Over this past year, I have made some incredible friends, thanks to the internet.I always thought it was kind of creepy to make friends with people I didn't know through the internet, because I didn't want to end up on a Lifetime Movie.Well, Lyme disease has changed a lot of things, including my beliefs about making friends on the web!When I started reading Lyme disease blogs, IВ found myself relating to story after story.These people could have been describing my life!I tentatively started commenting on blogs and then worked my way up to emailing my new friends andВ eventually findingВ them on Facebook.
As a result, I have made a group of Lyme friends who are the most amazing, awesome,В inspiring, caring, considerate,В tenacious, andВ funny friendsВ that I could have ever dreamed of!В В These friendsВ have allВ been throughВ hell and back from Lyme disease and they are as tough as they come!We are cheerleaders for each other--celebrating triumphs, crying for each other as we stumble, andВ helping each other find the strength to get back up.To have friends who truly understand how hard Lyme disease is has played a very important role in my recovery.
Now that I'm functioning atВ a muchВ a higher level (I'd say currently aroundВ 75% of what I used to), it's strange being on this side of the fence,В thinking of myself asВ the "healthy" one (I'm using that term pretty loosely) compared to many of my other Lyme friends.It's hard watching my beloved new friends backslide, and it's hard watchingВ the brand new onesВ just starting their treatment.It's hardВ watching themВ fight for their lives, day after day.В Now I have a glimpse of what it was like for my own friends and family to helplessly watch me stay sick day after day.
I am blessed to haveВ these new friends in my life, and I look forward to meeting other many new friends along the way.В I think it's so amazing thatВ Lyme diseaseВ opened the doors to these amazing new friendships at aВ point in my lifeВ when it shutВ nearly everyВ other door.
The Anti-Boganв
