Traci Hickey’s Story
There is LYME in Texas!! My name is Traci Hickey, and I am a 42 yr old mother of three wonderful children. I was born and raised in the great state of Texas. As a child of the outdoors, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty and playing in the woods of the Hill Country. The state of Texas is known for its vast number of Whitetail deer. During my childhood summers, I was practically bitten by ticks everyday. However, it doesn’t just take a tick bite to give you an unforgiving bacterial infection… mosquitoes, spiders, fleas, and horse flies can do the same. I led a normal childhood until around my teen years when I seemed to get sick more often with stomach bugs, upper respiratory infections, bone pain that didn’t allow me to run track, depression, anxiety and so on. A person of persistence and never giving up, I just kept pushing. As time went by, irritable bowel syndrome became an issue as well horrible sadness for no reason. These symptoms along with countless others continued to have an impact on my life throughout college and graduate school. My wedding day, the most “magical” day of young woman’s life, marked the beginning of my honeymoon with a nonstop intestinal bacterial infection! Years later, my precious son was born. Immunity after childbirth is somewhat compromised and I seemed to catch everything. Then came the ‘ginormous’ and painful ovarian cysts and hormone disruption. My Lyme loves my ovaries! During this time, I experienced heightened anxiety, where leaving the house was even out of the question. Soon I became a “hypochondriac” to my friends and family. It was very hurtful to the heart and soul. But again, I am a person of persistence, and I do not give up that easily. In 2006 I was pregnant the second time with…TWINS! My body worked harder than it ever have and I was blessed with beautiful twin girls. It was from this moment on that my health really started to slide downhill. Name a symptom, and I had it. I could write a book with all that I’ve endured and the cost included. Here is the short version:
* Gallbladder removed – no one knew but, it was Lyme. * Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (basically shock therapy). I was told I was “bipolar” and “crazy”, but it was toxins and Lyme. * I’ve seen 52 doctors – 1/2 were in Texas and were profound MD’s that said there is “no such thing as Lyme.” * I’ve traveled coast to coast, finally being diagnosed with Lyme Disease in Massachusetts in 2013. * Stem cell therapy in Germany and did not get better. Didn’t rid of the toxins, parasites, viral load, etc., that Lyme Disease invites. * My husband and children have Lyme Disease. This disease can be sexually transmitted and passes in-utero. It is why this is an EPIDEMIC! * Lastly, (although there is more), we have spent HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to get help. Insurance coverage is not available through most of the doctors that treat Lyme Disease! I continue to fight and educate myself to the many facets of this complicated disease. I’m constantly doing research to learn the latest developments in the battle against Lyme. I know I will continue to heal and will be able to share my knowledge and experience with others in their own fight against this disease!