August 2012
Photography by Rachel Rolston
In Her Own Words...Rachel's Story.
My name is Rachel Rolston. I am 31 years old, and have been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. I was sick a lot as an infant, and I never felt healthy as a child. I missed a lot of school and had many different illnesses through the years. My symptoms became worse in my early 20's, and in 2005-2006, I started to notice a real lack of energy. I would have daily migraines and headaches, with a lot of chronic body pain, nausea, and vomiting. I have been on Disability since 2009, after going from doctor to doctor, getting tested and put on drug after drug, with no relief or any real answers. I had the "standard" test for Lyme, and like many people, I got a negative result. I have tried to find a true diagnosis that fit all my symptoms, not just a couple, but didn't find one until I watched the documentary "Under Our Skin". I was in tears, it just FIT, and made sense. I found a doctor who ordered the Western Blot test, which still showed negative, but also showed some positive antibodies, and the doctor determined I had been exposed to Lyme. I pushed my mother to get tested because she has had a lot of similar problems. She showed up positive on the Western Blot test.
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I truly think I have had chronic Lyme disease since I was a baby. This has been a beyond frustrating battle. To spend all the energy, time, and money and still find no real answers, when it was so obvious all along. I think there needs to be some major changes in Lyme testing and overall research. I have watched my life slam to a halt while everyone around me keeps on living. It's been very hard, and the depression aspect has been just as hard as the actual physical pain I feel. |
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This is where photography enters the picture. I am limited to how much I can shoot and how long, and have had to give up doing scheduled shoots with people because I am so unreliable, but I still do it for myself. I have always loved nature photography and that really is and has been where my passion lies. I try every day to see the small things in life and smile at them, and photography helps me do that. It feels great when you capture an image you love, and keep loving for years and years. I love to capture images that make people say WOW! Photography helps me slow down and really see nature. I have always loved animals and my two dogs are my reason for getting out of bed each day; they really have helped me and given me something to love and laugh at. |
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It's not an easy thing being a Lymie but I am still taking the medications and hoping and praying every day that I will feel better. Having hope is a huge part of the mental battle. It's also very important to have at least a couple people in your corner that you can be honest with and talk to. I am very thankful to have an amazing mother, best friend, and aunt that are truly there for me when I need them, which is also a huge part in the daily battle of having any Chronic illness. I really hope that things start to change for Lyme testing because I think there are so many people, like me, who have searched and tried everything they can think of with no real answers. I hate to see anyone else going through what I have been through. Thank you and I hope you enjoy my photography.
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