For people living with chronic illnesses, everyday life can be a struggle. However, just because life becomes more challenging does not mean you have to stop doing what you love. Erika Schlick, a certified Health Coach and Founder of The Trail To Health, is living proof that anyone can overcome their condition to live a happy, healthy life with the right mindset.
Lyme disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria B. burgdorferi, transmitted to humans through tick bites. If caught early enough after infection, the disease can be treatable with a few weeks of antibiotics. Although, if left untreated, the disease can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, taking a severe toll on a person’s health and leaving him or her vulnerable to other co-infections.
Common symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rash. However, given that these symptoms resemble those of several other illnesses, some patients may brush off their symptoms as something less severe without the proper diagnosis of a doctor. For people like Schlick, who are used to being sick regularly, the disease can go undetected for years. As a result, people are left living in pain until they eventually find relief.
The Challenge of Living with Lyme Disease
Erika Schlick says that before she started treatments for her Lyme disease and co-infections, she fell into a deep darkness. For the two years before her diagnose, Schlick suffered from debilitating symptoms that would not go away. She spent most of her time lying in bed, because there was not much else she could do without feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or in pain.
When someone suffers from a chronic disease like Lyme disease, it can be challenging to do even everyday essential tasks like working. Schlick owns her own design agency as a Licensed Architect. During the height of her battle with chronic illness, she was not able to accomplish much work. However, Schlick’s experience inspired her to start a new business, running a website and a health coaching practice as a certified Health Coach. Her hope was that she could help people and not have them suffer as she did.
Erika Schlick’s New Business
Erika Schlick started by sharing her story through blog posts, allowing her family, friends, and readers to check in on her journey with her experience. As she saw how people reacted to and gained inspiration by learning about her struggle, Schlick realized that she had an opportunity on her hands.
“I had no idea my story could make that much of a difference,” she explains, “but it truly became a passion of mine. I share what I do to inspire others to stay on their healing journey.”
In 2017, Schlick underwent stem cell therapy and was able to enter remission, restoring her life to some semblance of normalcy. Yet, to maintain this symptom-free lifestyle, she must still take care to ensure that she is not coming out of remission. A life in remission of a chronic illness, such as Lyme disease, still involves a restricted diet and techniques to manage stress so as not to aggravate the condition and cause symptoms to return.
Inspiring Others with Her Story
Now, with her website, Erika Schlick shares her story of optimizing her health, as well as providing readers with healing and nourishing recipes and gluten-free travel guides to destinations she visits around the world. “It can be hard to find healthy, anti-inflammatory recipes and places to eat, especially if you are traveling on a restricted diet,” Schlick asserts. “Sharing my experience will inspire others to continue to do great things ― despite their experiences with chronic illness.”
On the same page, Schlick published her first cookbook in 2018 called “Wandering Palate,” featuring 28 days of delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo meals. “I love eating clean,” says Schlick. “My travel-inspired cookbook shares some of my favorite clean recipes so that readers can stay healthy while still eating well.”
Through perseverance and a commitment to her own health, Schlick has managed to overcome the odds and live a life largely free of the obstruction of her condition. Living with Lyme disease may involve changing your lifestyle in very drastic ways, but if you follow Schlick’s guidance through her coaching and blog, it is possible to make the most of your situation and overcome the disease.
