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The Way, The Truth, & The Lyme
The Testimony of Jessica Johnson Creatively Transcribed by April Normand When I say Lyme Disease, what is the first thing you think of? Ticks, no doubt. Want to know what I think of? The inability to walk. The feeling of cement in my legs. Being completely unable to move my neck. Inflammation within and behind my eyes that makes it too painful to even see. Spine shattering, gut damaging, life changing chronic illness. That’s what I think of. My Story My name is Jessica Johnson. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, a place of beaches, campgrounds, military, and shrimping. Where small town living meets the big city. The…
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What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme Disease is an infectious disease that can develop when a particular bacteria has invaded the human body. Causes There are many species of bacteria involved in Lyme Disease across the world, but the most common one is known as borrelia burgdorferi. When a tick infected with the Lyme bacteria bites a human, that bacteria can be transmitted into the bloodstream. Although more research is needed in terms of transmission, it is important to note that this bacteria has also been found in other insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, deer flies, spiders, and horse flies. Though Lyme Disease has not been proven to be contagious, it can be sexually transmitted…
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Depression
⊗ Trigger Warning: This following post contains sensitive material about depression and suicidal thoughts. Please proceed with caution. ⊗ Sometimes I feel brave enough to say it. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I feel empowered. I feel stronger. I feel a purpose. And then sometimes I feel nothing but shame. A woman once said not everything has to be shared. I had hoped this could be one of those things. But not everything that is needed to be said is easy to be said. This is that. It has been little over a year since I overcame the very lowest part of my life. But I’m not talking about depression alone.…
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What Are You Afraid Of?
It’s funny. I was the child always terrified of going to the doctor. I was the one who built up major anxiety over visiting the dentist or hospital for a checkup. Who would have thought I would one day have no choice but to overcome my fears. While I thought pregnancy had cleared me of most fear and humility, I was quickly proven wrong. Although both my epidural and blood patch had caused little pain, I was beyond terrified when it came to getting my first spinal tap. As symptoms progressed that summer of 2017, I knew the inevitable was coming, and no amount of mental prepping could relieve my…
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Not by Sight
Oddly enough, Intracranial Hypertension supposedly can’t kill you. But *spoiler alert* it can make you go blind. When spinal fluid pressure begins to build, there aren’t very many places it can go. This leaves it to push on anything it possibly can, including the optic nerves of your eyes. This type of trauma to the optic nerves causes them to swell, leading to a condition known as papilledema. If left untreated, your vision typically only worsens with the possibility of eventually (or even suddenly) going blind. But God told me I would never go blind. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,…
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The Five Lies of Disability – Breaking the Stigma
As if being physically impaired isn’t enough, there can be a lot of mental and emotional damage that tends to affect the sick as well. As one who has lived on both sides of the spectrum of being perfectly healthy and chronically ill, I have experienced firsthand how these thoughts can take their toll. You feel ashamed. Embarrassed. Humiliated. You don’t want to be seen as different. You don’t want to be viewed as fragile. You feel guilty. You should be working. You shouldn’t be in bed all day. You should be taking care of your family, your home. You feel doubt. What if no one believes me? What if…
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Labeled Disabled
Recently, I received some wonderful news. I have officially been declared disabled. Wait, what? Come on. Let’s talk about what nobody wants to talk about. Disability. Everything about it seems to scream caution. Judgement. Legalities. Who really wants to be disabled? Who really wants to be limited by what their body can or cannot do? It just doesn’t make sense to speak disability upon yourself at the same time you’re claiming healing. But to some, it’s an answered prayer. My Story It took a year from my epidural for my health to spiral out of control. But I still remained too proud to admit that my body was not what…
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Health Care Frustrations – How You Can Help
So you’re sick. You’re feeling miserable, and your body is in so much pain that you think you might be dying. What do you do? If you’re like me, you’re thinking the ER might be your last hope. Of course, nobody ever wants to resort to going to the hospital, but when you’ve tried everything, and nothing is working, what choice do you have? Except, say you get there, and there’s nothing they can do. Let’s say you wait for hours in the ER, go through the hoops of IV’s and questions only to be told nothing is wrong with you – only to go home in the same exact…
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Where to Begin
Want to know a secret? I was supposed to launch this outreach a long time ago. It began in the hospital one February night in 2018. While one could argue it was the high dose of IV steroids I had just received, I knew it was something greater. God was speaking to me, and words were pouring into my heart and overflowing faster than I could get them out. I needed to write. I needed to share these words with the rest of the world. But how? When? Where would I even start? I soon saw that none of that mattered. All that was important was that God had begun…
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Why Weight Loss Matters
How has weight affected your Intracranial Hypertension? No doubt, one of the first things your doctor suggested upon diagnosis was to lose weight. Why? While the medical field is still trying to figure out exactly what causes IH, there seems to be a high percentage of patients with IH who are overweight or obese. In fact, many patients develop this condition after or during a period of significant weight gain. As obesity rates increase, Intracranial Hypertension is being found to be less and less rare. But it’s not just about the weight loss. What’s Causing the Weight? While aiming for a healthy weight in general is always important, doctors will…
