Do it for yourself.

Today I don't want to write my blog. I don't want to think about Lyme. I don't want to talk about Lyme. I don't even want to write about things that aren't Lyme related.

But I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it because I refuse to let a day go by this month without spreading some sort of awareness. Not only for me, but for my Lyme friends, for people who have Lyme that I don't know about, and for the people who have Lyme that they don't even know about yet. 

I don't have any eloquently written words for you today. I don't have anything profound to say, or any wisdom to bestow upon you. And I don't have any stories to tell you about how Lyme has made me a better person. 

Today Lyme sucks. 

And today all I want from you is a promise that you will do everything you can to avoid getting Lyme. Check yourself for ticks. Make sure everyone in your family checks for ticks; help them if they can't do it themselves. It may seem weird, but it's important. 

Don't take it lightly. Yes it's just one bug bite. But it's the tiniest bite with the biggest consequences. And I would never wish these consequences on my worst enemy. 

If you do get a tick, don't panic. But do go to the doctor. Have them remove it for you, and have them test both you and the tick. Don't just rip it out of your skin. It needs to be removed correctly or it will continue to dump the toxins into your body. And don't just throw it away. Get the tick tested as well. A tick has to have Lyme in it's body in order to transmit it into yours. And, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be in your body for 24 hours before it's a concern. It doesn't have to leave a rash. It's better to go to the doctor, get blood work done right away, get antibiotics, and hopefully stop it right there. Just because you get a tick doesn't mean you will end up like me. Act on it quickly and you are twelve steps ahead of those of us who didn't find the tick at all. 

I'm not being over dramatic. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just trying to make you aware. 

Today my need to spread awareness doesn't just come from the fact that it's Lyme month. It comes from how bad I feel as I sit here writing this. I don't want your sympathy. I don't even want your empathy right now. I just want you to save yourself from feeling this way. 

Do it for me. But more importantly, do it for yourself.