Story 141

How has Lyme Disease affected your life?

Apparently I’ve been sick since high school. I am now 35. I never had the rash or fever. I never had the tell tale signs. My high school life, into my twenties, my life consisted of conjunctivitis ALL the time. Chronic fatigue that no one believed. I slept my life away growing up. I have never been a person that wanted to go to the doctor for small things. I was young… I wasn’t dying… what could possibly be wrong with young, fine, me? 

In my 20’s still fighting fatigue, I started Olympic lifting and I felt great, but I’d always hit that fatigue wall. I thought I was narcoleptic. Then the pain started. My legs, below the knee… swelling, pain every time I worked out. What’s this now?? I ran a few mud runs, the last run my legs and ankles and feet swelled up and it did not go away. Two weeks later I was in surgery for chronic compartment syndrome. They never got better. 2018 my mom passed away, 2018 I had compartment surgery #2 on my legs, late 2018, I started vomiting and getting hives. Puking alllll the time at least 2-3 times a week for no reason. It was manageable because I would puke and get on with my life. Hmm what’s wrong with me? I puked for about a year… late 2019 I started to get heart palpitations, chest pain, this overall feeling of I’m dying, the heck. I was in and out of the hospital for months. The only thing they could tell me was that my thyroid was messed up. Got in levothyroxine, hey my puking stopped. That must be it. 

Months went by… into 2020 in and out of the ER, heart palpitations, chest pains, getting more and more dizzy spells, vertigo, headaches, muscle aches, weakness, fatigue, heartburn, numbness, memory issues, breathing issues, vision issues… what the heck is happening to me??? 

Finally my primary did a tick panel and I came back with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Ehrlichiosis. What?! I was so surprised… the first thing I did was find a Facebook support group and found a Lyme literate doctor. I found out I have Lyme, babesia, hypothyroidism, EBV, among the others. FINALLY! Something!!! So I’m on the long road to some sort of relief. Listen to your body! You’re not crazy!

What inspires you?

My inspiration right now are the people that are trucking through these invisible Illnesses. Not just Lyme, but other autoimmune diseases. One thing I know I can do is be a trooper through this mess.