Recently I’ve heard a few comments that reminded me how little people understand about Lyme+. Social media and digital communication lets people make comments they would never make in person.

One woman lectured me for not doing all she thought I should for our community. She said I’m using my sickness as an excuse.

When told I couldn’t attend an event, another person told me there would be plenty of chairs so I could just come and sit around, like I do at home.

Truth be told, both comments pissed me off at first. Would they say that about someone with cancer or with ALS or MS?

No. Why? Because they understand those diseases better. They know those can be severely debilitating or deadly.

I can be upset about it or I can try to educate.

Chronic sicknesses like Lyme+ can have a huge range of both symptoms and severity which can change from day to day.

One day, I might have a little energy, clarity of thought, low pain and generally insignificant other symptoms.

The next day I might be too dizzy to stand or sit, pain level at an 8+, throwing up frequently, feet so numb I can barely walk, extreme cognitive issues like being unable to remember words or getting confused about what’s going on around me.

I can have just about any symptom, any time.

The hardest part about going to bed is that I don’t know how long I’ll be there. Maybe a few hours – maybe days, weeks or months.

This sickness is harder than most people can imagine. When you see me out and about, when you see social media pics of me doing something fun, please know that these are less common moments of my life.

I am an extrovert. I want to be included in life. I want to be a valuable contributor to my community, to society.

I love to hike, kayak, play guitar and sing. I loved working and feeling like I was making a difference. But these are all things that I cannot do now.

The most important thing I do now is try to educate others on the signs and symptoms of this sickness in the hopes that people do become aware of how bad it can be, and how to get a correct diagnosis and early treatment.

If you are having symptoms and doctors don’t know what’s going on, or if they dismiss you because all your tests are somewhat normal – think Lyme.

If you have both pain and cognitive issues – think Lyme.

If your symptoms improve and then return, pain migrates from one location to another, symptoms change (digestive issues for a while, that calms down and then migraines for a while) – think Lyme.

If you think Lyme – reach out. If you just want to better understand what someone like me goes through – let’s talk.

Education is an important starting point.

LEARN ABOUT LYME+