To catch up on Alexis’ Lyme disease journey, check out Part 1 of her story here.
“In my line of work, when evaluating a case for a newly placed foster child or child experiencing trauma, we can often predict success of the child based on family support, support from community and resilience of the individual. I have an amazing husband, great friends and support from the Lyme community who are the most resilient and kind people.
I also have something not a lot of people get, which is a Lyme buddy, Rachel, who I met online through a friend. Rachel has one of the most important pillars of support- she understands what it is like to battle the monster inside. I also have an incredible husband, who being a cancer survivor, has been able to understand and support me throughout this process.”
“I believe I had been showing symptoms for two years, however it is hard to pin down what was Lyme and what was my body before Lyme.”
“My symptoms started with worse anxiety than normal accompanied by sheet-drenching night sweats.”
“The sweats increased in frequency and as I became more stressed about my work environment, my whole back would break out in hives that have since left scars. My weight had never been an issue until 2014, when I noticed I seemed to be more bloated. After months of bloating and slow weight gain, my weight ballooned to an increase of 40 lbs. in three months.
To me, it’s possible something had been a trigger that set off a whole slew of symptoms. I never recalled one specific tick bite, a rash or anything that would lead me to believe it could be Lyme.”
“After I had gone to see my LLMD, we started on herbal treatments (Samento and Banderol) to prepare my body for antibiotics. The herxing effects began immediately– I would have a two-day migraines that left me unable to move, on a few separate occasions had to go to urgent care and receive IV Morphine for the amount of muscular pain I was in. I became very resourceful at finding places to vomit, as the doxycycline made me sick. There were also little bursts of good days when I was able to walk around town with my husband and months later, be able to sit through a movie without debilitating back pain.”
“The most difficult parts of Lyme for me have been losing who I am as a person and rebuilding myself.”
“Amid the chronic pain, I had become increadibly depressed, and extremely angry. I was also beating myself up over being so ill- my husband and I hadn’t even been married a year before Lyme came into our lives. It felt as though Lyme had taken everything from me.
As time went on, and after much therapy, couples therapy and learning how to tolerate my new Lyme-self, I began to grow as a person. My husband and I learned what the true meaning of marriage was- we would often cry together, discussing how this disease had impacted our lives. My husband, being a cancer survivor, was able to offer insight.
“I began to appreciate the little things, like being able to walk.”
I appreciated my friends more than I ever had- as the Lyme diagnosis divided my family from Lyme believers and nonbelievers, I appreciate those who supported more than ever. I also began to appreciate my body- the body I had hated for betraying me, I learned to appreciate it as a warrior who is constantly at battle, heroic and never giving up.”
To say I don’t struggle often would be lying- I still go through periods of intensive depression, anger, denial (I can totally eat gluten, right? HA!)and grief; however acceptance has started to come easier these days.
“With Lyme, I truly believe there is a grieving process one must go through and it is necessary to feel all of the uncomfortable emotions it brings. However, I also know that I am stronger than I had ever thought and pretty damn amazing for making it this far.”
I am currently waiting on receiving IV antibiotics to better address the neurological Lyme. I am entering this phase of treatment feeling more hopeful than I have in over a year, because now I have more faith in myself than ever before.
