Senter Family

Amy's story:

"At 33 years old, I was unable to take care of my 2 year old and 6 year old. What started out as random back pains, numb arms and knots in my chest, lead to a life of excruciating pain, bedridden and in a wheelchair.

Unable to care for myself. Unable to drive or walk on my own. Uncontrollable shaking leaving bruises on my legs from sitting under tables while my tremors flared out of control, hiding constant tears from my six year old, hiring a nanny/caretaker that we couldn’t afford just so Luke wouldn’t have to quit his job.

I was in endless pain— pain I didn’t know could exist. Depressed, sobbing all day, stuck in bed. Luke would roll me over during the night to change positions to get comfortable. My wheelchair couldn’t fit into the bathroom, so he would push me to the door and help with my walker. I was frozen, trapped in pain, while he would cheer me on. I would take four steps and it would take five minutes. It was awful. He would help me up and down on the toilet and it was humiliating. 

Every test was normal. Five ER visits, four neurologists, a rheumatologist, chiropractor, physical therapy, massage therapy, each one confirming it looked like something was very wrong, but all tests came back normal—except for unexplained increasing inflammation in my blood work. The diagnosis was fibromyalgia, the dead end, the one size fits all answer for “we don’t know”.

After a 911 call in April, the hospital was so concerned with my uncontrollable tremors and pain, they admitted me for three nights, promising someone would help. I saw three specialists, all determined that the next specialist would know what it was. None of them did, and the final one referred me to a psychologist. I refused and was discharged.

Years of trying pain medications were always dead ends. Nothing touched the pain. Most just added more symptoms. MRIs, CT scans, endless vials of blood, exercise, changes in diet, x-rays, EKGs, EMGs, EEGS, the tests were endless and lead to normal results EVERY TIME.

I figured out it was chronic Lyme after my cousin reached out and said he had gone through a similar experience years ago and was diagnosed with ALS. His family persevered and found a more reliable Lyme test called Igenex showing he was positive for chronic Lyme. After his treatment, he lives a normal life and urged me to take the test. And today I am continuing to improve, only a few months later, yes still needing help, but I can pick up my children and read them books and walk on my  own. I'm not throwing up every day or crying myself to sleep anymore. I'm not having as many panic attacks and gasping for a full breath of air all day. I don't feel drugged or suffocating; I feel more like myself each day.

Luckily we have been blessed with family and friends who are paying for counseling, a full time caretaker/nanny and medical bills that otherwise would have been impossible to cover.  

Unfortunately I have at least another year of treatment and bills to pay, only in hopes that when I am in remission, I won’t relapse.

Lyme disease is not just transmitted by ticks, it can be transmitted in pregnancy, breast feeding, sexually and in blood transfusions making it one of the worst epidemics in history.
I recently had my family tested and found that I have spread it to Luke and the kids. It appears to be dormant for the time being, but trauma and stress can trigger it to present symptoms. 

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us through this journey and continue to encourage us!!! Your kindness has not gone unnoticed."

Any donations, as well as prayers, would be much appreciated to help the Senter family at this time.