KERRY J HECKMAN, LICSW
  • About
  • Blog
  • Therapy & Groups
  • Writing
  • Freelance
  • Speaking
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer

Practical Advice for Living with Lyme Disease

8/22/2017

0 Comments

 
Most of the links on this post are informational, but a few are affiliate links to help maintain this website.

Thanks to the numerous knowledgeable Lyme patients and experts, there is a great deal of information available about living with Lyme disease. I've compiled some of the best advice I've heard and consolidated it into this post. As with any other form of advice, run it through your personal filter, take what applies to you and leave the rest. 
​

The Best Lyme Advice I've Received So Far

Advice for Living with Lyme Disease:

1. Many things will get better, some will get worse. 
For many Lyme patients just getting a diagnosis is a giant leap in the right direction. After that you will start treatment. Treatment for Lyme is like the song Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul. You take two steps forward and two steps back. Sometimes if you're lucky it's only one step back. It will be forward and back until you reach the end goal of remission. It's easy to lose heart with so many setbacks, but if you keep going forward it will pay off.  

2. Write down your current symptoms and track your symptoms over time. 
When you've had Lyme for a long time, sometimes it's hard to remember if a symptom is new or something you've experienced before. Track your symptoms on a calendar, so you can go back and see if you were experiencing the same symptom during that season. It's time consuming, but it's been very helpful at doctor's appointments.  

3. Always keep a copy of your current medications and supplements on hand. 
With all the changes in medications from month to month it can be hard to keep track. Keep a list of all medications and supplements in a GoogleDoc and then update it after each change. You will be asked 50 bajillion times to list your medications on forms. Because Lyme patients tend to be on so many, it's more painless to just carry an updated list and attach it to forms rather than writing them all out over and over.   
The Best Lyme Advice I've Received So Far

4. Come up with a plan of what you will say to conventional doctors. 
It will catch you off guard every time you see a new doctor. What should you say? Do you tell the truth and risk being told what you have doesn't exist, or do you skirt around the subject? Some patients bring current Lyme research along with them to present to doctors, some choose not to mention it. 

5. Go with your gut. 
You will hear a lot about how the treatment you chose is "bad." Antibiotics are terrible. Herbals aren't strong enough, etc. You need to decide what is right for you and what makes you feel better. Think of your doctor as an exceptionally experienced and knowledgeable guide, but ultimately the choice is yours, because you're the one who has to live with it.  

6. Let go what no longer serves you. 
Lyme is here to tell you something. It's here to tell you that we need to make major changes in our life. When you have Lyme you have to go through a physical and mental house cleaning. Do you need to let go of a job, a relationship, a behavior, a habit? It's time to do some deep soul searching and put yourself first for a change.

Each day you will learn something new on this journey, adding up to a lot of wisdom you will be able to take with you into your future life. 
​

​"Time gives good advice." - Unknown
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome

    I'm Kerry (She/Her/Hers) and I am a licensed therapist, group facilitator, poet, writer, & speaker. This is a place to acknowledge and validate our suffering and trauma, while also learning how to turn toward aliveness and spaciousness. 

    Kerry J Heckman

    Categories

    All
    Book Reviews
    Guest Posts
    Publications
    Rewrites
    Tuning In

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    September 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    RSS Feed

      SIGN UP BY EMAIL

    Subscribe
Copyright © 2025 Kerry J Heckman All rights reserved. Disclaimer.

    Sign up For Newsletter

Subscribe
  • About
  • Blog
  • Therapy & Groups
  • Writing
  • Freelance
  • Speaking
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer