In 1984 at the age of 8, I came down suddenly with high fevers, flu-like symptoms and an extremely swollen right knee.  After months of multiple doctor visits, I was finally diagnosed with septic Lyme disease.  This was a very new disease at the time, and so much of my illness was shrouded in mystery and confusion.  After 5 weeks in the hospital, numerous knee aspirations and multiple rounds of IV antibiotics, we were hopeful to put end to this scary chapter.  But sadly, this would be the first of 4 different battles with tick-born illness that I would encounter over the years, the latest one in 2018.  Fast forward 35 years later from my original diagnosis, I realized not much has changed in the way this disease is treated or understood.  In an effort to bring more awareness to Lyme and emphasize the need for more research and funding, I’m running ‘The Clock Is Tick-ing on Lyme’ Virtual Half Marathon on Saturday, October 10th.  I’m running for the people out there like myself who are suffering everyday at the hands of this disease.  I’m running to break the silence and the stigma attached to Lyme.  I’m running for all of us...please help me make a difference 💚.