Happy Fall!

With the coming Holiday season, I always love to sit back and count my blessings, and they are many. Life is wonderful, even with all it's challenges. This has been an interesting year with lots of learning experiences. First, as newlyweds, my husband and I have been working on starting to build our life together, and in September we celebrated our first anniversary. We have had a wonderful first year of marriage, and I feel like I have no bigger support or loyal partner in my fight against Lyme disease than I have in my wonderful husband. He has been my rock and is the biggest  blessing in my life. His patience and support through the ups and downs of treatment has been unwavering. His understanding of my physical, emotional and sometimes cognitive limitations has allowed me to be able to handle all of these things in a more positive way, although sometimes it has been extremely difficult. I'm sure it's been difficult for him, too, but he's never shown it. I am truly blessed.

The biggest news for me lately, is that we have recently decided to try a new approach to battling Lyme disease -- along with my current regimen -- and I'm not sure that I've felt this excited about possibilities the entire time I've been sick. I've researched this option and have personally talked to several people that are using it with wonderful results. Each one has had Lyme disease for varying stages of time, ranging from several months to almost 20 years. I have been very encouraged in discussing various symptoms, treatments and complications, all of which are very familiar to me, and in hearing of positive results and the one thing I feel like I haven't had much of since this strange odyssey began: HOPE. I want to see how it works for me, but will be sure to share my results and thoughts, including more information about this option in future posts.

The other thing I've tried to do this year, is to share with everyone I can the importance of being educated about Lyme disease. It's just way too important, and WAY too late once you've got it. Oh how I wish someone had informed me before that fateful visit to the East Coast in the late summer of 2003! All our extended family have gotten several email reminders from me on the importance of awareness. Sadly, I think most people really believe that it's rare, and only exists in certain parts of the country. So the warnings go for the most part unheeded. Lately I've heard several radio spots on the importance of protecting yourself from West Nile Virus, sponsored by the Health Department. If only people understood that Lyme is SO MUCH more prevalent, and far more dangerous to the average American than WNV.

Probably most of the people I talk to about Lyme think that I'm a little over-zealous. I can understand that. It's a complex disease with a very confusing history, controversial in the medical community and at best, difficult to treat. Still, I feel the need to share and in the interest of time, I've tried to come up with "talking points" to discuss with people whenever I hear of someone suffering with mysterious symptoms like joint pain or fatigue that have remained undiagnosed in spite of visits to lots of doctors. I know what it's like to suffer through that for years, and it's so unnecessary! I feel like I have an obligation to share with other people so that hopefully someone can avoid that type of situation.

I've had a hard time with keeping the blog up-to-date this year, but I will write more about my escapades in future posts. For now, I'm fighting the fight, and for the most part, feeling better. That's always something to be grateful for!