I will always remember the day that our healing journey began.
It was a warm summer evening. Jack and I arrived early for an outdoor movie in the park so we sat and chatted like we often would while we waited for the movie to begin. During our conversation Jack turned to me and innocently asked, “What color are your spots, Mama?”
When I heard those words, I felt shivers throughout my body. I knew in that moment that my five year old boy was having the same unusual and unexplained symptoms that I’ve had since I was seventeen years old.
As we talked more, I discovered that along with the colorful spots, he also saw everything pixelated and sometimes saw a vortex in his vision. It didn’t seem to bother him because it was how he had always experienced the world around him and thought that everyone else did too….but it bothered me. I knew all too well about these unexplained symptoms that I had been living with for most of my life.
He started having other strange symptoms where he would momentarily loose consciousness and sometimes drop whatever he was holding; a pencil, playing cards, an ice cream cone…and then be so confused to find them on the floor instead of in his hand where they had been.
By age nine he was experiencing an unusual tiredness for a little boy who was always so energetic. His body hurt all over and I would get calls from school saying that Jack fell asleep in the playground again or that he was having trouble walking.
At this point we had already seen a neurologist, a neuro-ophthalmologist, a rheumatologist and a cardiologist, with no answers. I made up my mind that day in the park that I would do everything in my power to find out why this was happening.
I stayed up every night scouring the internet for answers, a tool I did not have as a young person going through this. Through my searching, Lyme Disease kept coming up, but we were both tested numerous times, always with a negative result.
It wasn’t until I found a Lyme group on social media that I started to feel like we were not alone, and that there may be hope. They suggested we find our local Lyme group. I started attending meetings and learned that so many people in our area, around the country, and around the world are affected by Lyme disease. Most often Lyme Disease goes undetected or misdiagnosed. I also learned that lyme is not only transmitted by ticks, but can also be transmitted through mosquitos, blood transfusions, in utero, and through breast milk. I also learned that we were not alone and there was a road to wellness...but it wouldn't be easy.
From there we began to heal. First emotionally with the support and understanding of our new friends, and then physically, when we finally found a Lyme Literate, MD who properly tested and diagnosed us. Jack was 10 years old at this point and was put on a two and a half year waiting list for one of the only Lyme doctors around who treated children.
I knew we needed to do something right away so, after more research, we found a Holistic practitioner who treated us with homeopathy, herbs, detox, and acupuncture. Jack is 16 now and mostly symptom free!
Stay tuned for more of our story...