The One That Makes My Heart Race

When you live in a place like New York and LA, you see celebrities, you even party with them sometimes.  It's something that happens and it's no big deal.  I've met Kevin Spacey, Tommy Lee, Laura Peppon, Kim Cattrall, Elizabeth Shue, talked shit to Parker Posey, parted with Johnny Knoxville. Waited tables on Andre Agassi, Shannon Doherty, the Culkin brats, Doogie Howser.  I've seen Rebecca Romijn, all of the That 70's Show cast, Lindsay Lohan, one of my favs Nicole Richie, Frankie Muniz partied like a rock star, Matt Damon, Ellen DeGeneres totally checked me out, my heart throb Ethan Hawke, (pre, cheating on Uma with the nanny, who cheats on Uma?!), Brad Pitt, a few models.  The list goes on, but nobody made my heartbeat pound the way it did at my local Saturday farmers market.

You're never going to believe who gave me this flower!

Living with Lyme disease in Bellingham, WA there aren't many options for support, nobody truly understands what I am going through, let alone even knows what Lyme disease is.  In search of someone to relate to, I began seeking out support groups through social media.  But what has actually happened, is that I am being reminded 24 hours a day that I have a disease.  There are constant reminders that I have Lyme Disease.  I'm one who wants to live life, and do the things I once did, only better than before, not sit home and be reminded of my Lyme!

The constant daily messages and posts become less about hope and more about misery, it can be a bit of a bummer.

I strive to move forward and I don't plan on being ill forever.

I have the knowledge and discipline to get better.

Now is the time to focus on success stories, the well, and hope!!

My celebrity, the one who makes my heart race, my inspiration, and where I find my hope is Olympic athlete Angeli Vanlaanen.

We got this...I'm herxing really bad here, from Cat's Claw

After my demanding of lab tests, multiple naturopathic doctors, a few regular doctors, being diagnosed with multiple odd things that I refused to believe, my persistent research, and determination to find out what was wrong with me, I had learned enough about Lyme to self diagnose myself with it.  But there was always that:

No, not me?!

That really wasn't a bulls-eye, was it?

Did I see a tick?  If that was a tick, that shit was tiny.

Wait, doctors and vets, tell me Lyme isn't in Bellingham.

There was denial until I watched Angeli Vanlaanens Lyme video.  I had a change your life forever kind of moment,  my heart sank, I cried, and I cried, and I still cry, every single time I watch this video. 

To this day the movie gives me an undefinable feeling, it's an emotion that's going to make me a phenomenal actress.  Every single thing she says, I had said to myself or others at some point in time.  I had Lyme.  Sigh, off to get blood drawn for IGeneX.

Please take a moment to watch her video:

https://vimeo.com/65479794
Learn more about her here:
http://angelivanlaanen.com/
And here's my first Public Service Announcement to spread awareness:
http://genero.tv/watch-video/39744

I was so unbelievably lucky enough to meet both Angeli and her mother Allain!!!!!  Permy smiles were all up on my face, the whole time.  When I asked Angeli how she was doing, she says she feels great, but the emotional scars take the longest to heal.  I get it.  It's not just the physical pain you have to recover from, it's the emotional trauma of everything endured on your Lyme journey.  Angeli was really sweet and happy.  She radiated sunshine and gave me a flower.  I was giddy all day, until I broke out in another herx rash ;)

Her mother is a peach and my heart pounded just as hard.

Thanks Angeli for being an inspiration for myself and others with Lyme Disease!

My repeat song of the month.