Six or seven weeks ago I was just finishing a fun run on
Him: “How far did you run?”
Me: “About 10 miles.”
Him: “Wow that’s great! I used to run a lot on the Mountain too. It was so fantastic! You are so lucky! How long have you lived up here?”
Me: “Hmm. About 4 years.” Wondering where this was going. But he seemed nice enough and friendly. And he looked reasonably healthy.
Him: “Yeah, I was a big runner. I used to do all those Envirosports trail races and run 20-30 miles at a time with my buddies. We used to run all over the place up here. But that was over 10 years ago. Then, for no good reason, my body just seemed to be breaking down. It took 9 years to diagnose my problem as Lyme Disease.”
Me: “Wow, that’s a bummer.”
Him: “It is – and I’m not feeling sorry for myself, it just is. The real travesty is it took so long to diagnose the problem. I had been bitten by a tick, but I didn’t know it, and I didn’t exhibit the classic rash (though I did have a bit of an unexplained sensitive spot on my skin). Anyway, I have been on an intense antibiotic program for almost three years and I’m getting better. Maybe I will even get cured.”
Me: “Yeah, at least you can ride your bike.”
Him: “Well, I can, but very slowly. If you were riding and saw me, you would be like. ‘What’s with that guy. His looks young but rides like he has one foot in the grave.’. And, while it’s not that bad, that is how I feel sometimes. I just can’t go any harder, no matter how much I want to.”
Me: “Ouch!”
Him: “I’m not telling you this to get sympathy. I’m saying, I went from a very healthy, active lifestyle like you live here, to a life of unexplained fatigue and pain. YOU DON”T WANT THIS. So, please, whenever you spend time on your beloved mountain trails, finish up by taking a shower. You’ve been living here for a while, running every day on the Mountain, so maybe you are not susceptible to Lyme’s Disease, but don’t take any chances. The ticks that carry the disease are the small ones and you may never know you have one on you or that you have been bit. So take 5 minutes for a shower every time. If you experience any symptoms, go to a Lyme-knowledgeable doctor.”
Me: “Don’t all doctors know about Lyme Disease?"
Him: “Well, yes and no. They know about it, but Lyme Disease symptoms present themselves in many ways. Often they are similar to other ailments. Since insurance companies don’t recognize Lyme Disease as a serious problem and provide limited coverage, many doctors don’t start there or, for some reason, give it serious consideration. Ignore their indifference. YOU need to give it serious consideration, and be willing to pay for the right tests if you have symptoms. Trust me, it is a lot easier and many many thousands of dollars cheaper than ignoring a, in your case, fairly obvious risk.”
We talked for a few more minutes and then I went in for a shower.
Needless to say, this serious conversation was very impactful on me. Maybe I do have some immunity – those
Lori and I recently received an email from a friend of ours describing her battle with this very underrated, untreated disease. Her note is long, so I will break it up over a couple of days. Make sure you come back and read it. You can read it by clicking here.
Lyme Disease is Serious Business.
