I was completely bedridden for a year with Lyme disease and multiple co-infections. Every day was a new series of tortures for me: my resting heart rate was 130 beats per minute, it felt like I had a thousand needles stabbing me all over my body, I was so thin I was like a little skeleton corpse laying day after day on the couch, my feet ached so much I winced in pain if they ever touched the ground, my limbs would fall asleep at random times or feel like they had firecrackers exploding in them, it felt like an elephant was stomping on my chest every day, I couldn’t bend my knees at all they were so swollen and arthritic, the pillbox was never empty, my vision blurred, my head throbbed, at times I could hardly breathe, my face was droopy with Bells Palsy, I was faint, dizzy and it felt like I had Mack Trucks going through my ears…the agonizing symptoms went on and on and on.
But, fast forward to today. I have completely recovered. Those desperate and painful days are far behind me. I have a couple of years of solid recovery under my belt. I have climbed out of Dante’s Inferno. In April I ran the Paris Marathon (26.2 miles!) with energy to spare. In May I ran the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. Earlier I did the Surf City Half Marathon, the Las Vegas Rock n Roll Half Marathon, ran over the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Half Marathon, stomped through the Strawberry Stampede Race, passed up a bunch of 20 year olds in the Prostate Cancer Run, ran past real firecrackers in the Fourth of July Run, cracked the Southern California Half Marathon, have done a bunch of 5K’s and 10K’s in the past two years and in March I had a fabulous time running the LA Marathon as part of a relay team. (The irony is, I never ran before I had Lyme disease!)
Those feet, which couldn’t touch the floor, can now carry me effortlessly for miles and miles. My knees bend easily and the head that once throbbed feels light and clear as a bell. The elephant has jumped off my chest, my resting heart rate is an athlete’s low, my breathing is calm and easy, my eyesight is perfect, there are no more needles, no more firecrackers, no more antibiotics, no more trucks driving through my ears, no more dizziness, those tiny thin legs are now muscular and strong. My face can smile with no twitching, the Bells Palsy is gone. No part of my body hurts. I wake up every day consistently feeling good, strong, happy, healthy and joyfully alive!
I want to share my experience, strength, and hope with those still suffering with Lyme. I am writing a book about my days with Lyme, and more importantly RECOVERY! Would love to hear your stories. 100% recovery really is possible! It may take some work, but it is possible. BeRelentless!
Ran the San Francisco 2nd half marathon over the summer in 2012 and I am still doing GREAT! Planning my Boston qualifying race. (If you want to run the Boston marathon you have to beat a certain time) Working hard to finish my book and DVD.
Update… August 2014. Still working on book…. and doing great! I’m into an extreme form of martial arts now. I practice it pretty much daily, in addition to the running, and I’ve added yoga recently. The belt test for my martial arts class is 5 hours long. I’ll let you know when I pass it!
BeRelentless! 100% Recovery. It’s a mindset. It can happen for you too! Hang in there.
Getting ready to run San Francisco July 2012
No more lyme symptoms!
Your story gives me hope, encouragment and lets me know I am not alone. I am truly happy for you Camille. I think it’s wonderful that you are willing to share a very personal piece of your life, that being when your body was at its weakest. I am inspired by your story and look forward to learning more about you, your journey, recovery and where you’re at via your book.
Thanks Nancy Jean!