Medicine • The Dreaming Panda • Page 2

I Lost My Mind… But Haven’t Lost Hope

Published on August 30, 2017 by DreamingPanda18 Comments

Every time I think I can’t go on, a thread of hope keeps me alive.

It’s 6:00 on a Friday night, I’m drenched in sweat, sitting on my bed with no pants on, and mumbling nonsense. Tears are running down my face for no clear reason, and I feel outside myself, detached from reality. As my mom peeks into my room to bring medicine, I whisper that everyone hates me, warning that the Universe is out to get me. I have no idea why I’m saying or doing any of this—words are coming from my mouth and I can’t stop them. Continue reading “I Lost My Mind… But Haven’t Lost Hope” →

Why I Almost Quit Lyme Treatment

Published on May 3, 2017 by DreamingPanda19 Comments

On Thursday morning, I woke up and immediately knew something was very wrong. My whole body ached. I had an awful headache. I was dizzy. I was too nauseous to even think about food or water. It was that familiar set of symptoms that meant one thing: I was in for a terrible Lyme herx.

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Why I’m Working through PANS

Published on April 17, 2017 by DreamingPanda13 Comments

Can someone with PANS/Lyme keep up in a competitive environment?

A couple weeks ago, I was elated to find out that I’d been accepted for a summer writing internship! This wasn’t just any job offer, but a highly competitive internship that I’ve worked towards and dreamed about for years. It seemed so surreal that this door had finally opened!

Continue reading “Why I’m Working through PANS” →

In Response to Your Lyme Questions…

Published on January 25, 2017 by DreamingPanda13 Comments

Ever since I announced my Lyme diagnosis, I’ve been inundated with questions from readers. While I’m not qualified to give anyone medical advice, I’ll gladly share my own personal experiences. Given the number of messages I’ve received, I figured I should answer the most common questions in a post for all of you, so here you go: Continue reading “In Response to Your Lyme Questions…” →

Lyme Disease: A Still, Silent Battle

Published on January 2, 2017 by DreamingPanda31 Comments

2 antibiotics, 3 medications, and 6 supplements: my weapons of choice against Lyme disease — 2 antibiotics, 3 other meds, and 8 supplements: my weapons of choice against Lyme

“It’s Lyme disease.”

They were three words that shattered all of my expectations for recovery from PANS… Three words that I still struggle to accept… Three words that are going to change my life…

Continue reading “Lyme Disease: A Still, Silent Battle” →

The One Thing I Hate More Than Therapy

Published on August 23, 2016July 1, 2023 by DreamingPanda2 Comments

Some college kids stockpile liquors, I stockpile nutrition supplements! — Some college kids stockpile liquors, but I stockpile nutrition supplements!

At 93 pounds, I was so miserable and malnourished that I didn’t even know how ill I was. At the time, when I found myself sitting in an infusion chair receiving my third IVIG, I silently wondered to myself what I was doing there. How could I have PANDAS if I wasn’t “that sick”? Why was I getting such a heavy-handed treatment? But with my weight nearing the so-called “starvation” range, many of my organs weren’t working properly anymore. My psychiatrist warned that I’d be in the hospital soon.

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IVIG #3: Third Time’s a Charm

Published on August 16, 2016 by DreamingPanda14 Comments

Could IVIG #3 be the end of PANS for me?

Today, just two weeks after my third IVIG, I’m happy to say I’ve made tremendous progress. I’m no longer afraid of food and calories, so I’ve probably gained back about half of the weight I lost. I’ve gotten strong enough to run (slowly). My POTS symptoms are basically gone, and my parents have told me that there’s life in my eyes again. Oh, and I’ve even finished all of the summer coursework for the classes I had to take incompletes in—including a twelve-page research paper!

So am I better now? Is life perfectly peachy now that I’ve had IVIG? Continue reading “IVIG #3: Third Time’s a Charm” →

A Ghost in My Own Life

Published on July 5, 2016 by DreamingPanda15 Comments

Ghost

With this latest relapse, I’ve been living as a ghost in my own life.

In a single day, I went from eagerly and excitedly whittling away at homework for my summer classes, to crying at the thought of writing a single paragraph of a paper. I went from enjoying meals and coffees with my friends, to being terrified of any group of people and not eating lunch at all. I went from being praised at school for contributions I made in my department, to wanting absolutely nothing to do with my chosen field.

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Why Antibiotics Are Necessary for PANS

Published on May 9, 2016 by DreamingPanda11 Comments

Sometimes, you have to try a few antibiotics for PANS before you find the right one.

Since being diagnosed with PANS, I’ve been on antibiotics for twenty months straight, save for one two-week break. I’ll continue until six months after my last symptom, or at the very least, through my senior year of college.

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Treatment Is a Kitchen Sink?

Published on March 29, 2016 by DreamingPanda2 Comments

Treating PANS can mean trying the whole kitchen sink.

When I was first diagnosed with PANDAS in 2014, my doctor said the treatment plan was to give me “the whole kitchen sink.” In other words, I would receive the full range of therapies, many of them all at once. It was unscientific, since this made it hard to tell which treatments turned out to be the most effective, but for a girl who could hardly walk and had lost over 10% of her body weight, this approach was necessary.

Continue reading “Treatment Is a Kitchen Sink?” →