Whether you are newly diagnosed with Lyme Disease or you have been fighting this illness for quite some time, there are a few "must read" books to have on your list. I compiled a gift guide full of books & reading that are useful for someone with Lyme Disease. These make great gifts for yourself or anyone in your life who struggles with this illness.
 | Out Of The Woods This was the first book I ever read when I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, and it gave me great hope. It's written by Katina Makris and tells her story of illness and misdiagnoses, and then how she ultimately got the answers she needed and rebuilt her life. She fought hard and she fought through a lot, but her faith and strength carried her through. This book reminded me that there is hope out of this long tunnel I was walking into. It makes a great gift for someone at any stage of Lyme Disease. Katina has been in remission for many years now, and still continues to thrive. |
 | Lyme Loonies This book was created by a dear friend of mine, David Skidmore. He himself is fighting Lyme Disease and is a professional cartoonist. He started to make these relevant and hilarious cartoons about Lyme Disease, and they took off! David created this book to compile all of his best hits in one place. His cartoons and books are found in LLMD offices all over the United States and beyond, and he has brought joy to thousands upon thousands of Lyme patients alike. He has a humor and wit and makes you laugh out loud and all the craziness that comes with battling an illness. This makes a great gift and a perfect coffee table book to start discussions too. |
 | Over The Edge This book is a work of fiction and a complete thriller! The plot of the book is fast moving and had me on the edge of my seat. Here is the plot summary: Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University's Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn't exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment. One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next. But Janessa's marriage is already rocky. She's so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all. Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa. |
 | Gone In A Heartbeat This is a true story of a man whose life was saved quite literally in the last minute from Lyme disease complications. The story is riveting, heartbreaking, and informative. More than that, it feels like you are reading a thriller through all the twists and turns of Dr. Spector's story. His story is from the perspective of a medical professional who went through so many hoops to save his own life. No on believed him and he had to take matters into his own hands. I won't give away the huge shock conclusion, but WOW. It's fascinating to read his first hand accounts of how he survived. This read will give you hope, and it will remind you that you CAN find your way out of this horrible disease. |
 | Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease Yolanda Hadid has long been an advocate for Lyme Disease. She also traveled all across the world trying treatments to help get her back on her feet. She shares her story from start to finish, including everything she tried, all and went through and ultimately how she prevailed. It's a neat perspective to see, how someone who seemingly had it all (money, fame, access to private jets etc), still was misdiagnosed, dismissed, and often not believed. She still struggled to get better, and lived in isolation and pain for years on end while fighting this illness. It's a humbling story and one that makes a great read. |
 | The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Cookbook I wrote a whole post all about the 'Lyme Diet' and why it matters in healing from Lyme Disease. The diet is essentially an anti-inflammatory diet, and it's main focus is to get rid of foods which cause mass inflammation in the body. It is important in order to feel better, reduce symptoms, and take a heavy burden off the body during treatment. This cookbook makes it easy with no hassle meals that take less than 30 minutes to make. You can make a meal which will last you 3-4 meals and even make ahead and freeze. This is a great resource and full of tasty food ideas! |
 | Anti-Inflammatory Diet in 21 Days This is also an anti-inflammatory cookbook, but this uses 5 ingredients and is great for someone with a small kitchen who has less room to store things. Each recipe is done in a way that is quick and easy, and doesn't take a lot of energy to make. This has a specific 3 week meal plan which is helpful to someone who is a beginning and likes to have a set up schedule. It allows you to pick from a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to make your own meal plan tailored to what you like to eat. |
 | Why Can't I Get Better? Dr. Richard Horowitz is one of the top leading Doctors in the field of Lyme Disease. He has been treating patients for 20+ years and is at the top of every bit of new research. In this book he answers the biggest question that patients have who might not be healing: "Why cant I get better?" This book does a deep dive into what could be going wrong, what could be missed, and what you need to look for. It makes a great read for someone who has been treating Lyme Disease for some time and isn't making the strides they'd like to. There is a wealth of information in this book on this topic. |
 | How Can I Get Better? In a follow-up book, Dr. Horowitz focuses on all attention on answering the question of, "How can I get better?" He lays out action plans on how to heal from Lyme Disease. He discusses tough cases, sensitive cases, and everything in between. Dr. Horowitz has seen it all, and no case is too tough to handle. Even if a case feels like its resistant to treatment, he has approaches to use and steps to take to help you heal. He also discusses a lot of scientific info about Lyme Disease and how it works in laymans terms that really helps the reader understand what is going on inside their body. |
 | Unlocking Lyme: Myths, Truths & Practical Solutions This book is an incredible resource to have on hand. It is filled with information on Lyme Disease and all the different treatment methods, written by an MD. Dr. Rawls shares all of his personal experience as a Doctor who treats Lyme patients daily. Not only that, he also went through Lyme Disease himself and overcame it. This book has sections devoted to discussing must have supplements, to diet, to treatment methods and more. He gives his opinions and facts on absolutely everything in a very easy to understand manner. This book is chalk full of information that find myself referring back to time and time again. |
 | Lyme Madness: Rescuing My Son Down The Rabbit Hole of Chronic Lyme Disease This read from the perspective of a mother and caretaker is fascinating. Lyme Madness is a compelling, heart-breaking story of a Canadian mother dedicating all of her time, energy, intelligence and love to get her son back to health. Lori's personal experience and professional knowledge helped save her son, and can help guide you through the rabbit hole of Lyme Disease. This book is filled with insights into treatments, approaches, as well as a look at why Lyme Disease is so political and hard to get proper treatment for. The personal stories will help validate other parents and Lyme patients' own sanity on an often lonely journey back to health. You are not alone in this, and this book can be a great companion for a caregiver or patient alike. |
 | A Twist of Lyme This is a personal story of a child who was sick most of her life, until she was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease in her mid-thirties. Hearing the perspective of someone who went through this as a child is something that makes this book so special. Andrea chronicles her life from age eleven through her diagnosis and subsequent treatment, recalling her emotions as she struggled with Lyme, its symptoms, and multiple related infections-all while attempting to live a normal life. It is a great read for anyone who wants to hear another patient's brave story of overcoming and fighting through a disease that the world may tell you doesn't exist. |