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Year in the Life of Lyme

Love Yourself!
Why is it so important to learn to love yourself more every single day when faced with a chronic illness? Simply because you are worth it! Dealing with chronic pain and fatigue are difficult not only physically, but also emotionally. Going from doctor to doctor, waiting on blood results constantly can and will drain you. But you have to remember that this isnt your fault and your shouldnt punish yourself! I love myself exactly how I am, with my perfectly perfect imperfections. Just as I am, in this moment. That is my mantra, or positive affirmation I tell myself everyday. If I can remember who I am at my core, before this illness, during this illness, and when I kick this illness into remission, they I can make it through another day. And I can live my life, though much more limited than before, with love and laughter. No matter what, you always have yourself, and you should be your number one supporter!

L.Y.M.E. Disease: Love Yourself More Everyday

Fall has always been my favorite season. The changing of the leaves. The cool breeze, warm tea, and cozy sweaters. Its the time of year that I take a look at my life and ask myself, what would I like to invite more of into my world this year? This year, I would like to invite more people into my personal life to understand the debilitating disease I have been battling for 14 months. I want to teach others about the early warning signs, so they can hopefully prevent it from becoming chronic. Im talking about Lyme Disease and its co-infections. It can manifest in many ways; a fever, severe pain, aches, depression. The yes/no blood tests most doctors will give you are extremely inaccurate. To this day, I will still test negative. It is important to have the right test done to check your bands for Lyme and its co-infections. For this, you need a Lyme Literate doctor, who is very familiar with the disease. I also want to bring people who have Lyme hope. I started my own successful business while battling Lyme by my motto of Loving yourself MORE everyday! I found, that if I could get out of bed and do ONE thing I truly loved everyday, then I could make it to the next day, next doctor, next test. For me, it was creating beautiful Yoga Inspired Mala bracelets. Heres my story

One of the hardest mountains to climb is finding a doctor who believes you, believes in you, and then knows the right tests to do, as Lyme patients we often hear, But you look fine

But You Look Fine

Trusting Yourself and Your Body

It all started, for me, in July 2012. Life was great! I had just finished receiving my Yoga Teachers Certification from Kripalu school of Yoga in beautiful tick ridden Massachusetts. When I got back home to the Jersey Shore, I hit the ground running! Teaching five days a week and picking up some bartending shifts to help supplement income.

August 18, 2012,a Day to Remember

On August 17,2012, I finished teaching a great yoga class filled with friends, smiles, and lots of love! I stayed in the studio to practice handstand and My First Visit to the ER scorpion and was in the best shape of my life. I Within the following three days the pain got worse and was so so happy. When I woke up on August worse. It was unspeakable and terrifying. Had I pulled 18th, a pain shot through my neck, down my something? Even so, as a yoga teacher, I was taught to arm, numbing my left hand. I couldnt lift my know my body, and I knew in my gut, it was much arm half way up my body! worse than that. So I arrived at the ER alone and scared. The Doctor came back from the X-Ray and told me I needed neck surgery because of a herniated disc and the loss of my curve in my cervical spine. Surgery?? Huh?! Not for this Yogi!

Loss, Lies, and Litigation?

