Where we all live there is a new battle raging around us whether we like it or not. Old battles rage on but the new ones take new shapes and forms in hopes of taking the world by storm and conquering every last human. This time the battle starts with a little tiny bite that you may not feel, may not sense or may not see any reaction from. The worse part about the new raging battle is you might not even know that you are even involved or completely unaware that the creature causing so much grief is after you as a host. Seems a little unfair since they attack and you may not even know it until the fever kicks in and your joints start to ache.
The physical location of our small garden is in the archipelago of the San Juan Islands. We hail from the island that has been known for the war over a shot pig and the production of lime for at least a century. Lime mining for the purposes of building construction materials such as bricks, mortar, cement and other such related things. Massive lime kilns dot our western coast line and a long history has been written about our deep water harbors where the giant wooden schooners would sail in and haul out tons of the lime that had been fired down into a new usable form. You are more than likely one of the recipients of the cement by products that I am talking about (maybe not from our specific kilns but you get the drift). These same kilns are now part of a living history of our special island paradise and can be viewed as you play a game of horseshoes right out side the hotel you are staying at. You can read infographic signs complete with pictures that will walk you through the entire process from start-to-finish. Plus, you can have a stranger take your camera and snap a happy picture with you and your loved ones standing in front of them. Ahhh ... the treasured memories of a great trip to the islands, meanwhile, the battle rages on just steps away from the happy scene.
One of my favorite fruit is the lime. Give me a whole lime sliced up in my margarita and I am a happy girl. One thing I really like about our community is that I can ask for double or triple the limes and they don't look at me strange anymore. They have come to expect it. Limes are also great when made in Limeade, of course! A dab of fresh squeezed lime juice in a quart size mason jar filled with water and a tablespoon of stevia for sweetener equals perfection!! Lemon is also a good choice and a more common choice but the lime is one of the best in my books. Most people tolerate the taste of lemons and limes with a sweetener of some sort like sugar or stevia. Since I am not allowed sugar my cupboards are filled with jars of stevia and in one corner of the garden a lonely stevia plant grows. New fascinating facts are coming out recently about the powerful weapon that stevia has become. It is almost more powerful in the battle that rages then even the drugs it takes to kill off the bacteria that is given from the bite that you may or may not have been the lucky recipient of.
Lyme's Disease is the new black, also known as Lyme borreliosis, it is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria known as Borrelia. (This is a rewritten sentence from Wikipedia so the links work if you want to check it out.) Well come to find out the army that carryies this infectious disaster has moved into the islands and is slowly taking charge. Few cases have been recorded and unfortunately my name has been added to the infectious disease record. BUT get this! I am also one of the few that has the prestigious opportunities to not only have one version of the tick borne infections but I have two! Guess, if I am going to do something I better do it up right. Go big or go home, right!? It is really too bad that we can't light the end of the ticks ass burn it to smithereens and turn it into a useable form of lime that could be spread on the garden. Hope springs eternal. Tell you one thing, The Center for Disease Control is just all giddy about the facts that are rolling in with the discovery of either a new species of tick that has been carried in to the island or the importation of the tick from the Rocky Mountains carrying Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Yes, this is the other lovely disease that is trying to rid me of this world.
Lets think about this for a minute. We are located in the beautiful stunning most Northern island of the Pacific Northwest, literally an hour and a half from mainland America and just about the same boat ride length of time from Mainland British Columbia, Canada. Nowhere in that statement did I say anything about Colorado, Montana, Wyoming or any other gorgeous state along the Rocky Mountain Ridge line. Needless to say some grateful host brought back this black little monster from the forest to our hideaway. Not really a hideaway when more then 1,000,000 people a year hit up the west side of our island to watch Orca Whales in their natural habitat. So here we are with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Oh joy. Oh wait ... oh joy! Luck me! Please pick me to torment! Oh wait ... you did. (Insert a seven letter word that you want to describe a person or thing while in a heavy emotional state of anger F _ _ K E _S!)
