"The world is round." That must have been one outrageous statement the first time it was uttered.
I mean, really. Look at the ocean. Look over the horizon. Although my husband would beg to differ, I can see why people believed the earth was flat.
Without complicated stories or theories or satellites...it's actually quite simple.
People doubt what they don't understand.
Period. Fin ito. End of story.
As I thought about that today, it helped me feel a little less frustrated about lyme, doctors, and the community's attitude toward tick-borne illness.
Do I feel angry that more doctors aren't educated about Lyme Disease? YES.
Does it drive me crazy that more people don't understand this disease is a problem? YES.
Do I wish people would start looking more at the cause of illness rather than just focusing on symptoms? YES.
Does it make me angry that tens of thousands of people are getting dismissed with chronic illness and being told they're crazy, traumatized, depressed, and old? YES.
Does any of this surprise me? NO.
Great strides have never been made without struggle, opposition, and disbelief. And hindsight has always been our greatest teacher.
Just look at Louis Pasteur, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. In their day, they were considered controversial....even crazy. Today, we regard them as visionaries.
Aren't lyme doctors and patients at the forefront of Lyme Disease fighting the same uphill battle?
While it's easy to get discouraged and no fun charting murky waters...I am inspired by the possibility that WE (yes...sick, old, ordinary, crazy "we") have an opportunity to make a difference here and impact history.
Because of us, things will change.
Because of this, people will be cured.
When you think about it, we are pioneers (so maybe it's time we start relating to ourselves that way??). In time, the truth will prevail. Until then, we can get upset or we can get louder.
I, for one, am getting a microphone.
Altered Today: From Shipwrecked to Explorer, Support Group Created for Spouses with Lyme
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