So This Year... How Does One Express or Even Define Overwhelming Gratitude?

WOW, what a year 2021 has been. There have been many ups and several downs, but I am so grateful for all the different parts of the year.

This year we continued fundraising. I say we because there has been such an outpouring of people helping and serving to make the fundraisers successful! We had a “Love a Lymie Challenge” where individuals and groups worked to raise $500 in their own creative ways, such as contacting friends, family, and community members, creating a cave adventure tour, hosting online parties, giving a percentage of earnings with small companies, percentage night at a restaurant, a donation drive by, and several others. Another fundraiser connected to the challenge was “Say Bye Bye to Lyme Disease” drive through. So many generously kind folks stopped by to support me and even played a few yard games as well.

Additionally, we had a family yard sale in Charlotte. This was so special to see my extended family come together and work so hard to help support me, especially precious because of Covid we hadn’t seen each other in so long. AND I got to meet our newest cousin, Baby Hannah! Following the family yard sale, we launched a new t-shirt design, “I Am a Lymie” OR “I Love a Lymie.” (These shirts are still always available and there may be more designs to come in the 2022.) https://www.bonfire.com/store/feeling-lymie-help-april-fight-lyme-disease Around the same time, there was a community yard sale in my hometown, where so many people came together, before sunrise to help set up. Volunteers stayed to help with the sale and even help pack up leftover items as a lightning and thunderstorm poured down on us.

On April 4, though nervous but also glad to start, I had my chest port inserted in Virginia. The next day, at the D.C. specialist office, I began treatment with two IV antibiotic trials. Mom had an intensive crash course in all things IV, including sterile bandage changes. The following week I started IV treatment at home.

In May we had one more local fundraiser, a craft fair/pop-up market. Because I was already into treatment, a precious friend took over hosting the event, which I am insanely grateful to her. All these fundraisers were essential to me starting treatment and were very successful, thank you to all contributors and participants!

Over the next several months, I went through many treatment protocols with assorted IV antibiotics and oral medications. I did experienced a great deal of pain, sickness, herxing, exhaustion, and so forth, but also hope. There were snags along the way, including an allergic reaction to my bandages, especially the parts that secure my central line. After trying out different materials with no relief, I ended up having my central line sutured, which was a complete game changer.

I am continuing with treatment still, though there is a long road ahead, and by God’s grace I am pushing through. God has shown me so very much about His character and His presence during this time. I am daily understanding how He sustains me in the desert, how “He makes me lie down in green pastures”, that He “will repay me for the years the locusts have eaten”, and why He catches my every tear. He has highlighted several people and their situations in the Bible, who still praised and honored God, though in horrible situations, which I related to within my own circumstances. He has given me a few life changing encouraging dreams this year. I am still trusting Him with all His promises, that His Word does not return void, that His presence is very real and always with me, and that He gave me an amazing specialist to help me. He allowed my niece and nephews from overseas to come home to love on me and continue to remind me of true joy, wonder, and a child like heart. He also highlighted pockets of joy, which are simple moments of delight, such as a chipmunk out my window, birds flocking to all the birdfeeders in the yard, the many cards sent when I started treatment, all the “Nikki-Grams”, and more. Furthermore, He also allowed me to cross paths with a fellow Lymie on the same treatment schedule I am on.

Having someone to walk through this has been so very special to me. I am truly so blessed to not only have all these heavenly riches, but also, an overwhelming amount of encouragement, prayers, and love surrounding me by you.

I will have a couple more IV antibiotic protocols over the next few months. Then I will move to stage two: an aggressive oral treatment. Because I have a more advance stage of Chronic Lyme Disease, the specialist has said I will keep my port more than likely through April, in order to help support my system and to detox during the beginning months of this next stage. I will need to create more fundraisers to help pay for this prolonged IV treatment.

Keep your eyes peeled to what may be coming in 2022 and if you feel led to create or host any fundraiser let me know, I am willing to help in whatever capacity I can while still actively treating. Thank you for who you are and how you have invested in my life, especially during this time. I appreciate everything and am grateful for future love and support as I proceed with treatment. You have made a huge difference in my life, helping me get through this year.

I can’t say THANK YOU enough. May God bless you in all your needs, with overwhelming comfort, love, and provision during this season and into the new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!