I was bitten by a tick at 18. I had the classic bullseye rash, but I had never heard of Lyme disease and neither had anyone around me. For the next twenty years I lived with symptoms no one could explain. It wasn’t until Lyme disease showed up in my child’s blood work that I finally had an answer. By then, it was already chronic.
This page is for those who are living with Lyme disease or chronic Lyme — whether you are newly diagnosed, still searching for answers, or years into a battle most people around you don’t fully understand. You are not alone in this.
Blog Articles Related to Lyme Disease
Chronic Illness Symptom Comparison: Fibromyalgia, CFS, MS & Lyme Disease (With Infographic)
Living with a chronic illness can feel confusing and overwhelming. Fatigue, widespread pain, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms often overlap across conditions like fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), multiple sclerosis (MS), and Lyme...
Articles Related to Lyme Disease
About Cultivate an Exceptional Life
Cultivate an Exceptional Life is a chronic illness community for women who are done waiting for their hard season to be over before they start really living.
Here you'll find honest stories, practical tools, and hard-won wisdom for building a life you love — alongside your illness, not in spite of waiting for it to get better.
Because an exceptional life doesn't just happen. It has to be cultivated.
Meet Leisa Watkins
Leisa is a chronic illness writer and advocate living with MS, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and CFS/ME, and a mom navigating her kids' chronic illness journeys alongside her own.
She writes from lived experience and years of research, sharing practical strategies and compassionate guidance for women building a full life alongside chronic illness.
Not a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice.