18 Memes That Nail What It’s Like to Have Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection usually transmitted by a tick bite. If diagnosed early, Lyme can be cured with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can cause a number of complications. Chronic Lyme, also known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, is a very complex disease – not only can it be largely invisible, but there is no definitive treatment plan.
Those who live with chronic Lyme know its symptoms can vary far and wide. It’s not “just” the joint pain and chronic fatigue you might usually hear about – Lyme can cause many more symptoms, from tremors to loss of cognitive function and more. It can be really hard to stay positive when you are living with a disease like Lyme, but if you’re like me, laughter is the best medicine. If humor helps you cope, the following memes may be for you!
1. When people who don’t have chronic Lyme “get how you feel”:
![Husky with words "Personn: had a fever for one week due to lyme then fully healed" i know exactly how you feel](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3788-736x750.jpg)
2. When the medicines just keep multiplying in size and quantity:
![a picture of all a persons medicines put into one giant pill](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3789-750x734.jpg)
3. When the lack of sustainable energy is real:
![Batteries depicting how quickly Lyme energy depletes](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3802-570x750.jpg)
4. When trying to figure out what caused a herx is a mission in itself:
![a man questioning what caused his flares](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3791-623x750.jpg)
5. When someone asks how you are, but they don’t have time for the whole answer:
![Ross from 'Friends' saying "i'm fine"](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3792-750x421.jpg)
6. When you think you’re finally catching a break… but the spirochetes have other plans:
![girl saying she feels good then that was good while it lasted](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0021-560x750.jpg)
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7. When the “Lyme rage” is too strong:
![bunny aggressively eating](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3793-750x553.jpg)
8. When everyone tells you exercise will help despite your constant joint pain:
![doctor asking if you exercise with "does writhing in pain count?" as the answer](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0020.jpg)
9. When the heart palpitations hit:
![man climbing a mountain vs a man climbing the steps expectation vs. reality](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3804-588x750.jpg)
10. When making plans is hard thanks to the constant Lyme fatigue:
![when someone asks you to hang out with response "I have to rest 20 hours a day"](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3794-750x720.jpg)
11. When your list of what you can eat is smaller than what you can’t:
![a woman in 2009 who can eat everything at a restaurant and now she can only eat 1 thing](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3796-1-750x603.jpg)
12. When the road to recovery is not what you expected:
![recovery line expectation is straight and reality is squiggles](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3801-750x571.jpg)
13. When none of the Lyme tests are 100 percent accurate:
![you've never felt so ill, but all your tests come back negative](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3795-744x750.jpg)
14. When you’ve actually googled “how to trade bodies”:
![If i'm ever lucky enough to have an out of body experience there's no way I'd come back to this one!](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3800-750x535.jpg)
15. When you get a Lyme diagnosis and suddenly finding a doctor is near impossible:
![Doctor saying you nailed it! Lyme disease also I can't treat you anymore](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3805-750x728.jpg)
16. …And once you find a doctor, forget about insurance covering anything:
![Gru with a mad face and the words "looking at medical bills"](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3797-750x716.jpg)
17. When you are hit with the dreaded “but you don’t look sick…”:
!["you don't look sick" ""I know. I'm just so awesome I can look this way and still be chronically ill"](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3799-750x519.jpg)
18. When the Lyme brain hits and you forget about everything…literally:
!["that awkward moment when you put something in a safe place so you don't lose it, the forget where the safe place is"](https://themighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_3798-750x513.jpg)