What started as back pain turned into a major health crisis for Lara, a 35-year-old Australian mom. Her situation took a dramatic turn for the worse shortly after she returned to her dream job after maternity leave. During that time, she devoted herself to taking care of her then-18-month-old daughter. Throughout this time, she endured debilitating symptoms that led her to seek treatment for Lyme disease in Germany.
Lara’s symptoms turned out to be more serious symptoms than they were alarming. Her legs would get so weak that they wouldn’t hold her up, her hands would stop working and she’d have spells of blurry vision. Her unpredictable health conditions resulted in her needing to make dozens of trips to the hospital. There, she waged a battle to get the answers that she needed most. While hospitalized several times, she connected with 15 other Australians who were battling Lyme disease. They had all been treated by the same physician, the only expert in this esoteric disease that is not easily contagious in Australia.
Through thorough testing and due diligence, Lara began to realize something very important. A tick bite had triggered her Lyme disease, which accounted for the red ring rash, fevers, swollen glands, and other symptoms that she’d been having. The diagnosis was a relief, illuminating the dark tunnel. At the same time, it didn’t shy away from the challenge still ahead. The cost of treatment was a heavy weight on Lara’s mind, with medical bills amounting to nearly $30,000. This was not enough to deter her positive spirit and determination to get back on the mend.
Lara’s mind was made up. She was going to get healthy again. She chose to go to Germany for a state-of-the-art experimental treatment known as hyperthermia therapy. This method of treatment focuses on increasing the body’s temperature to about 42 degrees Celsius in order to fight off the disease. With her mother by her side, Lara entered a three-week intensive treatment program at a specialized hospital in Germany.
The sessions of hyperthermia—essentially controlled fever therapy—were an emotional and physical challenge. Each session was eight hours long and involved dozens of other supportive treatments designed to accelerate her recovery. Here are just a few examples of what Lara said she was most grateful for during this whole journey. Her family’s support, especially from her mother, really helped see her through this difficult path.
The difficult and risky treatment regimen soon started to pay dividends. Bit by bit, Lara started to sense herself coming back from the depths of Lyme disease. Together, hyperthermia with supportive therapies treated similarly her symptoms really quickly. It also sparked her dreams of a healthier future. Each day brought SuSom tangible gains in mobility and the leveling of a playing field where she’d been disadvantaged for years.
Lara’s story illuminates the pain and frustration those with Lyme disease go through every day. That’s particularly the case in regions where the disease is poorly understood and inadequately addressed. Her experience illustrates why it is so important to demand proper medical treatment. It highlights the importance of looking for other approaches when traditional treatment options fail.
