symptoms of lyme disease: For My Dear Friend, Kathy

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If you've never met my friend Kathy, you're missing out.She is an amazing woman, blogger, folk-music-lover, entrepreneur, Soul Collager, artist,wife, sister and friend. We met at the most unlikely of places...Junior League. We hit it off from day one. Perhaps it was because both of us had the same what-am-I-doing-here and what-have-I-gotten-myself-into look. Perhaps it was because she was down-to-Earth and one of the mostauthentic people in the room. Since that day, we'vediscovered we have a lot in common: Weare entrepreneurs and lean left politically. We love art and movies and bread. We like to talk and blogand read a good book. And we both have Lyme Disease. Actually, come to find out, we had Lyme for the first 7 years that we knew each other. We just didn't know it.
I realized about a year ago that I hadn't talked to Kathy in awhile. Curious, I pulled up her blog and discovered that she was not doing so great. She had suddenly gotten very sick and doctors couldn't figure out what it was. I was so sad to hear what she was going through and started checking up on her as much as I could. When Kathy mentioned the doctor thought it could be Lyme Disease, I started researching. It sounded bad. And Kathy seemed too be getting sicker. I started to worry.
Right about this time, Kathy encouraged me to see her doctor (someone I had seen years before for my own yucky symptoms.) Secretly, she suspected Lyme. Personally, I figured it was something else. Turns out she was right. Now we have one more thing in common; something we never expected.
If I had not gone to that doctor, I would still be undiagnosed and would have gotten sicker and sicker and sicker. It may sound cheesy, but I truly believe I owe her my life. I have been sick for so long, that I do not know what it feels like to be healthy. Now I have a chance to find out. I will be forever grateful to her...for this and so many things.
Here are just a few things that make Kathy such an amazing person and treasured friend...
...She has a huge heart.
...She is one of the most strongest women you will ever know, but alsoone of the nicest.
...If she can help you, she will. And even if she can't,she will try her hardest to find a way.
...She loves to sing and listen to music...thefolksier the better.
...She's fought some tremendous battles in her life and she is stronger for it.
...She can sense when something isn't right with you,even if you are faking happy with all your soul.
...She is tired and in pain and very sick, but will stillcall to see how you are, your kids are...and your grandma too.
...If you have Cancer, she will shave her head too so that you do not have to go through it alone.
...She will plan a fundraiser for you when you are atyour lowest, even when she is paying thousands of dollars a month to fight herown battle with the same disease.
...She can be in a room of 100 people and before sheleaves, she will know them all and will have made a profound impact on most, if not all, of them.
...She can laugh and cry in the same sentence.
...If she loves you, you will know it...and so will everyone else in the room.
...She will watch the most obscure film one night and gosee Fright Night the next.
...She can get you to talk about the most personalof issues, all without water torture or bribery.
...If you are chronically-ill and can't make it to her soiree, she will Skype you in so that you can participate.

...She likes her french fries extra crispy (and she almost has this wimpy fry girl converted.)
...She is the only person I know who ran off to Scotland to get married in a blacksmith shop with a Filipino Pirate who has since been a Johnny Depp double.
...She will not hesitate to give up her favorite foods and stick to a very strict diet - even when others are eating something great - so that she can get well.
...She is able to lead a group of a 100 people inlife-transforming work and still be the most down-to-Earth person you know.

...She has a thing for diners and will often go just to see her favorite waitress/waiter.
...She will bring you flowers when youare sick and give you the biggest hug, caring less about what germy, nasty bugyou could be giving her, because that is what you need in that moment.
...She will stand up for what she believes in because itis the right thing to do, even if she steps on a few toes in the process.
...She believes great customer service is extremely important and if you don't provide it adequately, you will hear be hearing from her.
...One of her greatest wishes is to live on a commune with a great group of friends...but not the creepy kind.
...If she knows you are not doing well, she will care enough to contact your doctor to let them know, so that they can follow up and see how they can help.
...She knows a lot of people and if she thinks you canhelp one or be helped by another, she will dial the phone right then and thereand make the connection.
...She could be shaking, fatigued and in tremendous pain, but will still take the time to post a pick-me-up message and inspirational picture on your Facebook page.
...She will share openly her deepest, darkest secrets if she knows it will make a difference for someone, somewhere.
...She may be a bit out of sorts right now, but you should never count her out, because she still has a whole lot of life left to live.
...She is a fighter and nothing can take her down, not even Lyme Disease.
Kathy, thank you for being such a tremendous force in my life. Lyme is certainly not what we expected to live through together, but live through it we will! In your own words..."Live big or go home." I love you, my friend!