Happy Anniversary

My father drove down from Richmond last year around Valentine’s Day. He came to help me install the chairlift so that Lynette could get up and down the stairs. At that time Lynette could hardly walk on level floor with a walker. It was great to have his support and help. Lynette’s first appointment with Dr. Fishman was the Monday after that weekend.

My father recently made a return visit. I took Thursday and Friday off last week and we built a storage room under our screen porch. This time dad saw a different Lynette. On Saturday she and Anna got up early in the morning to head off to a softball tournament. They made it back in the afternoon only to turn around and head off to a concert. On Sunday Lynette and Anna took off to Boonville to our niece’s wedding shower. My dad was amazed and happy to see how much Lynette has progressed.

Lynette and Anna are in Washington DC right now on a school field trip. Lynette managed to arrange an appointment with Dr. Jemsek while she is up there. She had to fight the unfamiliarity of the subway. I looked at Google maps and street view images and the Metro map and did my best to give her accurate instructions ahead of time. But things never work out exactly as you plan. Lynette still managed to catch up with the kids after her appointment.

Lynette had a lot of questions for Dr. J and he made some tweaks to her therapy. Tomorrow is the anniversary of Lynette's first visit to Dr. J.

It's also our 16th wedding anniversary.

Still Rising

There was good news in the scientific Lyme community today. Connecticut physician Sin Hang Lee along with his colleagues at Milford Hospital have developed the first highly specific and sensitive DNA test for early infection with the Lyme disease bacteria.  Traditional Lyme disease tests check for your body's response to the infection.  In most patients these antibodies are not present in large concentrations in early infection.  This results in many false negative serological Lyme tests.  The new test detects the bacteria in the bloodstream in early infection before it has a chance to migrate to the body's organs and away from the bloodstream.  Early detection is important.  It's the most opportune time to treat the infection effectively. 

In another Lyme related development, scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found a gene in the Lyme bacteria that when deactivated, blocks its ability to infect it's host.  This clue about the inner workings of the bacteria opens the door to new vaccine techniques.

We had the great opportunity over Easter weekend to borrow Lynette's folk's RV.  We drove it down to Myrtle Beach for a 4 day weekend.  The weather was beautiful and we had a fantastic time.  Things were a lot different for us last Easter.  Lynette was still having trouble walking on her own.  It was great to see Lynette doing what she wanted to do, without being encumbered by her health.  She spent most of the weekend doing her favorite thing.  Spending time with her daughters.  

A year ago around Easter time I compared Lynette's recovery to the resurrection of Christ.  She continues to amaze me.  She is still rising.