While watching the video, Under My Skin, several weeks ago, I had this horrible heart racing feeling that my husband was suffering from Chronic Lyme Disease. I fearfully looked over to my sick and suffering husband (over 6 months of severe problems) and said, "Have you been tested for Lyme's yet?" His response, "No, can you make me the appointment?" That evening, was the second time in my life that my eye's would be opened to the reality that one of my loved one's was suffering from the horrible imitator disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). After my husband Franklin was tested for Lyme disease, I persisted in emailing the doctor, begging him to administer antibiotics now, and not wait for the unreliable test results. Like most doctor's, he would not give the medicine without the confirmation from the test (I don't blame him, for I am that crazy wife who is paranoid over reading into her husbands long list of symptoms for over 6 months), and so we waited. Knowing that many of these tests come back false negative, I feared the worse. Believing in the power of prayer, I turned to God, and my family went to mass and petitioned the Lord to produce the positive test results needed in order to receive antibiotics. In God's goodness later that day Franklin's test's came in positive, and Franklin started antibiotics (that is the key). For Franklin the journey has just begun, and the antibiotic Doxycycline is just the beginning of a long road to healing.
Several days later I finally got smart and went to my husbands appointment to support him on this journey. I had this strong urge to hit our doctor over the head and scream my frustrations out at him for not catching these symptoms earlier. Knowing my husband would not appreciate those actions I depended on my knowledge and began the steps in educating our family practice doctor on the true nature of this bacteria. I know it is not our doctor's fault, but still there needs to be an awakening for our medical professionals. After years of research, and literally weeks of cramming as much knowledge into my head as I can find time for, the true struggle for us seems to be underway. Finding the specialist for our family that will treat my husband and son for chronic Lyme disease.
In future posts, I hope to share my thoughts and frustrations that we are undergoing with Lyme disease. Hopefully, I will be able to share our joys while on the way to recovery, even in the midst of those dark forests where light seems unable to penetrate our need for healing. My hope is that those who read this post will become aware of how to prevent Lyme disease, and how to catch the early signs, and what to do at the different stages of the disease. Perhaps we will all learn to sympathize better with our loved ones or friends who are truly struggling physically, mentally, and financially from Lyme disease. As a friend of mine said last week, "Are ticks really that big of a problem here?" Well, education is a start, and sharing our story could possibly help others see through the numerous tests that their love one may be undergoing, only to hear those same frustrating words over and over again, "Your test results were negative, it is probably a virus, take some time to rest more, and try this medication. Your symptoms will gradually get better." Instead, perhaps it is time to help them find a Lyme literate doctor, who will test to see what is actually Under Their Skin! JPII pray for us.
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