How has Lyme Disease affected your life?
I was 16 years old. An athlete. Honor roll student. Student pilot. I had big dreams for my future. Then I got sick. The first doctor told me, “I’m not sure why this is happening. We will do whatever it takes to find out.” He passed me off to another doctor. The second doctor told me, “The 50 tests we did came back normal. See a shrink. You will be like this the rest of your life.” The third doctor told me, “It’s probably a virus. You’ll be better in six months.” I waited. I wasn’t.
Specialist after specialist said, “This is not my problem. Do not come back.” I thought I was dying, but after countless tests and scans no one wanted to help me.
It has been over 8 years since my health crashed. I can’t work. I can’t continue my education. I can’t even leave the house most days. I finally have a name for the monster I’m fighting: Lyme disease. Along with that diagnosis came multiple co-infections.
Everything has changed and it will NEVER be the same.
What inspires you?
I take things one day at a time. Having hope that one day I’ll have my life back is too painful at the moment, so I just try to find one good thing each day-petting a dog, favorite TV show, etc.
“On particularly rough days when I’m sure I can’t possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100% and that is pretty good.” – Anonymous