I went to the owner of the restaurant and told them the situation. They fired me on the spot. They said I was a liability, that if I got hurt worse, I could sue them. The owner then added, Man, How are you gonna PAY for this now?! You are really screwed! ThanksI needed that. The next day, I had to give up my yoga classes since the pain got worse and I could not turn my steering wheel. Within the week, friends stopped coming over, because I couldnt go out. And it became blaringly apparent I wouldnt be able to keep the apartment I worked so hard for. All this in one week from an injury I never had. My breath was simply stolen from my body.
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From there the heart break continued. The pain spread from my left neck and side to my entire body. Tests and doctors upon doctors showed no herniated disc and more confusion. Shes faking! said many doctors, other said Shes drug seeking! That still remains the most heart-breaking allegation as Ive lost too many friends to drugs. Sadly, my yoga friends thought, I was manifesting this illness for myself by thinking something was wrong. Others blamed it on the wrong CRYSTALS by my bed. Huh? I cant lift my arm! This ain't about crystals honey. As you lose your career, your friends, and your sense of self, the depression starts to set in. How Could I possibly Change this from happening? I skinny yoga teachers without disabilities. Ouch. needed to believe in myself again. And fast! So, with zero understanding and kindness from that yoga community, it was time for a big change. I Holla! For My Mala!! knew my worth. I knew my talent. But every job I tried treated me worthless. And I knew how very I still was being misdiagnosed with Lupus, wrong they were. Holla! Wait a minute, why not be Fibromyalgia, and M.S. My boyfriend, at the my OWN boss? I had made a little side business time, dumped me because he didnt want a creating Yoga inspired Mala Necklaces and handicapped wife. Working always made me Bracelets that were healing and accepting of others happy. It gave me a sense of self-worth and uniqueness. This was it! My calling! I finally had reminded me of whom I was. So, after months enough time to put the energy I needed into of not being able to get out of bed due to pain, I making it a full-time business. I vowed to never accepted my diagnoses and pushed myself to treat anyone differently because of what they were work again. I had worked for Lululemon going through, in fact, I would PRIDE them for being Athletica, a very high-end yoga clothing so strong, and we would work TOGETHER creating company, the year before and they had always the perfect healing Mala for them. Unique, funky, been asking me to come back. So I pulled up my and beautiful just like every individual. Holla! For stretchy pants, put on a happy face, and showed My Malacreating spiritual jewelry as unique and up every day smiling! Unfortunately, they want beautiful as you! And so, the Journey began! skinny yoga teachers working for them, um, well

The Heart Break Continues

Big Miss Lululemon or is it LuluLyme!

How Lululemon, a company built on positivity, elevating the world to greatness, and achieving goals, excludes those with medical issues. In the three months I worked for Lululemon, I always showed up early to help, with a big smile on my face. No one knew the severe pain I was hiding. I was a favorite among customers because I truly loved helping them and believed in the company. Unfortunately, there were some girls who were jealous of me and held a slight bit of power. They had seen me on a few occasions put Icy Hot Patches on to help the pain. The ONE time I asked to sit for a moment due to pain, I was told No, and to go put one of those patchy things on. With tears in my eye, and breathless due to pain, I did just that. Rumors swarmed that I wasnt being kept on past the season due to my disability. Within four days, the Managers made up a lie of something I said, fired me on the spot and refused to let me fill out my exit interview, because they knew what they had done. I am to this day devastated that a company I put my heart and soul in would let me go over something I had no control over. Lululemon? Or Lulu-Lyme? 3

Helping others & myself by telling my story

Although I was thrilled to begin my new venture, getting fired from Lululemon made me hit an all time low. I believe it was the realization that some people really dont care about what youre going through. That some people will treat you different, and I felt how fundamentally Hot Off the Press!~ wrong that was in my heart. Going forward, I made Holla! For My Mala places emphasis on the sure that a few misguided individuals would never MY. Living MY dreams. Having something determine sacred and beautiful that is solely Mine. And my worth thats exactly what MY clients get! again. I started by building my Etsy page where I could sell my MMalaca jewelry. I was able to work from home, in my sweats, and not me alive! worry about needing to take off for doctors appointments or being judged. I made it a point to create jewelry that is full of hope and faith. Many of the stories had to do with my struggles through Lyme. And it worked! People responded overwhelmingly! It gave others an outlet to talk about their struggles, whatever they may be, and together, we were able to begin the healing.

Holla! For My Mala

My Crystal Clear Lotus Pond Mala

One of my favorite Malas is, My Crystal Clear Lotus Pond Mala. It is simple, yet beautiful, and tells my story with the stones and the Sterling Lotus Bud. Symbolically, the Lotus Flower represents enlightenment, beauty through strength, and blossoming by having blind faith and love. With Lyme, chronic illnesses, and life struggles, you have to have blind faith. The kind of faith that never wavers. The faith that there WILL be an answer, an answer to your pain and affliction. At the point of making this Mala bracelet, I STILL had not received the right diagnosis, and doctors were becoming increasingly frustrated, and giving up on me. I had to have faith. I had to keep going. It was my life, my journey. And, like the lotus, my path was murky, but I HAD to believe I would find the light and blossom one day. The Clear Quartz represented the road clearing, and answers to my many questions. I then add two more stunning stones for whatever I needed that day; strength, hope, love, anything.

