Foxboro, MA
Infected: date unknown
Diagnosed: 2017
I might be lucky because we suspect that we caught my Lyme early, but we’re not actually sure when I contracted it.
It all started my sophomore year of high school when I had just woken up from a sleepover at my best friend’s house. When we went to walk his dog that morning, we noticed that my knees were swollen like balloons, and I was very confused as to what was the cause.
About a week later I went to our local urgent care, and within an hour I was diagnosed with Lyme. The doctor said he was incredibly confident it was Lyme, as he had seen so many recent cases in the area. I had never heard of Lyme, so I was kind of nervous about the diagnosis. However, the doctor reassured me that taking a round or two of doxycycline should knock the bacteria right out of my system, and essentially I’d be cured within weeks.
He was partially right. The Lyme symptoms did subside, but they didn’t go away. My Lyme actually caused a lot of problems for me at school. Neurological symptoms hit me aggressively not too long after my second round of doxy. Luckily, my mom was very determined to find me the right care, and a lot of people around me seemed to know about Lyme.
Eventually, I was introduced to a Lyme specialist naturopath from South Carolina. She recommended I take Burbur, Samento, and Takuna. She told me to start with a few drops, and then move on from there. The effects of the Burbur and Samento were brutal, as it dialed my symptoms from a 6 to a 10. I was told that I had to get worst before I got better, so I just sucked it up, as I’m sure all people with Lyme would understand you just have to do.
About a month or two after taking the supplements I stopped. After I stopped, I can say about 90% of my symptoms went away. SUCCESS! Brain fog, concentration, dizziness, body aches, and swelling, all resolved nearly completely. This revival went on until late 2019.
In early 2020, I started experiencing intense upper neck tension, near the upper occipital muscles. I assumed this was the result of concussion anxiety I had for years following a concussion I got in my junior year of high school. While I do think that played a role in my neck pain, I believe that Lyme is the reason it won’t go away. I sought out PT, neurologists, and even chiropractors to help sort this out, but none helped permenately.
Since then, I have been searching for something to fix my ongoing upper neck tension, and it became so debilitating that I was having trouble socializing, concentrating, and living life to any normal degree. Eventually, I circled back around to Lyme and realized that neck tension was a symptom. I thought the minor vertigo episodes, dizziness, concentration issues, and eye problems were all symptoms of my neck tension, but they were all likely symptoms of Stage 3 Lyme (Late Stage Lyme).
When I realized it, I was terrified! How had I missed it all this time! I’ve been drinking heavily almost every weekend for 2.5 years now thinking I was cured!
After being lucky enough to talk to several naturopaths recently and being able to take a gap semester from college this past semester while I figure out a solution to my health, I came upon some new solutions:
I’m going back to my roots with the Burbur and Samento. They make me feel worse again, but I think that’s a sign that they’re working! If I was perfectly healthy, I don’t think they’d make me feel sick, right? I’m also going to be trying Low Dose Naltrexone and Ozone IV Therapy.
As many Lyme patients know, this is an EXPENSIVE disease to have, so I can only imagine how frustrating it must be not to have the financial means my parents have to help me. I am forever grateful. I hope this Bay Area Lyme project really comes up with a solution soon!
Anyway, that’s the conclusion of my story for now. I’ve started to see some improvement already with my body aches after 4 days of being back on Burbur and Samento! However, I am still having a lot of neurological problems. When they get really severe, I can’t follow a conversation and sometimes slur or stumble over my words. I also get shooting and dull pain behind my right eye as well as upper neck pain (which is my biggest complaint). The dizziness and vertigo remain, but they’re not severe.
My journey isn’t over, and I hope that I can be cured soon (or at least find a way to manage it so that I can live an active lifestyle). Lyme is truly a debilitating disease, especially for those that can’t afford endless help from Eastern Medicine professionals, and it just doesn’t get enough attention.
I’ll keep you updated on my process! I have faith there’s a cure for us!
I hope this story helps whoever finds it. Know you’re not alone, and there are solutions out there!