25 Reasons Why Being a Lyme Patient May Automatically Make You a Badass
1. While some people have a comic book collection or collect rare stamps, you collect infections, and happen to have more than a loaded petri dish.
2. You take more than 55 pills in one day, and can swallow 6-10 at one time.
3. When you fill out a ``symptom survey'' at the doctor's office, you begrudgingly check off 47 of the 60 symptoms listed. If you were being completely honest with yourself, you'd probably check off 52.
4. You've opted to have a portacatheter surgically placed in your chest...while you were awake.
5. You've given so much blood at one given time that the nurse had to switch veins because the one in use ``dried up''.
6. A surgeon has said ``Oops'' while performing surgery on you...and you were awake to hear it.
7. You've swallowed a camera, drank radioactive dye or have been injected with something that temporarily made you glow.
8. It has been proven that your stomach attempts to digest backwards, and food magically travels upward rather than down.
9. You've been able to fill an entire day with meals despite having more food allergies than you can count on your fingers and toes....and your mom's fingers and toes.
10. You've peed just about every color of the rainbow, except blue.
11. You've juiced more than seven vegetables at a time, and drank it. You have the tomato seeds on your ceiling to prove it.
12. Your spleen and/or liver has blown up, much like an inflated balloon.
13. Most girls don't leave the house without making sure their lip gloss is safely tucked into their purse. In your purse, you've got an epipen resting next to your lip balm and a mask folded up by your sunglasses.
14. Your liver enzymes have elevated to ten times what was considered within the ``normal'' range, and you never once puked.
15. You've had a head to toe rash which elicited a ``whoa'' from a doctor.
16. You've been diagnosed with a condition that nurses actually have to ask you how to spell.
17. You followed orders without question when you were told to shoot ozone in places where you never imagined it'd belong, or when you were informed to use coffee in a way that is rather unconventional, to say the least.
18. You find yourself tapping your finger to the beat of your heart palpitations.
19. You've had injections of liquid thicker than maple syrup shot into your stomach, thigh, lower back, or in regions you'd rather not disclose, and you didn't even cry...or receive a lollypop.
20. You've blacked out in the bathtub or in the shower, and you didn't drown.
21. You had your first colonoscopy before your grandparents had their first colonoscopy.
22. You've had an IV bag full of something that an average person would never even consider injecting into their veins, nor will they ever have to.
23. While watching Grey's Anatomy, you realize that you have the same blood pressure as the patient who's excessively bleeding on the screen.
24. Your heart rate has either been half of what it should be, or double what's considered safe, but you still managed to get up and make lunch.
25. You've been sick every day of your life for more than four years and still manage to be optimistic enough, and brave enough, to wake up every morning and do it all again.
[ 08-17-2010, 10:57 PM: Message edited by: Haley ]
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
| IP: Logged |
BackinStOlaf
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23725
posted
oh boy, this is sad
-------------------- First Symptom 9/09 Multiple docs, negative Labcorp test LLMD: 1/10 Positive Igenex/CDC test Treatment 2/10 2/10-8/10 Amox, ceftin, zith, flagyl Currently: Bicillin, Minocycline, still dealing with severe breathing issues
Posts: 1121 | From New York, New York | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
Wow, can I see myself in this!
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
joalo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12752
posted
Sad...but true.
-------------------- Sick since January 1985. Misdiagnosed for 20 years. Tested CDC positive October 2005. Treating since April 2006. Posts: 3228 | From Somewhere west of the Mississippi | Registered: Aug 2007
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- 10. You've peed just about every color of the rainbow, except blue.
And some DO pee blue - or purple. That's really the time to learn about porphyria.
Yeah, this is a sobering list. Stuff that would have freaked me out decades ago is just ho-hum now. With very little guidance from the medical field and much abuse, we manage to survive and keep our spirit and humor about us. I especially like the last one:
25. You've been sick every day of your life for more than four years and still manage to be optimistic enough, and brave enough, to wake up every morning and do it all again. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
Haley
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22008
posted
Unfortunately I can check just about everyone of these.
Like this one:
15. You've had a head to toe rash which elicited a ``whoa'' from a doctor.
I went to the ER and everyone looked at me like I was a Leper. I have to laugh looking back.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
"3. When you fill out a ``symptom survey'' at the doctor's office, you begrudgingly check off 47 of the 60 symptoms listed. If you were being completely honest with yourself, you'd probably check off 52."
I laughed at this one. So sad, but so true.
And then some doctors didn't like how I filled out my surveys with so many "non-specific" complaints.
So yes, when I visit some doctors, I am less than honest with the amount of symptoms I have/had.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
| IP: Logged |
Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
Hee hee, written by our member LittleLymie19; she's becoming quite the accomplished writer.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
MADDOG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18
posted
When checking off the survey at the doctors office.
At least I never had menstral problems!!!being a guy.I passed one question!!!!
posted
#13 about the epipen... Not everyone can say that...but we can!
Great post!
Posts: 27 | From Cottontown, Tn | Registered: Jun 2010
| IP: Logged |
2roads
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4409
posted
I think it's time to add a check box for "All the Above". Let's face it, it would save time and energy. Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
Haley
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22008
posted
Hey 2 roads - I like that one. I'll share that with my LLMD.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[shake]](graemlins/shake.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Not everyone can say that...but we can!![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic