In our last post we heard from Jennifer Tiszai. Today we hear her 12-year-old daughter's Lyme story.
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One and a half years ago I got Lyme disease without even knowing it. I was a very nice, and energetic 5th grader who was new at school. I’ve moved 9 times in my life and have never been to the same school for two years until I moved to Plymouth, Indiana.
I was so happy… until December. I started feeling so weak and tired all the time I had to go to the doctor almost every other week. Finally I got so sick I had to drop out of the fifth grade and had to be home-schooled for the rest of the year. The doctor thought I had mono and that’s when I got my first blood draw. I went to the doctor more and more times because I still wasn’t feeling better, it even felt like I was feeling worse. But more doctor visits also equaled having more blood drawn. One time I had so much blood drawn I almost fainted which has never happened in my entire life (I am not a fainter) and on top of that I almost threw up. Yuck!
Finally a test came back that said I was positive for Lyme disease. I was on so many medications and it felt like I didn’t help, but when the next school year came around I thought that I would give school another try. It felt like I was cured when I started the sixth grade. I even tried out for volley ball and got in and I loved it. But as I started it got tiring and hard, but I tried my best to stay in there.
But eventually we found out that my mother had Lyme disease too. It was even harder and we got so sick that we had to go out to California and stay with my grandparents for 4 months from November to February. But at least it was always warm and we went swimming every week.
I can barely go outside anymore. I don’t see my friends anymore. We’ve had to move and that’s been hard. It affects my activities and what I can eat. I had to quit my first job picking strawberries because I was too weak to keep working. It scares me thinking about the future and wondering how long I’m going to be sick. With my mom being sick too, sometimes I feel like I’m on my own.
I still have to take my medication and I am being home-schooled again, but at least it is for the best. And that is my story for Lyme disease. I know sometimes it feels like no one knows how you feel but no matter what God will always be with you because he loves you and created you for a purpose in life. It will be a challenge to get through this but nothing is impossible when you have God at your side.
-- Caitlyn E. Tiszai, Michigan
I was so happy… until December. I started feeling so weak and tired all the time I had to go to the doctor almost every other week. Finally I got so sick I had to drop out of the fifth grade and had to be home-schooled for the rest of the year. The doctor thought I had mono and that’s when I got my first blood draw. I went to the doctor more and more times because I still wasn’t feeling better, it even felt like I was feeling worse. But more doctor visits also equaled having more blood drawn. One time I had so much blood drawn I almost fainted which has never happened in my entire life (I am not a fainter) and on top of that I almost threw up. Yuck!
Finally a test came back that said I was positive for Lyme disease. I was on so many medications and it felt like I didn’t help, but when the next school year came around I thought that I would give school another try. It felt like I was cured when I started the sixth grade. I even tried out for volley ball and got in and I loved it. But as I started it got tiring and hard, but I tried my best to stay in there.
But eventually we found out that my mother had Lyme disease too. It was even harder and we got so sick that we had to go out to California and stay with my grandparents for 4 months from November to February. But at least it was always warm and we went swimming every week.I can barely go outside anymore. I don’t see my friends anymore. We’ve had to move and that’s been hard. It affects my activities and what I can eat. I had to quit my first job picking strawberries because I was too weak to keep working. It scares me thinking about the future and wondering how long I’m going to be sick. With my mom being sick too, sometimes I feel like I’m on my own.
I still have to take my medication and I am being home-schooled again, but at least it is for the best. And that is my story for Lyme disease. I know sometimes it feels like no one knows how you feel but no matter what God will always be with you because he loves you and created you for a purpose in life. It will be a challenge to get through this but nothing is impossible when you have God at your side.
-- Caitlyn E. Tiszai, Michigan
Thank you Caitlyn for sharing your story here with us. The courage and faith that you express gives us all hope in our own journeys with Lyme. You are in my prayers today.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, sweetie. I know it's hard but there are people who love you and are praying for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story. I'm a lyme disease sufferer with coinfections and although I'm much older than you I know exactly how you feel and I don't see my friends anymore either. Things will get better for you and your mom and as you get well more things will fall into place.
ReplyDelete