As some of you may know I have been sick for almost two years with fibromyalgia, muscle pain, joint pain, migraine headaches, back pain, neck pain, and extreme fatigue, but have remained undiagnosed for Lyme. Two Elisa Lyme tests came back negative, but we now know those tests are not reliable and I am currently searching for a Lyme Literate MD who can help me get a proper diagnosis.
I became ill in June 2013 with the sudden onset of the flu, and that summer my health began to slowly decline. By September 2013, I found myself incapacitated by pain. Originally, I thought I was just rundown because of stress-- we were in the middle of buying/selling a house and my beloved dog Elvis had recently passed away. Also, I didn't remember getting bitten by a tick, so was not thinking Lyme. I have since learned that not everybody gets the bullseye rash and that my flu-like symptoms could have been a indicator of Lyme.
Several weeks prior to this flu, my sister and I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Northern NJ. The woods were heavy with ticks (and I remember checking for them afterwards as best I could). If I had known then what I know now (how prevalent Lyme disease is), I would have never hiked this part of the Appalachian which took us deep into the woods without discernible trails.
However, it is likely I could have just as easily gotten Lyme in my backyard. Part of the reason I love this area of NJ is because of the natural beauty and the wildlife. We often have deer sightings. Unfortunately, I can no longer let my dogs go out to certain parts of my yard without pulling multiple ticks off of them. In October 2014, my dog Brownie was diagnosed with Lyme. Interestingly, the blood test for dogs seems to be more reliable than the tests they currently have for humans. But even after one round of antibiotics, my dog continues to suffer from Lyme, and I see her struggle to walk sometimes and know it's affecting her joints and muscles, just as it has mine.
I'm walking to raise awareness about Lyme, so that people like me -- who love the outdoors and wildlife and walking their dogs-- understand the risks involved. There are more than 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease a year, and more that are undiagnosed. At this point in time, it is the fastest growing vector borne disease in the US.
Lyme is a hideous disease that robs people of their vitality and life. I went from being a highly functioning person who exercised regularly and juggled multiple tasks and projects to a person who could barely get out of bed. I couldn't focus, read, or write, and even found watching TV to be a chore. I went to multiple doctors and received epidurals, cortisone shots, and trigger points injections that only seemed to make my symptoms worse. I was in constant, chronic pain for over eighteen months until I discovered alternative therapies and began working to rebuild my weakened immune system. But still, after almost two years of constant attention to my health, I don't feel 100% better. I feel there is something inside me, a virus, that is undermining all my best efforts to get well.
Please join us and donate to help fight these horrible, life altering disease.
#Lyme #GlobalLymeAlliance #FightLymeDisease
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