By Whitney Goetsch

I was a young mother living my dream life when everything changed. At a wedding, I absentmindedly pulled a tick off the back of my leg, crushed it into the pavement, and moved on.

I never realized that tiny creature would alter the course of my life.

Not long after, my health began to unravel. Crippling symptoms emerged, yet every doctor I saw dismissed them as anxiety. But deep down, I knew something was terribly wrong.

What followed was a terrifying descent into medical uncertainty, a relentless fight to uncover the truth while my body continued to deteriorate.

For five years, I battled through a system that refused to listen, all while my family suffered alongside me. I suspected Lyme disease early on, but each time I voiced my concerns, I was brushed aside. “It’s just anxiety.” “You’re overreacting.” “Maybe it’s depression.” The gaslighting was endless.

Finally, after years of searching, I received the diagnoses that changed everything: Lyme disease, multiple co-infections, and alpha-gal syndrome. By then, the damage had already been done.

Documenting every struggle

Throughout this journey, I kept a journal, documenting every struggle, every setback, and every moment of resilience. In 2023, newly diagnosed and still fighting for my life, I turned those pages into a book—because this cannot not keep happening. Not to young mothers. Not to fathers, children, or anyone else. The cycle of medical dismissal and gaslighting must end.

I wrote my book while still in the fight, in the trenches of this disease, so it would be raw, real, and relatable. So others would know they are not alone.

You are not Lyme. You are not a burden. Lyme is the burden placed upon you.

Today, my battle continues. In the summer of 2024, I began SOT therapy for Lyme disease. This winter, I started SOT therapy for Babesia and Bartonella, alongside herbals and methylene blue.

Recent tests have revealed demyelination and autoimmune markers resembling those seen in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s — the result of years of untreated infections.

To help heal my brain and reduce inflammation, I will soon begin peptide therapy. My medical team is also exploring stem cell therapy in Europe. The road ahead remains steep, but I refuse to give up.

Because this fight is not just for me. It’s for every person who has been dismissed, misdiagnosed, and left to suffer in silence.

For more information about Whitney Goetsch’s book, click here: Waves: A Memoir of Perseverance in Battling Chronic Lyme Disease.