I know I don't need to explain myself for being away from EverythingUnscripted.net for a while, but a quick update note wouldn't hurt (and also...I'm not sure when I'll post something new here). Besides, at current, my public website doesn't need to get the earful that my private journal does.

Here's the deal: remission treatment for Chronic Lyme Disease isn't easy. My doc said we'd try the "balls to the wall" approach this time...
...
...
...
...If I had man parts, they'd feel beat up and deflated.

Treatment is working, but I'm so over the medical regimen (which is necessary), physical/emotional pain and yeah even malaise. However, if I quit treatment, all progress will be undone. Therefore, I will keep moving forward. My Father in Heaven isn't finished with me yet. This is something that everyone with Lyme [and/or some other malady(ies)] deals with. To those who are having a tough time of it, too...I empathize with you.

Rest.
Love and hugs.

There’s a reason why Chronic Lyme Disease is called Chronic Lyme Disease. Approximately 20% of Chronic Lyme Disease patients slip out of remission. :-(
 
Last year, despite showing so much promise and improvement, some of the old pre-Lyme issues returned (original diagnosis = 2015). In 2020, the world became more of a chaotic mess with COVID-19, political insanity as well as injustices, inequalities and tragedies across the board. So, stress and the fun that comes with it is normal…right? Right.

But the issues continued. And they got worse…like 0-to-60-down-a-deep-vortex type of worse. Hiding my issues worked. Until it didn’t. I had to get real and face facts. Lyme had returned. I knew it.

I.
Just.
Knew.
 
My response: &(*&)(*&^%^$#@%&**(&*%$#!@%%%&^*!!!!! (That's a summary)
 
What was the largest diagnostic tell? Enlarged liver and spleen, of which I have both. And now every little rumble from my left or right side sends my anxiety through the roof.  Out of remission. Officially. Yep, Chronic Lyme Disease has returned like a terrible movie sequel, bringing with it unwanted "houseguest" Babesiosis (Babesia). Babesia is a commonly occurring (and re-occurring) Lyme co-infection.

Prescribed treatment? Aggressive. It will last as long as it takes. Treatment starts TOMORROW. And, God willing, may the odds be ever in my favor!!
 
So here I sit. 10:30-ish on a Saturday evening. A time when I’d ordinarily be competitively gaming, chatting it up with friends or chilling with a fun show. Instead I find myself typing this news to you from my corner office (the corner of my bedroom, that is).

I’m walking a very fine line between Faith and Fear. In my heart, I know and feel that God is on my side. He will take care of me and provide me with what I need. Here's where the line gets trippy... I remember the agony of all this before. Imagine sitting through a long 3-D movie preview of hell. An interactive preview. Gremlins poke and prod you until you cry, scream or throw up. Your heart and brain are tortured over and over again. Then there’s that clever dark angel who courts you, keeping you awake at all hours. That's just in the first few weeks.
 
I don’t want to re-live this again. Not when I’m just getting my life back together. But I have to. I have to because I choose life over death. And with all the strength and comfort God provides, I will survive. Even though I will struggle.
 
Would you believe that I feel guilty talking about my feelings here? There are so many other people suffering in this world. People who may have it worse and/or may not have the blessings that I have. Loving family and friends. Housing. Plenty of food. Access to medical care. Not a lot of money, but just enough to survive. And so much more. It would probably help if I remembered these things more often. One cannot thrive in darkness. One must live in the light.
 
Just a little scared right now...
 
Faithful readers, thank you for hanging in there and supporting me all these years. Love and hugs!!
 
Jen

• Let’s say it’s 7:25pm and you’re going home (alone, of course) after an unusually long, hard day on the job.

• You’re really tired, upset and frustrated.

 

• Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up in to your jaw. You are only about 5 miles from the hospital nearest your home.

 

• Unfortunately you don’t know if you’ll be able to make it that far...

 

• You have been trained in CPR, but the guy who taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.

• CALL 911, UNLOCK YOUR DOOR, CHEW AN ASPIRIN. Then...
  

• Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

• However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

• Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives!!

