Recently, my doctor asked if I would consider leading a Patient-to-Patient Support Group for her patients with Lyme Disease and Post-Lyme Syndrome. Of course, I said YES and was excited to get started. I am by no means a medical professional and will not be giving medical advice, but I’m thrilled at the opportunity to help others by sharing my knowledge and hacks of living with Lyme. When I first started this blog over ten years ago, life was a bit different. I was struggling with three very different diagnoses hitting way too close to home. My two young sons were diagnosed with Autism, my mom with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and finally my Lyme Disease. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. But God is good and always made a way, even when I was ready to give up.
I was pretty much bed-ridden, only getting off the couch to go to work and church. I was missing my kids’ sports; I was unable to socialize with friends – everyday life was a struggle. But with the right doctors, a loving and supportive family and of course Jesus – life looks much different today. Both of my boys are thriving academically, socially and in extracurricular activities and are now classified as only ADHD (the Autism classification was officially removed when they were in Middle School!) I’m working at a job I love, volunteering at school functions, working out several times a week and even accomplished a long-time goal of doing a 10K Bridge Run last fall. And my mom is no longer suffering, she is now home with the Lord.
So, although the name of the blog isn’t as significant as it once was, Lyme is still a very real part of my everyday life. Through the years I have learned to navigate this very confusing and frustrating condition. Early on in my diagnosis, I changed my diet, which significantly helped reduce migraines and inflammation. My original bloodwork showed that my Thyroid was out of whack, which explained why I was so exhausted all of the time. Once the doctors got that under control, I immediately started to have more energy, but I was still suffering from a variety of symptoms that seemed to have no end in sight. That’s when I met Dr. Molly, who literally changed my life.
When I first met with Dr. Molly, she sat down with me for over an hour at a complimentary consultation. She reviewed my entire medical history and then apologized for my previous doctors mistreating and misdiagnosing me for so long. She explained that there was no cure for Chronic Lyme Disease, but that she was confident that she could get me back to feeling 90% better. And she was right! There are lingering symptoms and flare ups that come and go with the change of the weather (literally) but I have my life back. And Dr. Molly was instrumental in my recovery and my maintenance.
Lyme is tough, but it can be controlled. Getting a diagnosis, or worse yet, not getting an accurate diagnosis can be debilitating for so many reasons. But there is hope. Antibiotics, nutriceutical protocols, diets – there are so many ways to help you navigate this extremely confusing, ever changing Lyme journey. So, if you’re looking for someone to connect with, please feel free to reach out to me at StopLivingWithLyme@gmail.com. You don’t’ have to face this alone.
Lyme. Autism. Alzheimer. Oh my! 