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Living with Lyme Disease

Most of us have heard about Lyme Disease but know very little beyond the fact that it is a disease transmitted by ticks and we don’t really know what it can be like living with Lyme Disease. If this disease doesn’t impact you or a loved one then that is probably where your knowledge ends.

That was the case for me and my family until I received the diagnosis. After many tests and other misdiagnoses, I found out that this was not the case. During the few weeks that I thought I had Chronic Lyme Disease, I learned quite a bit about what those who actually suffer from the illness can go through.

It was a very scary experience, and I am fortunate that my journey ended with a different diagnosis, but for so many, this is a lifelong battle that is never easy.

One of the lessons I learned from my experience is that so many people are misdiagnosed with many other illnesses before getting the proper diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease.

This is because there are so many other illnesses that can mimic the symptoms and the tests for Lyme disease, leave much to be desired. I struggled to even get my doctor to give me the test and when I received a negative I was convinced that the test was wrong.

Living with Lyme Disease 

I researched the disease as much as I could with what resources I had available to me at the time and stumbled upon a documentary called Under Our Skin. If you haven’t watched this one yet, I highly recommend it. This film does an amazing job of explaining the disease and the lack of help available to those who suffer from it.

After watching the film and going through some of the steps that those who suffer from the disease have gone through, I have been interested in learning more about Living with Lyme Disease.

I am excited to share what I have learned from the amazingly inspirational Vickie Gould, the best-selling author who didn’t let this diagnosis stop her from achieving her dreams and reaching her goals.

Vickie Gould was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease in 2009 and despite this diagnosis, she is a Master Herbalist, as well as the author of ten international best-selling books, and has helped many others become best-selling authors as well. She has inspired many and I am hoping that she will inspire you by learning more about her.

Getting the Diagnosis

Please start off by telling us a little bit about what led to your diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease. What kind of symptoms did you experience and was there a known tick bite that led you to get checked out?

I don’t remember a tick bite. I believe that I got Lyme Disease from mosquitoes because they love me. It’s not well-known, but you can get Lyme from almost any biting insect.

My first symptoms were body aches and migraines that lasted weeks but most of the time, I ignored that as part of growing old and having three kids to chase after.

It wasn’t until my arm and hand stopped working (I couldn’t even write my name) that I finally went to a doctor because I couldn’t ignore it.

Were you misdiagnosed with other illnesses before finding out that you had Lyme Disease?

Yes, many. Lupus, early-onset osteoarthritis, early-onset perimenopause, cognitive disorder (they said they didn’t want to put “dementia” in my chart because I was too young), vertigo, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia.

What kind of treatment have you gone through since your diagnosis?

Early on, I took large doses of antibiotics, but it made me feel worse instead of better. After about seven months, I told my doctor I couldn’t do it anymore, plus it had killed my guts and my digestion was horrible.

That’s when I moved to herbs and alternative modalities like a rife machine. I also used the sauna, hydrogen peroxide in my bath, and cannabis.

Treating Lyme Disease 

Do you take medicine to treat Lyme Disease?

I try to stay away from pharma, but I do take Low Dose Naltrexone. I also used multiple herbal protocols to get through the worst of it.

The one I recommend the most is by Stephen Buhner. I also used a salt/c protocol. Now I take maintenance herbs and function well. I’ve learned to read my body and what it needs.

Did you already have a clear understanding of Lyme Disease before your diagnosis?

No, not at all. I thought when I got the diagnosis, I would finally get better but then I realized that the doctors didn’t know what to do either. Some doctors even dismiss the diagnosis and refuse to acknowledge that it’s chronic.

Lyme Disease Can Take Over Your Life

How did the diagnosis of Lyme Disease change your life?

I dropped out of activities at church, stopped volunteering, turned friends down when they wanted to get together, and I was unable to go to my kid’s school field trips, activities, and sporting events.

I was spending 16-18 hours a day in bed and just driving the kids to drop them off at school meant I needed to sleep until they got back home. Grocery shopping became a chore and I would often forget where I parked.

If I needed something in the back corner of the store, I really had to evaluate if it was worth walking back there to get it because it took so much energy.

Living With Lyme Disease

How does this illness impact your day-to-day life?

It’s not like it was years ago. I’ve learned to adapt pretty well since I know what uses up too much energy and I know when I need to take breaks.

I soak in the bathtub with Epsom salt almost every day because it helps my muscle aches, but I still have problems with my joints, and it’s hard to do manual labor. Even just wiping down the bathroom mirror hurts my arm and tires it out.

Chronic Lyme Disease

What surprised you most about living with Chronic Lyme Disease?

