My blog wouldn’t be complete without me giving you at least a little of my background (to start off….I’m sure I’ll add/change more as time goes on) so you can get a feel for who I am and hopefully be able to connect in ways other than just reading black words on a screen. I’ll first briefly summarize where I am in my Lyme journey, and then will give you a lens into other facets of my life, if you so choose to read.
I am currently on a quest to reclaim the life I once had that has been stolen from me by Chronic Lyme Disease and other chronic co-infections. Yes, it exists. Yes, it exists in Kentucky. No, this wasn’t mentioned to me until June of 2013. We now know that I’ve probably been dealing with Lyme & Co since I was a young child (so probably 20 years), but particularly in the past decade I’ve been given diagnosis after diagnosis and medication after medication to manage symptom after symptom, and since January of 2013 things have drastically gone downhill as far as my ability to function goes. For over a year, we’ve traveled too many hours to count, desperately searching for a doctor through whom God could work to truly heal me. We made several trips to the Cleveland Clinic in 2013 and after numerous extensive (and expensive) tests, the doctors there said they had no idea what was going on with me. We had tests done at the hospital affiliated with WVU in Morgantown, West Virginia, which also provided no answers. In June of 2013 I finally connected with an Integrative Medicine doctor in central Kentucky who was the first doctor to mention Lyme & Co-infections to us…and finally something made sense! Working with this doctor I was able to successfully taper off ALL prescription medications I had been on for years (oral, injectable, and IV) and start an intense regimen of natural supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies which is one of the best decisions I’ve made–ever. However, that doctor had limitations as far as his knowledge of/experience with treating Lyme & Co and we reached a point where we felt we needed to explore other options. We also traveled to New York City in September of 2013 so I could see a Lyme specialist, but that didn’t work out, either, because like so many doctors governed by the CDC, the IDSA, and insurance companies (all of whom insist chronic Lyme doesn’t exist), that doctor acknowledged that I may have Lyme but wouldn’t treat it in the long-term way we know is needed for true healing.
Backtracking for a second, in August of 2013, we called to schedule an appointment with a doctor in Tennessee who came highly recommended by a friend who is also fighting Lyme & Co., but at that time there was no available new patient appointment till April of 2014, 8 months out. Thankfully, we booked the appointment anyway and by the grace of God alone, the doctor had a cancellation in early December and was able to see us 4 months earlier than we anticipated. And there is no doubt in any of our minds that God orchestrated this entire situation to get us to this doctor, who we know is the man God is going to work through to facilitate my healing. I can’t say enough good things about my initial appointment, or about the fact that the doctor prayed with us at the end of the appointment (which overwhelmed me so much my shirt became soaked from my sobbing), or about how he is probably the most knowledgeable man I’ve ever met, or about how nice and helpful and caring every single person that works in his office is. It is truly a miracle, connecting with this doctor and finally having confidence that not only my Lyme & Co’s, but also any number of other chronic conditions we continue to discover, are going to be treated to the point where I will get my life back.
Some of my non-Lyme related info:
I live in a small town in Kentucky, and I’ve lived here my entire life with the exception of the 4 years I spent away at college (which was in another small town in Kentucky so I wasn’t too far away, ever!). I am happily married (since June of 2011) to the man who quite literally is the perfect match God ordained for me. Not only is my husband unbelievably tolerant and patient when it comes to all of my quirks and my medical battles, but he also doesn’t let those struggles come between us and the countless things we enjoy doing together that I’m not sure anyone else would enjoy quite as much as we do (like going to the comic book store or playing Jeopardy on the Wii or watching UK basketball/Atlanta Braves baseball or honeymooning in Disney World). I really am immeasurably blessed to have such a wonderful man who is not just my husband but also my best friend.