Love you all!! 🤍🤎💜💚💙🧡💛🖤❤️

Cred: AVA88 MUSIC

Sorry I've been away, guys. Just feeling so blasted exhausted these days; between trying to cope with everything that is happening in/to our Nation and our World, trying to remain calm while dealing with some rather serious Lyme-related complications and well...everything else...! You understand. Perhaps you even empathize...

...empathy is priceless. We all need that.

One day at a time, one step at a time... Prayers for you all. Prayers for our Nation, our World. Stay well, stay safe!

#Healing #Hope #Peace #Wisdom #Courage #Strength #Empathy #Love

• Regular hand washing (more than a quick "splish splash"--20 seconds MINIMUM)...if bar soap or commercial dispenser soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You can make your own alcohol-based sanitizer. 

​

• Wear a cloth face covering or cloth mask in public spaces; when you're shopping for groceries, at work, taking a walk, etc. Especially if you are high risk, caring for someone who is infected and/or are infected and have to leave the house (for emergencies only). This is to protect you and those you come in contact with.

 

• Practice social distancing. Maintain a 6+ foot distance from people and try to avoid crowds of people, particularly in enclosed spaces. COVID-19 is highly contagious and can be spread in so many ways, including surfaces and the ground you walk on. When coughing and sneezing, do so into the crook of your arm or cover your mouth and nose and immediately wash your hands if you are in an area where you can do so.

 

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

 

• Use disinfectant and regularly clean your place of residence and workspace, if you have to work onsite. 

​

• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces inclusive of but not limited to phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, tables, counter tops, light switches, doorknobs, cabinet handles, etc.

 

• Respect your state's quarantine and re-opening instructions. If not for yourself, then for others. When in doubt, self-quarantine. Make good choices in an effort to not contribute to a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Guidelines are meant to protect, not to harm.

    

• When coughing and sneezing, do so into the crook of your arm or cover your mouth and nose and immediately wash your hands if you are in an area where you can do so.

 

• If you've traveled, been exposed to one or more people with COVID-19 or are infected with COVID-19, self-quarantine 12-14 days or as directed by your doctor. 

 

• Get plenty of sleep.

 

• Try avoid/reduce stress.

 

• Telecommute and/or do not take public transportation, if at all possible.

​

• PAY ATTENTION TO ANY SYMPTOMS THAT ARISE IN YOURSELF, FAMILY, FRIENDS...EVERYONE YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH. 

 

• If you feel you have contracted COVID-19, CALL your doctor first for recommendations on how to proceed.

 

• Prepare your home and family for COVID-19. This involves creating a household plan of action, establishing an emergency contact list and identify aid organizations in your community; plan ways to care for people in your life that are at a higher risk of getting very sick from this illness such as older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions; get extra supplies such as soap, tissues, cleaning supplies, non-perishable food items, and pet food...but don't hoard it; if you or a household member has a chronic condition and regularly take prescription drugs, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, and insurance provider about keeping an emergency supply of medications at home.

 

• Pay attention state and local government developments.

If you already have a confirmed case of COVID-19, the following may help to reduce your chance of spreading the disease to others:

• Quarantine yourself and proceed as specified by your doctor...though it would be wise to quarantine yourself regardless, especially if directed by your state and local government, to decrease the chance of further infection.

​

• If you live with one or more other people, self-isolate to one area of your home to prevent the spread of infection.

​​

• Essentially everything mentioned in the last list​, as well as any other medical instructions you have received.

• Help end childhood hunger in America by donating to NoKidHungry.org.  ​

​​

• Have you, or someone you know, experienced a hate crime in the coronavirus response, which has especially targeted Asian communities? Report it at http://act.moveon.org/go/119174?t=14&akid=260366%2E40325046%2EN9aqI6, a site developed by Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

 

• Mental health for frontline workers: Low-cost, online services for frontline communities, including health care workers, first responders, and other essential service providers without the option of staying home.

​

• Multilingual information on coronavirus: Information is available in 79 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, American Sign Language, and more.

​

• Health care workers needing masks: Use MaskMatch.com to request that folks with spare N95 or surgical masks send them to you.

