My Story
It Started With Lyme Disease … But That Wasn’t the Whole Story.
In the spring of 2017, I was treated for Lyme disease. I recovered quickly and continued on with life as normal. Or so I thought.
In reality, it became the beginning of a much longer journey.
Eighteen months later, I developed constant, severe stomach pain. As the pain worsened, I underwent gallbladder surgery in hopes of finding relief.
While the surgery addressed a “slightly sludgy” gallbladder, it didn’t resolve the symptoms that had led me there in the first place.
The stomach pain would eventually be traced to an H. pylori infection – one that had gone undiagnosed and untreated for almost a year. Looking back, I believe the inflammation and immune changes following Lyme disease may have weakened my gut enough to allow the infection to take hold.
The antibiotics successfully eradicated the H. pylori infection. I thought that would be the turning point. Instead, it marked the beginning of the most difficult chapter of my health journey.
Over the weeks, months and years that followed, my health became increasingly complex. I experienced chronic fatigue, widespread pain, different digestive issues, neurological challenges, vision problems, tremors, recurring infections, increasing allergies and sensitivities, and a body that no longer seemed to respond the way it once had.
I spent years seeing specialists, undergoing tests, trying treatments, and receiving different diagnoses, each explaining a piece of the puzzle, but never the whole picture.
For a long time, it seemed I was simply collecting more and more unrelated health problems.
Today, I wonder if what I’ve really been experiencing is a chain of interconnected events that began with serious infections and unfolded over time, affecting my immune system, nervous system, gut health, and overall well-being. Recent research has led me to explore topics such as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), post-infectious immune dysregulation, post-infectious dysautonomia, chronic inflammation, and the gut-brain connection.
I don’t know yet whether these ideas will ultimately explain my story. They may prove to be an important piece of the puzzle—or they may simply lead me to the next question.
Either way, I’m choosing to stay curious, keep learning, and continue sharing what I discover along the way.
Learning to Become My Own Advocate
There came a point when I realized that no one was going to solve this for me.
That didn’t mean giving up on doctors or believing I had all the answers. It meant becoming an active participant in my own healthcare—asking questions, keeping records, researching reputable sources, noticing patterns, and learning how different systems of the body influence one another.
Some answers came from medical appointments.
Others came from scientific research.
Some came from lifestyle changes.
Some came from simply paying closer attention to my own body.
Over time, I stopped looking for one missing piece and started learning how all the pieces might fit together.
That shift changed everything.
Learning to See the Bigger Picture
Before my health journey began, I thought of the body the way many of us do—as a collection of separate systems. If something hurt, you saw the specialist for that body part. If a test came back normal, you moved on to the next possibility.
My experience challenged that way of thinking.
As I continued learning, I became fascinated by the connections between the nervous system, immune system, gut, inflammation, nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, and emotional health.
I don’t pretend to fully understand those connections, and I’m still learning every day. But exploring them has changed the questions I ask, the conversations I have with my healthcare providers, and the way I care for my body.
Perhaps the biggest lesson has been this:
Healing isn’t just about treating symptoms.
It’s about understanding the whole person.
Why I Created It Still Counts
There were many times throughout my health journey when I questioned whether anything I was doing was making a difference.
Did today’s walk matter?
Did changing my diet matter?
Did taking time to rest matter?
Did meditation matter?
Did all those hours spent researching matter?
Did the appointments, tests, treatments, and lifestyle changes matter?
Did everything that didn’t work matter?
For a long time, it was easy to focus on what wasn’t improving, what hadn’t been figured out yet, or how far I still had to go.
But over time, I began to see things differently.
Every doctor appointment taught me something.
Every treatment—whether it helped or not—provided another piece of information.
Every setback revealed something I hadn’t noticed before.
Every small improvement offered a clue.
Every question led to another opportunity to learn.
That’s where the name It Still Counts comes from. Because healing isn’t just about reaching a destination or finding one perfect answer. It’s about the lessons we learn, the knowledge we gain, the resilience we build, and the small choices we make along the way.
I created this website to share my experiences, what I’ve learned through years of research and self-advocacy, and the resources that have helped me navigate a complicated and often confusing health journey.
I’m not here to tell you what to do or claim that I’ve found all the answers. I’m here to share what I’ve learned, what I’m still learning, and the questions I’m continuing to explore.
If my story helps you feel less alone, encourages you to keep asking questions, or helps you discover a new path worth exploring, then sharing it will have been worthwhile.
Because every step teaches us something. Every step still counts.
The Journey Continues
If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that healing rarely follows a straight line.
Some seasons have brought setbacks. Others have brought breakthroughs. Many have simply brought more questions. Through it all, I’ve learned that every experience—whether encouraging or frustrating—has helped me better understand my body and has shaped the path I’m on today
I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead next.
I don’t know what future research will reveal or whether the ideas I’m currently exploring will ultimately provide the answers I’ve been searching for. They may. They may not.
What I do know is that I’m more hopeful today than I’ve been in a long time.
I’ll continue asking questions.
I’ll continue learning.
I’ll continue working alongside my healthcare providers.
And I’ll continue sharing what I discover – the successes, the setbacks, and everything in between.
My hope is that this website becomes more than a place to tell my story. I hope it becomes a place where you find encouragement, practical resources, new ideas to explore, and the reassurance that you’re not walking this road alone.
Thank you for being here and allowing me to be a small part of your journey.
Because every step of healing teaches us something. And every step still counts.
