A Struggle With Lyme Disease
This has been a difficult year for our family. There have been a lot of things that have happened that I do not want to get into. It is enough for me to say that what we have experienced just between January and June is far more than I would wish on any family.
But then it got worse.
A week and a half ago, my wife Amanda was diagnosed with Lyme disease. There is some irony here in that Amanda is the most careful in doing tick checks and the rest of the family is far too lax. But it was Amanda who got Lyme.
Lyme disease is a very serious disease. And to make things more complicated, we do not have a family doctor. There is an excellent nurse practitioner that we often see at walk-in clinic but other than the emergency room at the local hospital, that is the limit of our health care.
Just having a diagnosis of Lyme disease does not tell you much. There are some people who have the disease and are now asymptomatic and there those who are deathly ill.
I will say that Amanda is experiencing a lot of discomfort. A part of this is because just a few days after her diagnosis, she developed Bell’s palsy, which is a common part of Lyme. This has been very difficult for her.
I think the scariest part for all of us is the uncertainty of the future. We do not know what symptoms will develop and what will disappear. We have no idea how long the Bell’s palsy will last. Of course none of us know the future, but when you are dealing with a serious illness, the anxiety is heightened.
There is a wide variety of people who read this blog. Some of you know our family personally and some of you know us just from my blogging and social media. Some of you are people of faith and some of you would would identify differently.
If it is part of who you are, would you consider saying a prayer for Amanda and the rest of the family? Lyme disease would be enough, but as I have hinted at, there are a number of other serious situations that are going on at the same time.
Your prayers would be very much appreciated. And if you just want to pass on a word of encouragement, that would be welcome as well.
