by Dr. Bill Rawls
Last updated 2/16/17

Likely, you have come to this page in hopes of sorting out some of the confusion surrounding Lyme disease.

There is so much controversy around this disease because most doctors don’t understand it. Even many doctors, who consider themselves experts, do not completely comprehend its complexities.

But I have one qualification that most other physicians do not. My life—and a busy medical career—were disrupted midstream by fibromyalgia, later diagnosed as Lyme disease.

My late 40s were marked by debilitating fatigue, tremendous brain fog, aching all over, burning in my feet and tingling in my hands, skin rashes, joint pain, chest pain, heart palpitations, mood changes, and poor sleep. I know what it’s like to start and end every day feeling like you have a terrible flu. Over several years, I experienced virtually every known symptom of Lyme disease.

Ultimately, this caused me to stop practicing obstetrics. But because I didn’t have a firm diagnosis at the time, declaring disability wasn’t an option. As an alternative, I started a less demanding primary care practice that did not require night call. The practice provided me with the environment I needed to recover. I had control over my work hours and the intensity of the work.

However, the obligations of the practice prevented me from leaving town and working limited hours created financial constraints. Traveling to see specialists in Lyme disease or having expensive labs done simply wasn’t possible.

I had to figure things out using resources at my immediate disposal. Having since met numerous people who squandered life savings chasing heroic solutions that didn’t work, I now consider it a blessing in disguise.

Over several years of persistent effort, I was able to recover my health completely— the things that I learned along the way changed my life forever. My struggle with chronic Lyme disease taught me things that most other physicians do not know. I now use that knowledge to help others understand and overcome this often frustrating illness.