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July 26, 2008 12:57PM

Lyme Disease, AntiBiotics and A Messed Up Face — Just Be Who You Are, Cody

By Cody Willard

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” — Dr Seuss


I’m just not myself right now. One of the main symptoms of Lyme Disease is lethargy. One of the side effects of daily IV injections of the antibiotic Ceftriaxone is lethargy. But after two full weeks of sitting on the sidelines – basically the first time I’ve ever taken sick days in my career that I can recall – I came into work Monday, with adrenalin flowing. That adrenalin and the psychology surrounding it carried me midway through the week.

But lemme tell ya, it took just about everything I had to get through this week of work. Thursday afternoon I hit a wall and became emotionally and physically exhausted.

The bartenders and crew at Happy Hour teased me Thursday evening about how scared they were to see me on caffeine when I ordered a Coke instead of my usual ginger ale at the Bull & Bear. I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning and half a coke at lunch. But I’m a guy who considers six hours of sleep a full night’s worth, and I typically stay away from caffeine after 4pm. However, the crew needn’t have worried about me bounding over the bar this week or next – at least not until I get this tube out of my left arm’s bicep vein and don’t have to pump these liquids into my system anymore. I’m just not myself right now.

On a related note, I will note how relieved I am that my face is mostly back to working normally again. I’ve now got about 95% control of the right side of my face, up from about 20% just a couple short weeks ago. Everybody who’s had a friend or relative who’s had Bell’s Palsy assured me that it’d be sure to go away after a couple months. But I tell ya’, it’s scary when it’s happening to you and your face just doesn’t work. (How remarkable my Bell’s has faded much more quickly.)

Indeed, with my limited ability to pronunciate my F’s clearly (whenever my mom would tell me my face was better during the couple weeks the Bell’s Palsy was in control, I told her to let me know when I could say “I’m a freak” without sounding like a freak…) and the stares that I’d get anytime I would gather up the energy to venture into the public, along with the un-Cody-like utter lack of energy I’ve had, I’ve sort of felt like I’ve been living in someone else’s skin. A lot of folks have noted how much I’ve looked like Two-Face from Batman. They had no idea on how many levels they’ve been right. I’ve just not been myself.

Being myself though, I’m feeling guilty for having fallen behind in answering what’s hundreds of emails from friends and family and viewers and readers who reached out to me during my illness when I simply couldn’t muster the energy to read all my emails, much less answer them. Sorry if I’ve left you hanging. I’ll get caught up when I’m actually done with these treatments and thusly this disease.

That’ll be in another couple weeks, as I’ve got a feeling that since I could barely get out of bed this morning to for a short ride with Lobo, that this week will be much like last week, when I rushed home each night from the show to do my treatments and collapse for the night.

Speaking of which, I think this body that Cody is indeed stuck living inside of right now demands that I do just that – collapse.

Just be who you are, right, Cody?

Oh, you were asking me? Yes, just be yourself. I mean, just be myself and take care of yourself.  Er, myself.  Somebody help.  You can only help yourself.

Collapse for now. But like I said – I’ll be back more than full speed when all this is all said and done.

 

6 Responses to “Lyme Disease, AntiBiotics and A Messed Up Face — Just Be Who You Are, Cody”

  • david c. mintz says:

    dear cody, i have been watching happy hour since it started and enjoy the show, at first i thought you were brain damaged from being dropped on your head as a child, and i still think you should cut your hair as i think you would have a better chance of getting a date. all and all i have to say i am impressed with you and your comments on the market. i thought you might like my take on things. first, i am a disabled truck driver due to the feds telling me i had hours to drive when i was too tired to drive and making me sit and wait for loads when i had the hours and was ready to go. i got paid household miles when my odometer miles were 20 to 30 percent more. i was poisened by colestrol drugs to the point i can barely walk up and down stairs because i “asked my doctor about” what i’m getting at is there is a better whay to do business lose the greed and be honest and pay a fair wage. build and buy american. round up the illegals and open up closed millitary instalations and create “ellis islands” all over the us, they entered the country as criminals. weed out the violant ones and deport them and train the non violant ones after they are can speak english. cap ceo’s salarys and fairly distribute wages in the companys. cap forien oil imports to 25 percent and drill here, at the same time bring wind generators with a tax credit to at lease half the homes in america, if jay leno can produce 10k for $5000 at his garage then why cant the rest of us. mandate all cars light trucks and suv to 32 mpg. put up every windmil and solar panal that can be put up build nuke plants and nat gas plants convert all diesals to biofuels, hell we got enough french fry oil from mcdonalds alone and why are we not burning garbage instead of landfilling it? i have more but who wants to listen to a broke down truck driver?

  • Jonathan says:

    Welcome back Cody! Good to see you back on T.V. Get well soon!

  • SD says:

    Get well soon!

  • brad eshbach says:

    i have been checking your blog daily on my BB for updates on how you are doing. best of luck man! glad things are looking up.

  • Linda Moore says:

    Listen to your body, do what you have to do. Just think how good you’ll feel once you get on the other side of this. The bar has been raised, if you know what I mean! Can’t wait for you to get back. I can’t do without “The Cody Blog”, you bring so much common sense to a whacked out economy. Take good care of yourself.

  • Tom Delane says:

    Missed you Cody.
    Google Dr. Mary Enig and read her books on fats and lipids. She is a world expert on the biochemistry of the body and how the immune system works

    She strongly recommends using extra virgin coconut oil to boost the immune system. Plus it gives the body an energy boost. Get away from eating transfat oils (man made veggie oils). Cook only with coconut oil…

    The medical community knows little about the immune system. Beware of the cholesterol nonsense from doctors. They know little about it and are dangerous.

    Doctors know little or nothing about lyme. There is an excellent web site for lyme to learn from those who know it. http://flash.lymenet.org

    God bless.
    Tom

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