Lyme Disease Treatment

Hello friends and family, and even those I have never met. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
 
For the past 16 years I've struggled with chronic pain in my hips, my low-back, and my neck and shoulders. Year after year I was mistreated and misdiagnosed- "growing pains, spondylolisthesis, chronic myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome"... the list goes on. It wasn't until my mid-twenties when I was away at school in Nashville, TN studying the violin that my symptoms grew tenfold. The pain became so intense that I could not move from my bed, let alone lift my violin to practice. Other symptoms progressed as well, leaving me without any quality of life. I came home, and all of 2018 sought out answers. Again, I was misdiagnosed and overlooked. Doctors put me on a variety of pharmaceuticals that didn't help. I had a couple of months that were better than others, although I would always decline again, and the decline would be twice as bad as before.
 
I had a hip surgery in January of 2019 that addressed "hip impingement" and a "labral tear" in my left hip joint. I was told I would be pain-free within 6-9 months. Unfortunately, I am in the same amount of pain that I was in 13 months ago. 2019 brought tons of other diagnoses and miscommunications with doctors that left me so confused- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, thyroid cancer, Hashimoto's disease. Thanks to a functional medicine doctor who does thorough testing, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in the Fall of 2019.

While this has been the answer I've been looking for the last 16 years, it is still difficult as it is an "incurable" disease that one can only hope to put into remission. The best way I could describe to someone how I feel on a daily basis is the following: the sickness of an extreme hangover (the nausea and light sensitivity) mixed with the fatigue of the flu, and the pain of my spine being compressed by hundreds of pounds from my head to my sacrum. On top of the physical symptoms, the neurological ones are absolutely debilitating. There's brain fog that makes me forget how to drive to places I've been driving to the last 10 years, anxiety that keeps me awake until 4am, sometimes all night, and depression that has absolutely made me a shell of myself. For some of you, this might come as a surprise as I don't openly talk about the severity of these symptoms on social media, etc. That is done on purpose- I don't want this disease to become my identity. I have been treating the best I can for the past 6 months but have yet to see any improvements. If Lyme is not put into remission, it only grows worse. It slowly but surely kills off the systems in your body one at a time. My thyroid has already been attacked by the Lyme, causing the Hashimoto's disease (my thyroid is attacking itself and has multiple cysts on it.) The Lyme is also most likely responsible for the wearing down of cartilage in my joints, as the bacteria eats cartilage. It is near impossible to find a Lyme-Literate Medical Doctor in the area, as most MD's refuse to treat (or know how to correctly treat) Lyme disease, and the one's that do are booked until 2021. 

For those of you that know me, or don't know me- I used to be an avid athlete and aspiring violinist. I was an Ocean Lifeguard, running and swimming every day. I swam Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, winning awards in those races. I competed in lifeguard competitions, participated in paddles to Catalina Island... I can now barely walk more than 3 miles on my best days. I was pursuing the violin in Nashville, TN. I was the girl playing the violin at the end of the San Clemente Pier in the summers, and aiming to better my skill at Belmont University during the school year. I have played my violin less than a handful of times in the last 2.5 years. Everything I am, was taken from me in the form of Lyme disease.

I have a friend whom I met in Nashville who successfully put her struggle with Lyme disease into remission through the Biologix Center for Optimum Health. I have met one other person who has just finished treatment there and is for the first time experiencing a decrease in symptoms- less pain, less fatigue, less sickness. I was blessed to get into the Biologix Center for treatment this March 29, 2020. This came on a day that I was, again, denied treatment by 2 Lyme Medical Doctor's. I was at wits end thinking I might not ever improve and rather continue declining. However, as this blessing came upon me and my family so quickly, I have created this GoFundMe to try and raise funds towards my treatment. Treating this disease has already been a joint work for my entire family, both emotionally and financially. I would greatly appreciate any donations, even a dollar makes a difference. 

Just so you know, the CDC refuses to recognize Lyme until someone is bound to a wheelchair, unable to walk or talk, and basically a vegetable. Therefore, insurance covers nothing and this past year's treatment has all been something we have struggled to afford out-of-pocket. Even if you cannot donate, please share this on your social feeds- any and all platforms, and help me get the treatment I so desperately need.