So here I sit under our shade tree typing you this blog post with all kinds of links to both diseases so you can read all about them - like I have - and you will understand what most of the people of the world with both or one of these lovely diseases deals with. Now imagine yourself in the position if you don't already have one or the other or both and how would you feel, physically, emotionally? Now that you have a good idea of what it looks like on you, scratch your head on this idea:
You have never been bitten by a tick.
Keep picturing if you will: some how the blood work from your last 9 vial draw reported back that you have both. Talk about a war.
Hold please ...
Hold on I need a drink of my limeade made with the bacteria fighting qualities of stevia.
Some of you may be keeping track of all my doctors appointments over the last couple years and have watched the process of my food habits changing and all the other dietary "crap" that I have had to contend with, if you haven't been counting the pills and supplements that line my counter well then here is a current count as of this morning. 12. This is either pill form, power form or liquid form. Four times a day I am in the kitchen mixing up anew concoction to feed myself.
Complaining you ask? Yes, a little.
Regretting every going to see Dr. Mandy in the first place? Yes, a little.
Thankful that I started seeing Dr. Many in the first place? Yes, a whollata grateful!
The best line from Dr. Mandy came right out her mouth at my second appointment after the blood work revelation. "You must have a strong constitution, 30% of the people that contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever die in the first week"! I laughed and said "oh, honey this isn't going to kill me." Luckily, I am passed the dying stage. (Haha! you will have to read more Saucy posts from me from now on!) If it wasn't for getting my body straight, clean, and healthy in the first place, switching our eating habits from the grocery store to the garden then my "strong constitution" would be a different story and I maybe lying wrapped in a brightly colored 1970' fabric quilt with a folded afghan for my pillow in a new fashionable Spring 2015 wicker style coffin with a magnolia tree guild planted on top of me.
Back to the comment NEVER BEEN BITTEN BY A TICK. I have never been bitten by a tick. So Dr. Mandy informed me that I didn't need to be. So guess what everyone!? You could just run straight into the larva and not even know it and end up with both infections. Doesn't that just sound FAB!!? As you may or may not have read the symptoms list for both. I really don't want to list it here but I will tell you that the only one ... the very single one that I have felt through this so far has been tiredness. My daily schedule has had to change because of the medicine. Before the sun comes up I am out in our small garden weeding, tending, harvesting or just after the sun goes down I am out watering and nit picking. As the sun comes up the huge hat goes on the long sleeve roll down to my wrists and the long pants stretch to my ankles, and I am off to other peoples landscapes to weed, tend, and so on. By noon I am home again for the second dose of meds and a 2 hour nap. (this is heaven, I know your jealous) Usually wake up in time for a protein shake full of antioxidants, more meds and a plan for dinner. Only to be downing my night-night meds with a big ol class of dark chocolate Almond milk (Thank you SILK) by 8 p.m.! Then off to bed again. Sounds just absolutely glam, right!? More like annoying.
I like to be outside.
I like to be in the sun working and doing fun projects but noooooooooo, for the next 14 months I will be outside fully covered from my head to my toes in skin-covering clothes, 70 or 90 Banana Boat creams, massive hat, and a newly found patio umbrella that follows me everywhere. (literally) Thanks to the medication, I will burn easier than I could ever imagine for a ginger, I am no longer allowed any of our own homemade wine or any alcohol for that matter, no sugar of any kind (except for the chocolate milk which I sneak) since one of the antibiotics is for yeast infections, and of course no mid day trips to the beach to paddle board. (Unless you can help me figure out a way to mount my massive patio umbrella to the board to keep the sun off? Hahahahaaa! What a sight that would be! I could use it as a sail, less work on the paddling part!)
Hold on while a get another massive swallow of my limeade.
Makes me think every time I take a big swig that I am a pirate sailing the seven seas with my grog and fighting off scurvy with every drink. Limes were the hidden top military secrets for years when fighting off the natives at sea. Good gawd, that's a whole other topic of discussion "Natives" don't get me started so here right now I raise my limeade to those who fought scurvy with their limes. May I be just as successful! Arrgh!
