This is what life is like with chronic Lyme disease. “I’ve never come across anything like it”

Justyna Bordzio lived with Lyme disease for 23 years without knowing it. She wasn’t even aware that a tick had stung her. Throughout this enormous time, she struggled with symptoms that “took her out of her life”. “It was as if the whole body suddenly broke down,” she recalls. Doctors have diagnosed a variety of diseases, from depression to RA. “Sometimes I heard that I was making it up”. Ms. Justyna told Medonet about her life with chronic Lyme disease.

1. Mysterious symptoms started with Justyna when she was a teenager
2. She was tormented by migraine headaches, severe fatigue, muscle and joint pains so severe that it was difficult for her to walk
3. Memory problems also began, and years later, heart problems
4. «It was as if the whole body had suddenly broken down. I’ve never come across anything like this before »- she recalls
5. Doctors could not make a clear diagnosis. They suspected depression, multiple sclerosis, RA, parkinson’s, and other brain diseases. “Sometimes I’ve even heard that I have hypochondria,” she says
6. The breakthrough came in 2016 after 23 years of living with cryptic symptoms. “I had chronic Lyme disease”
7. «The healing process was not an easy time. In retrospect, I know it was worth it »- says Justyna Bordzio
8. More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page

Monika Mikołajska listened to it

Suddenly my whole body broke down

It all started 23 years ago, it was still the 90s. I was a teenager then, I enjoyed my life. Unexpectedly, I started to develop severe (migraine) headaches. I also had muscle and joint pain. My wrists, hips and knees hurt especially. It was even hard for me to walk. I still felt tired and it didn’t go away even after a rest or a good night’s sleep.

I often contracted infections, which was a signal that my immunity was not doing well. The worst was the increasing memory problems. It was as if the whole organism had suddenly broken down. I’ve never come across anything like this before. And that was not the end. After a few years, heart problems developed, including tachycardia.

I was feeling worse and worse, the symptoms were increasing and it was coming from various organs. It never crossed my mind that it could have anything to do with the tick, or that I would struggle with it for almost 25 years. In fact, in all this time, there wasn’t a point where I could honestly say that I felt really good.

I found myself at a standstill

All these years are a series of tests and a lot of medical consultations. There was a neurologist, there was a cardiologist, endocrinologist, and, of course, a general practitioner. Nobody ever mentioned that my condition could be related to tick-borne disease, to Lyme disease. Completely different problems were suspected – depression, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, parkinson’s and other brain diseases. Sometimes I even heard that I was “imagining” that I was fine, at most I had hypochondria.

The mysterious symptoms persisted (although there were periods of relaxation), and I was coping with everyday life worse and worse. My condition affected my studies and relationships with people. I was still tired and sore, and under such circumstances it is difficult to study or develop a social life. I can say that my illness prevented me from realizing my plans then. She took me out of my life.

Even worse, I found myself at a standstill – the diagnosis was still missing. It was not even known which direction to go. I remember moments when I thought that because of this situation I was one step away from depression or that I already had it. Fortunately, this state was not strong for me. Mentally, I was fine.

Breakthrough and diagnosis: chronic Lyme disease

In my wandering around the doctors, I did not miss an infectious diseases specialist. However, he told me outright that it was not Lyme disease, but if I wanted to, I could test for the disease. I did a baseline test for antibodies. The examination did not reveal any disease. I was negative. Later, I found out that if it is “old Lyme disease”, antigen tests will not identify it, because the Lyme spirochetes are hidden deep in the tissues.

The breakthrough came in 2016. At that time, my symptoms made it very difficult for me to function normally. There were many more days when I felt worse than better. I had to finally find out what was happening to me. I have been looking for information in specialist newspapers and foreign publications for a long time. And there was still a suspicion of Lyme disease there.

Finally, I found a doctor (neurologist) who thoroughly analyzed my case. I heard from her that the symptoms I come with are most likely signs of Lyme disease. The LTT tests for Lyme disease that I did later confirmed it this time: I had chronic Lyme disease.

Difficult healing time

Treatment with the antibiotics that was used lasted almost a year. Added to this were supplements and a special diet that nurtures the intestinal flora and prevents fungal infections (free of sugar, with a low glycemic index).

The healing process was not an easy time. When the dying Lyme spirochetes produced toxins, I had the impression that my symptoms were exacerbating. These “poisons” had to be flushed out of the body. In hindsight, I know it was worth it.

Today I can say that I feel really good, I am able to function normally and live normally. Although the trace of the disease has remained, it happens that my joints hurt. I have been ill for 23 years, and it is known that the longer the spirochetes remain in the body, the more havoc they are. Fortunately, I was able to avoid serious complications (chronic Lyme disease can lead to paresis or inflammation of the heart muscle, among others).

I got my life back

Unfortunately, my mother was also diagnosed with Lyme disease. She, too, cannot remember ever having been “bitten” by a tick. It is also not known exactly when the infection occurred. In my mother, Lyme disease caused huge problems with her knees and movement (which no one associated with the tick). These difficulties persist to this day.

These over 20 years of reaching the diagnosis is not a waste of time for me, although it was difficult. Virtually no time is ever wasted, lessons and conclusions for the future can be learned from even the worst experience. However, I do not deny that it took a long time. And anyway, I was lucky to find out the cause of my problems. There are certainly people who still don’t know what’s happening to them. To all those who are in such a situation, I wish not to give up, to look for the causes of the problems until they succeed. After myself I know it’s worth it. Thanks to this, I got my life back.

I would like to share my story with others to show that those who struggle with similar ailments are not alone. That is why I wrote a book about my way and I am in the process of writing another one, just a few years after the treatment.

After everything that has happened to me, I still go to the forest, to the park, I love it. However, I always wear long pants and a long-sleeved blouse, and on my return I check carefully if I am wearing a tick. We cannot go crazy and panic. We can protect ourselves against ticks, besides, not everyone is a carrier of Lyme disease. Let’s use common sense. However, let’s not forget that everyone is exposed to Lyme disease.