I’m still me.

I’m still my father’s little girl, my mother’s best friend and my brother’s sister. I’m still your cousin, your niece and your granddaughter. I’m still the friend that will make you laugh and the friend that will always be there. I’m still the girl you can talk to about anything, the girl who will cry with you and tell you it’s going to be alright. I’m still the friend you can call up out of the blue and pick up right where we left off. I’m still the girl who will stick up for you, remind you of your strengths and tell you how much you matter. I’m still the friend that will always try and make everything okay, the friend that will gladly go out of their way for you and who will always try to make you smile. I’m still the friend who will always care about you, the friend you did everything with and the friend you considered a sister.

 

I’m still her.

 

I’m still me.

 

I’m the girl that hasn’t given up, the girl that battles Lyme Disease every single day and the girl who won’t go down without a fight. I’m the friend that is mostly confined to her bed, the friend who can’t help how she feels and the friend that doesn’t mean to keep losing touch. I’m the girl who just wants someone to love her through the good days and the bad days, the girl who is tired of being defined by others because of her illness and the girl who just wants to feel better again.

 

I may be her, but I’m still me.

 

 

Healing thoughts and prayers to all,

Kate

“I didn’t come this far to only come this far.”

My name is Kate. I’m 26, I haven’t gone to college, the only relationship I have is with my bed (or sometimes the couch) and I’m trying to get back on my feet again after fighting Lyme Disease for most of my life.

Some of that may sound familiar since I originally wrote it in an earlier post back when I first started this blog. I wish my absence meant I’ve only been improving but, that’s unfortunately not the case. In the posts-to-come, I’ll be sure to update you on my continuous fight with Lyme and all the difficulties you must face dealing with a chronic illness such as the loss of friendships, relationships, independence and how many, many, many of us are not giving ourselves the credit we truly do deserve. We’re still fighting, we’re still here. That means something, right?

Most don’t have a clue what someone with a chronic illness goes through on a daily basis. We can’t help it if we can’t make it out of bed most days, are unable to eat, think clearly, hold a conversation, move without wincing in pain, always needing the bathroom, not feeling up to getting out of the house, glued to our heating pad, need the room dark because of a terrible migraine, so nauseous you can’t even speak, curled up in a ball because of intense stomach pain, hit the point of exhaustion where you just can’t keep your eyes open–and much more.

For those of you not familiar with my blog, it’s about how Lyme Disease both takes time from you as well as takes time to recover from. You can also expect posts about some of my favorite recipes as well as products I enjoy. I do take the time to share experiences on how numerous doctor appointments left me in tears, to friends and relatives not being able to understand. I know there is someone, somewhere who has yet to be diagnosed or recently was and honestly can’t find themselves more lost just as I once was. I still find myself lost a great deal of the time, but as the title of this post states, “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” As I continue giving this fight my all, you can count on me being your voice as well as bringing much needed awareness to this truly controversial disease that continues to wreak havoc on so many lives each and every day.

 

You’re not alone.

 

“Strength grows in moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”

 

Healing thoughts and prayers to all,

 

Kate

 

Seeing The Good: Day 29

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 28

“Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” -Dean Karnazes

 

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 27

I’d like to dedicate today’s post to a very inspiring, strong-willed soul who is also celebrating their birthday today.

If you asked me to describe Hannah in one word, I would tell you it’s just not possible. How do you describe one who picks up their life and moves to a different state to get the treatment she so desperately needed and deserved? I could say that she’s brave, determined, courageous, all of which is true–but that’s the thing, I wouldn’t know when to stop.
 
Hannah has been battling Lyme Disease and multiple co-infections. She just recently returned back home after eight and a half months of grueling, yet promising, treatment. It certainly has not been easy. She may have a bit of a way to go still, but she didn’t and hasn’t given up. That alone says more than any word can describe.

This kind-hearted gal makes you feel as if you’ve known her forever. She’s always smiling, making jokes, and always has everyone at ease. She has such a big heart and deserves nothing but the best.

Thank you Hannah, for everything, for all that you do. You’re truly an inspiration to all.

Happy Birthday, love. Wishing you the best not just today, but always.

xo Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 26

First off, apologies for posting late again. The past few days have been pretty eventful, to say the least. The kind of days that make you stop dead in your tracks and have you thinking, “Is this really happening?”

Whether the situation is good or bad, we can’t help but pause and take a step back to look at everything, to see how far we’ve come. You may be over-joyed by these events or worried about what could possibly go wrong, thinking even the worst thoughts imaginable.

Whether you find yourself on your knees or  you’re just so very grateful for this moment in time, remember to keep your head up, always. If this moment has you thinking, “What if?”, keep your head up. If this moment has you feeling blessed, keep your head up.

Don’t look down when you were given eyes to only look forward. You will get through this.

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 23

“All you have, is this moment, right here, right now.” Amen, Evan. Amen.
Such a great post you all should take the time to check out.
Healing thoughts and prayers to all-
Kate

The Better Man Project

I often talk about goals, and believe me they are incredibly important to the long-term realization of your vision. However, the attitude of the present is often overlooked. How can I get to my future goals? What do I need to do right now? What will be the end result? These are all fair questions to ask, but one of the first questions should be…Who do I have to be to accomplish this?

What is the mentality then? For me it is: Today, I am going to sacrifice for the betterment of tomorrow. This attitude has kept me in check for the longest time. It puts me in a place where I know I can overcome anything. I realize that any amount of pain I am current going through at take present moment can be overcome with the attitude of sacrifice. I expect the pain to  come. I expect the…

View original post 177 more words

Seeing The Good: Day 21

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 20

When you feel as if the world is sitting upon your chest and your heart feels crushed, remember to…

Because if you don’t have hope, what’s left?

Have faith.

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate

Seeing The Good: Day 19

It’s days like today that make me feel like I can conquer just about anything. Pain might have been a bit of a problem, but I got myself out of bed, had some coffee, and made it to Sunday Mass for the first time in months. The whole family didn’t go, just me and my mother, which was nice. We haven’t had much us time in a while. I also paid a visit to my grandmother who I haven’t seen since the week after Christmas. We had quite a few laughs as we always do, along with my aunt and uncle who were also there. Today was good.

It’s been a rough week, to say the least, so I’m very thankful for today. Very. If you follow my posts regularly, you’ll notice I didn’t post on the 17th. I know I said I would post something positive each day for a month, no matter what, but I’ve been overcome with such pain, I was unable to.  All this suffering day in and day out, not seeming like we’ll ever catch a break, really weighs us down. We do get these “breaks” thrown at us every now and then. And we mustn’t put them off. If we feel up to it, that we can push ourselves with our pain at a bearable level, just go. Go after whatever your heart is desiring to do at that moment and don’t think twice about it, just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

I truly didn’t think today would have been such a great turnout considering the lack of sleep I struggled with the night before. It was a mixture of both pain and emotions that just took over and got the best of me. After today, I’m most definitely in a better light of things now, but know I will succumb to those thoughts and emotions again, only hopefully, it will hurt less.

I’ll leave you with part of a scripture that was read today during Mass that I think many of us need to remind ourselves of often; “Thus says the Lord: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not.”

I sincerely hope you can rid yourself of any negative past events. Whether it means forgiving another, letting go, or making a different positive change in your life, no matter how hard it is to do, just know you are not alone. Look here or to others that have or are going through a similar situation. You’ll be surprised at the amount of understanding–and just being able to relate to someone.

Here’s to an even better tomorrow. Sending love and strength, always.

Healing thoughts and prayers to all-

Kate