I got sick last July with a crushing flu-like illness, and since then I have suffered from insomnia, day chills and night sweats, nausea, debilitating fatigue, low blood sugar, low appetite, shooting pain, anxiety, and more. This is why you have not seen me around much. I have had to cancel or turn down so much of my work and have missed so many friend and family experiences. I have seen eight doctors, two acupuncturists, and an herbalist. Finally one month ago I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Lyme disease, first reported in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by ticks. Usually, the tick must be attached for 24 to 48 hours to transmit infection. One of the signs of infection is a "bull's eye" rash, a sign that bacteria are multiplying in the bloodstream. The rash is neither itchy nor painful, and about 25-50% of infected people do not develop a rash. I never had this bull's eye rash, and I was never aware of a tick bite last summer. Ticks are very tiny and most people with Lyme disease have no memory of a tick bite. Besides the rash, early symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache and fatigue, many of which are common in other diseases. These are why the disease is often misdiagnosed. I've been misdirected by doctors for the past ten months. I just learned that May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Here is some more information we all need to know. Lyme disease is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States. Infections are most common in the spring and early summer. Lyme disease is best treated in the early stages. Early treatment is a simple 14 to 21 day course of oral antibiotics to eliminate infection. If it is not diagnosed and treated early, the bacteria can spread and go into hiding in different parts of the body. Months or years later, patients may develop problems with the brain and nervous system. I'd like to thank everyone close to me who has been a huge support. I have been receiving antibiotic treatment for one week and hoping for the best recovery. Late Lyme detection makes the disease difficult to treat and heal, but I am hopeful.