Hi! Hi there. I see you. Welcome to my blog. I’m actually glad you’re here. And don’t worry, I probably searched your name too by now. Think I got anything juicy?? You certainly did. You see… I’ve been on this CRAZY health journey the last couple of years, and this blog has all the dirty details.
Some of them might be a bit scary to you. That’s ok. They freaked me out too at first! Some may even be deal breakers for you, and that’s alright as well. I can’t change most of what’s difficult about life with Lyme. I have to accept it. But you don’t! And that’s totally fair.
What I CAN tell you is this… the person you’re thinking about going on this date with? She’s a waaaaaaaaaay better human than you’d have found a couple of years ago, pre-illness. It turns out there’s some nice perks that come with a life that includes periods of disability, like:
- An intense appreciation for pretty much everything
- Big smiles, excited applause kind of reactions to all things good
- An eager appetite for adventure
- A greater ability to let the small stuff go
- A complete willingness to look like a dork
- A tendency to laugh through even the shittiest, most painful moments of life because the gift of being human is abundantly clear to me even when being human is pretty much the worst
- Hippie remedies for all your colds, aches and pains
- A lot of self-awareness and a practiced ability to communicate even through difficult things
- Emotional openness
- Vulnerability
- A dedication to self-work and an ability to see feedback as an opportunity to grow
- Practiced good mental health habits
- Tips on which dairy/gluten/egg/refined sugar free foods are actually totally edible
As you read through the details (as many as you like), please know that I share these entries mostly so that I can help other patients get as well as I have. Lyme is tricky business, and it takes a village to effectively treat. This is my contribution to other patients. But, by being so public, it also means fellas like you have this information waaay before I’d ordinarily disclose it. It’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make.
But reading this blog, you’re going to learn about some of the drawbacks of dating me probably before you’ve ever even dated me! How weird is that?? I will say you’re coming at a good time. I’m about 90% well right now. You never know what the future holds, but I’m hopeful the worst days are over. That said, even when I am doing well, my life isn’t exactly “normal”. A few things about me that have been issues for fellows in the past include:
- I don’t drink. (This may change to moderate drinking someday.)
- I am not sure I can safely have biological kids. I’d be a great step mom, adoptive mom or doggy mom though.
- I prioritize a clean diet, my pill schedule, my doc appointments and rest.
- I have to stay out of moldy buildings and away from objects that’ve been stored inside them.
- While I have symptoms, I will practice only safe sex to protect us both from sharing infections (let’s talk about the risks).
- If you start showing signs of Lyme disease, I will bug you to get tested.
I think that’s it! Obviously there’s a ton about me that has nothing to do with Lyme disease. If we do end up hanging out, I’ll chat your ear off about art, music, fun fitness pursuits, bicycling, travel, politics, feminism, Christmas, my dogs… tacos… the like. I don’t know. They say that fortune favors the bold, and while I wouldn’t have chosen this path for myself, fortune has certainly met me here anyway. I think the same will be true for anyone who chooses to walk this path alongside me. But hey. Let’s have a date first, huh??
Cheers,
Karla
karlafightslyme 