You probably bought this book because you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a tick-borne disease. Arriving at an accurate diagnosis may have been a difficult journey. Perhaps you saw several doctors, chasing symptoms, and were given several diagnoses; meanwhile, you collected a binder full of lab reports and just wanted someone to listen to your story and put the pieces together. Your story might involve symptoms that come and go on a day-to-day basis, or even minute to minute. You might be fine in the morning and bedbound with pain by lunchtime. You might need people to understand that the light shines too brightly in a room or a sound is too loud, making it impossible to complete a trip to the grocery store. You may go to work every day, wondering if brain fog will cause you to make a mistake. Or you hand your young child the iPad more often than you like because you are too sick to be the active parent you envisioned.

For most people, the symptoms of tick-borne infections don’t end up on the radar until the complaints are persistent and undeniable. The most poignant statement I hear is, “You don’t get it until you get it.” So, how do we “get” it? Learning how to advocate for yourself is important. You’ll need to know how to sort through the polarized views around Lyme disease and be at peace with the process of healing. My goals with this book are twofold: to address prevention of acute Lyme disease and to focus on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of chronic tick-borne disease.

Chronic Lyme disease can mean big changes in daily life, affecting family structure and your ability to work. It can significantly decrease quality of life by compromising your ability to care for yourself, and it can manifest emotional trauma. Lyme disease is a unique illness that is present in broad daylight; we all know it’s there and represents a problem, yet those who are sick may feel the need to hide their experiences. Most of the fear and shame patients feel, sadly, comes from their interactions with the medical profession. Healing happens when patient-doctor relationships are healthy and when patients feel supported, believed, and safe in being honest about their health concerns.