Recent studies have shown that the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsia, (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) loves the taste of stevia. Clinical trials are so new on this and it all could be very wrong but what it is sounding like to me is the bacteria loves the stevia so it excepts the medicine easier to get more stevia, which in turn is killing the virus in its entirety. Common sing it with me now ... "A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down, the medicine go down, in the most delightfu way"! Like I said not much is being published on this yet - so don't go around quoting me - but it just sounds crazy enough for anyone to believe so I will stick to my quart jar full of limeade and the healing promises of stevia.
Hold please ... Need a drink.
At this point it would be great if someone could just drop a shot of tequila in there by accident so that it would really taste good. After being informed of the news I haven't had a chance to drink my troubles away. Never really been one to do that anyways but to me this looks like it could be the best opportunity possible to start a drinking problem.
As for the stinking war, I stand firm right now that them there ticks will not win over me, why I do declare. I may have lost the battle because of a sneak attack from the left bank but this bacteria will not win the overall war. The fight will continue to rage and if, I say IF, I could go back and relive that sneak attack over again I would with a little more warning and with a little forethought I would have squashed that little shit with my shoe before it had a chance to strike! I am bigger then this and I will win. Hell, I got the drug of its choice! I got the stevia!! So really I look at it this way, I got what it needs! I got the sweet addicting stevia that it craves, so with out me Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has nothing! So who is hosting who?
For now, the war will rage, the medical bills will pile up, my complaining will stop sooner or later, and I will be drawing up new fancy stylish ways to be outside in the sun, editing my building blocks for the soil in my garden to include a little more lime for the veggies, and I will be designing that 1970's quilt that I will someday be buried in on this awesome incredible beautiful island that I call home. Have I painted a pretty picture about coming to this island of ours? Are you ready to make that reservation for the ferry and come over to the place where unexpected dangers could literally jump out and bite you leaving you with a huge bulls eye marking from the bite mark that could eventually lead to heavy fevers and sore achy joints all because you wanted to see the killer whales from an over priced whale watch boat in the natural habitiat? Anyone want to come for a visit? ;)
The physical location of our small garden is in the archipelago of the San Juan Islands. We hail from the island that has been known for the war over a shot pig and the production of lime for at least a century. Lime mining for the purposes of building construction materials such as bricks, mortar, cement and other such related things. Massive lime kilns dot our western coast line and a long history has been written about our deep water harbors where the giant wooden schooners would sail in and haul out tons of the lime that had been fired down into a new usable form. You are more than likely one of the recipients of the cement by products that I am talking about (maybe not from our specific kilns but you get the drift). These same kilns are now part of a living history of our special island paradise and can be viewed as you play a game of horseshoes right out side the hotel you are staying at. You can read infographic signs complete with pictures that will walk you through the entire process from start-to-finish. Plus, you can have a stranger take your camera and snap a happy picture with you and your loved ones standing in front of them. Ahhh ... the treasured memories of a great trip to the islands, meanwhile, the battle rages on just steps away from the happy scene.
One of my favorite fruit is the lime. Give me a whole lime sliced up in my margarita and I am a happy girl. One thing I really like about our community is that I can ask for double or triple the limes and they don't look at me strange anymore. They have come to expect it. Limes are also great when made in Limeade, of course! A dab of fresh squeezed lime juice in a quart size mason jar filled with water and a tablespoon of stevia for sweetener equals perfection!! Lemon is also a good choice and a more common choice but the lime is one of the best in my books. Most people tolerate the taste of lemons and limes with a sweetener of some sort like sugar or stevia. Since I am not allowed sugar my cupboards are filled with jars of stevia and in one corner of the garden a lonely stevia plant grows. New fascinating facts are coming out recently about the powerful weapon that stevia has become. It is almost more powerful in the battle that rages then even the drugs it takes to kill off the bacteria that is given from the bite that you may or may not have been the lucky recipient of.
