At the age of 27 I was a stay at home mom with 3 beautiful girls and one on the way. The last few months of my pregnancy were challenging and I was put on strict bedrest and then had a two week hospital stay before my daughter was born. I was assured that after giving birth the difficulties I was having would go away. Oh how I wish that were true. I gave birth to my daughter in October, and by the following January I was completely bedridden. My husband had to work from home to care for my girls and me. Life as I knew it had changed, and I didn’t like it.
On January 7, 2010 after two years of dealing with being bedridden and constant pain, I was finally diagnosed with late stage or chronic lyme disease and two co-infections. We had no idea the seriousness of this disease, but we found out the hard way. I immediately started treatment, and it was not easy. The easiest way to describe the treatment is that the body reacts in ways that it would react to chemo. You get worse and feel even sicker before you get better. Life has been hard for our family the past two years but, we are slowly making it through.
I am a huge Disney fan, and one thing I did while sick (and still do) is listen to Disney Podcasts. When I found out that there were podcasts out there that talked about Disney, I was so excited. I love hearing about all things Disney, and I can honestly say they helped me have a positive attitude! I am now in remission with both of my co-infections, and now have to deal with treating the big one, the actual lyme disease. The road ahead for our family isn’t known, and I am not sure how the new medicine will affect me. I do know, however, that with the right attitude — and listening to my Disney podcasts — I will be able to get through this round of treatment!
Contributed by: Casey Kolb (NDM#309) Casey is the DDL Special Needs Blogger. She is also the creator of Disney Dream Finder.
Casey is a 29 year old wife and mother of four girls ages 7 and under. Two of her four children have been diagnosed with Albinism and Sensory Processing Disorder. As a result, her life can be challenging at times, but her family tries to add “Disney attitude” on a daily basis to make the hard times easier.
Casey has gone to Walt Disney World every year since she was a young child and strives to carry out this annual tradition with her own children. But in between the trips, Casey and her family do their best to bring Disney into their daily lives.
Casey, thanks so much for sharing your story. Lyme’s disease can be a tough thing to deal with- especially since it’s not always “visible” in obvious ways. I hope you are continuing to improve with your treatment, and that things will get better for you and your family soon!
Casey,
I am glad you are part of this family and I pray that all your treatment will give you relief.