San Mateo County, CA
Infected: 2005
Diagnosed: 2012
Current Health: still waiting, but much better
Everyone knows somebody with Lyme — they just don’t know it yet. -Trae V.
One of Trae’s most vivid memories is the moment just before collapsing in front of high-powered executives and CEOs at an annual summit hosted by her own company. “Most people do not talk about their illnesses publicly,” Trae admits. “They do not want to seem frail or broken.”
Before Trae was diagnosed with Lyme disease, she experienced a myriad of symptoms including muscle twitches (one of her wonderfully descriptive, engaging blog entries is titled The Seven Year Twitch), piercing headaches, nausea, achy joints, loss of vision/voice, and difficulty breathing. She was told that she had Chronic Fatigue syndrome, Histoplasmosis, and, most infuriatingly, “Working Mom Syndrome.” Trae was made to believe that she should “expect to feel ill” considering her demanding work schedule and family life.
Trae believes that, when it comes to Lyme, “you need to be your own advocate.” Trae would not have been properly diagnosed had she not pushed for a Lyme test. Once the diagnosis was confirmed, she was able to diagnose her son, daughter, brother and mother with the same disease. Without her encouragement and tenacity, her family might still be struggling for answers.
Trae encourages all who suspect they have Lyme to trust themselves. Get tested, and get tested again: “all Lyme tests are not created equal.” Her resilience and self-confidence are a model for us all.
Read more about Trae and her journey at her blog.