Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi and is usually spread by ticks. However, it’s important to note that not all ticks carry the disease. Ixodes ticks are the most common kind to carry Lyme, but black-legged ticks also spread it on the West Coast.

After a devastating diagnosis and when facing a grim prognosis, it’s important to keep one’s spirits up. Although we may not ultimately overcome the long medical odds put before us, we still might. As any gambler will tell you, even the longest odds will sometimes pay off!