Author Shares Her Struggle with Lyme Disease in New Memoir, Love, Life, and Lucille
As the CEO at Executive Medicine of Texas, author Judy Gaman is accustomed to complicated medical cases, only this time she was the patient. If you’ve suffered from Lyme disease, you know how it can turn your life upside down. Who knew that an angel could come in the form of a 100 year old lady named Lucille. Among other life struggles the two of them faced together, Judy’s struggle with Lyme disease and how it turned out to be a blessing in disguise is beautifully detailed within this memoir.
Q. How did Lyme disease affect your life?
A. I contracted neuro-Lyme disease after a vacation to California. My usual busy life came to a screeching halt as I found myself in severe pain, unable to think, and some days unable to see clearly. Because I had such severe neurological symptoms, I wondered if I would ever be able to go back to the job I loved, or even write again. Luckily, I pulled through and outside of a few flareups a year, I have recovered.
Q. You say that Lyme disease turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Some Lyme sufferers may wonder how you could possible say that. Could you explain?
A. The best way to get over being a control freak is to lose complete control of your health. I found myself relying on others, something I was not accustomed to. I also was able to see a side of my workaholic parents that I had never seen before. They stepped up in a big way. Having the uncertainty of what life would eventually look like, I found myself much more grateful for the small things. Some people God can whisper to, then there’s those of us that require much more to get our attention.
Q. How did you meet Lucille?
A. I was actually working on another book, Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100, Happy, Healthy and Wise, when I decided to go beyond all the research and science and go meet some people over 100. Looking back, it seems like such a no-brainer, but it didn’t hit me until half-way through writing that book. I had the opportunity to interview several centenarians, but from the time Lucille and I met we were virtually inseparable. There was something about her, some sparkle, something magical that I had never seen before.
Q. What inspired you to write Love, Life, and Lucille?
A. Lucille turned out to be my very best friend. I actually started writing the book when Lucille was alive. She had changed my life so much that I asked her if I could write about our outings. Luckily, I had kept copious notes of the time we spent together. When I contracted Lyme disease, the retired RN in Lucille came back to the surface. I guess you could say that she and I just sort of took care of each other during those years. I never expected the book to take the turn that it did, but after Lucille’s death, which was due to unfortunate and unexpected circumstances, I knew the book was really about something much deeper. I knew then that the most important lesson Lucille ever taught me was the first lesson from our first visit.
Q. How long did your friendship last?
A. I believe it will never end. She was, and will always be, my best friend. She died just shy of her 104th birthday, but her memory will live forever. In the beginning we just got together every Friday, but within months we spoke just about every day and got together several times a week. My favorite memories were our trips. When I asked her to go out on book tour with me, she accepted with great enthusiasm. As much fun as it was for me, I think she absolutely loved her new life purpose as a “longevity spokesperson.”
Q. What can readers expect from this memoir?
A. They can expect to learn something about themselves. People tell me they’ve laughed, cried, been furious, and everything in-between, but the common theme is that they all don’t want it to end. Different parts of the book speak to different people. I guess that’s why people in their 20s find it just as relatable as the seniors who read it. The stories are told from the heart, they’re raw and they’re real. Who can resist a good story? The book’s full of short stories that make up the whole big story.
Q. Any advice you have for those suffering with Lyme disease?
A. Yes! First, accept help and accept that you just can’t do everything you used to be able to do. Never give up and fully expect to get better. The mind is a powerful thing! It’s ok to feel sorry for yourself, but only for a very short time. Catch any negative self-talk and nip it in the bud. Then, turn up your nutrition, take up yoga, and be good to yourself.
Q. What do you hope readers will take from Love, Life, and Lucille?
A. The whole time Lucille and I were together, I kept thinking how everyone needed a Lucille in their life. This book gives them just that, a piece of wisdom that they just can’t get anywhere else. I guess I just hope that as they read it, they take Lucille with them on their own life journey.
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