ontheedgeofeverything

I haven’t exactly kept the fact that I have Lyme disease a secret here on my blog, but in case you’re new or unfamiliar with me, I have Lyme disease.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed, shall we?

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in the Spring of 2021. It’s hard to believe sometimes how much time has passed since being diagnosed, but I do acknowledge how fortunate I am in the sense of finding a doctor to adequately diagnose me and provide me with the necessary treatment. There are plenty of other Lyme victims who are not so lucky with their diagnosis timeline, or their accessibility to information and resources.

People often ask me what my symptoms were and how I knew it was Lyme disease, and to be completely candid, I didn’t. I can thank my Aunt, who also has Lyme disease, for steering me in the right direction and helping me throughout the diagnosis process.

My health has improved tremendously since 2021, but I still deal with symptoms, and this is something I am asked about rather frequently. I thought I would share some of the somewhat odd symptoms I still experience with anyone who cares to read about it, and furthermore, in hopes of providing some education on the topic of long-term Lyme disease symptoms.

Fatigue is arguably the worst symptom I’m still experiencing. I quite literally wake up in the mornings feeling as though I haven’t slept a wink, and upon exiting my bed and attempting to get moving and mobile, I’m greeted with a variety of aches and pains and joint and muscle stiffness.

My neck and shoulders are in almost constant discomfort, and the cracks I procure from my neck are honestly alarming in terms of volume.

My hips and their associated joints have taken a beating in the sense they usually feel like they’re being held together with elastic bands, if that makes any sense at all.

I have a lot of lower back pain.

I’ve always been sensitive to cold temperatures, but this has worsened with Lyme; my hands and feet are almost always freezing, and that is not an exaggeration. I also feel pain when I’m handling something very cold.

I have a decent amount of nerve issues, meaning my hands and fingers often go numb, as does one of my legs.

My immune system is rather shitty so I get sick more often than I’d like to.

I jumble words occasionally and have difficulty in trying to properly express myself at times.

Like I said, I’m doing much better now than I was, but there are days during which I wish for nothing but to curl up in a ball and sleep.

Photo by Marino Linic on Unsplash