James Geddes vs Lyme

Dear family and friends (you're all friends <3), my family and I are setting up this GoFundMe for our beloved Brother, Uncle, and Son James Geddes.

All funds raised are to get James the treatments he needs to be cured of Chronic Lyme Disease and get his life back.

Follow James's journey on social media:

Link to Facebook (@jamesvslyme)

Link to Instagram (@jamesvslyme)

James's Journey with Lyme Disease

James is a seriously loved son, brother and uncle.

We're not exactly sure where his journey with Lyme began but we suspect he has had it most of his life (30+ years). Having spent a significant amount of time outdoors and tending to a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania there were many tick removal sessions we experienced growing up before we moved west.

Fast forward, these last 3 years have been extremely trying for our family. We've been forced to learn about Chronic Lyme Disease, its many co-infections, symptoms, and treatments available. It's surprising just how little information is out there.

Even though Lyme Disease has been around for a while studies and treatments are behind the curve.

A crash course on Lyme Disease will lead you to discover that if it's caught early enough (the first ~3 months) it can generally be treated and defeated with traditional antibiotics.

If however the disease develops a biofilm or invades less accessible areas of the body (areas outside the bloodstream), you're going to require more advanced and aggressive treatments. It's been really frustrating because we've learned the hard way that while some treatments leave the body feeling better in the short term they don't touch the actual bacteria or don't eradicate it fully so you end up right where you left off … if not worse.

Lyme disease affects many areas of the body, primarily focused on your nervous and immune systems, skin, joints, and heart. If it breaks what is referred to as the blood-brain barrier then it also causes brain fog, memory loss, confusion and an inability to regulate emotional and rational thought processes.

All these things have been getting aggressively worse for James these last 3 years.

What's difficult to articulate is that Lyme can but rarely kills you. The biggest struggle is that it makes you wish you were dead.

It is incredibly difficult to comprehend the impact this disease has on someone when it develops into these chronic late stages.

For James, he has lost the ability to function, and experiences extreme fatigue with a depression that is itself debilitating… as the disease enters its reproductive cycle it sheds toxins that wreak havoc on the body and block the ability to process dopamine. You are struggling with yourself, not just every day, every minute, but every second. Like the most severe depression, there's not even a sense of hope.

About Lyme Disease

If left untreated Lyme disease will kill the strongest-willed person there is. If you manage to avoid the high risk of cancer via Lyme, the co-infections can even take your life, but the worst of it is how it just leaves you without the will to live and /or fight on.

Co-Infections are accompanying diseases that your body fails to fight due to the presence of Lyme Disease and your weakened immune system.

Here's a graphic describing the broad list of symptoms one can expect.

* https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-disease/symptoms/

There is so much we can share on this topic. Feel free to reach out. We're not experts, but If we've discovered anything, it's that there is a growing community of individuals who've dealt with, beaten, or are fighting Lyme Disease. There is much we'd be happy to share as we're able.

Treatment

Regarding James, there's a glimmer of hope we've been exposed to. There's a clinic called Envita based in Arizona with an incredible success rate at fighting and curing even advanced-stage Lyme Disease, like James has. His testing has proven he has it in a bad way with roughly 7 co-infections identified within the last 3 years.

Alas, these treatments are not cheap, doubly so as insurance doesn't even cover it. Something has to give. James needs hope, needs relief and we need him. We're confident this clinic will help and have faith he'll be rid of this once and for all.

The treatments are incredibly aggressive. On average taking 8 weeks, 5 days a week, 3-5 hrs a day. We've been advised there will be many days James will be left unable to care for or even transport himself for the treatments. This is something we'll be prepared for, but the costs are prohibitive and we need your help.

James has sacrificed so much and had tried many things (anything we could find really) and we've been supporting him as best we can... He's been a lab-rat these last three years, trying prescribed medications (seriously his lists of daily medications would make nursing homes cringe). He's tried traditional treatments, natural remedies, traveled across many states, and consulted with expert after expert. For a time being treated in the hyperbaric chamber was showing a lot of promise but COVID shut down the opportunity and progress he was experiencing there. Along the way he has made many connections with others that suffer or suffered from Lyme.

More about James:

James is awesome! It's difficult to express the void left in our family these last 3 years. We miss James so much, and just want him back.

He is a favorite of all 11 of his nieces and nephews, and his love for them has always been something special. No family gathering is complete unless Uncle James is there. His ability to make connections and give genuine attention to each of his nieces and nephews has made him the FUncle (favorite uncle).

He's so incredibly creative and thoughtful. One year he collected and gathered boxes for an epic box fort

… another he bought and repaired motorcycles to ride with the family, giving LONG rides to his nephews and nieces.

... the list goes on, but even while undergoing treatment in Idaho he arranged fun water activities at a secluded pond as we visited him.

To this day they continue to talk about it.

As for his siblings, he's the 2nd oldest of 6. James brings life to every gathering. He makes you want to stick around and invites a spirit of adventure. We all love, support, and standby him. We've helplessly watched as the James we know and love has been overtaken by this chronic lyme disease.

James is the most charismatic of our family and at his core a people person. Capable of making a friend anywhere, he relates to and genuinely cares for individuals he's just met. He loves the outdoors. Camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, if it's outdoors you're in his house ;)

A few years back he rescued 2 pups, Rosie and Moose. Both of whom have helped him hang on and given him opportunities to care for and be cared by them. He owns a home but was forced to rent it out as finances got tight with treatments. He currently lives out of a 17 ft tiny little trailer. Remaining mobile has enabled him to be treated in many different locations.

We'll be chronicling his journey on social media: Link to Facebook - Link to Instagram.

We'll try recording many of his treatments, his recovery, and if heaven is willing his being cured. Please feel free to follow and share any support. Messages, inspiration, wishes, he could use it all.

Most importantly, please just share this with your circles of influence. Friends, family, neighbors, co-workers… everyone. One of James's desires is that this might be of use to someone who's struggling as well.

Thank you!

A charitable account has been set up with America First Credit Union called: James Geddes Charitable Account

All funds are being deposited there and are 100% for James.