Our Lyme Debacles

Like many others suffering from chronic Lyme, it took me years to get a proper diagnosis.  Doctors alternated between diagnosing me with depression and fibromyalgia.  Had I been fighting for anything other than my quality of life, I would've given up long ago.  Searching for either answers or pain relief, I averaged roughly two appointments per week over an 11 year span - totaling to over 1000 appointments.

There's still a ways to go in my battle with chronic Lyme, but I'm relieved be able properly label my chronic illness and have a clearly defined treatment plan I can follow.  Since my diagnosis six months ago, I've been able to reflect on all the time and energy I spent searching for answers.  At the time, I was routinely frustrated by each new dead end and wasn't able to laugh at just how many ridiculous situations I got myself into.  It wasn't funny at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, I'm finally able to see the humor in some of my debacle:

-   I joined a cult thinking it was a Yoga studio.  

-   A thoracic surgeon recommended permanently relieving my tight muscles via extraction.  

-   I saw a "world class" rheumatologist whose office was a shrine to his greatness.  He prescribed me controlled substances for conditions I didn't have.

Treatment debacles are inevitable while pursuing a debilitating illness that isn't officially recognized.  As I've met others struggling with chronic Lyme, I'm realizing that they too have stories and reflections from their quest for health that need to be shared.  

This blog is a place where people fighting chronic Lyme can share vignettes or thoughts from their quest for health.  Feel free to submit anything ranging from a couple sentences to a full story.  In addition to providing a community where we can share what we've been through, I'm hoping it will be a place for friends and family to go to learn more about how Lyme impacts our lives - and a place where people can gain an appreciation for how resilient you have to be to battle this illness.

Additionally, I hope to improve Lyme awareness so people can learn about chronic Lyme through our experiences  If all I knew about chronic Lyme was from statements by ISDA (Infectious Disease Society of America) and the CDC in major publications, I would be skeptical about it as well.

I want to avoid recommending/asking for treatment advice.  There are many other places on the web where we can discuss doctors, supplements, diets and medications.  This blog is for sharing the human side of the battle with Lyme. 

I'm looking forward to reading your contributions. 

If you would like to submit something - be it a few short thoughts or a story, please email LymeDebacles@gmail.com.