A letter to the enemy

Dear Borrelia burgdorferi,

You are an amazing creature.  Very wily and tenacious, changing to at moment’s notice to evade attack.  I admire your craftiness and will to flourish. When I learn how you are able to avoid death, I am in awe. In another war, I want you on my side.

I have given you a place to grow and flourish, meeting your needs and every whim.  You have returned the favor by disabling me, affecting nearly every system in my body.  I can no longer breathe without pain and effort.  My heart beats rapidly.  My brain does not function the way it used to.  In addition to not being able to find words, I have a hard time concentrating and remembering things, even from sentence to sentence! I have trouble understanding new concepts.  My nervous system has malfunctioned, creating many sensitivities, including light, sound, heat, smells, and touch.  My eyes and ears are affected.  And then there is the pain.  Every joint in my body aches and crackles and pops.  My muscles ache everywhere.  My bones ache at times.  Even my nerves send pain signals that don’t correspond to real damage or stimulus.  I have suffered from depression and anxiety almost unrelentingly.  I am dizzy and nauseous almost all the time and I tremble and tremor like someone with parkinson’s disease. You have taken my ability to work, be a competent housekeeper, mother and wife, and my ability to do many of the things I enjoy. None of this is acceptable.  I NEED my life back.  I DEMAND you leave before you do any more damage.  This is MY life, and MY body.  You are no longer welcome here.

Please return the favor by vacating my body as soon as possible.  As of today, you are evicted from my body!  You and your friends have LONG overstayed your welcome.  You are to immediately pack your belongings and vacate my body.  Those of you who do not leave immediately will be irradicated with various forms of antibiotics and herbs and any other method I deem viable. I will not stop until everybody is gone!  Leave now.  You are now living in a battlefield and no longer able to stay in my body unscathed.

Sincerely,
Jenna Rypka-Hauer