In recent days I have caught up on some of my reading and have been thus made aware of a growing number of celebrities who have been diagnosed and are currently receiving treatment for their Lyme disease.
Most recently I read about the 80’s pop star, Debbie Gibson, and her recent acknowledgement of her battle with Lyme disease. Debbie was diagnosed about a year ago, and thanks to the negative body image comments made by some people after a recent appearance, Debbie saw fit to share her story with the world.
Read about Debbie Gibson’s story on her blog here.
My favorite Debbie Gibson song has got to be Only In My Dreams…Ahh the 80’s…
While reading Debbie’s story, I often caught myself nodding and saying to myself “Me too!” She went into significant detail regarding her symptoms and many resembled my own. (Although I only wish I could have been dealt the weight loss side effect…I, sadly, got dealt the weight gain variety. Boo… ) But through it all she has remained positive and upbeat.
Coping with Lyme disease is a daily struggle. It’s not something that I like to discuss on a regular basis with people – for the simple reason that I look healthy on the outside for the most part so it’s difficult for others to understand what I endure on a regular basis. When I run into friends in my community, and they ask how I have been, my go-to answer is “fine.” They don’t want to hear about the sharp pains, memory/word retrieval problems, and rash. Nor are they interested in hearing about the pharmacy of supplements I am taking. It’s easier to just ignore those things when interacting with people. If I regularly tell people about what I am coping with, they will inevitably become tired of hearing about negative things…I know I am. Reading about celebrities who are also coping with this disease however, empowers me. If they can stand up and tell the world that they have this disease and explain what it has done and continues to do to them then so can I…And so can thousands of other sufferers.
Lyme disease is not fun, or easy, or even uplifting, but every single day there is at least 1 thing that is good or positive that has happened. Whether it be a 1 in 100 day when I actually wake up feeling energized, or maybe my pain has subsided for an hour or 2, or I’ve miraculously made it through a day without digestive discomfort (one day it will happen…I just know it!)…Or maybe it’s a smaller win – like today being just a small tid-bit better than yesterday. No matter how I feel, it is important to find the positives and celebrate them.
When someone asks me how I’ve been, I’m going to make a conscious effort to change my response…Rather than just saying “fine” I’m going to celebrate a win that I’ve had recently. At least then I will be able to continue the Lyme conversation and raise more awareness of the disease myself in my own community, but at the same time remain positive and uplifting to those I interact with.
Other celebrities who have revealed their own battles with Lyme include: Yolanda Foster, Parker Posey, Amy Tan, etc. It is also reported that others such as Richard Gere, Michael J. Fox, Martha Stewart, Ben Stiller, and more have had Lyme and had it treated early on and hopefully are now symptom free. Although, subsequent health issues that many of those previously treated for Lyme disease have been diagnosed with later in life could, if properly researched and tested for, turn out to be persistent or chronic Lyme disease.
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