I have a pretty amazing family outside of my husband, as well. My parents are both essentially from this same Kentucky town. Throughout my life, my parents have been fixtures I can feel completely comfortable going to with any concern and knowing they won’t judge me or think less of me. My moral upbringing and good character I credit to them, almost exclusively. I also have an older brother, older sister, and a younger sister. Growing up I was closest to my younger sister because we were around each other constantly and we had a lot of fun together (well, technically we STILL have fun together frequently!), and as my brother and I get older, we grow closer and enjoy spending time with each other more and more. I’m blessed to have one grandparent still living, and I make every effort I can to enjoy to the fullest extent the time we have her here. My extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) is far too extensive to list, but I will say that I’m blessed with so many caring family members who I wouldn’t trade for the world. My in-laws (mother-in-law, fathers-in-law, sis-in-law, and all the others that would again take too long to type out) are amazing and I am so fortunate to not only have my biological family that loves me wholeheartedly but to also have my husband’s side of the family who treats me just like I’m one of the family there, as well. It’s all very cool.
I love writing. I love writing so much that I devoted my 4 years in college to receiving an English degree. I love reading, grammar, editing, and anything to do with the written word. I also thoroughly enjoy public speaking. It really gives me a rush and I love being able to present to local high school classes and the like. I attend an amazing church and my church and Sunday school family is in some ways just another branch of my extended family–and in some ways I feel as if several people in my church family are close enough to be considered honorary biological family members. God has blessed us so much in this regard. I am Michelle Kwan (the American figure skater/Senior Advisor and Envoy to the UN)’s absolute biggest fan. Figure skating is probably my all time favorite way to relieve stress because when I’m skating all of my worries are left in the bleachers and I let myself go, completely, once on the ice. I love laughter and music and movies and online social networking. I love playing games of all varieties and I have such an affinity for watching the Game Show Network. I’m really 80 years old at heart, and have been since age 4. I also enjoy helping others in any way I can, even despite being somewhat introverted. If personalities were battery types, I’d be a Type AAA. Meaning I don’t half-do anything. I strive for perfection in every aspect of life, and while I don’t judge myself as harshly in all areas as I once did, if I feel like I haven’t given my all to any certain circumstance I will simply not be satisfied.
All of those fun qualities (or quirks, maybe) listed in the above paragraph are things that I plan on continuing and/or being able to resume doing again one day, and that paragraph is but a sliver of the life I am striving to regain. But I know I have had the life I deserve before and I know I will have it again. God will finish this good work He began in me.
I am currently on a quest to reclaim the life I once had that has been stolen from me by Chronic Lyme Disease and other chronic co-infections. Yes, it exists. Yes, it exists in Kentucky. No, this wasn’t mentioned to me until June of 2013. We now know that I’ve probably been dealing with Lyme & Co since I was a young child (so probably 20 years), but particularly in the past decade I’ve been given diagnosis after diagnosis and medication after medication to manage symptom after symptom, and since January of 2013 things have drastically gone downhill as far as my ability to function goes. For over a year, we’ve traveled too many hours to count, desperately searching for a doctor through whom God could work to truly heal me. We made several trips to the Cleveland Clinic in 2013 and after numerous extensive (and expensive) tests, the doctors there said they had no idea what was going on with me. We had tests done at the hospital affiliated with WVU in Morgantown, West Virginia, which also provided no answers. In June of 2013 I finally connected with an Integrative Medicine doctor in central Kentucky who was the first doctor to mention Lyme & Co-infections to us…and finally something made sense! Working with this doctor I was able to successfully taper off ALL prescription medications I had been on for years (oral, injectable, and IV) and start an intense regimen of natural supplements, herbs, and homeopathic remedies which is one of the best decisions I’ve made–ever. However, that doctor had limitations as far as his knowledge of/experience with treating Lyme & Co and we reached a point where we felt we needed to explore other options. We also traveled to New York City in September of 2013 so I could see a Lyme specialist, but that didn’t work out, either, because like so many doctors governed by the CDC, the IDSA, and insurance companies (all of whom insist chronic Lyme doesn’t exist), that doctor acknowledged that I may have Lyme but wouldn’t treat it in the long-term way we know is needed for true healing.
