It’s been a long time since I’ve begun a challenge for this website. The upcoming challenge is in response to my suddenly cringe-worthy wallet. After moving out on my own with two kids while on maternity leave/pay and currently no financial support from my estranged husband (due to financial hiccups), I am pinching every penny I can. Every penny. Every table scrap. Every leftover.

It is a fine balance right now… I don’t qualify for government help because of my 2010 taxes. My 2011 taxes haven’t been processed yet, so I can’t apply for rental subsidy just yet and my potential daycare costs cannot be helped. Paired with my pelvis issues, returning to work early just isn’t a viable option.

Hurry up, tax return! Mama doesn’t need new shoes, but I’d love a bigger buffer in my bank account! I’m happy that I can at least pay all my bills right now. Groceries and other variable spendings are just very tight. That said, May 2012 will bring with it a penny pincher menu of foods. I would like to try to keep my groceries under $50.00 per week. I’ll post more on that later… Hopefully. hehe

Also, just to throw the word out there because I have not received much response elsewhere, but my mom was recently diagnosed with having an infection of lyme disease with a co-infection of babesia. Because in my family, we don’t half-ass things. Damn straight.

My family has what I would call a freaky immune system. They’re hyper-active and resilient. We are healers (though my past two years haven’t been the best example of this). Cuts, broken bones, etc. all heal more quickly and better than expected. A good example was when my mom rolled her SUV over her left hand, rendering her ring finger skinless and mangled. The plastic surgeon said it would need to be amputated, but he’d try a graft first just for the sake of trying. Of course it worked and you can’t tell by looking at her finger that anything was ever wrong. That’s just one of many examples of similar stories this lady has banked up over her 50-something years. Or should I say 30 years with 20-some-odd years of experience? 😛

I’m going off on a tangent. Before returning to my point here, I would like to say — and pardon my language — “fuck you” to doctors and other medical professionals who don’t educate themselves on this bacteria. Her family doctor said she didn’t have lyme. She has lymes and babesia, you flying fuck 😀

Sorry. I rarely swear on here.

Seriously, I don’t.

Back to the point! I’m busy researching the best posible treatment plan for her. A lot of doctors suggest a few weeks of antibiotics, however, there is new research showing that a few weeks just doesn’t cut it for a progressed lyme disease, such as hers. Also, it is a finicky bacteria that can come back full force, not to mention that she has a co-infection of babesia that is, in its own right, hellish to treat.

My mom is talking with a naturopath… I’m not a fan of naturopathic medicine. No offense, but I see a lot of it as being total bull poop. Unfortunately for us, being from central Vancouver Island, there are not many doctors who have taken the time to research and understand Lyme like this one doctor. I will post her contact information once I get it from my mom so that others can more easily find her. If your doctor says you don’t have lyme based on one single blood test, please do seek out a doctor who will do a more sensitive tetre before you give in to the negative. There are lots of false negatives, much like with other diseases.