“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Shawshank Redemption
It has been almost two years now. Two years since I was diagnosed with late-stage, long-term Lyme Disease, two years I have been researching, learning, discovering, sharing, and supporting. Two years I have been contemplating whether or not to start this blog, two years I have been putting it off and finding others things to do, two years of being afraid that my writing will not be “good enough,” and two years of worrying about if anyone will even bother to read my story.
I had all the wrong fears and all the wrong reasons, and so today is the day of now or never. I either step out into the world of Lyme and claim it as my own, become part of all of you, or I stay curled up in my little corner, being that bump on a log, not learning, not researching, not sharing, not supporting, not discovering, not writing a darn thing. The choice is to stay hidden from all of you or come out into the light.
Today is the day.
Today is the day of reckoning, the day of discovery, the day of making a firm decision. I will put this up online, I will put myself out there, finally, now and today, and I will write as often as I can.
Some days I will write a lot. Other days I will be too sick, but here is my main reason for joining the ranks of those who are writing out their stories, providing the world with information: If I can help even ONE person who stumbles across my blog, if one person with Lyme learns even a bit of new information, if someone who is not feeling “right” decides to go get a Lyme test, if a family member reads something I wrote and says, “Aha!” if I can help in the smallest way, and if I can help even ONE person by putting myself out there, well then, here I am, Dear Readers. Are you ready for me?
I am HopesAlive, but you may call me Hope. Of course that is not my real name, but that is how I have come to be known in the world of Lyme Disease. I love the word Hope and I cling to that word always.
I have Lyme Disease, and even though I am on a long road to recovery (for the many reasons you will read about), I will accept NOTHING LESS THAN A CURE.
Yes, right now, I am Lost in LymeLand, but my most challenging task is to find a way out. I am traveling through this maze and I am on this roller coaster. I know, already, that I am not alone. There are light and dark spots along the way, ups and downs, and each story is unique, and this story will be my own. I invite you, Dear Reader, to travel this windy path with me, hold me up, support me, learn from me…..and I will try my very best to do the same for you.
Will you please take my hand and come along for the ride?
hopesalive 
This is very nice blog. I don’t have lyme disease but i do have very close friend that does have it. Just to let ya know my friend with lyme took alot of vitimians and pain meds for neuropathy also that was caused from lyme she suffered for many years and was not properly diagnosis with this til this past year. I give ya some hugs for comfort. Don’t hide keep staying out and be apart there is so many that has this. It one way to keep support going and help with new ideas.
But anyways my friend went to a vitiamen specialist that found all that she was lacking with her lyme disease to get her body where it needs to be and to get rid of all the toxins that lyme disease put in body.
I hope this help some. Just hang in there. Take one day a time.
Thank you for creating my very first blog comment, Sharon!
Your friend sounds as if she was fortunate enough to have a doctor who put her on the right track. Building the immune system is vital to battling Lyme Disease. Your friend is correct that proper nutrition and vitamins and supplements is a big part of the battle against Lyme.
I appreciate your comment and support! 🙂
This is a wonderful and HOPEFILLED blog. I do not have “lymes” either but also know of others that do. It makes me want to make a difference in the lives of those who seek help to overcome lymes and other disabling conditions. ….It reminds me that life is short and to live it to the best of our ability………….and with hope from above too. Keep writing and to Sharon;s friend…keep up the good work too. Janet
Thank you my dear friend. I am a bit behind now, due to being ill for two weeks, but I plan to keep moving forward.
Your friendship means the world to me. 🙂
I enjoyed reading your Blog. I found it very interesting. Please continue to write because you are right, if helping even ONE person, it can mean saving them also. I really do commend you because it takes a strong person to write about what their life has been like since discovery of their disease. So stay strong and please continue and write often!!!
Also I shared your link on facebook. Good luck and stay strong!!
Barb, thank you so much for reading and commenting on my first blog entry ever! I am glad you enjoyed it, and I agree with everything you say about helping others. Thank you for the compliments. I will try to be dedicated and disciplined to continue writing. Receiving encouraging comments from people like you inspires me to want to keep writing.
Hope, You are the reason I know about Lyme. I am thankful to you for telling me that my fibro symptoms sounded like Lyme. You are not alone. I will be traveling that same road with you, sometimes in front of you, sometimes falling behind you. I love you my friend.
Jenny
Thank you for your kind words, Jenny. I do feel as if we are traveling this path together. Your support, in many areas of my life, has already been tremendous, and always, always appreciated. From the bottom of my heart. Love you right back. 🙂
I am honored that you shared this with us and will read every word.
Thank you so much, Barb. Your support is appreciated more than you will ever know, my dear friend.
Youve started this at the right time for me as I have been wanting to do the same for a while but feeling too vulnerable. Keep going, its inspiring me!! 🙂
Hi Liz.
Thank you for reading my blog. I also took a very long time to dive in and publish that first post. I still have a lot to learn, so I hope everyone will be patient with me. I hope I can inspire you enough to keep writing and then to share. Please let me know when you get your first blog post published! 🙂