Only Half of Me--Sara Hesley: Part 1

I grew up in a beautiful small town in western Kentucky. I spent much of my childhood playing outdoors at my grandmother’s little farm “in the country” and, as a teenager, with a growing love for nature, I frequented the Land Between the Lakes for long hikes, picnics and camping trips. Ticks were just part of being outside. We’d do tick-checks when we got home and flush the little buggers down the toilet. They were common and no one seemed to think anything of them. Nor did anyone seem to know the potential dangers of the illnesses they carry. As creepy as ticks may be, they didn’t keep me from doing the things I loved or visiting places of beauty in nature.

As a child and teenager, I was healthy, strong and athletic. I swam every day in the summer, played varsity tennis from the seventh or eighth grade through my junior year of high school, often accompanied my father on golf outings and helped my mother in the garden. I never had a broken bone, any sort of surgery, or any memorable illness until my senior year. During the late summer of 1995, I accompanied a friend on an off-trail exploration through a forest in Cadiz, Kentucky.

At some point during our hike, I discovered a multitude of ticks crawling all over my legs, as did my friend. They were too many to count and had somehow managed to find their way past pant legs down to my ankles, and socks pulled up to my knees. Both of us were covered from the hips down with these tiny monsters. It was the first time I experienced ticks in mass numbers, so many of them covering such a large area of my body. While a random tick here or there was common, this was a new experience with a distinct sense of urgency.

I Will Beat These Beasts--Lydia Niederwerfer:Part 2

How in the world was I able to afford his fee? The initial consultation for Lyme was 2-3 hours. We had one consultation. He agreed to take the fee in payments so that when I did find a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, I would be able to see him/her. A day or two later, he called me with a referral of a doctor who was willing to see me. What a relief, and he was only an hour away. The tests confirmed my suspicions. I was found positive for Babesia, Lyme, and Bartonella.

In September 2009 I began antibiotic treatment. The doctor had recovered from Lyme and Babesia as well. He was aware of the CDC and IDSA guidelines; he knew first hand that some of us do not recover as quickly as the guidelines state, for he had experienced this himself. I am grateful for his diligence to help me become well. Although the road I traveled earlier with Lyme was horrible, I was blessed that this time that I did not experience the symptoms all at once that had caused me to become bedridden.

At first, I thought that I could not go through this again because I experienced the sensation of burning if anything touched my skin. With every breath I took, I felt the burning pain. It became very difficult for me to walk once again. I had to bring out the cane and knee braces I had once used. Oh, how I despised that! The night sweats, fever and chills were overwhelming at times. I couldn’t understand how you could be burning up and freezing at the same time. The night sweats drenched my clothes and my bedding every night.

I Will Beat These Beasts--Lydia Niederwerfer:Part 1

The Story Begins

After a gorgeous day of picnicking and canoeing, I discovered a tick buried in my shoulder. Who knew that this small insect would change my life? I went to the ER and was given 10 days of Doxycycline just to be cautious. A couple days later, I had the Bull’s Eye rash, mild headaches, minor flu-like symptoms, and a stiff neck. The standard regimen seemed to help because I felt better.

A couple weeks later, I began getting stiff knees. Besides my stiffness, I was experiencing headaches, hot flashes, chills, stiffness, and fatigue. I asked for another treatment of antibiotics and was refused, not only by one doctor, but many. The Western Blot and Elisa tests were defined as negative, only 3/5 bands positive with others described as IND. Despite the tick, all the early clinical symptoms and some positive bands, the doctors refused to think Lyme was to blame. It had to be something else.

After numerous tests to rule out ms, lupus, meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, etc., my central nervous system functions began to go awry. Quickly, I became completely debilitated. It was as if someone poured a bucket of symptoms over my body all at once. The list was endless: severe nerve pain, one stiff hip, uncontrollable shaking of hands and arms, constant low grade fever, peripheral neuropathy, temporary loss of sight, tunnel vision, chest pains, severe pain all along my spine, flu-like symptoms, loss of night vision, loss of speech, loss of motor functions, loss of coordination, difficulty walking, numbness and tingling of head, hands and feet, arthritis, short term memory loss, loss of hair, loss of cognition, inability to hold urination, diarrhea, and severe migraines. With each breath my entire body burned. I hoped each breath I took would be my last. I became bedridden, severely depressed and unable to do any work. I had to endure the indignity of having to be bathed and clothed by my husband.

A Diagnosis After 36 Years--Christina Lindell

Please understand that if I had written this a few years back, it would have not only been a breeze, but I would have been thrilled to embark on a project with such a hugely important subject. Writing is my heart. It kills me to say that it is now the hardest thing in the world for me to do. Lyme is in my brain, and my mind is what has paid the biggest price. This is my story, painfully condensed.

In the summer of 1973 I was bitten by a tick. At first the little bump behind my ear didn’t bother me much, but then it started to feel hot. It must have bothered Mom too because she brought me to the doctor to have it removed. It felt like the doctor had stuck a needle behind my ear and I screamed. I was only three years old.

About a week later, I developed encephalitis, an infection of the brain. It began with a fever and a nightmare I could not wake up from. There were bees all around me, stinging and burning my skin. Finally, I opened my eyes to the painfully bright walls of our bathroom. My father sat in front of me, eyes wild and fearful. I wanted to tell him I was awake, but my head hurt and the light was too bright. I closed my eyes and the buzzing in my ears turned to sirens.

Another Battered Soldier--Holly Heisey

I’m twenty-four and I’ve been sick since I was ten. I got sick on the first day of fifth grade, and nobody believed it wasn’t because I didn’t want to go to school. A month later my parents pulled me out and I was homeschooled. I went through countless doctors, and that’s terrifying when you’re an adult, let alone ten. I found a nutritionist who helped me get well enough to go back to sixth grade, but by then I had many allergies and physical weaknesses that kept me from really fitting back in.

I stayed mostly healthy until eighth grade, when I got sick all over again. I had to leave school in the middle of the year. I was having panic attacks (of course it was all in my head!), short breath, vertigo, and I always felt like I was going to be sick or pass out. Another round of doctors ensued, one of whom wanted to admit me to a mental facility because he was convinced I was suicidal. Tell that to a fourteen-year-old.

I finished eighth grade at home and continued to homeschool, but I also continued to get worse. Finally, my family found out our home was infested with stachybotris, a deadly toxic mold. We moved, and we have nothing today that we owned before fall of 2001. It was a miracle that we got out relatively unscathed. We thought all our health problems were over.

Trial by Fire--Chris Michael Nimphius: Part 2

Last January on my 23rd birthday I checked into the hospital, as suggested by my neurologist, to have a battery of tests run. I had MRI’s, CT scans, a spinal tap, HIV and AIDS test, and saw an infectious disease specialist. Everything came back stellar except for an elevated white blood cell count. They released me from the hospital, told me I had migraine issues, and prescribed meds.

They suggested I see a balance specialist next, so I had a balance test done. It showed slight damage in my left ear but was at the marginal level to have any impact. The specialists said I had a vestibular problem and needed balance therapy. I went along with it and had balance therapy three times a week.

Each time I went my vertigo increased gradually and the therapist was perplexed that I hadn’t shown any improvement. I decided to go seek a second opinion at the Eye and Ear Infirmary in NYC, one of the best. I took another vestibular test and various others. This time nothing came back at all. I went to the head of the department who was well renowned for making “miracles” happen with his patients. He treated me for four months, again with no substantial gains. A very confident man, he was baffled and told me he was deeply sorry that he could do nothing for me.