Tammy's Inspiring Journey with Lyme
Donation protected
A remarkable woman and her quest to never give up on life!
My name is Tera and I am Tammy's sister. I'm asking you to please take a few minutes to read her story and donate if you can. I encourage you to share this story with your family and friends. My hope is to spread awareness of this insidious disease known as Lyme Disease.
The above pictures show the progression of Tammy's Lyme Disease. The first one is Tammy and I at the top of Half Dome before Lyme. The second is Tammy on her last outing wearing protective gear (hat, sunglasses and earplugs due to her extreme sensitivity to light and noise) and being wheelchair bound. The third is her several hours after a seizure needing assistant to drink and unable to straighten her arms/hands or legs. The fourth she is bedridden unable to move and having to be fed with an eye dropper due to difficulty breathing and swallowing.
The below videos show what Tammy now deals with as a result of Lyme disease. A little about Tammy and the type of person she was before Lyme. Never a dull moment, Tammy raised two children as a single full time working Mom while attending college. She was very involved with her children's school and the community volunteering. Always health conscious growing and maintaining an organic garden. She loved hiking, backpacking, bicycling and waterskiing. Tammy had a zest for living unlike anyone I've known. There was never a challenge too big or a task too small. Everything had meaning and purpose, life was about living and making the best out of every situation. It is that positive attitude that has kept Tammy alive and fighting. She never gives up and refuses to quit. Her courage and strength inspire all those who know her.
Preparing Tammy for a trip to see the doctor. She is seat belted in the wheelchair while I hold her as gently but firmly as possible to prevent her from having more tremors/seizure activity from my touch. I am holding her head up with my arm as she loses the ability to do it herself. The hat and glasses are worn to protect her from the light which also causes more tremors/seizures. Shoes are put on to help protect her from any vibrations or movements that she feels thru her feet that will also trigger tremors/seizures.
Tammy having a seizure due to difficulty swallowing even when being feed with an eye dropper. The left side of her face becomes temporarily paralyzed and she is unable to hold her tongue in her mouth.
Tammy three to four hours after a mild seizure slowly regaining some movement. Depending on the severely of the seizure it sometimes takes days for her to regain movement of her limbs and body.
Tammy's last trip to the hospital where she was admitted to the ICU for testing. Needless to say it was a dreaded trip as we knew all the stimulation and what they had to do would cause endless tremors and seizures. Here you can see how during the seizure she will stop breathing and than gasp for air as she starts breathing again.
Tammy's story started ten years ago when she returned home from a cross country trip (visiting many of the national parks) with her son. She was feeling ill (sore throat, achy, flu like symptoms). After several weeks of not feeling better getting weaker and weaker, her doctor started doing some tests and collecting blood samples. It wasn't long before she was admitted to the hospital as she was having difficulty breathing and tremors that lead to seizures that would leave her temporarly paralyzed.
Tammy was tested for all kinds of neurological disorders and even given medications/treatments for a few until the doctors realized it wasn't helping. To name a few Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease, Myasthenia Gravis and Guillain Barre Syndrome. Her case was presented in front of the board at UCSF and Stanford to try to find an answer/solution as to what was going on.
Unfortunately everything they tried was short lived and eventually failed. There were many a times we didn't know if she was going to make it or not.
Through lots of theraphies (ocupational, speech, vestibular and physical) Tammy was released 10 weeks later to home care. Basically the doctors had given up and sent her home with a diagnoses of Conversion Disorder (a mental health conditon in which a person has blindness, paralysis or other neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation). With the help of natural remedies, eastern medicines and treatments Tammy eventually (a year after being discharged from the hospital) got to a place she could work again. Never did she regain all her energy back or have complete control over muscle movements again. She would still experience tremors from time to time and would fatigue very easily.
Two and half years ago Tammy began having some of the same symtoms she experienced eight years previously. Unexplainable fatigue, joint and muscle pain causing tingling in arms and extreme sensitivity in hands and feet. Tremors and convulsions that would not stop unless she lay completely flat not moving. At this point she had to go on disability as she could no longer work. After visiting several different doctors and a trip to UCSF emergency room we found ourselves in the same situation again...no answers no diagnosis and were sent home.
