In Katrice's Own Words

I asked Katrice to share with you her personal battle with Lyme Disease:

In April 2007, I was leading a college group to serve at a camp in Grass Valley and to my dismay, I found a tick on me. I was unaware that it bit me (no rash appeared).

Three months went by and my symptoms grew painfully worse. Kaiser tested me for Lyme Disease but both tests came back negative.  Consequently,  I went through many other tests, each one came back negative. My fevers were high and frequent; my body pains were awful; my headaches were extreme; my muscles twitched and were extremely weak; my weight dropped drastically; my words got slurred and memory was challenged. I was so fatigued…I would just lay in pain on the floor, unable to rise.

My roommate's mom suggested a specialist in Redwood City. Sure enough, three positive test results came back for Lyme Disease. I have been treated by him ever since.

The first year was the hardest and most discouraging. At first, I was relieved that my symptoms had a name; however, the relief didn't last very long for I learned how this disease was complicated, controversial and unpredictable. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey.

I vividly remember walking out of the doctor's office and I prayed, "No matter what may come, I will praise you, God."  This is what I have done and will continue to do. There is much that I feel like God has called me to do; however, this unpleasant disease has ravished my body in ways that I never thought could happen. I long for the day of healing. There is just so much life in my heart and I am too stubborn to give up, as most family and friends know. There are good days and there are bad.  I have much better days now than I did before but it’s clear that the fight has not ended.

I can go on typing pages of symptoms, treatments and life-changing moments but I want to leave you with this poem, so that you can be reminded of God's control and His unconditional love. I wrote it the morning after a terrible Lyme “episode.”  It was the following Scripture that brought me comfort.  "He gathers the lambs in his arms and he carries them close to his heart." (Isaiah 40:11).

“Through The Night”
by Katrice Hernandez

I know it was You who carried me through the night,
When life itself passed from my sight.
Oh, the tears and oh how, the pain was so strong,
I am confident You were there; You were there with me all along.

You were not deaf to my prayer;
You were not silent in my despair.
You were holding me tight, carrying me through all the night.

Close to Your heart
That's where I was, where I want to remain.
And if there is another day to fight,
I know I'll be close to Your heart all through the night.