The Madder Hatter: All Things Lyme Disease Page

I have Chronic Lyme Disease. (or Chronic Lyme and co-infections... you know what I mean)

I'm fighting it, and talking about it, both for me, and possibly to help you.

I'll leave some resources and a collection of things I've written about Lyme disease here, so that they're all in one place for you. I hope you are only here out of curiosity. But if you do have Lyme, I hope maybe this helps you somehow.

Lyme Symptoms

Since Lyme is so difficult to diagnose, test for, and live with, let's just start with the basics, symptoms.

Lyme Disease: The Great Masquerader

Lyme Disease a List of Symptoms

I Feel like I'm Playing Lyme Roulette

Memory Struggles with Lyme

Progress in 2022 and Lyme SOT Therapy

I'm including this one about Lyme SOT therapy because it talks not only about my symptoms, but also my symptoms while I experienced Lyme die-off after doing SOT therapy.

Let's Talk Doctors

Contact ILADs for a list of Lyme Literate Doctors.

LymeDisease.org has a list of Lyme Literate Physicians. You do have to join as a member to see the list, but you can do it free. If you only want access to the list of physicians you can join for free - without access to their articles, community etc. - but very importantly WITH ACCESS to their list of Lyme Literate doctors.

Or even try joining a Lyme Disease Support Group on Facebook. They often have a wealth of information and people may even know of a Lyme Literate Doctor in your area. It can't hurt to try if you feel you've run out of options. I didn't find my doctor there, but I did get a really decent recommendation. If something happens with my current doctor, I'm going to see the doctor I was recommended in a support group on Facebook.

And if you feel like reading about my journey, here are my articles on the subject:

How to Find the Right Doctor for Lyme Disease

What did you Expect?

A Doctor who Listens, Hallelujah!

Co-Infections, Symptoms and More

As most of you probably already know, co-infections are almost a given with Lyme Disease. And they are just as difficult to test for and diagnose without a Lyme Literate Doctor, as Lyme is. So yay! That's fun. Anyway, I'm fairly sure I have all of "the Big Three", or Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella. So, here are my articles on co-infections.:

Do I have Lyme Disease? or West Nile Virus? or a Co-infection?

Lyme with a side of Babesia

We have a Winner, it's Co-infections!

Just for Fun let's Look at Babesia

And now... for Bartonella Symptoms

My Phlebotomist and My Living Metaphor Morning (pre diagnosis)

TOUCHED BY LYME: A close look at six Lyme-related infections

Oh and then there is this article above. This is an absolutely incredible article about co-infections. It's concise, detailed, informative and it details not only a list of symptoms but a few reasons why and how these common co-infections cause those symptoms. If you haven't thought about co-infections yet and you have Lyme, give it a read. If you think you have co-infections but can't be sure, give it a read. Basically, just read this article Touched by Lyme: a close look at 6 Lyme-related infections

Where I am Now with Lyme etc. - Aug 2021

Progress in 2022 and Lyme SOT Therapy

I barely believe how many co-infections and viruses it turns out I have. I would never have guessed. I tested after I got covid while my immune system was extra weak, and have a partial list in this article. I only listed the ones that were pretty high, with moderate to high infection rates, according to the test.

Science and Lyme

Is it just me, or is it hard to find actual scientific articles about Lyme Disease and how it affects the body? I'll try to include science for Lyme and Lyme treatments whenever I find it.

TOUCHED BY LYME: A close look at six Lyme-related infections

How Does Ozone Therapy Work?

What a Candida Die-Off Is and Why It Makes You Feel So Lousy - Herxheimer Reaction

(This explains the Herxheimer Reaction - everything it says, although written about Candida, is true of people having this reaction from treating Lyme)

The Jarisch–Herxheimer Reaction After Antibiotic Treatment of Spirochetal Infections: A Review of Recent Cases and Our Understanding of Pathogenesis

Lyme Dreams - the Weird, the Wild, the Upsetting

I've had some really intense dreams with Lyme Disease that started about ten months into having the disease. They have been hyper realistic, difficult to separate from reality and also insane (well at least some of them have been). I've decided to put them out here because I want to remember that I've had them and that they aren't real. And possibly to map the things I've been worried about throughout this past year. It ranges from the health of my loved ones, to my ability to defend myself. I'll include them here in case anyone is curious about my strange Lyme Dream journey.

So Here it is, my Series of Unfortunate Thoughts or my Lyme Dreams Series:

Lyme Dreams: A Series #1 - Was my Brother Really that Horrid?

Lyme Dreams: A Series #2 - There's Something Wrong with Dad's Ears

Lyme Dreams: A Series #3 - Monobrow Madness

Lyme Dreams: A Series #4 - Male Sirens in Space

Lyme Dreams: A Series #5 - Nightmare Hospital/DMV for the Unemployed

Lyme Dreams: A Series #6 - How Pale Am I?

Lyme Dreams: A Series #7 - London Funerals with Racists

Lyme Dreams: A Series #8 - Jealousy in the House

Lyme Dreams: A Series #9 - What Politicians are Actually Good For

Lyme Dreams: A Series #10 - Phantom of the Opera meets Batman Begins