"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."

- Jim Rohn

It all started when my dog, Rex, and I were bit by a tick and didn’t even know it.  I felt a little off, but couldn’t explain it and wrote off a lot of my symptoms because they were minor everyday things that normal people encounter – aches and fatigue.  I had the worst flu I’ve ever experienced and felt like I was hit by a truck. I mean it was December, but sure it can be flu season then too, right?

Fast-forward about 6 months still dealing with these “minor” issues and suddenly I started to experience some pretty severe and startling symptoms - extreme joint and muscle pain, double vision, vertigo, numbness in my arms and legs, bells palsy, anxiety, cognitive impairment, memory issues and the list goes on.

The next 10 months were a roller coaster and I thought my life was spinning out of control. I saw over 10 different doctors and ended up in the ER several times.  All of these doctors were telling me I was perfectly healthy and that nothing was wrong.  You have got to be kidding me!?  I sought out a therapist because I thought I was going crazy.  The therapist was familiar with Lyme and told me that all of my symptoms could be a result of the disease.  She steered me toward a Lyme-literate doctor, and guess what?  After the RIGHT testing, the results confirmed that all of this craziness really was because of Lyme disease.

Finally, after all of this time, an answer and doctors who believed me! It was such a relief and a weight off my shoulders to finally have an answer and path to recovery.  After finding the right doctors, the right treatment plan, and a change in diet and lifestyle, I'm back to my normal self.  And it feels great!  I am one of the lucky ones though because I know many people go undiagnosed, are misdiagnosed, or get diagnosed too late and struggle with chronic Lyme their whole lives.

My message is to be your own advocate because no one knows your body better than you.  All of this pain and torture could have been prevented had I been educated and aware of Lyme disease.  In fact, I did ask my neurologist if it could be Lyme disease and he said, "No, you’re a perfectly healthy individual".   We need to share stories and create awareness for how devastating and debilitating this disease really can be so it is taken seriously and preventive measures are followed.

Even though I was going through this struggle, I knew there was a reason behind the madness and that God had a plan.  I had a very vivid dream that solidified my path and purpose in life, which is to help people struggling with Lyme and to become an advocate for the disease so that no one has to go through the struggle I did or that I’ve seen in the Lyme community.

And this is how KeyLyme was born!

I wish you many blessings and good health!

- Jaclyn