Not If, When: Lyme Disease in Verse

By Gail Tierney

Even the most integrative, supportive doctor can only do so much for an individual during the worst period of healing from Lyme. The process looks different for everyone, but a patient must feel significantly worse before they begin to recover. When Lyme bacteria (or other coinfections) are first attacked by antibiotics, herbs, or other treatment, they release toxins into the body quicker than they can be dispelled. This is called a Jarisch-Herxheimer (Herx) reaction, and it can often include panic attacks, brain fog, paranoia, depression, pain, affected vision, racing heartrate, dysfunctional thyroid, disrupted digestion, severe confusion, and amnesia among many other symptoms. Herxing, in other words, is a complete—and sometimes seemingly unending—nightmare.



When you’ve fretted about that frustrating doctor all night and Herxed all day, these autobiographical poems may go down smoother than a pill. Arranged chronologically in the order that they were written, they move from devastation to determination, addressing the various frustrations and dynamics of living with chronic Lyme disease—the isolation, the trauma, the fear—and also providing a voice of solidarity and inspiration for those suffering from this devastating illness. Written as a love letter for Lyme patients who are running out of patience, as well as for their family and friends, Not If, When is a clear-eyed, defiant, and poignant exploration of what it means to live—and sometimes even thrive—with Lyme.

• Language: English
• Publisher: She Writes Press
• Release date: Aug 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781631527364

Gail Tierney

Gail Tierney wrote Not If, When as a love letter to others with Lyme disease. She is currently attending grad school full time at Princeton Theological Seminary and also serving as Artistic Director of an eco-theatre troupe called The Kaleidoscapes. This one is for her granny—a warrior who showed her firsthand the extraordinary resilience of a survivor. She currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Book preview

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