Welcome!

Hi, and welcome!!

Thanks for coming to my blog site. My name is Leila, I'm 29 and I was recently diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. It took 23 years for us to properly diagnose why I've been seriously ill since I was six years old(!). So, here I am, and I've decided to start a blog to chronicle my experiences--past, present, and future--with chronic Lyme, for three reasons:

• Mainly, to serve as a mini support network where other Lyme sufferers can come and comment. I want it to be interactive, and I welcome stories of your experiences!
  
• An educational source for non-Lyme sufferers, because, well, face it, most people have no idea what chronic Lyme is (they equate it with simple Lyme, just a bite and rash) and it's our responsibility to educate the world! German playwright Bertold Brecht said, "He who doesn't know is an idiot, but he who knows and does nothing is an imbecile."
  
• And of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't motivated by self-interest. Journaling has always been therapeutic for me, and writing things out brings me personal comfort. Since I've yet to begin treatment (Feb '11), I'll be experiencing all the side effects first-hand and chronicling them here.
  

I hope that people both familiar and not familiar with chronic Lyme will take the time to follow my blog. I will do my best to keep it real: serious, educational, honest (even if that means I'm in a terrible mood and feel like whining), funny, ridiculous at times, and full of stories to entertain. I hope you'll laugh at times, cry at times, and learn new things as you read... Lyme has affected 23 of 29 years of my life in every way imaginable, so I honestly don't think I'll run out of things to write about ;)

I'm really excited about this blog! Here are some of the subjects I plan to touch on in this blog (and please note that I will only blog about things that do relate to Lyme, but... that can be anything!)

Upcoming entries will cover:

Doctors, Doctors and More Doctors

Detailed experiences of all the doctors I've seen, including allergists, ENTs, stomach doctors, cardiologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, dermatologists, chiropractors, nutritionists, alternative practitioners such as acupuncturists, naturopaths, homeopaths; and all the absurd, ignorant and/or offensive things they've said to me over the years

Symptoms: Stages As Lyme Evolved in My Body

The various symptoms and stages of illness, and how they rotated and evolved throughout my childhood, pre-pubescent, teenage and adult years

Neurological Lyme--It's "In My Head"!

The fascinating "neuroborreliosis", essentially a swelling of the human brain after the borrelia spirochete cross the blood-brain barrier, wreaking havoc on our moods, behaviors, thought processes, and feelings, and the years I've spent taking SSRIs and SNRIs just to function

Before My Lyme Diagnosis: Adventures in Natural Healing

More than a decade of attempts at self-healing, starting with education on the dangers of sugar, gluten, and dairy; understanding adrenal fatigue and hormonal imbalance, diagnosis of candidiasis and candida remedies, and immune-boosting supplementation such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and probiotics

Failed Friendships

The many ways that chronic illness has damaged and destroyed friendships over the years, including but not limited to people tiring of my anxiety attacks and nausea attacks, which have labeled me an "attention-seeker"

Romantic Relationships... Oh Booooy!

Struggles and adventures in dating, with my last serious relationship ending in 2009 when my then-boyfriend broke up with me on the evening of the day I'd spend in urgent care, after deciding that my health problems were "kind of a drag"

How Lyme Has Hurt My Careers/Jobs

The challenges of sticking to scheduled hours, especially those that require me in the office early; the fatigue caused by 8-hour shifts; and the lack of sympathy from bosses who expect their employees to never use sick days (some great stories will come out of this topic!!)

My Sister's Experience with Lyme

Maha's story, after her own diagnosis with chronic Lyme in 2010, and how her diagnosis prompted me to get tested too

A Strong Will & Determination Aren't Enough, But They Help!
How attitude plays into healing

Daily Struggles, Herxing, Treatment
Updates on my status and side-effects as I begin treatment next month

Long-Term Goals and Dreams :)

What I hope to be able to achieve in my life after I recover, and most are simple tasks healthy people take for granted

.... and of course, more subjects will come to mind as time goes on. Off the top of my brain-fog-filled head, these are the ones I can think of right now. Oy. Lol.

xoxo

Leila