The not-so-merry-go-round of Lyme disease..

Can you relate to any of the following?

Do you know that feeling after finishing a major test like an SAT? Maybe too mentally exhausted to return phone calls or make any decisions? Do you know what it feels like for your body to ache, so that you'd really rather just sit still? Do you know what it's like when, after a bad cold, you don't have acute symptoms, but find you need to sit down or even lay down after a very little activity? Or to have give yourself a 2 minute pep talk to get yourself to get off the couch (and the TV's not even on!) Now imagine you are out in public, taking one of the few available chairs while an elderly lady stands.

Can you imagine what it's like to try to share something and find you are mixing up words or can't remember a word for the 5th time that day? Have you ever dealt with depression, but it wasn't based on any thought or sad circumstance? Or have you ever been under stress, and afterwards found it hard to relax again? Now imagine it happening with minor daily stresses and lasting an hour. Have you ever gone out to one of your weekly activities (say church) and been able to act normal, only to get home and find your are either physically or emotionally drained, and it will take you at least a day to recover?

Now picture all these symptoms on a roulette wheel, which changes sporatically. Though the intensity level is sometimes affected by how much you do all the right things (eat right, special exercises, supplements, medicines)--all of which take energy and/or mental clarity to remember to do them.


Then, think about how you would feel when you can't pull your fair share in life--at home, at church, etc. Or when you have to tell your kids "no" again b/c "Mommy's too tired." And when you do finally have a good day, there are so many things you are behind on that you get overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start and how disappointing it would be when the next day, you feel too poorly to finish what you started the day before. And how when symptoms are constantly changing, it would be hard on family members to be understand your ever changing needs and not think you were lazy or unmotivated when you don't feel like doing something.

That will give you a small picture of my experience and some insight for those trying to understand this not-so-merry-go-round of Lyme or other similiar "invisible" illnesses.