The appearance of a disease is swift as an arrow; its disappearance slow, like a thread. ~Chinese Proverb

I’ve had a cold for the past few days, and while it’s a bit uncomfortable, I am glad it’s just a cold.

I never seemed to get a cold, instead, I suffered from chronic sinus infections. It would always start with a slight tickle in my throat, followed by several days of painful post-nasal drip, and then weeks of congestion, green snot, extreme fatigue, uncomfortable pain, and pressure.

In those days, the doctor would prescribe antibiotics and I’d be in bed, working my way through several boxes of Kleenex. At the end of the infection, my voice would become raspy, and then I would eventually lose my voice.

There were years where I would be clear for a few weeks and then another sinus infection would set in. I remember these cycles of infections starting when I was 12, lasting until 2015, when I started seeing a naturopath.

I had been taking my older son to see the naturopath for his eating issues; she had recommended removing gluten and dairy from his diet to help reduce inflammation. After a few weeks of being dairy and gluten free, his concentration and focus improved.

In early 2015, I had been attending a conference and had carpooled with a colleague to the event site. I remember feeling a bit under the weather; it felt like I a sinus infection was brewing. I was grateful for the opportunity to carpool as I wasn’t feeling up to the 40+ minute drive to the meeting.

At the start of the meeting, I was having some difficulty focusing and concentrating and I couldn’t hear very well; I moved to a seat closer to the front of the room.

About an hour into the meeting, I experienced the worst pain: nausea, inability to balance, and overall feeling of wanting to curl up in a ball and go to bed. There was excruciating pain in my head, on my right side and I couldn’t focus. I continued to yawn to open my right ear and shifted around in my chair. I just couldn’t get comfortable and the pain was so bad, I nearly burst into tears.

I got up and found my colleague who drove me to Urgent Care where I was diagnosed with an ear and a sinus infection. I was prescribed antibiotics and sent home.

Fed up with chronic infections, I went to my son’s naturopath; she told me I too had inflammation however, it wasn’t until 2016 I found out the cause of the inflammation and chronic sinus infections: Lyme disease.

My doctor put me on a Lyme protocol, and I adjusted my diet by removing gluten and dairy (to keep inflammation at bay). As a result of these changes, my sinus infections ceased, and I’ve been free of sinus infections for over three years.

Today, my nose is a bit stuffy, and I’ve been coughing and sneezing, but I am happy that that’s all it is. I am grateful it’s just a cold. I know that healthy is right around the corner.