I was initially most surprised with how misunderstood Chronic Lyme Disease is. The testing is horrible and I’m shocked that a doctor would say no to getting tested. The other problem is that the testing is outdated and inaccurate, so doctors are relying on tests that don’t diagnose properly.

The other thing I was surprised with was how friends reacted. They didn’t think it was that bad, would comment that they had aches and pains as well, stopped asking or asked why you had to talk about your disease all the time. It became really lonely.  

While reading through your website VickieGould.com, I learned about your mission to help others realize their potential. I think a lot of us struggle with achieving our goals and settle for less than what we should. Without giving away all of your secrets, could you share some tips with us on how we can begin to realize our full potential and live the life we have always wanted?

During my darkest hours, I thought back about my life and all the times I put myself last or when I squandered away my time thinking that I could do it “later”.

When I realized that later might never come for me, I vowed to stop living for everyone else. I was and am just as important. Now I want to encourage everyone that I meet to live life with no regrets.

If you can imagine yourself tomorrow, looking back on today, is there something you’d regret not doing? Go do that.

I love that Vickie, I may have to put that on a t-shirt! 

No Regrets

You have helped so many aspiring writers reach their goals of writing a book and even more impressive, you have helped them to become best sellers. I have always wanted to write a book. Any tips on how I can start working towards that goal?

The first thing to do is to get clear on what you want to write and why you want to write it. If there’s something you want the reader to learn by the time they’re done reading, write to that goal.

I find that, once people know what transformation they want to give the reader, and they also know why they’re writing the book for themselves, it’s much easier to layout what to say. If you have something more specific that I can answer, let me know.

Make It Happen

Once a writer has their book written, edited, and ready to go, what is the next step to getting it published? If self-publishing is the route they should go, what would be steps they can take to make this process as successful as possible?

I recommend self-publishing for a number of reasons. First, you get to retain all control over your cover, your contents, your launch dates, and back-office items like category selection and description.

Secondly, you get to keep as much of your royalties as possible. Thirdly, you don’t have to wait to get your book out. Technically, you could upload a book you wrote today and have it available for people to buy in three days maximum.

When you use traditional publishing, you have to negotiate everything, they get a say in how your book looks, what you put inside it, and many times, and you usually wait years to get it out.

Then you depend on them to tell you how many books you sold and if you want to make any changes, it has to be approved by the publisher.

The process of getting your book uploaded to Amazon is about as easy as attaching a document to an email.

You will need:

  • Cover
  • Properly formatted book
  • Keywords
  • Categories
  • Description
  • Price

That sounds very doable, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions Vickie, I really appreciate it. If you would like to learn more about Vickie, please visit her website VickieGould.com and morningoakpublishing.com

About Thirty Something Super Mom

Melissa Dixon Thirty Something Super Mom
Thirty Something Super Mom | Website

My journey started after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, inspiring a commitment to well-being. This site shares my distinctive approach to healthy living with my collection of nutritious recipes that boast authentic flavors, mimicking the indulgence of traditional dishes. I love sharing guilt free recipes for low carb, keto, gluten-free, paleo, and the specific carbohydrate diet. I also share tips on natural living, including homemade cleaners and cleaning hacks. I also share my experience as a veterinary technician and pet groomer, to integrate pet health tips, homemade dog food recipes, and grooming insights to ensure your pets thrive.

Marysa

Thursday 18th of February 2021

I am sorry to hear that you are dealing with this. I have some friends with Lyme, and I live in upstate NY where Lyme is prevalent. It is a scary thing to deal with.

Jay Aguirre

Thursday 18th of February 2021

Very great and informative article. I've heard a lot about Lyme disease but never actually knew what it was or what it was like to live with it.

Yeah Lifestyle

Thursday 18th of February 2021

I did not know much about Lyme disease until I read your post, seems like she went through so much trauma and misdiagnosis before finding out she had Chronic Lyme Disease, your post is going to help someone out there who is in a similar situation.

Melissa

Thursday 18th of February 2021

I hope it does help others feel like they are not alone, I couldn't imagine going through this without a strong support system.

Catherine

Thursday 18th of February 2021

I live in NY where ticks are prevalent. Lyme Disease is no joke...I don' think too many people realize how serious and dangerous it is. Thank you for sharing this information.

Melissa

Thursday 18th of February 2021

I agree, it was something I never really thought about until I was mistakingly diagnosed. Now I know so much more and hope this helps spread the word about how hard it can be to live with lyme disease.

Heather

Wednesday 17th of February 2021

I've heard so many things about Lyme Disease. I can't imagine living with it but am glad they are making progress with medicine.