Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA

Infected: 2002
Diagnosed: 2010
Current health: still waiting resolution

Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain.  -Kari M.

Kari M.’s journey from infection to diagnosis was traumatic and dramatic.  She was an award winning junior dog handler/trainer, marathon runner, and world-traveler before becoming infected with Lyme. Today, she is in too much pain to function.  It began with symptoms ranging from arthritis to paralysis.  She was misdiagnosed over and over again. “The experts are not always the experts,” Kari offers. “You have to trust your own intuition.” Like most Lyme patients, Kari believed that diagnosis marked a turning point, but it has proven immensely difficult to rid her body of the wretched disease. She appears in perfect health, but struggles constantly with an invisible infection she can’t shake.

Kari relishes the “good days:” “On the days I feel better, I am so grateful to be alive.” She believes that Lyme has deepened her sense of compassion and taught her that the little things “really don’t matter.” The former Peace Corps Wonderwoman looks forward to returning to an active, healthy lifestyle soon.

3 Comments on “Kari M.

    1. Unfortunately Lyme disease, especially if not caught early, can be a long and trying experience and many patients do suffer interminably for years. However, there are also those who are successful in managing symptoms and returning to health and we hope you will also enjoy those stories as inspiration for the days that feel more difficult. We are grateful to all those who share their stories in empathy, as insight, and for inspiration to those who are affected by Lyme disease. We are all in this together and hope one day to have better cures and fail-safe prevention for all tick-borne illnesses.

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