Back to the basics.

A lot of my posts this month have been specifically about me. And, while it is my blog and most of it is about me, it's not only about me. It's about awareness. So I thought I would kind of go over the basics of Lyme for you again, in case you're new here, or in case you want to send this post to someone who you think might benefit from the information. 

Like I've said many times before, Lyme is different for every single person that experiences it. But there is a general list of symptoms than can be useful in helping to get a diagnosis. Most doctors will not treat based on symptoms alone, but it does help get a picture of what you have going on. 

Here is a basic symptom list:

It is generally said that if you are experiencing 20 or more of the symptoms on the list, you should get checked out. But honestly, in my opinion, if you're experiencing any number of these symptoms with no other explanation, it's worth getting checked out. You never can be too careful when it comes to this stuff. I'd rather you go in to the doctor for five symptoms than go in once you have every symptom on the list because you were waiting to hit a certain number, and then end up being sick for the rest of your life. 

You may be looking at that list and thinking that a lot of those symptoms can be caused by other things. And yes, you're right. I'm not trying to tell you that if you have anything on that list that you absolutely have Lyme. But, I have 61 of the symptoms on that list. And they are all things that have no other explanation. So, if that's the case for you or someone you know (I feel like one of those commercials about receiving compensation for bad drug side effects) it's worth at least thinking about. Lyme is known as the "great imitator" because it does seem like it could be so many other things. But that's why it gets so bad for so many people--they're told so many times that it's something else before they finally get the help they need for the problem that they actually have. 

If that list, and everything I've been telling you about Lyme, seems overwhelming, that's because it is. It's messy. It's confusing. And it's serious. 

But it's also something that can be managed if you are lucky enough to catch it early. And that's why I'm cramming this information down your throat. (Cue medicine side effect commercial again...) If you, or someone you know, can look at that list and see something that sounds familiar, please see your doctor. I know I've sat here and told you over and over how difficult it is to get a doctor to believe you and treat you when you have Lyme, but you can't get anywhere until you try. And the longer you ignore it the worse it gets. 

I would say I'm not trying to scare you...but that would be a lie. I am trying to scare you. I'm trying to scare you into checking for ticks when you come inside, even if you don't think you have been somewhere where you can get one. I'm trying to scare you into going to the doctor and having them remove a tick instead of doing it yourself and risking the tick releasing its toxins into your body. I'm trying to scare you into doing your research if you have symptoms that don't make sense to you. And I'm trying to scare you into standing up and getting the help you need. 

Thinking you might have Lyme is scary. Living with it every single day is a whole different level of scary. Don't let the fear of getting it checked out stop you. It's far better than having the disease itself stop you because you didn't catch it in time. 

If you have questions, ask. If you have symptoms you're confused about, ask. Ask your doctor, ask someone you know who has Lyme, or ask me. 

It matters. Your life matters.