Celebrating Lyme Disease

Today, I called my fiancé and my parents to tell them my great news: I have Lyme disease!
During the last seven years, I have received many different explanations for my misbehaving body (otherwise known as my symptoms). As of yesterday, I believed that I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which was caused by a malfunction in my hypothalamus in my brain. At least, that was the theory that made the most sense to me out of all of the theories that have been presented to me. I will write more about the theories that can be applied to Chronic Fatigue in later posts.
I have been sick with a mysterious and debilitating illness for seven years now. It struck me five days before my 21st birthday. Over these years I have learned about the cycle of hope that people go through when they learn that their incurable illness may not be the cause of their symptoms and that actually, they may have a different illness, which has a higher cure rate. At one point I was told that I only had Adrenal Insufficiency. My prognosis was that I would make a full recovery in 6 months. To someone who suffers from a chronic illness, this news is wonderful. I experienced the feelings of excitement and hope that I would soon be 100% healthy. Unfortunately, that day has still not come. My doctors have never found an easy answer for my health problems. I never actually had a disease that could be cured. Luckily, I found an amazing doctor in Maryland who has devoted his life to treating patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). With his help, I have partially recovered from CFS.

You are probably wondering why I consider having Lyme disease to be a good thing. I am actually excited about my diagnosis because for the first time in years my doctors have actually found a specific cause of my symptoms. A test actually exists for Lyme disease! My fellow CFS suffers know how frustrating it is to have an illness that has no test. For once, my doctors know exactly what bacteria have invaded my body. Usually, they operate on educated guesses as to what is happening inside my body. Even though my experiences over the last seven years have taught me to remain cautious about my potential to be cured, I am still hopeful. There is a chance that I actually do not have CFS, but rather Chronic Lyme Disease. The reason I am so excited about this possibility is that Lyme disease is more treatable than CFS. The treatment is to kill the Lyme bacteria with antibiotics. I have the potential to feel much better after many months of antibiotic treatment.
How does having Lyme disease relate to my CFS? Do I still have CFS and the endocrine dysfunction? These are all questions that I need answers to.
To celebrate my potential to finally get better, my fiancé and I went out to dinner. We laughed the whole time about how we were celebrating the fact that I have a disease. Those of you who suffer from CFS and Fibromyalga will understand exactly what I mean! Just the simple concept of knowing what disease I have and how to treat it is thrilling.
I told one of my best friends tonight about my new diagnosis of Lyme disease. I could hear the excitement in her voice. She understands the hope and the potential that this diagnosis could bring me. My friends have been my lifeline during these past seven years. Talking to my friend tonight left me with a huge smile=) I feel hopeful that treating Lyme disease will help me!