The tick bit Margie when she was 10, marking the start of a battle with Lyme disease, a battle that continues to this day, into Margie’s 50s.
Hers is a story of perseverance—one that shows you should never stop advocating for your own health.
Margie grew up on Shelter Island, where she spent a lot of time outdoors. After the tick bite, 27east writes that Margie’s joints froze, and the doctor diagnosed her with Montauk knee—an outdated term for Lyme’s.
Years passed; Margie lived her life. Whenever the Lyme relapsed, she’d simply sleep. Then, in 1999, another tick bit Margie. Antibiotics helped, but not enough to stave off launching Margie into one of the sickest periods of her life.
She developed dysautonomia and was a sick for just about six weeks. Over the next year, she relapsed on and off.
Margie told 27east that she hopped from doctor to doctor, none of whom offered her lasting help.
At that point, Margie made a decision:
“I just knew they did not know how to deal with Lyme disease and I needed to know who the smartest guys were.”
She attended an International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society meeting. There, she found Dr. Horowitz, a progressive Lyme specialist, who discovered Margie had a variety of co-infections.
Margie was prescribed several drugs, which took care of some of the symptoms. Not all. Brain swelling caused severe depression.
It wasn’t until more than a year later that Margie began to feel better—more like herself again.
To say the least, Margie’s journey with Lyme disease has been long and immensely challenging. But that’s not unlike journeys with other diseases.
I think Margie’s story reminds us all to never give up. To fight for our health, no matter the challenges. You can’t be reminded of that too often.
Around 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But these are only the reports. Studies suggest the number of people diagnosed with the disease each year could be as high as 300,000.
