I’m sorry I haven’t written recently, but October 27th marked my one-year “Stemversary”.
I wanted to give a quick update on how I am feeling and what I have been up to.
All in all, I would say that in the last year I have seen many improvements. Although I would not consider myself in remission, I feel as though my mental health, cognitive symptoms, gut issues, heart issues, metabolism, and ability to bounce back have improved.
As anyone who has been following along knows, I had gained a significant amount of weight thanks to a completely shot thyroid and was unable to lose any of it despite trying multiple things but to date I have lost almost 15lbs! I really do think it’s the stem cells that have got my thyroid and metabolism back in working order. Although I still take medication for my hypothyroidism it’s an extremely low dose. I have fewer days where I get stuck in bed and I seem to recover quicker if I have had long busy days or if I catch a cold. I also am completely off all prescription medications for my anxiety; I mainly take supplements to help maintain it and from a mental health standpoint I feel great.
There are a few things I still struggle with including pain, sleep, and sometimes fatigue. But recently I have been seeing a physical therapist who has really been helping. Given that pain has been my primary symptom from day one, I think my body has been so stuck in its ways that it is taking some serious hands-on body and myofascial work. Nonetheless, I am hopeful now that I have a little more energy I can start to strengthen my body more without being debilitated after a workout and start to see improvement with my pain.
On a more personal level, I recently got married and my husband and I are in the process of buying a house, which is super exciting! I will also be finishing up my Masters in social work in February.
Things are going pretty good; I do sometimes wish they were better, but again I am hopeful and I continue to push through and try to stay as positive as I possibly can.
I am so very grateful for Dr. Michael and his team. I still speak with him periodically and I love all of the new things he has brought to his treatment center. One day it is my hope that I will make it back to visit and receive more treatment (maybe if I win the lottery).
That’s all for now.
With love,
Abby
Live. LYME. Love. 