posted
Rewind to 2003. That summer while on break from college, I picked up Lyme while putting up hay on the family farm. I kept getting sicker and sicker. It was not until 2010 where *finally* some medical professional dignasosed me with Lyme. At that point in 2010, I was pretty far gone, I don't think I had much time left without being treated.
I've been on treatment now since being dignasosed,and am finally able to see substantial improvement. I'm far from being 'normal', but for the first time in 9 years I can expect to do *something* each day even if it is simple things.
Feeling less-dead, has proven to be bittersweet. My life as I knew it ended in 2003. I truly feel like Rip Van Winkle, waking up in 2012 and everything changed. Basically most everything is overwhelming to me compaired to what I was used to. Everything has changed around me, and it seems impossible to even try to pick up where I left off.
Whether it be still being used to Windows XP, what the heck is facebook and twitter, a 2002 truck still being 'new' to me, or the difficulty comprehending all my friends are now college grads married with families that moved out of state.
While enjoying feeling much 'less-dead', this is a difficult concept for me to grasp that so much time elapsed with me being out of it. Has anyone else with lyme been through similar feelings, and if so, how did you deal with it. Any suggestions?
posted
Oh yes - you describe it very well - for me, I found out I couldn't go back to the ways of the olden days when modern folks looked me up on the internet and then came over to me at a very nonLyme-related event I was participating in to talk about Lyme disease!
I was surprised, but then realized this is the way it is these days - new media, new access. If anything, learn how to use it, is my suggestion.
And also give yourself time to mourn your lost years. It's what has happened to us, against our will.
We are living an altered life and cannot compare our lives to those of healthy folks.
Don't be afraid to explain to folks what happened - it's not our fault. I think it's good to explain for a couple reasons -
it helps them to understand us, it warns them - hopefully with preventive action like using tick repellent, etc, and it alerts anyone who may have symptoms and has no clue. Then we can help them.
Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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dbpei
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33574
posted
k84 - welcome and thank you for sharing your story so eloquently. The article below may be of comfort to you.
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