“Until April 2017 the word “Lyme” only meant a “green citrus fruit” to me. I’d heard of Lyme disease, though my knowledge of what it entailed was minimal. After a lifetime of misdiagnosis and a handful of seemingly unrelated issues I was struggling to accept my ACTUAL diagnosis - late stage Lyme. Sure, all my symptoms fit perfectly. But how did I have an illness I knew nothing about? How can I finally accept what I’ve known in my gut all along, that the problem was not in fact “in my head” That’s the problem with Lyme disease, it’s known as the great imitator. It creates chaos in your body and can effect all body systems. Symptoms change. Numerous medications, treatments, specialists - nothing found, nothing fixed. This makes diagnosis very challenging and patients are treated as though they are crazy. My healing journey has looked different over the past year and a half. I’m so grateful that I have been able to treat myself, because the cost of this disease is crushing many families. So many people cannot afford the expenses of Lyme. As a young family we couldn’t either - but we have been blessed with help from others. I wear my Aware necklace proudly. I don’t want to be known for having Lyme disease, but people need to know the severity of it. If I had awareness earlier, I may have been able to start my healing journey sooner.” @caymanferg