Lyme's Disease is the new black, also known as Lyme borreliosis, it is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria known as Borrelia. (This is a rewritten sentence from Wikipedia so the links work if you want to check it out.) Well come to find out the army that carryies this infectious disaster has moved into the islands and is slowly taking charge. Few cases have been recorded and unfortunately my name has been added to the infectious disease record. BUT get this! I am also one of the few that has the prestigious opportunities to not only have one version of the tick borne infections but I have two! Guess, if I am going to do something I better do it up right. Go big or go home, right!? It is really too bad that we can't light the end of the ticks ass burn it to smithereens and turn it into a useable form of lime that could be spread on the garden. Hope springs eternal. Tell you one thing, The Center for Disease Control is just all giddy about the facts that are rolling in with the discovery of either a new species of tick that has been carried in to the island or the importation of the tick from the Rocky Mountains carrying Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Yes, this is the other lovely disease that is trying to rid me of this world.
Lets think about this for a minute. We are located in the beautiful stunning most Northern island of the Pacific Northwest, literally an hour and a half from mainland America and just about the same boat ride length of time from Mainland British Columbia, Canada. Nowhere in that statement did I say anything about Colorado, Montana, Wyoming or any other gorgeous state along the Rocky Mountain Ridge line. Needless to say some grateful host brought back this black little monster from the forest to our hideaway. Not really a hideaway when more then 1,000,000 people a year hit up the west side of our island to watch Orca Whales in their natural habitat. So here we are with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Oh joy. Oh wait ... oh joy! Luck me! Please pick me to torment! Oh wait ... you did. (Insert a seven letter word that you want to describe a person or thing while in a heavy emotional state of anger F _ _ K E _S!)
So here I sit under our shade tree typing you this blog post with all kinds of links to both diseases so you can read all about them - like I have - and you will understand what most of the people of the world with both or one of these lovely diseases deals with. Now imagine yourself in the position if you don't already have one or the other or both and how would you feel, physically, emotionally? Now that you have a good idea of what it looks like on you, scratch your head on this idea:
You have never been bitten by a tick.
Keep picturing if you will: some how the blood work from your last 9 vial draw reported back that you have both. Talk about a war.
Hold please ...
Hold on I need a drink of my limeade made with the bacteria fighting qualities of stevia.
Some of you may be keeping track of all my doctors appointments over the last couple years and have watched the process of my food habits changing and all the other dietary "crap" that I have had to contend with, if you haven't been counting the pills and supplements that line my counter well then here is a current count as of this morning. 12. This is either pill form, power form or liquid form. Four times a day I am in the kitchen mixing up anew concoction to feed myself.
Complaining you ask? Yes, a little.
Regretting every going to see Dr. Mandy in the first place? Yes, a little.
Thankful that I started seeing Dr. Many in the first place? Yes, a whollata grateful!
The best line from Dr. Mandy came right out her mouth at my second appointment after the blood work revelation. "You must have a strong constitution, 30% of the people that contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever die in the first week"! I laughed and said "oh, honey this isn't going to kill me." Luckily, I am passed the dying stage. (Haha! you will have to read more Saucy posts from me from now on!) If it wasn't for getting my body straight, clean, and healthy in the first place, switching our eating habits from the grocery store to the garden then my "strong constitution" would be a different story and I maybe lying wrapped in a brightly colored 1970' fabric quilt with a folded afghan for my pillow in a new fashionable Spring 2015 wicker style coffin with a magnolia tree guild planted on top of me.
