Friday, June 17, 2016

Life After Lyme

It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog.  I wanted this blog to be a resource for others, rather than a rant about the ravages of Lyme disease anyway. Beating Lyme disease is about like beating cancer.  I have heard others compare the two diseases and I think that it is a true comparison.  But I am here to tell you that recovery from Lyme is possible.  A year ago, I would not have said that.

It helps that I have moved to a smaller house.  I no longer have a large yard to take care of, or a long driveway to shovel in winter.  This home has a much smaller yard. There is no deck to paint or sweep, only a cement patio.  The fence is vinyl instead of wood.  The driveway is short.  There are only three trees that must be raked in the fall.  And of course, I am older and it makes that kind of work more difficult, even without the Lyme disease.

Since I have recovered from Lyme, I can do almost everything that I could do before the disease.  I can turn a doorknob, drive, walk, and I have regained most of my flexibility.  Fatigue and endurance are still a problem, but I am working on it!

I still have tinnitus, but it comes and goes.  Yesterday, I did not notice it at all, but it returned today for some reason.  From everything that I have read about Lyme disease, that sort of relapsing is very typical.  Perhaps some day, instead of calling it chronic Lyme, doctors will call it relapsing Lyme disease, because the symptoms will disappear, only to return later, when it gets cold out, or when you are under stress.

I hope that this blog has helped some people.  I am not sure that I can add much more to the dialogue about Lyme disease.  More research needs to be done on this disease.  Lyme disease needs to move up there with the Zika virus as a health concern for our country and the world.  And doctors and dentists need to be educated about Lyme disease symptoms, testing, and treatment.