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Being LymeBrave: Choosing To Be Visible

Being LymeBrave is a new blog series featuring writers who are turning their passions into purpose and transforming their experiences with Lyme disease into something positive. Follow along as we share the stories of Lyme patients and caregivers who are being brave in the face of illness.

One of the hardest parts of being chronically “invisibly” sick revolves around image. I have been sick for over ten years now and yet if you were to pass me in the street, you’d never have a clue of the challenges I face day in and day out. People don’t seem to comprehend that you don’t have to look sick to be sick. Illnesses come in far too many different forms, and for me, it’s on the inside.

My body has been slowly killing and torturing itself but physically you’d never know. I am a petite, twenty-something-year-old that some may call fit or even beautiful but goodness do I feel harshly different. I have learned that with my image of a “healthy” looking female, I am forced to render the harsh backlash of ignorance and doubt.

“But you don’t look sick.”

Just because I can fake a smile and force myself to escape the isolation for an hour doesn’t mean I am not fighting off the demons internally and in a relentless amount of pain. If you could just see how I feel rather than just how I look, life with a chronic “invisible” illness may be that much easier.

After years of living with my illness I’ve learned to accept and live with it. I have hope for remission or a “cure,” but I have accepted that this is my now and I must either choose to live this way or give up.

I choose to live.

Mikayla Vacher is a 23-year-old Chronic Lyme disease warrior who has been fighting for over ten years. She was finally diagnosed in May 2013 after being dismissed by far too many doctors for over five years. Lyme disease has turned her world upside down, but she is learning to embrace the journey and find a purposeful meaning in every day. Want to know more about Mikayla? Find her on social media! Instagram: @mikayla_jennifer

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Are you a patient or caregiver to someone with Lyme disease?

 

Become a contributor to the Being LymeBrave Blog by submitting your essay to: info@lymebravefoundation.org!

Being LymeBrave Blog

Crisis Lifeline

Lyme patients are at-risk of suicide due to the accompanying decrease in quality of life. If you or someone you love is suffering from depression or suicidal ideation, contact your physician immediately or call the
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

 

1-800-273-TALK

(1-800-273-8255)

OR

988

Disclaimer

LymeBrave Foundation, Inc. is an education and support services 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by patients, for patients. The material found herein is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the medical services or advice of professionals. While we aim to provide emotional support resources to patients and caregivers, LymeBrave Foundation, Inc. makes no representation of warranties with respect to the context of the information herein. LymeBrave Foundation, Inc. is not liable for any damages, including the health and wellbeing of individuals, arising herefrom. LymeBrave Foundation, Inc. is not responsible for third-party content, nor does it recommend or endorse third-party content.

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