*Originally published 9/6/13*
My name is Taylor, and I am Cassidy's older sister. To everyone who follows and reads her posts, thank you so much for taking the time to learn about the effects of Chronic Lyme. The only way to help those suffering is to spread the word, and you are all playing a role in that.
Tonight, my sister had to go to the emergency room because of some of the effects of one of her medicines. I'm sure she will get into more details in her next post, but it was not a good night for our family. She is home safe now, but is still feeling horrible. As she was dealing with this tonight, I couldn't help but think that it's the moments like these that people don't always understand.
Think of someone in your life who you would do anything for. Think of a loved one, a friend, a sibling whom you would never want to see in pain. That's what Cassidy is to my brother and I, as well as many other people. She is one of the people that I would take any pain away from if I could. But with this, I can't. Imagine, as horrible as it is, that that person had a disease that made them tired, dizzy, stiff, sore, and in constant pain. Imagine they had headaches, nausea, and horrible insomnia. Imagine that they had to stop doing everything they loved because of this disease. Any activity whatsoever made their joints swell, and often times, getting out of bed is an accomplishment. Imagine that that person is judged by others who don't understand that anything is wrong because they "look" fine, and seem to be normal. Now imagine that the disease they have isn't federally recognized, so finding adequate treatment is not always possible.
These are things that my family, and other families of loved ones with Lyme deal with on a daily basis. Tonight, I watched my baby sister suffer from panic, pain, and many other symptoms. I watched as she tried to remember what had happened, worried that her memory was fogging. My family and I watched as she tried to slow down her breathing into a brown paper bag before the ambulance arrived.
Tomorrow, she may feel much better. If she is able to make it to school, she may get questioned about where she's been all week. She will look fine, as she does every other day, and many won't think anything of it. Although I am six years older than her, I am constantly learning from her, and trying to model her determination and refusal to give up. I was completely in awe of my baby sister tonight, and I am every day as I watch her push through what is likely to be the greatest struggle of her life.
Please continue to learn and educate others about the effects of this chronic illness. Learn about the ways you can prevent and check for Lyme. Learn about the symptoms, the coinfections, and the other diseases and illnesses Lyme can disguise itself as. If you or a loved one is already suffering from Lyme, know that you are not alone, and that if we keep pushing, there is a light at the end of the Lyme tunnel.
Thank you again to everyone who follows and shares Cassidy's blog.
Taylor
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