Inspirational Videos

I can't tell you how many times I've watched this video. Some of the symptoms she describes after having her stroke are uncannily similar to those I have experienced in the past with Lyme; and...the best part - IT GIVES ME HOPE!! After 8 years of therapy, this woman has made a FULL and lasting recovery, and to top it all off, she has an amazingly beautiful, heart-felt message to spread as a result of her experience.

Note: I realize that having a stroke and having Lyme Disease are VERY different in regards to what actually happens to the brain once diagnosed. 
A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. 
This rarely happens to to Lyme patients, however, there have been studies performed and confirmed (through SPECT scans - which capture brain function) that Lyme disease patients experience something rather similar. 
Although it is not unique to ONLY Lyme patients, images from these SPECT scans show a "heterogenous hypoperfusion diffusely spread throughout the brain". This basically means that, although the vessels in the brain do not "break", they demonstrate a constriction or decreased blood flow (ischemia) to various areas of the brain, often to a degree that "waxes and wanes" in random cycles. 
This, in turn, reduces the amount of oxygen that is able to flow to that area of the brain, and it is why the symptoms of both stroke victims and Lyme patients are often alike. 

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There is so much to be said about this music video... For those of you who don't know about Rob Thomas (formerly of Matchbox 20), his wife, Marisol, and the story behind the making of this particular song and video - here you go: Marisol has a rare type of Lupus (an extremely aggressive auto-immune illness.) This song is about her, her struggle to beat the illness, and how her sickness affects her husband. 
Again, I have to say that although Lupus and Lyme are not even in the same family of diseases, their symptoms can manifest very similarly.
In the video, Rob does an incredible job in giving the audience a "metaphoric image" that encapsulates what it feels like to experience an illness like this.
I think that Lyme literally diminishes all aspects of a person - kind of like dimming the light within them. So many people suffering with this literally feel like zombies trapped inside their bodies, unable to escape or even express their pain. How Rob demonstrates this in his video is, in my opinion, "spot on".
The best part, however, is that, in the end, he gives her HOPE, he sets her free from the chains that are binding her, watches her wake-up from her nightmarish trance....he gives her light back to her, and that - to me...is priceless. 


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There are several reasons why I find this particular video inspiring. For those of you who don't know, Candice Accola is one of the lead actresses in the hit series, "The Vampire Diaries" (God do I love both the show and her character in it!) Anyway, it is  truly inspiring to see her up there asking the world to learn more about Lyme Disease simply because someone she LOVES has it. What an amazing friend, right? Also, the more publicity we get, especially from celebrities and other influential people, the more this disease becomes REAL, something that "non-believers" will be forced to take a second look at, and will eventually be unable to ignore any longer. Thank you Candice for helping to raise awareness for us all, but mostly, thank you for being such a good friend for Teri : ) 
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I believe this is the most IMPORTANT video you will EVER see! Here's why:

1. Explains WHY people can have Lyme for years before it "surfaces".
2. Indirectly also PROVES how Lyme CAN become "Chronic" and Why people relapse.
3. Gives the Lyme Community HOPE for the "future of medicine" and Lyme Disease.

*Note: It's a long video...just keep watching! It's AMAZING what there is to learn here.