before the big carnival in the next county, so we can both actually get there, and have some fun once we do. Sorry in advance if we can't make it this year, kiddo.