Have Faith, You Will Have Answers

In May 2013, I sat in the doctors office and for the first time, she walked in, put my blood work down, looked at me and said, Ok. I know whats wrong with you, and its exactly what I thought. You have chronic late stage Lyme disease. You also have two co-infections. One is called Babesia. It is whats causing the severe pain in your body. The other is Mycoplasma Pneumonia. We will get you better. Wow.
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Love Yourself More Everyday, Follow Your Dreams, and Have Faith Beautiful One xo
Now with a diagnosis, I was over joyed! I went to my jewelry board and created the bracelet My Miracle. To me, it WAS a miracle that we finally figured out what was causing so much pain. That every strange symptom had a name, a rhyme, a cause, and a reason. And my clients rejoiced, and shared in my joy. The road has been unbelievably hard. And I have continued to create and have my business, sharing what many are afraid to share, my truly darkest and scariest hours of the diseases. I have been in treatment for five months now. There have been ups, and many downs. We have tried IV therapy and oral antibiotics. Right now, my biggest accomplishment is Holla! For My Mala. During this time of starting my own business and fighting a disease, I met the man of my dreams. He has stood by me and supported me throughout all my therapies. He believes in me even when I have a difficult time in believing in myself. He has been such a blessing in my life, and I know if I didnt have my company, or an outlet to express the true me, I wouldnt have been confident enough to meet him. I used to end my yoga classes with the same positive mantra. And it would go like this: I thank myself for giving body the gift of yoga. I truly and completely love myself. With all my perfectly perfect imperfections, I love my uniqueness because no one is like ME! With love, Namaste. Having Lyme and not being able to do much of the physical aspect of yoga has really made me have to put my money where my mouth is and accept my imperfections, as they are perfect for right now. I know that there is a lesson in every difficulty in my life. I can choose to embrace it and to learn the lesson it has to teach me, or I can hide. I choose to embrace the hand I have been dealt, to fight for what is right for others and myself. I choose to pick myself up and show the world that even though I may have some disabilities, I am far from disabled, and have a world of talent to give. Namaste translates into the light within me, bows to the light within you. It recognizes that we are all special and unique. And nothing, except ourselves, can take that light away. I have had my darker days, where my light is just barely flickering, but its because I am letting others dictate my worth. No way. That is not alright. I am Krysten Alexis Fernandez. I am now 30 years old. I am the owner of a successful Jewelry business, and I have Lyme disease. But like the Lotus, I will not give up. I will not let the darkness scare me. I will have blind faith and continue to grow, and I WILL blossom! Along the way, I will do whatever I can to help others blossom with me. Because I am unique and I am perfectly imperfect in this very moment. Namaste xo
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When times get really tough, and the ER staff knows me by name, it can be hard to see myself as someone other than woman with a chronic illness. Starting up and owning my own company while I have been severely disabled by pain, is something that I am really proud of. It reminds me of whom I am, what my talents are, and that I have been able to make a positive difference in the lives of many through being myself and creating healing jewelry for them. No one does exactly what I do, because I have been through this extremely difficult situation, which has given me even more patience, and an understanding of pain and fear. I dont want anyone to ever be alone or as scared as I have been. And I put my heart and soul into every piece, especially the custom ones, making my clients leave with hope and love in their hearts. I have made some of my best new friends from first being my clients. Its a gift that just keeps on giving. If I can do this while ill, I can do anything!!

THE LOREM IPSUMS

FALL 2016

Holla! For My Mala Web Info

Etsy: www.Etsy.com/shop/HollaForMyMala FaceBook: www.Facebook.com/HollaForMyMala

www.HollaForMyMala.com

Email: KrystenAlexis@gmail.com I love making custom orders! For being a part of this walk and helping to spread the word about Lyme, when buying on Etsy, please use the coupon code FightLyme for 10% off everything in my store for life. Xo ~KrystenAlexis

Holla! For My MalaSpiritual Jewelry as Unique and Beautiful as YOU!