Some Welcome/Unwelcome News

So yesterday morning I received some news from my doctor. 

I have alluded to it in the past, but for the past year I have been having some neurological issues combined with some severe lethargy and fatigue and some joint pain and have been dealing with some sort of sickness pretty much every month. Basically I felt exhausted all the time and in turn, very frustrated at my exhaustion. 

I have been to several doctors and specialists and no one could figure out what was wrong. They suspected I was stressed from my school and work, which I technically was. They assumed I was depressed, which I was because I was stressed and tired all the time. They assumed I had Vitamin D deficiency, which maybe I did. 

But I still wasn't getting better. 

Last week I went into urgent care because I had an awful cough and had been sick for a solid month. I told them my symptoms and I ended up getting a full work-up of blood work and an x-ray. 

So the doctor called yesterday morning and left me a voicemail asking to call back as soon as I received the message.

So I called back and spoke with a nurse who told me that I had Lyme Disease. 

And I was ecstatic. For the past year I have been researching my symptoms and suspected I had Lyme. My neurological symptoms threw me off a bit (I was tested for MS) but I had a feeling. 

I had a very good friend who had late stage/chronic Lyme and she almost died. It was awful to see. But as a result, I was familiar with the symptoms. 

My brother also has a friend who is currently undergoing treatment for Lyme right now and when I told my brother my diagnosis, his verbose and eloquent response was "Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh shiiiiiiiiit. That sucks dude." He has such a way with words. 

I also had an incredibly odd encounter several years ago at a Barnes and Noble. An older woman started a conversation with me (I am one of those people who strangers always approach) and spoke to me about how there is a pharmaceutical 'conspiracy' to cover-up the epidemic of Lyme Disease because some people believe that Lyme is a cause for many neurological diseases later on in life and most prominently, Alzheimer's Disease. Her husband was currently suffering from Alzheimer's and at the time I honestly thought this woman was crazy. But she told me to go home and research and watch a movie called "Under our Skin" (the link takes you to the movie on Hulu- it's free and fascinating!) I went home and watched it and my mind was blown. 

I know my body. I knew something was wrong and it was so incredibly frustrating to constantly be told  "There's nothing wrong with you". I knew something was wrong and I finally got someone to find it for me. 

I felt so relieved. 

I am now on antibiotics and am really excited to begin treatment. I am a little nervous as well because about 1/3 of those with Lyme continue to experience symptoms after the antibiotics are through and some do get worse. I am cautiously optimistic but feel vindicated that I have "proof" there is something wrong. 

I am excited to begin my healing journey. I hope to regain some energy and feel like I am living life again because honestly, I feel like I have been sitting on the sidelines a lot. 

So while I am sad I have to go through this all, especially seeing how my friend struggled so much, I am relieved to have an answer and begin getting back on with my life again. 

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