We spent endless hours of research looking for any type of help or answers as Tammy was getting worse and worse. At this point we had to apply for disability as Tammy was unable to work. We were referred to a primary care doctor which eventually lead us to a doctor who specializes in Chronic Lyme Disease. Tammy had been tested for Lyme 10 years ago and the test came back negative (yes you can have Lyme even though the test comes back negative. Sometimes it takes several times and certain types of blood tests that not all doctors request or even know about, as well as having a laboratory that analyzes the blood properly).
After having extensive blood work done Tammy was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and three co-infections. She started treatment immediately. Going undiagnosed for ten years complicated matters. Tammy was told it wouldn't be an easy journey but the doctor felt confident that she would recover after about a year of treatments. It has now been 2 1/2 years. Even though Tammy was making progress earlier on this past year she has slowly declined. She hasn't walked in 2 months, the seizures have increased leaving her temporarily paralyzed and unable to care for herself.
What we found out recently is that Tammy has several viral diseases that could be some of the reason she isn't getting better. Besides the treatment being really expensive Tammy's immune system is so compromised no one is for sure she will be able to tolerate it. What so many don't understand including many in the medical field is just how complicated Lyme disease can be, especially when not diagnosed early on. It isn't necessary just the Lyme disease causing all the problem. There are co-infections that go along with it as well as how it attacks the immune system making you more susceptible to viruses. Here is a website from Dr. Christina Green that explains Lyme and its treatment for those interested. http://www.christinegreenmd.com/services/lyme-treatment/
In order for Tammy to continue her fight against Lyme disease and the viruses associated with it we are asking for your help. The ongoing medical bills, treatments, medicines, tests, labs etc...as well as attorney fees to fight her disability case are astronomical. Any donation is greatly appreciated. I will continue to update the website as to how Tammy is doing. Currently her seizures have slowed down and we are slowly trying to build the immune system up so she can start the antiviral medicine.
We ask again that you share her story and help spread the awareness of Lyme disease and how devastating it can be. With your help there is hope. We thank you for supporting Tammy and her fight against Lyme Disease!
My name is Tera and I am Tammy's sister. I'm asking you to please take a few minutes to read her story and donate if you can. I encourage you to share this story with your family and friends. My hope is to spread awareness of this insidious disease known as Lyme Disease.
The above pictures show the progression of Tammy's Lyme Disease. The first one is Tammy and I at the top of Half Dome before Lyme. The second is Tammy on her last outing wearing protective gear (hat, sunglasses and earplugs due to her extreme sensitivity to light and noise) and being wheelchair bound. The third is her several hours after a seizure needing assistant to drink and unable to straighten her arms/hands or legs. The fourth she is bedridden unable to move and having to be fed with an eye dropper due to difficulty breathing and swallowing.
The below videos show what Tammy now deals with as a result of Lyme disease. A little about Tammy and the type of person she was before Lyme. Never a dull moment, Tammy raised two children as a single full time working Mom while attending college. She was very involved with her children's school and the community volunteering. Always health conscious growing and maintaining an organic garden. She loved hiking, backpacking, bicycling and waterskiing. Tammy had a zest for living unlike anyone I've known. There was never a challenge too big or a task too small. Everything had meaning and purpose, life was about living and making the best out of every situation. It is that positive attitude that has kept Tammy alive and fighting. She never gives up and refuses to quit. Her courage and strength inspire all those who know her.
Preparing Tammy for a trip to see the doctor. She is seat belted in the wheelchair while I hold her as gently but firmly as possible to prevent her from having more tremors/seizure activity from my touch. I am holding her head up with my arm as she loses the ability to do it herself. The hat and glasses are worn to protect her from the light which also causes more tremors/seizures. Shoes are put on to help protect her from any vibrations or movements that she feels thru her feet that will also trigger tremors/seizures.
Tammy having a seizure due to difficulty swallowing even when being feed with an eye dropper. The left side of her face becomes temporarily paralyzed and she is unable to hold her tongue in her mouth.
Tammy three to four hours after a mild seizure slowly regaining some movement. Depending on the severely of the seizure it sometimes takes days for her to regain movement of her limbs and body.
