My Personal Chronic Illness Journal – 20201001-

The daily challenge one experiences when living with Lyme disease

My journey has progressed one experience  has become the biggest issue. That is the lack of understanding of how we feel when we interact with our family, friends and even most health professionals.

They just don’t get it! And this leads even the most positive person, who I always considered to be, to a place of self doubt and elevated anxiety and frustration.
Maybe a quick review of, “what is chronic Lyme disease” will help.

So What is Chronic Lyme Disease?

Per the doctors over at the Biologix Center, “Chronic Lyme disease is initially introduced to the body by different strains and species of Borrelia bacteria, most often, Borrelia burgdorferi. It is often named, “The Great Imitator”, because its symptoms have been known to mimic hundreds of other illnesses.
Due to the wide variety of symptoms that it can cause, many doctors dismiss chronic, ongoing Lyme as a true disease…..The reality is that every system in the body can become damaged as a result of Lyme disease and therefore every system must be addressed before health can be restored.”

So, What are the major symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease?

Again from the Biologix Center, “Lyme disease does not affect any two people in the exact same way. Even when a person is living a seemingly symptom-free, healthy life, there are always underlying issues and weaknesses that are made worse by physical and emotional challenges in life. These weaknesses are what dictate which symptoms are manifested in each unique patient’s body.  Some patients may experience one severe symptom, while others may experience over fifty major symptoms, even when both groups test highly positive for LD on blood tests….The reality is that any underlying immune, endocrine, genetic/epigenetic, and other bioregulatory dysfunctions, as well as any unresolved physical, mental, or emotional issues will be manifested physically or psychologically as the body loses its ability to control overgrowth of the Borrelia and other co-infections associated with Lyme disease. These unique underlying dysfunctions, combined with the Borrelia’s ability to suppress the immune system even further, are the reasons why LD can create so many diverse symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms include:
  • Rash – most are solid pink to red; uncommon: “bull’s-eye” or other appearance
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle and joint pain
  •  The non-rash symptoms are often described as a “summertime flu.” Some people may notice areas of numbness or tingling.
  • Once the infection spreads beyond the skin, it can affect any system of the body, causing many symptoms including:
  • Debilitating fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Muscle pain
  • Arthritis
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Nerve pain and weakness
  • Heart problems
  • Psychiatric symptoms: anxiety, depression, irritability, psychosis, and more
  • Difficulty with thinking, memory, language and math skills
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Problems with vision and hearing.”
I wish more people would see this post and learn how much their friends or family is really feeling with all these symptoms. It may explain why they don’t get together as much anymore. Why going out for diner is only possible if we can set it up that day..that hour. Planning ahead is only guaranteed if it is a treatment appointment. We will drag our butt to IV Infusion therapy even when we would rather lay on the couch.
That’s all I got for now. Don’t like sounding like a complainer.