Life and Lyme

Muddling through life after Lyme

Category: Lyme disease

  • 65

    That’s right, folks, I am 65. I am ensconced in a new phase. I don’t even know what to call it—semi-retired caretaker? Nomadic gig worker? I have been in Tucson over two years now, and I still consider it temporary. I work when I can, or when the opportunity presents itself. I guess I would…

  • my house

    Oh yeah, I don’t really have a house that is mine right now. This fact was made clear when I had some friends over last week. This is my Dad’s house. Of course it’s familiar, some of the things I have known virtually my entire life. The pictures and furnishing are intimately familiar to me,…

  • prescience

    Two years ago I sold my big house, bought a smaller townhome with Katie, and left for Tucson to live with Dad. I did it with somewhat vague intentions, influenced by COVID, my own health, and my dad’s health. I spent zero time wondering if I was doing the “right thing” logically, and trusted my…

  • holidays

    July 4th is tomorrow. I asked Dad if he wanted to do anything and he gave me the look that said not only “no,” but “HELL no.” I am okay with that. In fact, since Lyme, I don’t celebrate most holidays very much, certainly not like I used to. My theory is we celebrate most…

  • baby steps

    In the past 7 years I have made many attempts to get “back to life.” “Life” was defined as a regular job, keeping up the house, paying the bills, an active social life, and a return to health. Each effort lasted until a flare-up, and then I couldn’t juggle all of those things. After most…

  • time warp

    Anybody who has known me for any length of time knows that I am the world’s worst at dates and times. This is a neural defect I can’t blame on Lyme. It’s also not ADHD, nor is it carelessness. I could blame it on falling out of a tree at the age of seven. My…

  • balancing act

    I got my booster shot yesterday. I’d forgotten how much each vaccine stirs up my immune system. It’s not major, not in the context of Lyme, but it is just one more insult to my body. Sometimes I get sick of always monitoring my health. Not in the “I take vitamins, exercise, eat right, and…

  • solitude

    My social life has changed radically in the past seven years, and it’s hard to distinguish how much is due to Lyme, and how much is due to COVID. Now I’m trying to figure out why I like the quieter life so damn much. “There is a difference between solitude and loneliness.” ― Maggie Smith This…

  • holidays and opinions

    I hate it when people don’t believe what I say. When I say something I don’t fuck around with double meanings or hidden codes. Sometimes I do tell people what they’d like to hear, especially about my health (sure,I feel good right now)  or how they look or feel. This rant pertains to other things. If…

  • crosswords

    I love crossword puzzles. My friend Kathy Fernandes got me hooked way back in 1978. Ever since then they have served as faithful touchstones in my daily life. The Daily Texan, the Houston Chronicle, Austin-American Statesman, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Winston-Salem Journal, Raleigh News and Observer,  the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post, for years I worked…