It only took 3 years, one ambulance ride, multiple ER visits, cardiac specialists, multiple doctors, a ridiculous diagnosis of PTSD and being labeled as a mental case to receive a proper diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease. I’m one of the lucky ones. Most patients see many more specialists over the course of more than 10 … Continue reading Overcoming Trauma from Chronic Illness
Tag: fatigue
What Does Healing Look Like?
Healing is being able to hike up Camelback Mountain with your daughter and not have to worry if you will randomly pass out. Healing is being able to attend a Cubs/Cards game with my family and not have a panic attack from a crowded stadium. Healing is saying YES to attending community events and not … Continue reading What Does Healing Look Like?
A Picture of Pain
My illness is hidden. This is what you don’t see. These are my bruises. This is my pain. If the layers of my skin were peeled back, this is what you would see. Lyme disease is no joke. The pain is hidden yet it is so real. It grinds into your joints, muscles, organs...anything it … Continue reading A Picture of Pain
The Face of Pain
What does pain look like? Most days, my pain is not visible, although when I was deep in my battle, I was unable to hide the reality of excruciating pain that ruled my every move. When the pain was unbearable, I would hide. I would retreat to my spot on the hardwood floor in a … Continue reading The Face of Pain
When the Smile Fades
This photo was snapped just moments after spending the morning with my daughter and niece at a fashion show. We had a blast walking the runway and looking at all the fall fashion trends. ~ Fast forward to two hours later and my smile had faded. Pain and fatigue busted down the doors and once … Continue reading When the Smile Fades
Good News; Bad News
Hands like ice, three numb fingers, vibrations pulsing throughout your body, pins and needles in both feet, pain in back and neck, brain fog, feeling like passing out, sensitivity to lights and sound....my current list of roller coaster symptoms that I am experiencing daily goes on. Battling chronic Lyme is no joke. It is also … Continue reading Good News; Bad News
A Boulder Slamming on my Chest
Imagine waking up everyday to a scene straight from the movie Groundhogs Day. The alarm goes off at the same time every morning. Your eyes blink to adjust and the same reality hits you like a boulder being dropped on your chest. Chronic fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, brain fog, GI issues, dizziness, stabbing pains, … Continue reading A Boulder Slamming on my Chest
Limitless or Limited?
Limits. We all have them. The number of drinks you can consume while out with friends, the number plates you can fill and eat at a buffet, speed limits...we are surrounded by limits everyday. But what about your body? Do you feel limitless? Do your limits change? What if they change overnight? What if you … Continue reading Limitless or Limited?
Under My Skin…A Typical Day
A snippet of a day in the life of a person battling lyme. The symptoms are complex, they change from minute to minute, they come and go in waves like a roller coaster and many are invisible. It is so hard to explain what lyme patients experience. So much happens under the skin that is … Continue reading Under My Skin…A Typical Day
My Body is in Battle Mode
Days come and go, symptoms change from day to day. One day is filled with chronic pain and fatigue while the next day might be full of brain fog and poor balance. Lyme suffers are great actors. You hide during the horrible moments and put a smile on when you can pull yourself together to … Continue reading My Body is in Battle Mode