Heather is a mother of four who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2018. In addition to battling Lyme herself, all of four of her children have been diagnosed with Lyme and share many of her symptoms.
See how Lyme has impacted Heather and her family:
A full family diagnosed with Lyme
Heather begins by sharing, “We don’t know how long I’ve had Lyme.” She doesn’t remember when she got it, or if she was bitten by a tick; however, “my four children have all tested for it, so we think I’ve had it for about 16 years.”
“It’s really hard to be a parent having Lyme yourself, so you’re feeling all those symptoms,” she says, “and then having children who also have similar symptoms”.
Heather’s 15 year-old daughter Lindsey, who also was diagnosed in 2018, joins in, “Throughout my life, my body has always hurt, always ached, and I just thought that was normal.”
Noting how Lindsey has battled with Lyme, Heather shares a silver lining, “As hard as it has been to see my oldest daughter going through a lot of the same things I’ve been going through, it has also brought us closer.”
Lindsey adds, “It’s really changed our lives.”
“We’ve really bonded, and we’ve become best friends,” Heather continues with a smile, “I hate to say it’s because of Lyme disease, but that definitely has brought us closer, and I’m grateful for that.”
Lyme disease affects everyone differently
The battle with Lyme is a long and arduous one, but there is strength in numbers. Heather has a strong, supportive network within her family and has been able to find peace there.
We know that not every day and every diagnosis looks the same. For some, certain days can be filled with excruciating pain, while the next might be easier .
Click to read more stories about how Lyme affects the daily life of other Lymies, or read our article about a Day in the Life with Chronic Lyme.