Back to the comment NEVER BEEN BITTEN BY A TICK. I have never been bitten by a tick. So Dr. Mandy informed me that I didn't need to be. So guess what everyone!? You could just run straight into the larva and not even know it and end up with both infections. Doesn't that just sound FAB!!? As you may or may not have read the symptoms list for both. I really don't want to list it here but I will tell you that the only one ... the very single one that I have felt through this so far has been tiredness. My daily schedule has had to change because of the medicine. Before the sun comes up I am out in our small garden weeding, tending, harvesting or just after the sun goes down I am out watering and nit picking. As the sun comes up the huge hat goes on the long sleeve roll down to my wrists and the long pants stretch to my ankles, and I am off to other peoples landscapes to weed, tend, and so on. By noon I am home again for the second dose of meds and a 2 hour nap. (this is heaven, I know your jealous) Usually wake up in time for a protein shake full of antioxidants, more meds and a plan for dinner. Only to be downing my night-night meds with a big ol class of dark chocolate Almond milk (Thank you SILK) by 8 p.m.! Then off to bed again. Sounds just absolutely glam, right!? More like annoying.
I like to be outside.
I like to be in the sun working and doing fun projects but noooooooooo, for the next 14 months I will be outside fully covered from my head to my toes in skin-covering clothes, 70 or 90 Banana Boat creams, massive hat, and a newly found patio umbrella that follows me everywhere. (literally) Thanks to the medication, I will burn easier than I could ever imagine for a ginger, I am no longer allowed any of our own homemade wine or any alcohol for that matter, no sugar of any kind (except for the chocolate milk which I sneak) since one of the antibiotics is for yeast infections, and of course no mid day trips to the beach to paddle board. (Unless you can help me figure out a way to mount my massive patio umbrella to the board to keep the sun off? Hahahahaaa! What a sight that would be! I could use it as a sail, less work on the paddling part!)
Hold on while a get another massive swallow of my limeade.
Makes me think every time I take a big swig that I am a pirate sailing the seven seas with my grog and fighting off scurvy with every drink. Limes were the hidden top military secrets for years when fighting off the natives at sea. Good gawd, that's a whole other topic of discussion "Natives" don't get me started so here right now I raise my limeade to those who fought scurvy with their limes. May I be just as successful! Arrgh!
Recent studies have shown that the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsia, (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) loves the taste of stevia. Clinical trials are so new on this and it all could be very wrong but what it is sounding like to me is the bacteria loves the stevia so it excepts the medicine easier to get more stevia, which in turn is killing the virus in its entirety. Common sing it with me now ... "A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down, the medicine go down, in the most delightfu way"! Like I said not much is being published on this yet - so don't go around quoting me - but it just sounds crazy enough for anyone to believe so I will stick to my quart jar full of limeade and the healing promises of stevia.
Hold please ... Need a drink.
At this point it would be great if someone could just drop a shot of tequila in there by accident so that it would really taste good. After being informed of the news I haven't had a chance to drink my troubles away. Never really been one to do that anyways but to me this looks like it could be the best opportunity possible to start a drinking problem.
As for the stinking war, I stand firm right now that them there ticks will not win over me, why I do declare. I may have lost the battle because of a sneak attack from the left bank but this bacteria will not win the overall war. The fight will continue to rage and if, I say IF, I could go back and relive that sneak attack over again I would with a little more warning and with a little forethought I would have squashed that little shit with my shoe before it had a chance to strike! I am bigger then this and I will win. Hell, I got the drug of its choice! I got the stevia!! So really I look at it this way, I got what it needs! I got the sweet addicting stevia that it craves, so with out me Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has nothing! So who is hosting who?
For now, the war will rage, the medical bills will pile up, my complaining will stop sooner or later, and I will be drawing up new fancy stylish ways to be outside in the sun, editing my building blocks for the soil in my garden to include a little more lime for the veggies, and I will be designing that 1970's quilt that I will someday be buried in on this awesome incredible beautiful island that I call home. Have I painted a pretty picture about coming to this island of ours? Are you ready to make that reservation for the ferry and come over to the place where unexpected dangers could literally jump out and bite you leaving you with a huge bulls eye marking from the bite mark that could eventually lead to heavy fevers and sore achy joints all because you wanted to see the killer whales from an over priced whale watch boat in the natural habitiat? Anyone want to come for a visit? ;)
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