A 17-year search is ending, but the journey just beginning . . .

July 6th, 2008 at 04:18pm DrBill 180

DrBill here, your resident film buff and film blogger. I hate to disappoint you or perhaps you'll be relieved, because this writing is not about film . . . it's about an aspect of my life that has become an increasing and necessary focus . . . my health and healing. I won't bore you with the trauma and drama, only to put in perspective that although I have lived an active, adventurous and athletic life, I've been secretly suffering from and trying to compensate for some mysterious process that has taken a toll on my participation in the life that I've known, loved and shared with many of you.

After two recent months of extensive, intensive and invasive, not to mention expensive test, the "dots" of my peculiar life medical history are beginning to make sense. The diagnosis is Chronic Lyme Disease with significant typical co-infections, accumulated heavy metal toxins and some genetic markers that make some sense of the above. The definitive treatment, and this is currently a national controversy, is twice-daily Intravenous (IV) antibiotic, supportive and detoxifying drugs and agents for perhaps five or more months under direct medical supervision and regular retesting.

The physicians that I found, through one of those miracle chance connections, are in Kansas City, MO and that's were I have temporarily relocated for the duration of the IV aspect of this focused process. (Check out healthcentersofamerica.com if you are interested)

My birthday was last Monday, June 30th and I left on my road-trip to a healed and new life the next morning, July1. Arrived in Kansas City and moved everything that I could cram into my 12-ear-old Land Rover into a one-bedroom apartment. I call it's style, minimalist-chic. I'll tell you a secret. Card tables from Target go a long way toward making a workable "desk" and "dining room table". They also pack flat and do not obscure necessary rear vision on the road. Today's inflatable, "Aero-beds" are also amazingly comfortable and acceptable.

The drive was 800+ miles long, boring and rather lonely absent of typical summer road-travelers and disturbingly absent of many truckers. Fuel prices a factor? Probably, Yes, but a relative relief. Gas in Kansas is about $.50/gallon less than in the Roaring Fork Valley.

So, I have set the stage here for a diary of the journey ahead of me. Totally unknown, but confident and optimistic, I am. Tomorrow morning I am to show up at St. Joseph's Hospital here in Kansas City, MO, just across the street from Kansas City, KS. What awaits me at 10:30 AM CDT is the surgical implantation of a Peripheral Intravenous Central Catheter (PICC-Line or Port) in my left upper arm that will follow my arm and shoulder's venous web into my heart for most efficient delivery of antibiotics and other agents. I've been having some anxiety about this, but like my physician said, "the problem is that you are a doctor and know too much." I am visual as it is and she is right, I know too much having performed so many dental surgeries over the years. But this is MY body! They've also warned me that not more than five pounds should ever be lifted with that arm while the PICC-Port is in. What about all the work I've done to keep my body strong and in decent "valley middle-aged shape"? Oh, yeah, that muscle-memory, cell-level memory spiel. I have been through that before and it does work, but will I ever enjoy a 7% body fat composition reading again after another five months of relatively sedentary life following two years of rehab after two surgeries for a fractured femur? Mushroom Rock mountain biking decent gone wrong, in case you were wondering.

So, I intend to continue to update this journey that will just tomorrow, move into the hard-core treatment phase. My style, if you've read my film-blogs is to tell it like it is, "I calls 'em like I sees 'em." So, if you're up for it, come on along, but be prepared for anything, including a celebration when I get to return home!
Hope that you had a safe and fun 4TH!
DrBill

Entry Filed under: Aspen