Backtracking for a second, in August of 2013, we called to schedule an appointment with a doctor in Tennessee who came highly recommended by a friend who is also fighting Lyme & Co., but at that time there was no available new patient appointment till April of 2014, 8 months out. Thankfully, we booked the appointment anyway and by the grace of God alone, the doctor had a cancellation in early December and was able to see us 4 months earlier than we anticipated. And there is no doubt in any of our minds that God orchestrated this entire situation to get us to this doctor, who we know is the man God is going to work through to facilitate my healing. I can’t say enough good things about my initial appointment, or about the fact that the doctor prayed with us at the end of the appointment (which overwhelmed me so much my shirt became soaked from my sobbing), or about how he is probably the most knowledgeable man I’ve ever met, or about how nice and helpful and caring every single person that works in his office is. It is truly a miracle, connecting with this doctor and finally having confidence that not only my Lyme & Co’s, but also any number of other chronic conditions we continue to discover, are going to be treated to the point where I will get my life back.
Some of my non-Lyme related info:
I live in a small town in Kentucky, and I’ve lived here my entire life with the exception of the 4 years I spent away at college (which was in another small town in Kentucky so I wasn’t too far away, ever!). I am happily married (since June of 2011) to the man who quite literally is the perfect match God ordained for me. Not only is my husband unbelievably tolerant and patient when it comes to all of my quirks and my medical battles, but he also doesn’t let those struggles come between us and the countless things we enjoy doing together that I’m not sure anyone else would enjoy quite as much as we do (like going to the comic book store or playing Jeopardy on the Wii or watching UK basketball/Atlanta Braves baseball or honeymooning in Disney World). I really am immeasurably blessed to have such a wonderful man who is not just my husband but also my best friend.
I have a pretty amazing family outside of my husband, as well. My parents are both essentially from this same Kentucky town. Throughout my life, my parents have been fixtures I can feel completely comfortable going to with any concern and knowing they won’t judge me or think less of me. My moral upbringing and good character I credit to them, almost exclusively. I also have an older brother, older sister, and a younger sister. Growing up I was closest to my younger sister because we were around each other constantly and we had a lot of fun together (well, technically we STILL have fun together frequently!), and as my brother and I get older, we grow closer and enjoy spending time with each other more and more. I’m blessed to have one grandparent still living, and I make every effort I can to enjoy to the fullest extent the time we have her here. My extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) is far too extensive to list, but I will say that I’m blessed with so many caring family members who I wouldn’t trade for the world. My in-laws (mother-in-law, fathers-in-law, sis-in-law, and all the others that would again take too long to type out) are amazing and I am so fortunate to not only have my biological family that loves me wholeheartedly but to also have my husband’s side of the family who treats me just like I’m one of the family there, as well. It’s all very cool.
I love writing. I love writing so much that I devoted my 4 years in college to receiving an English degree. I love reading, grammar, editing, and anything to do with the written word. I also thoroughly enjoy public speaking. It really gives me a rush and I love being able to present to local high school classes and the like. I attend an amazing church and my church and Sunday school family is in some ways just another branch of my extended family–and in some ways I feel as if several people in my church family are close enough to be considered honorary biological family members. God has blessed us so much in this regard. I am Michelle Kwan (the American figure skater/Senior Advisor and Envoy to the UN)’s absolute biggest fan. Figure skating is probably my all time favorite way to relieve stress because when I’m skating all of my worries are left in the bleachers and I let myself go, completely, once on the ice. I love laughter and music and movies and online social networking. I love playing games of all varieties and I have such an affinity for watching the Game Show Network. I’m really 80 years old at heart, and have been since age 4. I also enjoy helping others in any way I can, even despite being somewhat introverted. If personalities were battery types, I’d be a Type AAA. Meaning I don’t half-do anything. I strive for perfection in every aspect of life, and while I don’t judge myself as harshly in all areas as I once did, if I feel like I haven’t given my all to any certain circumstance I will simply not be satisfied.
All of those fun qualities (or quirks, maybe) listed in the above paragraph are things that I plan on continuing and/or being able to resume doing again one day, and that paragraph is but a sliver of the life I am striving to regain. But I know I have had the life I deserve before and I know I will have it again. God will finish this good work He began in me.