I Lost My Mind… But Haven’t Lost Hope

Every time I think I can’t go on, a thread of hope keeps me alive.

It’s 6:00 on a Friday night, I’m drenched in sweat, sitting on my bed with no pants on, and mumbling nonsense. Tears are running down my face for no clear reason, and I feel outside myself, detached from reality. As my mom peeks into my room to bring medicine, I whisper that everyone hates me, warning that the Universe is out to get me. I have no idea why I’m saying or doing any of this—words are coming from my mouth and I can’t stop them. Continue reading “I Lost My Mind… But Haven’t Lost Hope”

How I Keep Up with College Fighting PANS & Lyme

In the past three years of running this blog, one of the most common questions I get asked is, How have you been able to do college when you’ve been so sick?

Truth be told, when I look back at the last four years, I’m surprised by it, too.  And not only have I made it through eight semesters, but I’ve made good grades.  This sounds like an impossible feat for someone fighting an illness that causes severe mental disorder and sometimes severely incapacitates my cognition, but over the next two posts, I’m going to show you how I did it. 

These posts might be longer than usual, so I hope you’ll stick around!  This week, I’m going to answer one part of the question…

Continue reading “How I Keep Up with College Fighting PANS & Lyme”

I Have No Idea What I’m Doing Anymore

I don’t know where I am or where I’m going in life anymore.

With my final semester of college on the horizon and an amazing summer internship behind me, it’s finally sinking in that it’s time to figure out what I’m doing with my life next. I’m pretty sure that anyone about to graduate from college is feeling anxious about transitioning into the “real world,” but for me, as someone recovering from PANS/Lyme, there’s a whole other layer of messiness.

Continue reading “I Have No Idea What I’m Doing Anymore”