02 May White Pants, Ticks & the Hidden Truth: My Lyme Disease Story and Why Testing Matters Now More Than Ever
I love hiking. I love the quiet rhythm of my breath syncing with the crunch of the trail. I love the healing that only trees, wind, and wild sky can offer.
And I always wear white.
Not because I’m trying to make a fashion statement. But because I’m hyper-aware—painfully aware—of what could be crawling on my clothes, hitching a ride into my bloodstream: ticks.
Why so cautious? Because I’ve lived the nightmare.
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and it’s time we start talking more openly—more honestly—about this invisible epidemic that too often goes misdiagnosed, ignored, or dismissed altogether.
I’ve shared bits and pieces of my story before, but this time I’m leaning all the way in. Because someone needs to hear it.
Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s someone you love.
The Bite That Changed Everything
I was 25, living in South Lake Tahoe, when I got bit.
No big deal, I thought.
A red rash formed on my left outside calf area—classic erythema migrans, or the “bull’s-eye rash.” But back in 1995? Nobody talked about Lyme disease. I was told it was a spider bite. Case closed.
Spoiler: it was not.
Over the next 15 years, my life unraveled. Crushing fatigue. Strange neurological symptoms. Pain that came out of nowhere and took over everything. I was dismissed, misdiagnosed, and prescribed meds that never worked because they never got to the root.
For eight years, not one doctor tested me for Lyme.
By the time I finally got the right labs, the disease had progressed into its late stage—and recovery was long, complicated, and at times, utterly excruciating.
Lyme Disease: The Silent Epidemic
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the U.S., and cases are rising fast.
According to the CDC, around 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme each year. And many experts believe the real number is even higher due to underreporting and frequent misdiagnosis .
Lyme is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged tick. While the early signs—like fatigue, fever, and rash—can be vague, if left untreated, Lyme can progress into severe joint, heart, and neurological complications.
And here’s the kicker: standard Lyme tests miss up to 60% of early-stage cases.
That’s right. A negative test doesn’t always mean you’re in the clear. Especially if it’s the basic two-tier testing that many conventional doctors still rely on.
Functional Medicine Changed My Life (and My Career)
I don’t regret the path I walked. (Crawled, at times.) It forced me to rebuild my life from the inside out.
That healing journey is what led me into Functional Medicine Nutrition nearly two decades ago. I had to dig deep to find answers, repair my body, and reclaim my energy. And today, I help others do the same.
Because I know how it feels to be gaslit by the medical system. I know what it’s like to suffer in silence, wondering if you’re crazy or just broken.
You’re not.
But you might be infected—and not know it.
Why Testing Matters (And What Makes This One Different)
If you even remotely suspect Lyme or a co-infection—whether because of a rash, joint pain, fatigue, or mysterious symptoms—you deserve accurate testing.
That’s why I now offer Tickborne 2.0, a comprehensive and highly specific tickborne disease panel available.
It’s SUPER EASY. Just a DIY at home blood spot collection.
It tests not just for Borrelia (Lyme), but also for co-infections like Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, and more.
And compared to most Lyme panels (which can run $1000+), this one is affordable—especially this month.
In Honor of Lyme Awareness Month
From now through May 30th, you’ll receive $75 off the Tickborne 2.0 panel.
Don’t wait. You can’t afford to. Lyme is easiest to treat when caught early—and most dangerous when it’s dismissed.
Final Thoughts
Lyme changed my life. But it also gave me a mission.
If you’re reading this and you’ve been struggling with symptoms that doctors can’t explain… please, don’t brush it off.
Trust your body. Trust your intuition. And trust the science that’s finally catching up.
You deserve answers.
You deserve healing.
You deserve your life back.
Let me help you get there.
Sincerely,
Sarah Reilly, CFMHC, FMACC
Founder of Get Nourished
Functional Medicine Nutritionist & Lyme Recovery Advocate
