Lyme Life

A Husband’s Advice ~ If A Loved One Has Lyme

A Husband’s Advice ~ If A Loved One Has Lyme

This is real, realer than you can imagine and leaving or not believing just proves the belief that it is not real. STAY. UNDERSTAND. FIGHT. LOVE. You cannot fix it, but you can make it better by simply STAYING and FIGHTING with your loved one.

Letters To Strangers 2016 ~ Montana Letter

Letters To Strangers 2016 ~ Montana Letter

This effort was discussed in my recent post about my trip to DC last week, and is described in further detail in a post from May of last year.  My letter was updated this year and some of the Montana patients active with Northern Rockies Lyme Disease Coalition efforts shared their photos to help further […]

Yolanda Foster Bashing Doctor-Author Forgot To Research Lyme Disease (Part Two)

Yolanda Foster Bashing Doctor-Author Forgot To Research Lyme Disease (Part Two)

Misinformation about Lyme disease dangerously skews public perceptions of patients, in addition to perceptions of the disease, further alienating thousands of patients from families, friends and careers, as well as appropriate healthcare.

Invisible Illness, Depression, and Speaking Out ~ Guest Post by Erika Morgan

It’s time to ‘stamp out stigma’ placed upon people with mental illnesses…Speak out for those who feel they cannot speak out for themselves. The following article, as with the two guest posts before it, began as a heart-felt facebook post that resonated with friends and patients quickly.  As with those previous two, it warranted additional […]

“Today I just grieve…” ~ Guest Post by Rory Hubert Kahn

“Today I just grieve…” ~ Guest Post by Rory Hubert Kahn

Originally posted on facebook, shared here with the author’s kind permission Some days are so hard. Please continue your prayers for my friend, Bambi, who is fighting ‘like a girl’ to recover from her second Lyme stroke. She’s got a long way to go and more hard battles to fight. Her beautiful face will return […]

‪#‎NationalSuicidePreventionDay‬ ~ Guest Post from Jordan Landerman

‪#‎NationalSuicidePreventionDay‬ ~ Guest Post from Jordan Landerman

‪#‎NationalSuicidePreventionDay‬ ~ Cross posted from Facebook with the Author’s kind permission, artwork also by the author, Jordan Landerman Yesterday I posted a status, and had some interesting responses. I essentially “came out” as suicidal. This isn’t the first time I’ve made this known to people, but it’s the first time I’ve blatantly posted it on social […]

DEAR CDC AND FDA ~ BY MELISSA VEHORN

DEAR CDC AND FDA ~ BY MELISSA VEHORN

Previously posted on Northern Rockies Lyme Disease Coalition. Posted with permission.  This is not from the Northern Rockies, but clearly applicable to all of us. Thank you Melissa. Dear CDC and FDA, I don’t want to just go away. I want to live! I have a lot to offer this world. I am not just a […]

#ChrisBitesLyme ~ Enderswordman ~ Christopher #LymeDiseaseChallenge’d Tobuscus, Kid President, and EvanTube

#ChrisBitesLyme ~ Enderswordman ~ Christopher #LymeDiseaseChallenge’d Tobuscus, Kid President, and EvanTube

Christopher was almost ready for the Lyme Disease Challenge to start March 1 (www.lymediseasechallenge.org).  He made two videos in advance to give instructions, but then got sick.  Then I got sick.   His sister got her video done, so she could challenge some friends early on. Then the challenge started and a number of Lyme […]

New Montana Lyme Study “Hits Home” Emotionally and (Almost) Geographically

New Montana Lyme Study “Hits Home” Emotionally and (Almost) Geographically

I heard from another Lyme patient about a week that there would be a Lyme disease study starting in Ravalli County with pediatrician Blaise Favara, and last night it was on the news. When I first heard about it, he study part was quite exciting, although they are not looking at my area.  What made […]

Christopher’s Videos About the Lyme Disease Challenge (ChrisBitesLyme)

Christopher’s Videos About the Lyme Disease Challenge (ChrisBitesLyme)

I posted in early 2015 about about Christopher’s New Year’s Resolution, as emailed to me by his third grade teacher, to raise awareness for Lyme Disease through a gaming channel he plans to start on YouTube.  He also, very sweetly, planned to donate 99% of his profits to Lyme Disease awareness, using the other 1% […]

Unfashionably Ill ~ Your Best and Worst (Looking) Moments?  Pajamas, Strategies, and Illegal Yoga Pants…

Unfashionably Ill ~ Your Best and Worst (Looking) Moments? Pajamas, Strategies, and Illegal Yoga Pants…

Consciously or not, pajamas and lounge-wear gradually become important topics, and important assets, when illness has you stuck in your house or stuck in bed. Strategies gradually arise for rotating pajamas and for layering them with clothing, should the need arise (say, for grabbing groceries, rushing to the pharmacy, or picking up kids). As trivial […]

Yolanda Foster Bashing Doctor-Author Forgot To Research Lyme Disease (Part One)

Yolanda Foster Bashing Doctor-Author Forgot To Research Lyme Disease (Part One)

This is part one (focusing on the science) of a response to a recent article which questioned Real Housewives star Yolanda Foster’s Chronic Lyme Disease diagnosis and claimed that there is “no good evidence” that Chronic Lyme Disease exists. The author’s inflammatory title, “Real Housewife, Fake Disease” is fairly ironic, given that the doctor writes under a fake […]

Photos and Videos from Philadelphia Lyme Protest

In October, I posted links about the Philadelphia rally (before, during, and after), but I didn’t get around to posting many photos directly to this blog.  I did put links to some of the facebook photo albums (on the Invisibly Lyme Montana facebook page) in past posts, but here they are again, with a link to […]

Yep. Lyme will change you.

My Son’s New Year’s Resolution for Lyme Awareness

My Son’s New Year’s Resolution for Lyme Awareness

My son’s teacher took the time to type and email my son’s resolution from a project in class, and it truly melts my heart.  It’s certainly not easy for either of my kids to have a mom with Lyme disease. Christopher’s Resolution ~ (9 years old, 3rd grade) My New Year’s resolution is to finally […]

Go Fund Me Link ~ Please Help (And Pray For) Heather Haynes

Go Fund Me Link ~ Please Help (And Pray For) Heather Haynes

Friend/Patient/Advocate In Need of Assistance ~ Heather Haynes Go Fund Me Link ~

Applying the “Science” of Gratitude

Gratitude is harder with a chronic illness. Illness takes more away from life than it gives, which gradually and painfully lowers one’s expectations.  Optimism and gratitude can’t reverse this completely, but can help if applied with determination, purpose, and consistency. Research supports this, at least, so I’m hopeful that I will find this to be […]

Asking IDSA for Change ~ Video is Up: Lyme Disease IDWeek Protest Philadelphia 2014

Saturday’s protest included Lyme patients and loved ones from across the country, together to ask IDSA to revise guidelines for Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment, and care. Too many patients are misdiagnosed, their care delayed and lives destroyed. IDSA needs to incorporate current available science…

Gratitude Post ~ Everything I Wanted

Gratitude Post ~ Everything I Wanted

Before I contracted Lyme disease along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in northwest Montana, I had everything I wanted.  I had pretty much reached all of the major goals I had set for myself and then some. Not only had I gotten into (and completed) graduate school, but I had done so under […]

The “Funny Parts” of My Bell’s Palsy Story

The “Funny Parts” of My Bell’s Palsy Story

There were a couple of moments during Bell’s palsy that were laughable even during the moment. It’s not a funny condition or a fun experience, but it helped my family and I to be able to laugh about it. We have plenty of pirate references, still, that make us laugh, four years later. If I […]