mission

My name is Marjie Hancock and I have lyme disease and co-infections. Like so many, my family has come to know lyme disease and the related co-infections all too well.  My life mission now is to share our experiences with others so they can avoid the mistakes and challenges we faced. We are now in a better place, but living with lyme continues to be a journey that often presents more questions than answers.  

As a mother, once I was diagnosed, my main priority became finding effective treatments for my family.

When I was finally diagnosed with my lyme disease I was already experiencing late stage symptoms and had reached a point where I was unable to function. Upon reflection, I came to the realization that I likely had lyme and related co-infections for nearly a decade prior to my diagnosis. My family stepped in to help us, as I did my own research for years, asking countless questions, and tapping into many specialists. As we worked our way through the many lyme challenges, it became clear I had to become a very active advocate for me and my family. Advocacy is a huge key in helping those tho are dealing with the many dimensions of lyme.

about us

elizabeth (my daughter)

Hi, I am Elizabeth Hancock. I am a freshman in college and have battled lyme disease my entire life.  After years of treatment, I have reached a point where most of the symptoms are under control. Throughout my long journey, I have noticed a shocking lack of attention paid to tick borne illnesses. As the fastest growing infectious disease in the U.S., lyme disease poses a huge health threat to our country as well as many other countries around the world. What makes this disease even more difficult to address is the political controversy, confusion and blatant ignorance surrounding the disease. Many in the medical and insurance fields operate in denial.  My family has faced obstacle after obstacle trying to diagnose and treat the disease. It is my hope that people with lyme disease no longer have to fight the battles my family has in order to deal with lyme. To move forward I want to help bring attention to the dangers of this disease through education and advocacy so no family has to work as hard as mine has for treatment. If my efforts helps even one person that would be worth all my time and effort.

Please check this link out for my story on lyme.org

https://www.lymedisease.org/teenager-lyme-story/

marjie (tommy & elizabeth’s mom)

When I was growing up, I was relatively healthy and the extent of my interactions with my doctor was my annual checkup (which included the dreaded TB test circled with black sharpie). However, as an adult, I and my kids experienced many symptoms, of which I now know were lyme disease related.  Despite living in one of the most lyme-prevalent areas of the country, we were still unable to get answers as we went from specialist to specialist. The doctors gave us conflicting diagnosis’s, always rejecting the possibility of lyme.  This became our new normal.  

Persistently seeking answers and advocating for our family became my life's mission. As infants, my two children began to exhibit a number of lyme related ailments that required multiple visits to our pediatrician and specialists.  Keeping up with their symptons, including infections, RSV, allergies, autoimmune disorders, hospital visits, OT, PT, ST, ENT, eye doctors, neurologists, cardiologist and school became a full-time job. At the same time I was struggling with my own lyme related health issues.

In reflection, I now realize I struggled with lyme symptoms that went up and down for 12 years. They then spiraled steadily downward, for the last two of these years. I was then finally diagnosed.  My illness was so severe, I was unable to use my arms, could only walk as far as my car in the driveway, unbearable pain, had full body tremors and experienced vision and hearing changes.  I could no longer care for our children.   My hope was that the top neurologists and rheumatologists in the country could help me get to the bottom of what was occurring.  I went through dozens more labs tests, nerve tests, spinal taps, MRIs and scan, only to be told I had extreme inflammation and neuropathy.  The doctors prescribed strong narcotics and arthritis medication to treat the symptoms and pain - not the cause.

I continued to educate myself and reached out to support groups and family friends. Finally, I found my current doctor.  She spent two hours reviewing my history and ran appropriate tests and spec scans.  My labs all came back positive for lyme, multiple co-infections and severe brain inflammation.  I was finally put on a treatment plan that saved my life.  

At the same time, my son was hospitalized for nerve palsies in his eyes, and a few weeks later our daughter was having seizures in the middle of the night.  After testing both kids appropriately, we needed to find a doctor willing to treat them for lyme as well.  After waiting three months, we were able to see a fantastic doctor, who has treated hundreds of children with late-stage Lyme.  He had worked steadily with them over several years.   

 Seeking answers and advocating for my families health was important. Unfortunately in certain situations, particularly when experts did not take our symptoms seriously I found I was the only one who was asking to seek the ultimate answers.

Our family was blessed to have my parents and extended family help care for our children while I was experiencing so many debilitating symptoms. My cousins were even kind enough to move in for a while to aid in our recovery and help get us back on track (my parents were there daily caring for our kids). We couldn’t have done it without them and our excellent doctors.  

Today, my family, all are doing well because we learned far too much about lab tests, disease strains and everything else that confronts late-stage Lyme disease patients, as well as the appropriate doctors to aid us on the road to recovery. Lyme disease needs to be taken more seriously by doctors, and the medical community in general. Had they been fully aware of proper testing, symptoms and strains we would not have been forced to endure the path we have traveled.  In treating lyme, early treatment is key.

Please check out my story published: https://www.bayarealyme.org/blog/story/marjo