I am a long-time member, but I am so emotionally overwhelmed by being sick ALL the time. I have been keeping my head in the sand, and thinking I could "wait it out" but it is not working. I NEED to stop lying to myself. For 25 months now, I can't leave my house anymore or even wear clothes due to constant sweating of (what must still be) Babesia.
So, my solution was to tune out all of Earth. I have been little more than a voice on the phone to my loved ones, only able to visit in person with my husband. I settled for being a loving and helpful resource for all the ones I love---but only by phone. I entered the Lyme ride with my Ticked Off Literally blog and followed it up with the (never monetized) 7 Lyme Facts video (99k views?!)
I LOVE that people are seeing it! Had I monetized it, would I had the funds to get treatment? OR would YouTube decide my use of an Enya song means it had to be pulled? I didn't want a financial motive tied to it, so I just made it and walked away, hoping it would help people. We will never know, but I had to stop treatment, and then got sicker, and didn't know what to do. So I stayed away from the whole Lyme community, because I felt like I could no longer help anyone else, and had no clue how to help myself. I PROMISE to never do this again. I will get more active because there are many ways we can support each other, in addition to ratting out the corruption.
I am going to stop isolating myself and try harder to get better. When I created the 7 lyme facts video, I just wanted to help everyone so badly. Now I realize I can't even help *myself*. WHY I have not lost hope is beyond ME! I guess I can still say my optimism isn't dead! Here's a good one:
Lyme feels like AIDS, only without the stigma. OH WAIT! Never mind. I DID SLEEP with The Tick! :~)
Does anyone here remember me? I think I remember some of you. I will read up, get re-familiarized, myself with old friends I hope, help where I can and, learn what I can. This is a great community and we have a lot to offer each other.
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
Welcome back. Let us know how we can help.
Posted by LymeLearned (Member # 20565) on :
You are the best!
I got so oddly lucky on my most unlucky day ever. I was only out doors ONE DAY, and was near horses, so I came back in and put socks on and shoes. I'd rushed out in an emergency to get my daughter away from a horse.
SO, I had never seen a tick, but was in sandals and put socks on in case I had to go back out because I was in the brush, and sure they had ticks. Then I realized 48-hours later, that I had trapped two under my socks.
Bitten WED * May 27th, 2009 I WAS in a spine center to get a cervical spine injection on Friday 5-29, and was in the pre-op room when the decision was made to unplug the IV and cancel the spinal injection. Instead I was off to urgent care to have the tick plucked from my ankle.
LYME warriors here saved me from spreading it directly into my nervous system!
I'd be dead for sure, as the ticks tested DNA-PCR positive for Lyme/Borrelia.
This happened in Mountain Grove, MO but I had been a life-long Californian, and stayed a week in Yosemite every summer, taking pictures that were only available after 2hour hikes up the trails, to points like Bridal Veil Falls.
I was already sick with Mystery "auto-immune" illnesses when I was bitten in 2009.
Do you mind if I ask where you were bitten?
Thank you for replying. I am sorry you are sick too. This is so weird, isn't it?
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
I never saw the tick that bit me, but I think it was in Southern Illinois as I got very ill after hiking there.
Tick probably got into my ear or underneath my dark hair on my scalp.
Guess it doesn't matter as ticks are everywhere.
Posted by LymeLearned (Member # 20565) on :
Hiker53, I am so sure that is what would've happened to me had I not had the fluke of putting on those socks, so they settled on my ankles.
I am 100% sure it happened in Yosemite too, but I was profoundly ignorant before the year 2000, as internet data was scant to nil, & no one else was talking.
Ticks are everywhere. You are so right, and the percentage of them carrying Lyme is higher every year, too-as if that matters. Odds are always 100% when it happens. I know.
Plus, I think that the downplaying of the odds is another way to avoid treating the patients, even with known tick bites.
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