What is the worst pain you have ever experienced? Take that moment of pain that knocks you off your feet, that grinds into every joint and bone in your body, that makes you feel like you could vomit at any second if it continues. Imagine if that pain would creep into your world on a daily basis. Returning every night like clockwork. Pain that comes week after week, month after month.
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I lived through the rollercoaster of months of excruciating pain. Nights were the worst as I spent my days trying to ignore the screams from my body. Sleepless nights would be spent lying on the hardwood floor looking for a tiny bit of relief or in a zero gravity chair. I would ignore the pain and dig deep to find the energy and will power to get myself off of the couch or out of a chair. That simple task was enough to bring me to my knees from the pain. We won’t even talk about some of the days I would cry in pain just trying to get myself into a car to drive to a doctor appointment.
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I can’t help but wonder how that reality might have been different if my medical issues were not misdiagnosed for more than three years. Lyme disease had made its home inside every organ, tissue, muscle and joint of my body and was quite content taking it over. What if the medical community was better educated on chronic Lyme disease? What if accurate testing was readily accessible? What if treatment options were available? Unfortunately, our country is not there yet.
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I continue to live relatively pain FREE after successful treatments in Florida. I do have some lingering neurological symptoms that creep up at times, but I am hopeful they will remain manageable. I am slowly working on rebuilding strength and stamina after a year on the couch. It’s nice to finally be strong enough to do more than just walk in the door at the gym.
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While I am currently enjoying a much needed break from the debilitating symptoms of Lyme disease, many of my friends are not. I am determined to speak up to help bring a change for educated medical communities and adequate treatment. Keep fighting, warriors. Embrace your GRIT and GRACE. The battle is not easy, but it is worth it. #GodsGotUs
Living with Grit and Grace 