Renee & Joel's Biographies

Renee is our next featured Lyme along with her husband Joel. They are a married couple in their early 60's from the Midwest. Renee has Neurological Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Renee suffers from chronic bone pain, muscle & joint pain, poly-neuropathy, brain fog, memory problems, tinnitus and other Lyme symptoms. Renee also has allergies to a lot of different foods, chemicals, grasses and molds.

Renee's Lyme Disease went undiagnosed for 23 years. In 1991, she was given a diagnosis of CFIDS. She has also been diagnosed with arthritis, autoimmune thyroid disease and MCS over the years. She got to 50 percent of her former self with the help of alternative medicine when she was probably reinfected from Joel's infection in 2000. As time passed, Renee began to get more sick until she was home-bound and has remained that way the last 5 years. She finally saw a LLMD thanks to a friend and was finally diagnosed with Neurological Lyme Disease and three co-infections (Bartonella, Babesia, and Erhlichia). Renee has been treated for the last two years with Antibiotics with neurological improvements and a bit more strength, but there has been no real changes in the quality of her life. She hopes to be going on herbs to continue killing the Lyme and Co-infections.

Joel has Neurological Lyme Disease. He has become extremely fatigued. He also has balance issues, peripheral numbness and weakness. Joel fell ill ten years ago and they were told it was some kind of Post Viral Syndrome. After he had been ill for a few months, he recovered and was able to return to work. However in the last couple of years, he began having symptoms again. In June of this year, he was diagnosed with Late Neurological Lyme disease. He has just started antibiotic treatment trying to regain enough energy to work again.

Renee has a funny name for her marriage. She calls it "Partners in Lyme." :o) Please pray that Renee can find the right treatment to regain health and have some quality of life which she hopes will include less pain. They are needing the church to grant Joel a sabbatical and that he will heal from Lyme swiftly. Renee has two blogs. Go visit them to get to know Renee better.

Lyme Living

Autumn Years