For 15 years – almost half of my life – I have not felt physically well or been at my fullest potential. At first, the doctors and specialists I saw offered some hope. My initial diagnosis was that I had IBS and chronic migraines. They told me these conditions were very common and lots of people live with them, – and I, like them, was just going to have to learn to deal with the symptoms. But years of taking medication and treating symptoms instead of my underlying condition took a toll on me. As more time went by, I hit my all-time low, physically. I could no longer accept my life being limited by these diagnoses, and I knew deep down that something else was wrong.
I was very athletic growing up and played just about every sport imaginable. I loved sports and anything that challenged me physically. I played outside often in my younger days, and we were lucky to have a couple acres in suburbia where we could go exploring. I remember growing up finding ticks on me, but I never thought anything of it. It wasn’t until the end of high school into my freshman year of college where my life changed drastically. All of a sudden, I couldn’t do anything physical without having a debilitating migraine. My days of playing sports were over. Everywhere I went I was always preoccupied with whether or not there would be a restroom nearby. My gut was constantly a nightmare. I lost a significant amount of weight, and the pain and fatigue started to limit me every day. Academically I went downhill, and my dream of veterinary school started slipping away. My family ended up pulling me out of college for a couple semesters to try to help me get better. I eventually improved enough to where I went back and graduated college, but overall, I was never really the same.
More years went by living this roller-coaster of feeling like shit. After college, I moved out west, fell in love, and married my best friend. We do everything together, and he introduced me into the outdoor lifestyle of hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. He’s seen and experienced my worst days. Once we said ‘I do,’ it wasn’t just me living the life of misery alone anymore. He was brought into it, too, and it was starting to tear our relationship apart. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I decided enough was enough. I needed more answers because I couldn’t go on with my life not being able to do the things I love. I wanted to be my best self for my husband and for me. I chose to leave conventional medical practices behind and go down the alternative medicine route to get to the bottom of my health conditions. A good friend (thank you again KH) recommended me to a naturopathic doctor in Denver, and it saved my life.
It started with a simple phone consultation bringing the doctor up to speed on my symptoms which, at the time, included major gut issues, hospitalized migraines, chronic fatigue, and infertility problems. When she asked more about my lifestyle and what I do in my free time, I could hear the light bulb go off in her head over the phone. She asked “have you ever been tested for Lyme Disease?” Not one doctor over the past decade and then some had mentioned Lyme Disease. She said we would have to start getting some things under control first, but Lyme Disease testing is something she strongly recommended once we got the gut environment under control. The body is amazing; I had everything from intestinal parasites to adrenal and hormonal issues. SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), leaky gut, renal and hepatic problems, food intolerances, the list goes on. We did months of holistic treatments and supplements to get my gut under control, and then the results came back from the Lyme test, and it was positive for Babesia – one of the many microbes related to Lyme Disease. It is extremely similar to malaria as it’s a blood parasite that lives in the red blood cells, but this one thrives under the body’s immune system radar. I had never been so relieved in my life hearing the news; but then reality set in, and I was terrified. What does this mean? Is it treatable? She assured me it was, but it was going to be a long road to recovery.
It will be a year now that I have been undergoing treatment for Lyme Disease. After more testing and holistic approaches, we are in full swing for treatment of Babesia, Bartonella, and Borrelia (all Lyme Disease specific microbes). I have noticed significant improvements and am relieved to have finally found my answer. But there is still a long road ahead to full recovery for me. The more I research this disease, the more I learn about so many people and their journeys of being affected by Lyme. It’s such a weird deal, because no one really understands it unless they have lived through it. I never understood it until I was diagnosed, and still to this day doctors everywhere are wary about Lyme Disease and if it even exists. The politics in it are crazy; some insurances and medical practices don’t even accept or acknowledge Lyme Disease. But the more research that has been done, the more answers and facts show that Lyme is surprisingly prevalent and more abundant than most people realize in the United States. The majority of cases go un-diagnosed for years (some decades, like mine), and others go undetected for entire lifetimes. Lyme’s specialty is living under the radar. The microbes or ‘bugs’ you get from a tick fester in the tissues of the body and the immune system struggles to recognize them to fight them off. The body starts to attack itself, and systems start to shut down to a point where they are in a constant state of stress. This makes the symptom list for Lyme extremely long. Like I said, the body is truly amazing and it’s incredible the things it does to survive. I am grateful for the progression I have experienced. The sense of community among Lyme survivors and warriors has supported my road to recovery as well. It has been a very stressful journey, no doubt – physically, mentally, and even financially. As we keep accumulating medical bills, I can’t help but believe that the path to getting better is worth it. People say you have nothing if you don’t have your health, and I completely agree. There’s no doubt in my mind I will beat Lyme, and I will finally get my life back. I have moved passed the dark days and now try to focus on the light. All I can think about is how excited I am to be at my fullest potential.
I have to admit, the irony of suffering from a disease I acquired from being outside is a little humorous. At this point, you have to have a positive outlook and see it as an ugly bully villain that is going to get its ass kicked. For those that are fighting, keep at it because winning is the only option.
You are truly an inspiration ❤️
Wow,,I am Glad they got it figured out,,Stay Strong,, And Kick its ASS big time