Today I read The Color Psychology of Yellow on the website Verywell. I learned that yellow is "an extrovert's color." I learned that "not everyone responds to this color in the same way." On another site I learned that "Yellow is the color of the sun, smiley faces and sunflowers. It’s a happy, youthful color, full of hope and positivity."
Why did I research yellow? Well, today I took my first dose of Mepron. Patients often call it the "Yellow Paint Medicine" because, well, it looks like yellow paint. It's also called "Liquid Gold" because it's very expensive.
Mepron is a medication that targets Babesia. I started with ¼ tsp at breakfast and will take another ¼ tsp at dinner. The goal is to increase the overall dose by ½ tsp every 10 days until I reach 2 tsp 2x a day.
The past 3 weeks have been harder, as I've been taking Lumbrokinase, a new supplement that breaks open Babesia biofilms. I've had a lot of fevers, sweats, chills, nausea, diarrhea, and increased fatigue since then. This is because by breaking open the biofilms I'm exposing more Babesia, and my immune system is now able to reach and kill more of the infection.
However, even while I've been feeling much worse physically, I've simultaneously had more mental clarity for reading and writing. This is because by dissolving the Babesia biofilms my blood is able to flow better in the small vessels of my brain. Dr. L sometimes calls the biofilms "plugs," because they literally plug up my blood vessels and keep the blood from flowing as it should. I've seen the big, ugly biofilms in my blood smears before, and it certainly makes sense how they restrict blood flow.
Yesterday I emailed Dr. L a summary of how I've been feeling, and he suggested I begin the Mepron at a low dose, as I did today. We expect it will make the herxing from breaking open the biofilms and killing Babesia even worse, but it will also get me through the herxing faster. Prayers are much appreciated!
My parents and I recently calculated my monthly out-of-pocket medical expenses for medications and supplements. Currently it’s about $2,300 a month, even with GoodRx coupons, a prescription assistant program, and buying supplements when on sale. (Thankfully, my doctor appointments and testing are covered by Samaritan Ministries.) It’s humbling to share these numbers publicly, but I am thankful for everyone who has supported me. My brother Alex is helping create an online store to sell my artwork and cards to offset some of the expense, and I will share more soon!
Now I'm off to take another dose of the Yellow Paint Medicine. Let's hope it has a positive effect!
