Thoughts on my 11 Year Lyme Journey

11 years ago this week I contracted Lyme disease.  I was 15 years old, energetic, happy, looking forward to college, and planning to be a missionary to Thailand.  I traveled a lot that summer and never found the tick bite, so it's unclear when exactly I was bit.  It was most likely at my high...

9 Best Exercise Products for Chronic Illness

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In keeping with the integrity of my site, I will only post links to books or products that I have personally used and recommend.   If you've been sick for a while you may find that exercises that used to...

Grateful for Mundane Miracles

As I drove my car away from a friend's house tonight it occurred to me that I was driving at night without any problems. Not only that, I realized it had been a long time since I sat behind the wheel at night without even thinking about it. I took a moment to marvel at...

Hope in Times of Illness: When You Feel like Your Recovery Has Taken a Step Back

I have had those moments where I felt like I had taken a step back or 'reverted'.  It's so frustrating and disappointing to be feeling worse instead of better. You have to adjust your plans or scrap them completely to allow time to rest and ease the pain or other symptoms bothering you. It can...

Spending My Day at the Cross [poem]

I wrote this poem back on 11/21/2010. Spending My Day at the Cross Today I feel below my usual me. My stomach hurts and I feel sick. I'm coughing, sneezing, and I have a headache. But that's okay with me, really! It's alright, you see; All this illness, all this pain, Just makes me come...

Pregnancy with a Chronic Illness

I recently brought into the world my first child.  Pregnancy came with its own host of symptoms that made life uncomfortable at times.  From nausea to fatigue and smelling weird smells, pregnancy kept me on my toes! At the same time as dealing with my pregnancy, I was constantly worried that my health would impact...

How to Help a Friend with Lyme Disease

  I wrote this post in 2013 but had not published it.  Please see below, written from my 2013 perspective when I was still in the middle of my fight with Lyme Disease. 1. Learn about Lyme.  This is not me requesting to be constantly pestered with questions about Lyme.  (See What Not to Say).  However;...

Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine

I wrote this song on September 8th, 2012.  I was away at college, growing more ill by the day.  I started to face the harsh reality that I would soon be forced to drop out and move back home, unable to cope with my classes and unable live on my own.  In a moment of...

College with a Chronic Illness Part II: Preparing to Go

A while back I started a series of posts about surviving college while dealing with a chronic illness.  It's time to pick that series up again, with tips on how to survive and succeed at a college despite having a chronic illness.  It's time to set up some strategies ahead of time in order to...

Crossing The Finish Line

In my first post, I declared that I would no longer let Lyme rule my life.  I would not suffer from Lyme disease, I would live with Lyme disease.  I find myself writing a new mantra: I will live.  And that is all.  I am overjoyed to announce to the world that I have been cured from...