​

• Resources for domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness: National hotlines and community tips for especially vulnerable communities, with resources for both at-risk individuals and the organizations that provide direct services to these communities. People experiencing homelessness should also refer to this website to find a shelter and other resources.

​

• Undocumented and seeking health care: A guide to the health care options of undocumented community members. The National Immigration Law Center also created their guide on the rights of undocumented persons seeking health care and navigating private insurance and Medicaid.

​

• Artists and members of the gig economy: Find resources, including emergency funding and community care opportunities, on this website.

​

• General anxiety support: Get smart tips on managing the financial, emotional, and mental anxiety of this pandemic.

​​

• Tipped and service industry workers: Ask for financial support from a mutual aid fund set up by One Fair Wage.

• Send equipment to health care workers: Use MaskMatch.com to send spare N95 masks and surgical masks to individual health care workers, or use GetUsPPE.org to see what health care 

• Guide on taking care of disabled and immuno-compromised friends: Notes on equitable care from a chronically ill human in the Seattle area.

• Learn to disrupt racism: This is a skill we all need to have all the time, and developing it now will help address the rising rate of hate crimes against Asian communities we're seeing in response to the coronavirus.

• How to make masks, hand sanitizer: Several clear, step-by-step, practical guides.

• Donate to relief funds: Millions have been hit with joblessness, with vulnerable communities often receiving the hardest hit or being excluded from stimulus efforts. There are countless ways to contribute—like the linked fund to provide rent relief to undocumented communities in Seattle, this Twitter thread of queer/trans artists in the gig economy, or the One Fair Wage relief fund for tipped and service industry workers, a fund to which MoveOn members have already donated more than $100,000.

​​

• Consider creating your own mutual aid network: Here's a great guide to getting started, with more resources linked, and join the Mutual Aid slack network for more resources and community.

This video details a long-deserving WIN. It is hope for a successful leap forward in both the professional and personal Lyme Community! I'm so proud of my doctor and all that he and his team do for myself, my family and all additional lives that they touch.

Greetings from the desk of Jen the Zombie!

I have happy news to report! Last week I was given the Golden Ticket of news that all Lyme patients want to hear. I can now enter the hypothetical Chocolate Factory of Remission (for you youngsters, that’s a “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” reference). Yaaaay!

So what does “remission” mean? Well, it means that Chronic Lyme Disease and its co-infections Babesia and Bartonella are now suppressed. It also means I’d better take care of myself and keep my immunity up because I can’t waste God’s answer to endless prayers of healing. 


To view the entire testimony, please continue reading here.

Dear readers,

We’ve all heard the term “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Perhaps we’ve said it ourselves. I know I have. Several times. It’s the familiar mantra of sleep deprived people. Most of us have either been there or currently have an extended stay there. Here's the kicker: if you don’t get proper sleep, death might knock on your door sooner rather than later. Last month I posted an infographic on sleep. This is a follow up to that post.

Picture this...

• It’s been a few days and your knuckles are dragging the ground like a caveman/woman. 
• The bags under your eyes have bags.
• You’re considering an IV drip of espresso. 
• You are on the verge of catching a cold. 
• You fall asleep during a meeting. While you are talking. 
• You forget your kids’ names. 
• If it wasn’t for social media, you wouldn’t remember what your family and friends look like. 

But there’s so much to do, you say.

Uh huh. I know, I know. But absolutely nothing is worth compromising your health. Nothing.

Many people don’t realize that just ONE day without adequate rest can lead to a number of complications. Over a longer period of time, the effects can be more severe and even lead to death. Here are some examples of the more serious effects of sleep loss:

​There’s always hope.

Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to restoring good health!

The next is a call to your trusted medical professional. Your doctor can recommend the best plan for your individual needs. This could involve lifestyle changes and/or medication. 

So…between now and your appointment with your doctor, what can you do to get a better night’s sleep? I recommend first identifying problems that contribute to the lack of sleep, then list how these problems influence your life. When you've done that, perhaps see what could change. Having these thoughts on paper can be a life-saving eye opener. In my earlier post on sleep, there are also various helpful tips for getting a good night’s sleep.