I live in Gatineau City in Quebec just across the bridge from Ottawa. I have contracted Lyme disease in town probably it my cat that brought the tick in the house.

I was bitten in March 1994. I was diagnosed in December 1994 after two meningitis’s. On December, 22th 1995, after the end of the third 21day treatment, I was told that if didn’t get sick again I was cure. No follow up, I was sent home and on my own. I guessed that the being alone part was the hardest part.

If doctors don’t believe that you are sick, you can’t really blame your family, your relatives, your friends or your employer if they don’t believe you. So I lost some family members, some friends and my job.

Over the years, I had many meningitis the last one being December 2008, but this time I was lucky enough to be care for by a newly and fresh out of school (only a few years) neurologist who had heard about Lyme disease and agreed with me that I still had it, that was after some tests and reading my one foot and a half high hospital file.

So my new diagnostic is Chronic Lyme Disease, I feel a bit better because now I know that it is not in my head like my family doctor used to say to me every time I got sick. She used to tell me to stop faking that I had enough tests and it was time for me to grow up and go back to work.

Now I know that I am really sick and I can better manage my health, my time and my life. I not ashamed anymore to tell people at the last minute that I have to cancelled again because I don’t fell good at this moment.

In March 2009, I had another period of sickness, for lack of a better name, but this time I could explain my symptoms to the neurologist without being worried and what was great is that he listen and examine me and finally put me on sick leave with a treatment. I was able to avoid another meningitis and a hospital stay. I could take care of myself at home with the support of family and friends.

I wish that they would find a cure. I want my life back before I die. I use to mountain bike 100 km that’s around 70 miles in one day every other weekend with my son. I could play sports and go fishing but now I use my car to go to work because if I would walk the one mile distance to get there I could not go up the stairs and teach all day.

I now have a part time (75%) job because I cannot do more. I have a cleaning lady because housework is very demanding and could not go to work if I did it. I save my energy for work because I have to work.

Lyme Disease do exist and it is crippling in every aspect of our life. Please believe it because the way it is spreading now soon or later yourself or someone close to you will contracted it.

Francine DuBois, Chronic Lyme Disease victim.