The following book review first appeared on the CanLyme website.

By Catherine Kinsella

Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease is a candid and moving account of Rachel Leland’s journey through Lyme disease from the perspectives of Rachel and her mother, Dorothy. [Note: Dorothy Leland is President of LymeDisease.org.]

Rachel’s Lyme disease symptoms began after a soccer injury when she was 13. She rapidly went from being a healthy teenager to having multiple symptoms including severe pain, requiring her to use a wheelchair to get around.

From the onset, this book describes the uncertainties, complexities and confusion that many people with Lyme disease experience. Rachel’s symptoms were life-altering, yet there were people around her that thought she was making them up. Others thought Rachel and Dorothy were trying to “get away with” something, when all they really wanted was for Rachel to get better.

The writing in this book is captivating, moving back and forth between Rachel’s perspective and what Dorothy recalled about those same events. Rachel loved to journal, and those notes, along with photos and videos taken during that time were the backbone of her story, which happened almost two decades ago. Dorothy adds perspective to the story from a parent’s point of view, describing what was going on medically and within their daily lives.

Mental and emotional challenges

Rachel is very open about what she was going through, including the mental and emotional challenges she faced when she was sick. What stands out as the story progresses is that these issues resolved with treatment, along with her other symptoms. Although this aspect of Rachel’s story may be difficult to read for some people, these insights may give hope or solace to those who can relate, and open the door to discussions about the impact of pain and the mental health manifestations of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections.

Some of the treatments that Rachel tried are touched on in the book, including a few that were turning points in her recovery. Their search for answers almost two decades ago is still relevant today, and reflects the experiences of so many patients who struggle to receive a diagnosis and effective treatment for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease articulates these issues in a very engaging and personal way.

Thank you Rachel and Dorothy for bravely sharing your story, and for shining a light on the challenges that many people with Lyme disease are still facing today.

Learn more about Dorothy and Rachel’s journey in this episode of the Looking at Lyme Podcast.

Catherine Kinsella is a retired RN, content creator, writer and coordinator of the Education Grant Program for the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.