A Day Worth Remembering - New Sidewalk and Heart News

So, I had a bad day or two or more last week. ha ha.  Here is a link to that post. I had headaches all week and really didn't feel well and I wanted to share the better days I have had this week. I woke up yesterday morning and I had a sidewalk! The contractor doing my neighbors driveway poured my sidewalk and it was so nice to wake up and have that done. 

I took over a large bag of dried apples for him and asked how much I owed him and he told me that  I didn't owe him anything as he had it left over from his project. I took over a few smaller bags for the two guys that were there as well. I was thrilled later when the contractor came over  and took the large cans and chunks of cement that I was going to have to throw away over several weeks and put them into his trailer he was taking to the dump. I was SO grateful for that. 

I shared that I did another square a few years ago and lately I have a neighbor who has been riding a long board all around the neighborhood because my neighbors have all replaced their sidewalks, she chooses to go back and fourth on our street over and over every day. This summer it was all day every day. 

The one spot that she kept hitting was my sidewalk that was chipping away. I was worried she would hurt herself as she skated she would often hit that spot going quite fast and stop there. Even while getting the sidewalk, she would pick up the board and walk around that square. I am grateful to have that problem fixed and they did a great job. She is happily going quite fast on the new sidewalk! I tried to snap a photo while she was on that square but she was going so fast I caught her at the edge of the yard. 

I also went to the hospital for an Echo of my heart today and got some good new. They said I didn't have any more visible damage. I have always had a bit of mitral valve prolapse but the technician said that seeing a worm the size of most of mine in the heart while it is beating is nearly impossible. I figured with that, I have decided to start treatment. 

Because I tried both of the anti-parasite medications available through prescription and neither worked, my Dr. suggested I try the only over the counter medication available for worm parasites. This particular one is for pin worms. I guess since it is a common worm that often has reinfection, Dr.'s don't want to have to write prescriptions or something. Anyway, none of the pharmacies in town can get it in pill form. Liquid is about $10 a serving which is going to get expensive quickly with me needing to take it for a month at least. I looked into other ways to get Pyrantel which is the active ingredient and there are other ways to get it cheaper but I want to try it and see if I feel any better on the first few doses before purchasing bulk. 

I took my first dose tonight and within five minutes or so, my stomach was upset. The worms weren't really happy either as they all left the gut and went towards the heart area. I will have to see if I notice anything tomorrow to see if it is working and give it a day or two. If it doesn't work, I will have to go for the Vermox online as that is my only other option. I have tried anything and everything I have heard of but the lady that helped me at the pharmacy said that her parents used to give her siblings the white part off the chicken droppings to keep them from getting worms. I think I will pass on trying that remedy but thought it was interesting that she shared it with me. 

Keeping my fingers crossed and my prayers being said that I can figure out a quick and easy way to get rid of these things. I haven't heard anything from the CDC and may never hear anything but I can know that I did everything in my power to try and help my friends, neighbors and family by not treating it until I found a diagnosis, discovering the lymph and life cycles through discovering the hydrogen peroxide soak and by figuring out to send the worms in in the normal saline. I have documented everything about the life cycle, the symptoms, the treatments and anything else I could. 

I also can say, "I'm one in a billion! :-) I called my dad and his wife today to let them know how the testing went and I told my Step-mother I was one in a billion and just wished that I could be the one in a billion that wins the "forever prize" from Publishers Clearing house rather than the "one in a billion" that get a never before diagnosed in the US and only two in the world insect parasite! ha ha.  

I hope I am on the flip side of this now, figuring out how to get rid of it and no longer having the health symptoms so my body can heal. I really want to enjoy my children and grand-children and pray that I will be able to rid my body of these forever.