Bradley Machamer

It's hard to dream big when you can't get out of bed. Health is so foundational, that without it, work, play and everything in between becomes hard (even impossible). After six years, four doctors and an obscene amount of medical bills, I should know. My name is Bradley, and I've been fighting Lyme disease/CIRS for almost a decade but I went undiagnosed until 2016. It's been a hell of a journey and has turned my life completely upside down.<h3> </h3>"This is fine", I told myself for years.&nbsp;My body said otherwise, and used sickness to finally get my attention. In January 2016, I got my diagnosis: Lyme disease, they said. Take these pills, they said. Oddly, it was a relief to have a concrete label for my problems -- I wasn't crazy or psychosomatic. I began full-time treatment, optimistic that this would be a short skirmish and then I'd be healthy and able to work again. Nothing but a blip on the radar, right?&nbsp;Well, my high hopes wore off in five minutes as I quickly realised--thanks to Google--my illness was chronic and perhaps incurable. Still, I was determined not to give up so early in the game. And so the next six years of fighting the good fight began with a bang (or was it a whimper?). Over time, "How do I get better?" became "Can I get better?" and ended in "I won't get better." I tried increasingly alternative medicines and treatments--from herbs to saunas to coffee enemas to energy medicine--bouncing around from doctor to doctor, but I didn't get better. Apparently, some problems in life don't go away even when you throw money at them. I had done everything right but was still just as sick as ever. And then, the money ran out. You see, conditions like Lyme disease are misunderstood by the medical community and largely uncovered by insurance companies. I had been paying for my treatment almost entirely out-of-pocket (goodbye, retirement) but after being unemployed for 3 years, my bank account was tapped out. Depression set in (again). I quietly contemplated suicide and life felt meaningless. But God held me back from falling into the void. I managed to raise money and that bought me more time to keep gambling for my life. I started from scratch with a new doctor and an additional diagnosis of mold biotoxin illness (AKA chronic inflammatory response syndrome -- CIRS). In an attempt to outrun my illness, I couchsurfed my way across the USA, bouncing around--like a ping pong ball--from Birmingham to Tucson to California to Seattle and finally back to Tucson, this time for good. By the skin of my teeth, I landed a position cooking at a four-star resort actually, starting at the bottom as a dishwasher for six months and working my way up. My troubles were far behind me, and I was moving up in the world. The debilitating stress of working in kitchens quickly caught up with me, and I burned out hard. I got horribly sick--was it 'Rona? We'll never know--and had a medical incident at work one day. I laid in bed, feeling as close to death as I've ever been. But an emergency ozone IV saved my life -- clearly, God had other plans. I moved back in with my parents and laid low, hoping to recover rapidly in six months and "get back" (like the Beatles song). But almost two years later, I'm still stuck at START (like Monopoly: "Do not pass GO, do not collect $200"), with a condition that leaves me unable to work and unable to get disability. Something has to change.<h3> </h3>"But you don't look sick," people have said to me countless times, usually with a smile or a shrug. I don't blame them, because I've learned how to put on a good show. I have mastered the art of acting and looking fine, even when I'm actually hanging on by the skin of my teeth, propped up by painkillers, herbs and God knows what else. The truth is ugly: on an average day, the symptoms of Lyme/CIRS reduce your quality of life to somewhere between congestive heart failure and having the worst flu ever. Excruciating joint pain/arthritis, chronic fatigue, brain fog, depression -- these are just a few symptoms that make it hard even to get out of bed. Like Albert Camus said, "Nobody realises that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." It's so draining and difficult to go out in public, drive, or just complete basic tasks. To not give up is an art--and a science--in itself. Sometimes, it's enough if the only thing you did today was breathe. After 6 years, 4 doctors, and an obscene amount of medical bills, I would love to close this chapter of sickness forever and get back to the business of living. But&nbsp;whenever I move on, I burn out repeatedly. And I can't afford to let it happen again. So I'm back at the beginning: get healthy. There's just one problem: Lyme/CIRS are emerging conditions that are ignored or misunderstood by medical providers and largely uncovered by insurance and disability. In the end, illnesses that are 99% invisible get you sympathy and pity but not much else, as you're left to rot away at home.&nbsp;People like me are too sick to work, paying for treatment mostly out-of-pocket and unable to get disability. Sounds like the perfect storm for depression, and eventually, suicide. This is unsustainable, and something has to change.<h3> </h3>So, what's next? Good question. I'm working with a new doctor, a new diagnosis for CIRS/biotoxin illness, and a new, comprehensive protocol that addresses the root causes of both CIRS and remaining Lyme disease. Things look promising. For the first time in years, I'm feeling optimistic that I may have a shot at getting better, IF I can afford the treatment. With your help, I hope to raise $20,000 for medical treatment. This opens doors for me to get comprehensive care, access to the best medicine available-- from ozone to IV therapy to better pain management --and treat my illness aggressively. Any amount can make a big difference in helping me to have a better future. But even if you can't donate, take a second and SHARE my story, and I will be forever grateful. Thanks so much for your support!

Lyme disease is life on HARD mode