None performed satisfactorily. Then, for a month, she was treated with the very powerful, and very expensive, antibiotic Rocephin. A sports lover and former athlete, she worked for a while at a gym but had to give way to a replacement physically up to working full time. Later, she took an office job at McMurry University, where after a summer off she plans to return to work next month. Meanwhile, Lyme disease is a constant presence shaping her daily life.
Washer abides by a strict low-fat diet of three full meals a day and three snacks.
Chronic Lyme's threatens cardiovascular health by raising blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Specially cultured yogurt and other milk products, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of water and calcium-rich Tums antacid are also staples of her daily regimen. Faithfully embracing physical therapy and an exercise program pegged to her needs and abilities maintains her conditioning to the extent the disease allows. However, the one-time field hockey player must be careful not to overdo it because overtaxing the body physically invites the return of some of Lyme's worst symptoms. This extraordinarily hot summer hasn't helped the transplanted northerner either.