My+Story

Paige's Story:
//Lymes Disease//

I got Lymes Disease in the month of May, near the end of fifth grade. My grandparents own a cabin by the Dells so we were up there on a weekend with the whole family. I remember the day I got it very clearly.

It hit one day at school. I felt exhausted, and I had a migraine. When I got home, I flopped down on the couch and fell asleep. I didn’t wake up for a few hours. My mom got me up for dinner. I wasn’t hungry, so I went straight upstairs to bed. The next morning, I still felt horrid, so I stayed home from school. My joints hurt, my stomach ached, my head was pounding… It went on for days.

I hadn’t eaten at all in those days, and my mom asked me if it was a problem with my weight that was making me like this. I said it wasn’t, and I’m not sure she believed me. But I just kept getting worse and worse.

I went to the hospital one day after about a week. My head hurt so bad that every time the car bounced, I would shriek in pain. At the hospital, my mum told the doctors that we had a cabin, and she thought I had Lymes Disease. They didn’t think that was it, but they tested me anyways. It came out positive, so they tested me again, but that one was negative.

During all of this, I had no sense of time or anything. I didn’t know how long I was in my room for, lying on my bed. My parents had to put a sheet over my windows, because even the shades let too much light in, and it hurt my head. People brought me baskets of things, get well cards, stuffed animals, and books. I still have the stuffed elephant my family gave me. The books I actually used. It was the only thing I could do. Even though reading hurt my head, I did it anyway, because I felt useless.

One day, I couldn’t move at all. I had to be carried to our car and when we got to the hospital I had to be pushed in a wheelchair. My grandma was with us that day; I can remember that much. I was really happy to see her.

They took a CT Scan (I think that’s what it’s called) and I got a spinal tap. The spinal tap was the worst thing that I’ve ever done in my life. They used a needle that must have been half a foot long, and they took four vials of my spinal fluid. I don’t think the stuff they use to numb the pain worked right; I could feel it.

Soon, my mum took me to a massage therapist, thinking that all I needed was a good, relaxing day, but I only ended up puking when she was signing me up for one, and the next day I puked again when I was there again.

My teacher, Mr. Anderson, came to my house after a week or two. He brought me a big basket with a bunch of stuff in it. I remember that much. He brought me my schoolwork, but then exempted me from it. Maybe it was because I looked so bad.

All of this was taking place near the end of fifth grade. My mother thought it would be okay if I went to school on the second last day. I felt really horrible, I could hardly move, I was really pale, my stomach hurt, and I had a migraine, but I went, even though I didn’t want to. Mr. Anderson wasn’t there when I got there, and all the kids were crazy. I think they were happy to see me though. What I remember clearest about that day is that Jamie sat in front of me. When she asked me what was wrong, I just shook my head. I felt like if I opened my mouth I was going to puke all over her. Plus, I didn’t know if I had the strength to talk at all. She said, “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” and then she smiled at me. I think that was one of the nicest gestures in my life. You might not understand why, but I was feeling so horrible and I didn’t want to talk, and she understood that.

Soon after, I had to leave. I went to another room and I puked, but my mum thought I was just being dramatic. At this point, when the doctors couldn’t find anything that was wrong with me, they all thought I was just depressed. She was angry with me, but she was more angry with the doctors. I didn’t learn this until a few months ago, actually, but they had tried to give me a bunch of meds for depression. They were really strong ones, for adults.

My mother brought me to a neurologist, and he was the one who really helped me. I went there for a few sessions. He gave me some medication, and I finally got diagnosed with Lymes Disease.

All in all, I was sick for about a month. I didn’t fully recover for a year. In sixth grade, I couldn’t participate in gym. I had lost fifteen pounds. I was weak, and I still am. I can’t truly explain to you how that experience was, only that it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. You never expect something like that to happen, but when it does, it’s very shocking.

Even now, my cousins don’t watch out for ticks at our cabin, I always warn them, but they don’t listen, and I worry.

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