The Faces of Lyme: Renel

“Family support is extremely important”

Renel’s severe mood swings drove her to get checked out by a hormone specialist who revealed her autoimmune levels were elevated.

She opens up about how important family support is and how she explained her diagnosis to her children. She admits the toll the disease took on her marriage, family, and social relationships.

The Faces of Lyme: Penny

“Getting better all the time”

Penny’s story is an example of Lyme manifesting as Rheumatoid Arthritis. Her RA diagnosis came first from her primary care doctor who referred her to our clinic. Upon further investigation it was revealed that her RA was a manifestation of underlying Lyme disease.

Doctor Shikhman explains RA and its heterogeneous nature and why he always searches for the driving force behind RA. He discusses why some inflammatory drugs don’t always work.

The Faces of Lyme: Dee

“Seek treatment immediately”

As a competitive mountain biker, Dee was in the bushes for years. He has been bitten several times, but never knew that getting bit would be a life-changing event. He never knew the severity of lyme until it happened to him.

Dee talks about his symptoms as it relates to his performance on the bike, how he protects himself now and his advice for everyone who frequents a tick environment.

 

 

The Faces of Lyme: Cherie

“You can always heal”

Underlying Lyme disease can be triggered by a traumatic event. Things like whiplash, extreme physical exertion, surgery, car accidents, and dental procedures can cause lyme to flare up.

When Cherie had arthroscopic knee surgery, her symptoms went into overdrive. She had to quit her job, needed help with daily activities, and was ultimately confined to a wheelchair.

She credits the initial use of steroids with giving her the short-term strength and energy to fight her disease. Doctor Shikhman breaks down the negative perception of steroids as a part of treatment and discusses their role in recovery.

She discusses the mental and emotional toll that often times gets overlooked when discussing lyme.

The Faces of Lyme: Danielle

“You don’t lose, you learn”

Going full-throttle through life was how Danielle lived life. Giving 100% as a mom and professional jiu jitsu athlete, she pushed her body to the limit. Initially, fighting against the disease only lead her to fall twice as hard. Not until she embraced the disease did she begin to recover, she learned to take a step back, recognize her limits, and de-stress her life.

Danielle shares a unique perspective of Lyme disease and depression and the power of a positive mindset. She gives an honest look into how it has affected her social and home life. She shares situations many will identify with from forgetting names and driving directions to finding the energy to take her shoes off.

She will never be the same as she was pre-diagnosis, but she believes she is stronger in other ways including empathy, compassion, humility, self-awareness and attitude.