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“I have this weird, incurable disease that seems like it’s from outer space. Fibers in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm.”

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Imagine pressing on a tender bruise; multiply that sensation by 10, and you’re in my body.

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I’m a 24-year-old queen with a fierce passion for glamour, fashion, and music. I also happen to be dealing with multiple chronic illnesses as a result of late-stage persistent Lyme disease.

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By the time I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, it was estimated that it had already been in my body for 5 years or longer.

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I’m not afraid of my illness; it’s one that probably won’t kill me, but rather will just cause extreme pain and physical degeneration if untreated. What I fear is worthlessness.

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In a world where my only societal responsibility as a recent college grad is to find a job and show up to it every day, I find that I’ll soon be incapable of just that.

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Seeing my face come towards his, he immediately started writhing in pain. I asked him what was wrong and he gave me the weirdest response I’ve ever heard during a potential hook up: “Um, I have Lyme disease and it causes me to have severe body aches.”

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Get strong from hauling everything you own up and down the subway stairs on a regular basis. Apply for jobs, look at apartment listings, and charge your phone at ugly internet cafes. Stay in random restaurants and bars for hours when it rains because you have nowhere else to go. Feel intensely grateful every time somebody offers you a towel to shower with.