Tammy's last trip to the hospital where she was admitted to the ICU for testing. Needless to say it was a dreaded trip as we knew all the stimulation and what they had to do would cause endless tremors and seizures. Here you can see how during the seizure she will stop breathing and than gasp for air as she starts breathing again.
Tammy's story started ten years ago when she returned home from a cross country trip (visiting many of the national parks) with her son. She was feeling ill (sore throat, achy, flu like symptoms). After several weeks of not feeling better getting weaker and weaker, her doctor started doing some tests and collecting blood samples. It wasn't long before she was admitted to the hospital as she was having difficulty breathing and tremors that lead to seizures that would leave her temporarly paralyzed.
Tammy was tested for all kinds of neurological disorders and even given medications/treatments for a few until the doctors realized it wasn't helping. To name a few Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease, Myasthenia Gravis and Guillain Barre Syndrome. Her case was presented in front of the board at UCSF and Stanford to try to find an answer/solution as to what was going on.
Unfortunately everything they tried was short lived and eventually failed. There were many a times we didn't know if she was going to make it or not.
Through lots of theraphies (ocupational, speech, vestibular and physical) Tammy was released 10 weeks later to home care. Basically the doctors had given up and sent her home with a diagnoses of Conversion Disorder (a mental health conditon in which a person has blindness, paralysis or other neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation). With the help of natural remedies, eastern medicines and treatments Tammy eventually (a year after being discharged from the hospital) got to a place she could work again. Never did she regain all her energy back or have complete control over muscle movements again. She would still experience tremors from time to time and would fatigue very easily.
Two and half years ago Tammy began having some of the same symtoms she experienced eight years previously. Unexplainable fatigue, joint and muscle pain causing tingling in arms and extreme sensitivity in hands and feet. Tremors and convulsions that would not stop unless she lay completely flat not moving. At this point she had to go on disability as she could no longer work. After visiting several different doctors and a trip to UCSF emergency room we found ourselves in the same situation again...no answers no diagnosis and were sent home.
We spent endless hours of research looking for any type of help or answers as Tammy was getting worse and worse. At this point we had to apply for disability as Tammy was unable to work. We were referred to a primary care doctor which eventually lead us to a doctor who specializes in Chronic Lyme Disease. Tammy had been tested for Lyme 10 years ago and the test came back negative (yes you can have Lyme even though the test comes back negative. Sometimes it takes several times and certain types of blood tests that not all doctors request or even know about, as well as having a laboratory that analyzes the blood properly).
After having extensive blood work done Tammy was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and three co-infections. She started treatment immediately. Going undiagnosed for ten years complicated matters. Tammy was told it wouldn't be an easy journey but the doctor felt confident that she would recover after about a year of treatments. It has now been 2 1/2 years. Even though Tammy was making progress earlier on this past year she has slowly declined. She hasn't walked in 2 months, the seizures have increased leaving her temporarily paralyzed and unable to care for herself.
What we found out recently is that Tammy has several viral diseases that could be some of the reason she isn't getting better. Besides the treatment being really expensive Tammy's immune system is so compromised no one is for sure she will be able to tolerate it. What so many don't understand including many in the medical field is just how complicated Lyme disease can be, especially when not diagnosed early on. It isn't necessary just the Lyme disease causing all the problem. There are co-infections that go along with it as well as how it attacks the immune system making you more susceptible to viruses. Here is a website from Dr. Christina Green that explains Lyme and its treatment for those interested. http://www.christinegreenmd.com/services/lyme-treatment/
In order for Tammy to continue her fight against Lyme disease and the viruses associated with it we are asking for your help. The ongoing medical bills, treatments, medicines, tests, labs etc...as well as attorney fees to fight her disability case are astronomical. Any donation is greatly appreciated. I will continue to update the website as to how Tammy is doing. Currently her seizures have slowed down and we are slowly trying to build the immune system up so she can start the antiviral medicine.
We ask again that you share her story and help spread the awareness of Lyme disease and how devastating it can be. With your help there is hope. We thank you for supporting Tammy and her fight against Lyme Disease!
Organizer
Tera Hamilton Yee
Organizer
Campbell, CA