To Anyone Beginning Their First Lyme Treatment…

Prepare yourself—because you’re about to step onto the emotional roller coaster of your life.

For me, the intensity hit three days before my first big treatment. I cried every day, all day. The fear of the unknown overwhelmed me in ways I never imagined. I questioned everything—my courage, my strength, my will. I had never felt so scared, so alone, or so unsure of myself.

And I’ll be honest—those dark thoughts crept in. The kind no one likes to talk about. I wondered if my loved ones would be better off without the weight of this disease. Lyme doesn’t just affect the patient—it touches everyone around us. The emotional toll, the financial strain, the time it demands… it all feels like too much. And when you feel like a burden, it’s hard not to lose yourself.

My emotions spiraled. I lashed out at people I loved. I pushed away those trying to support me. And I clung tightly to my daughters—my anchors—because they were the only thing keeping me grounded in that storm. I was, in every sense of the phrase, a hot mess.

The day of my first treatment, I cried the entire two-hour drive to the clinic. I couldn’t keep any food down. My body shook with fear. When I walked into the IV room, I froze. There were machines everywhere, tubes I didn’t understand, and chairs filled with other patients, each quietly fighting their own battle. It all hit me like a wave. The weight of the past three years of searching for answers. The heaviness of what was ahead. I stood there and cried.

The nurse had to try three times—and two arms—before she could get the IV catheter in. By then, I was sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe this was my new reality. But after two hours hooked to that IV, something shifted. As terrifying as it was, I had taken the first step. The road ahead was still long, but I had begun.

And when I finished that first treatment, something else happened: I felt powerful. I felt like I could take on anything. I felt like a badass. When they handed me more pills than I thought any human could possibly take—54 doses, twice a day—I didn’t even flinch. Okay, I flinched a little. But I also smiled. Because who else takes that many meds and keeps fighting every day? We are superheroes in our own right.

I finally understood the joke about needing a “pill toolbox”—and let me tell you, it’s no joke. And apparently, I’m just getting started… lucky me!

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Tears are normal.
Every day is a minute-by-minute fight.
Some minutes are good. Some are brutal.
But in each one, we find strength.

To anyone going through Lyme—or any battle that feels just as heavy—please hear this:

You are not alone.
Even when others don’t understand, there are people out here who do.
On the days when you think the world would be better without you—you’re wrong.
Your presence matters. Your smile matters. You matter.
And when you feel like you’ve got nothing left to give, remember:
You have more strength than you know.

You are a fighter.
You are a warrior.
You are extraordinary.
And you’ve got this.

Believe me.

—Melissa Moya

CEO, Lyme Fight Foundation