As I read an become aware of everyone stories about Lyme disease or tick-borne diseases (TBD) I am thankful that these people have been here to support me on my path from illness to wellness. Thanks for publishing these stories. Had I known Lyme or TBDs were so common here I would’ve been more vigilant on protecting myself from these life-changing bugs. I spent three years of my life going from doctor to doctor with various symptoms trying to identify what was wrong with me and why I was mysteriously sick and it didn’t make sense. The tick bite I had was one I did not get a rash or immediate flu symptoms, I just removed it and went on with my life thinking nothing of it. My illness was and still is a gradual one, in which I got sicker as time went on for no explainable reasons.
After acquiring an array of illness and applying for disability along the way I still had no answers and it seems a team of doctors couldn’t help or diagnose my problems.
I’ve had everything from hormonal imbalance, anxiety, depression, neck spasms, arthritis, my left arm went numb for six months, headaches, sinus infections and the feeling of a brain tumor or something worse in my brain and have had an MRI each year for this, the feeling like I’m going to die, begging each doctor to please tell me.
I got tested for cancer and lots of other things I don’t have as well as developing sensitivities to lots of things environmental issues such as chemicals, EMS, light, sounds, perfumes, people and other things that disabled me from having the normal life I once had. Thanks to the support of the local people here like Eureka Market, Flora Roja, massage therapists and local naturopaths I’ve been able to help myself and become well enough to clear some brain fog to get a handle on my illness an how to get better.
Doctors here can only do what the CDC tells them, which is to tell you Lyme isn’t here and to prescribe a pill for your symptoms. This is indeed an illness no one wants to have or talk about unless yourself or a loved one has it. Even then it’s still very difficult to come to grips with for yourself. It’s debilitating and disabling. It’s a disease that will eventually disable you mentally or physically if misdiagnosed or untreated.
After becoming disabled I work 8 hours a day each day to take supplements, eat organic food, detoxify, meditate and research to continue to get better. It’s a deadly struggle and a battle I have not won yet.
I’ve been treating myself for one year and now feeling more abled than disabled, it seems it would make sense if doctors would test you or ask the right questions to rule out if you’ve been infected first so it isn’t missed, even in the ER.
It’s perfectly treatable in the beginning. I wish local doctors could take a “when in doubt” giving antibiotics approach, then one wouldn’t have to go years of their life trying to get help.
I know 15 people who have it and each of those people knows people who have it. One tick can carry over 300 kinds of bacteria. There is no “normal” when it comes to this and other biting insects can infect you with Lyme.
I would say get it before it gets you.
Angela Wade