A whirlwind week in California, bringing Lyme disease resources and tools to many, was a wonderful experience! How fortunate I was to stay with cherished old friends, meet such special people and soak in the glorious spring sunshine. These “Lyme Mission” trips I have been making since “Out of the Woods” was published in November 2011 are nothing short of miracles. So much good comes from it all!
I am ecstatic to have regained my health, to be strong enough again to travel nationally and speak on behalf of Lyme. The universe aligns me time and again with fortuitous connections, opportunities and support while on the road. And to be instilling hope and camaraderie amongst the townships I visit feels so important. Most vivid to me is that my personal Lyme experience and professional knowledge are making a difference.
My heart just beams each time one of you tells me how helpful “Out of the Woods” has been. I know in that moment I did a good job with the book. And, then, the heartfelt handshakes, hugs and tears shared at the end of my presentation strike so deeply in my core. I’ve walked the “Lyme Road” with all of you and when I feel your suffering, confusion and fragility at these talks I feel inspired to keep at it all, even though it is hugely time-consuming and not financially profitable. The healer in me cannot let others flail.
So, with deep meditations, resting, swimming (when possible), and the laughter of friendship buoying me while traveling, somehow, I believe that if I keep at this- visiting stricken regions, holding a lamplight of inspiration, making this illness more publicly talked about, I will affect a change. A change for the better- more attention, earlier diagnostics, more thorough treatments, maybe even a vaccine! Am I crazy to be working so hard? Is it possible I can keep it up with only $5 admission at the door helping cover my travel expenses? I don’t know. Yet my instinct says I’m doing the right thing.
One of my attendees said “Katina, you are the Florence Nightingale of Lyme, comforting others and pushing for change. Thank you.” That was a sterling remark to hear uttered. As an eight year old girl, my favorite books were Florence Nightingale’s biography and “Little House on the Prairie.” Here I am, ministering to the sick and seriously wounded. Life is a marvelous, spiraling pirouette!
Thank you Maritza Padgett, Bonni Rooney and all my fabulous new friends at San Diego Lyme Support. We had a daffy series of monkey wrenches and we overcame. We were bounced out of the library by a big bash with the mayor, superseding us, a mere 24 hours prior to my appearance. Frantic phone calls, emails, makeshift signage, and we relocated to nearby Hoyt Park, my first outdoor venue. Maritza’s pop-up tents, folding chairs, and a stalwart Lyme tribe gathered. Then! The automatic sprinklers erupted, drenching us and necessitating makeshift dams constructed from random rocks and tarps! Lymies are survivors- we enjoyed two wondrous hours together! Amen.
More thanks to Shannon Connoyer, Sandi Bohle, and my new friends at Ventura Lyme Support. This event went along more smoothly, yet we lost a few folks due to our location somehow not showing up on GPS!
I appreciate the stricken, the caregivers, the healthcare providers, for joining us, all your great questions, and of course our famous synergy. My visit with each host was a delight.
Back home now, I’m prepping for North Carolina in April and getting the sponsorship package together for my upcoming radio show; “In the Lyme-Light with Katina Makris.” This is a huge step for Lyme- our own radio talk show!
So many more events to come in 2013, and my efforts to get “Out of the Woods” in audio format continue, as well as foreign translations. We’re off to a superb start!
Thank you California! You treated me well and I hope I brought you some solace and inspiration. The human being is an amazing creature. We are resilient, endowed with inner riches and capable of transformation. I honor the power within us all.
Katina I. Makris 