I.Introduction:
· Who are you?
My name is Dana
· Where are you from?
I am from a small town in southeast Idaho
· How old are you?
I am 41 years old
· Family life: kids, spouse, pets
I am married to my wife for 19 years and I have 3 kids (ages 17,14, &, 9)
We have a dog named Lucy.
Life before Lyme/chronic illness set in:
· When is the last time you remember feeling good?
The beginning of my 38th birthday is when I last remember feeling good.
· What types of things did you enjoy doing before you got sick?
I have lived a blessed life. I was raised on a farm and learned to work hard and played sports all through high school and college. Before getting sick, I could be found in the gym daily, I loved to hike on the weekends and I really loved to travel. I was the first person at work and the last one to leave as I was progressing yearly in career.
Medical journey:
· Do you remember being bitten by a tick?
I have no recollection of getting bit by a tick; however, I grew up on a farm and would have been out working in the sage brush every summer. We were often worried about ticks and it became routine to check yourself for ticks after every workday. I was familiar with them, but I do not remember getting bit by one or ever even finding one on me. I do remember finding one on our dog several years ago.
I suspect that I harbored it my system for several years before my immune system could not fight it off any longer and it crossed the blood/brain barrier. Looking back, I recognized some red flag symptoms of unexplained joint pain my left knee and the back of my neck along with strange bouts of fatigue that would come and go away.
· What symptoms did you have following the bite?
My main symptoms when it captured my attention were, severe brain fog, air hunger, fatigue, neuropathy, racing heart, poor word recall, dementia and joint pain.
· Did you ever experience extreme reactions to other bites (flies, fleas? mosquitoes)
I do remember that during the summer prior to getting sick, while travelling I was attacked by mosquitoes and bitten several times. I did not feel well after, but I did not do anything about it.
· Does anyone else in your family experience similar symptoms or has anyone else in your family been diagnosed with Lyme or chronic illness.
Yes, my wife became ill with Lyme disease around 2012. We suspect that we may have shared it at some point. We also suspect that our children have lyme disease.
· What was your experience with testing?
I tested positive for Lyme with Western Blot test.
· When did you finally get diagnosed?
January of 2020.
· What was your diagnosis? Lyme only? Did you have co-infections?
Lyme Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella
· After you received the diagnosis of Lyme, looking back were you misdiagnosed and for how long?
not misdiagnosed necessarily; however, I did visit multiple doctors who were perplexed by my symptoms.
Life after diagnosis:
· How did you feel once you received your diagnosis?
I was relieved to have a diagnosis and optimistic; however, I was ignorant to the fact that it was not simply curable
· Did you run into issues with insurance?
At first, I did; however, when I upgraded my insurance plan, they covered my LLMD appointments and prescriptions.
· Did you experience issues with treatments?
I had severe herx reactions when I started anti-biotics and I thought I was going to die.
· Were you unable to treat due to financial difficulty covering costs?
Fortunately, I was able to cover costs for most of the treatment options
· What treatments have you tried?
IV vitamins, herbal protocols, antibiotics, diet change, detox, HBOT, yoga and meditation, hypnotherapy
· What treatments worked?
All of them have worked; however, none of them have cured the disease.
· Did you try any treatments that did not work for you?
I do not think any of them did not work.
· Have you been seen by a Lyme literate doctor, and do you care to share contact information?
I have been seeing a Lyme literate doctor since January of 2020. I would be happy to share contact information.
Personal touches:
· How has your life changed since you were diagnosed?
I once lead a very active life, working out every day, travelling as freely as I wanted to for the most part, hiking, eating and drinking out when I wanted to and had energy to work all day and play all night. I recall one of the best Saturdays of my life shortly before the severe symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, air hunger, neuropathy and a racing heart began. I woke up early and hit the gym, came home, and worked in the garden, golfed with my son and them played in the pool with my kids. I remember eating dinner on the side of the pool on a warm summer evening thinking that I had such a great life. A few weeks later that all changed and a day like that is hard to comprehend now.
I was a Vice President of a large financial services company in the state of Idaho and had to take a demotion in title and pay in order to adjust to my new lifestyle of needing extra sleep, reducing stress and prioritizing my health.
I used to travel at least 4 times a year and now I am luck to make a trip one time a year. It is usually based around my trip to my LLMD.
· Has your illness had an impact on personal relationships/friendships?
Yes, I have been less engaged as a father as I used to volunteer to coach all their sports and actively play with my kids. That has reduced greatly. I often become fatigued and irritable and must remove myself when I would have otherwise been spending time with my family.
My relationship with my wife has been strained as I have stepped back on my willingness to take on new projects.
This disease also impacted my physical relationship with my wife as my Libido was greatly impacted by the Lyme.
· Please feel free to attach any images or videos you wish to share
· Resources: what websites, books, podcasts, documentaries, songs, or otherwise did you find most helpful?
· Advice: what advice would you offer to other who are on the same journey?
It is not a linear process. There are days where you start to feel like maybe you have the disease beat and that inevitably you will experience a flare up which can be demoralizing. Be patient
There are many treatments. Experiment until you feel like you have found what works for you.
See a LLMD.
Take ownership over your treatment.
You can have joy in life but things may change, you may need to change the way you eat, the environment you live and work but you can and will experience a joyful life again.
Journal your experience and reflect on how you have improved. It helps to see that you are much better than you once were. It may take a few to several months before you get to that point.
The information shared on this page is for informational purposes only, it is opinion and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult your medical provider for medical advice and before starting any new treatment.
