Last Updated on January 28, 2023 by Lori Geurin
I have a confession. I’ve put off writing this piece for as long as I can. I had intentions of facing this writing this sooner, but it simply hasn’t happened. Until now. If you’re wondering why I’ve procrastinated for so long, I’ll let you in on a little secret…Lyme disease stinks. There…I said it.
Some days I just don’t wanna talk about it. Maybe you can relate to something difficult in your life that is really hard to deal with and some days you just want it to go away.
As in…I don’t want to think about it, deal with it or constantly be reminded of it.
But I do think about. And I am dealing with it. Because it’s my reality.
Lyme Disease Symptoms
And (due to chronic pain, fatigue, and other ongoing symptoms) I’m constantly reminded of it.
Can you can relate?
But, when I think about why I started writing this blog I’m reminded of my passion to share my story and help other people in their personal health or life journeys, whether it’s Lyme, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune issues, or the myriad of health conditions or difficult situations that exist.
So, I’m truly sorry for keeping this to myself for so long. Because a wise friend told me that our life is meant to be shared so we can help others.
So, continuing from where I left off in Living With Lyme Disease., Part 1
Living With Lyme Disease (Part 2)
I had already gone to two different doctors in two months (for two different tick bites) who told me my ongoing illness and symptoms were just “tick fever” and it had to run its course. Unfortunately, I still felt like I had a bad case of the flu all the time. I was achy all over and extremely weak. I found it difficult to have enough energy to be a mom, wife, and teach my young students each day.
Plus, I looked like a ghost because my coloring was so pale.
A few months later I returned to the doctor to get another opinion and saw a nurse practitioner who really listened to my concerns, and first shared the possibility that I might have Lyme disease.
She also recognized that Lyme disease vectors know no borders. (I later learned that she had a family member who had Lyme.)
She prescribed 14 days of doxycycline, which I was so thankful for then, not knowing that it was “too little, too late.”
Untreated Lyme Disease
At this point, I was in the early disseminated stage and the spirochetes had already been given enough time to start damaging my body. This is what happens in the beginning stages of untreated Lyme disease.
As I would later learn, I needed a more comprehensive medical intervention for the damage the Lyme spirochetes had caused and were continuing to cause. This is because I was not promptly and properly treated from the beginning when I first got the tick bites.
If I’d been appropriately treated the first time (I went to the doctor with the Lyme symptoms after being bit by tick #1) I hopefully would have made a full recovery.
Or, if I’d received treatment after tick bite #2 because not much time had passed, I still stood a fighting chance of recovering.
Unfortunately, this did not happen, just like it hasn’t happened for so many Americans each year.
It took nearly 2 years and visiting several specialists and 5 different doctors for me to test positive for Lyme and other tick-borne co-infections to finally get a diagnosis. Needless to say, this should never happen.
Unfortunately, many other people go for years suffering without the diagnosis and treatment they desperately need.
When Bad Things Happen And How To Deal
This was the beginning of a very scary and difficult time in my life.
Maybe you know what this is like. Maybe you find yourself in what seems like a hopeless situation and it seems that your life has been turned upside down.
Losing a job,
getting a divorce,
losing a loved one,
or your life’s savings,
getting a diagnosis that turns your life,
or living with Lyme disease
inside out and upside down. I’m here and I’ve been in that scary dark place too. Thankfully, I decided to take some simple steps that helped me get through the worst of it.
Strategies For Getting Through Difficult Times
When you’re stuck in a difficult circumstance and it seems like there’s no hope, what do you do? What are the thoughts that go through your mind?
Here are some tips that have helped me get through some of my darkest days. I was able to do all of them from my bed because that’s where I spent most of my time because I was so sick.
- My faith in God and His promises have given me comfort and strength. I have many favorite verses in the Bible, but one I keep coming back to is: Isaiah 40:30–but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
- dreaming of what my life will be like when I feel better again
- writing down or thinking about the people and things I’m thankful for
- sharing my struggles with family and friends
- learning as much as I can about my particular health issues and making positive changes in my life, such as eating well and getting enough sleep.
- Motivational Quotes and Power Phrases
- focus on the things you can control…not on what you can’t
These are some of the simple strategies that helped me. I hope these ideas will help you when you face struggles, illness, or difficult times in your life.
Want to learn more? I created a Lyme resource to help answer your questions. The guide provides you with:
- more details about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases
- valuable information on diagnosis and testing
- where to find financial help for Lyme patients
- prevention tips
- instructions for how to properly remove a tick
- and more…
all based on research. Simply click below to check it out.
What do you do when you face difficulties? Share below!
Living With Lyme Disease Articles
If you’d like to learn more about living with Lyme disease and how to protect your loved ones you might want to read:
- Warning: Lyme Disease Is Spreading Faster Than AIDS
- The Signs, Symptoms and Stages Of Lyme Disease
- Living With Lyme Disease, Part 1
- Is Chronic Lyme Disease Real?
- Disappointment Hack: When You Want A Swimming Pool But Get A Dirt Road
- Chronic Illness: What’s A Spoonie Anyway?
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