Global Lyme Alliance

10/30/2026

Sometimes the best comfort comes with four paws and a wagging tail. 🐾💙

Whether it’s curling up beside you during a Lyme flare, following you from room to room, or refusing to leave your side when you’re having a rough time, our pets have a special way of making even the hardest days a little brighter.

We’re curious: Does your pet seem to sense when you’re not feeling your best?

Tell us about your furry (or not-so-furry!) companion in the comments. Bonus points for pictures! 📸👇

🔗 For one Lyme patient, that special bond became a source of comfort. Read her story at the link below or in our bio:

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/pets-help-us-heal

10/30/2026

GLA’s Be Tick AWARE video is now an award-winning resource! We’re excited to share that we’ve been named by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a recipient of the LymeX Visible Voices Prize!

Visible Voices is one of four 2026 LymeX prize competitions supporting the HHS Lyme Disease Moonshot, and recognizes patient-informed resources that help patients, caregivers, and clinicians better understand and navigate Lyme and tickborne disease diagnosis. GLA’s Be Tick AWARE video, which was awarded an Excellence Prize, provides tick-safety education for children, parents, and educators, covering prevention, tick identification and removal, and when to seek medical attention.

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04CWn0X0

10/30/2026

Some costumes come off at the end of the night. Others aren't so easy to escape.

For most people, Halloween is a chance to dress up, pretend to be someone else, and return to normal the next morning.

But what happens when an illness makes you feel like a stranger in your own life?

For GLA columnist Jennifer Crystal, Lyme changed more than her health. It changed her sense of identity.

Once an avid skier, runner, traveler, teacher, and social butterfly, Jennifer found herself unable to do many of the things that had always made her feel like herself. It was as though she'd been forced into a costume she never chose, with no way to simply take it off.

After years of treatment, she's gradually reclaimed pieces of the life she missed. Her story is about more than illness. It's about finding your way back to yourself, even when life looks different than it once did. 💙

💬 Have you ever felt like chronic illness changed how you see yourself?

🔗 Read Jennifer's personal reflection, Halloween: No Costume Necessary:
https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/halloween-no-costume-necessary-lymie

by Jennifer Crystal I never liked playing dress-up as a kid. I didn’t like pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Sure, I could get into the spirit for Hallo

10/29/2026

Real horror isn’t a haunted house 👻

It’s waiting 6 months for a doctor’s appointment only to have it rescheduled.

Or being told you can’t have Lyme because you never had a bullseye rash. Or getting invited on a “relaxing walk” through waist-high grass. 😅

This spooky season, we’re skipping the ghosts and sharing the things that actually send a chill down the Lyme community’s spine.

What would you add to the haunted house? 👇

10/29/2026

Washington is making moves on Lyme disease. But what will actually change for patients?

Two major federal announcements are putting Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in the spotlight, with increased attention on some of the challenges patients have faced for years: better diagnostic tools, more effective treatments, and preventing tick bites in the first place.

Here's what's happening:

🔬 New federal research priorities: An Executive Order calls for research initiatives or prize competitions focused on diagnostics, prevention, and treatments for tick- and mosquito-borne diseases.

🦌 Nearly $3 million for tick-control research: Federal funding will support two research centers exploring innovative ways to reduce tick populations and potentially lower the risk of exposure.

🩺 A broader focus on tick-borne conditions: The Executive Order extends beyond Lyme to include conditions such as babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome.

These are meaningful developments, but there's an important distinction: New research priorities don't mean new tests, treatments, or expanded access to care are available today.

At Global Lyme Alliance, we welcome these federal efforts while continuing to advocate for the sustained scientific investment necessary to turn research into real progress for patients.

👉 Swipe through for three key takeaways, what they could mean for patients, and perspectives from GLA leadership.

🔗 Want the full picture? We're breaking down what these developments mean for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases on our blog. Find the complete breakdown at the link below.

https://www.globallymealliance.org/news/federal-focus-on-fighting-lyme-disease

10/28/2026

There are 5 ticks hiding in this photo. 🔎

How many did you spot before zooming in on our answer?

Tell us in the comments: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5! 👇

10/28/2026

⭐ Longstanding resident GLA blogger Jennifer Crystal is giving away one complimentary seat in her four-week live online class, Write Your Life: Creating a New Normal When You Can’t Go Back!

What would taking this class mean to you? Share your response via email to [email protected], to be entered to win a spot! One person will receive a free seat, and private registration instructions for this course.

Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04CCjyb0

10/27/2026

If you’ve ever felt like you were completely on your own after a Lyme diagnosis, this post is for you. 💙

Research is at the heart of our mission—but while we work toward better answers for the future, we’re equally committed to supporting patients and families right now.

And there’s more available to you than you might realize:

🩺 Find a Lyme Specialist: Get help connecting with medical providers knowledgeable about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

🤝 Peer-to-Peer Mentors: Connect one-on-one with someone who’s walked in your shoes.

📣 Ambassador Program: Discover opportunities for advocacy, community, and connection.

📋 Financial Assistance Resources: Explore outside organizations and programs that may help with healthcare-related expenses.

📖 The GLA Blog: Find practical advice, research updates, and real patient stories.

As GLA Board Co-Chair Brett Kristoff reminded us at our recent gala:

“No patient is alone.”

That’s more than a message. It’s our ongoing commitment to everyone searching for answers, guidance, and community.

👉 Swipe through to discover the support available to you today.

🔗 Visit GlobalLymeAlliance.org (link in bio) to explore how GLA can help.

10/26/2026

The invisible workload deserves a performance review. And definitely a raise.

Because a seemingly uneventful day with Lyme disease might actually include:

🧠 Reading the same email three times because of brain fog.

💊 Keeping track of medications, supplements, and timing them with meals.

🔋 Canceling plans because you used up all your energy on laundry and breakfast.

📱 Spending 45 minutes on hold trying to schedule yet another specialist appointment.

😴 Waking up completely unrefreshed after 8 hours of sleep, with an entire day still ahead.

Some days, you’re checking things off your to-do list. Other days, managing your health IS the to-do list.

So be kind to yourself. You’re handling more than most people can see, and you don’t need a completed checklist to prove it.

What’s one invisible task that takes way more energy than people realize?

10/26/2026

Friendship doesn't stop when health gets complicated—it just looks a little different. 💙

When you have Lyme or another chronic illness, the last thing you need is another lecture about miracle cures or being told to "just get out more."

Sometimes, real support looks like:

Low-pressure invites that come with an automatic "no guilt if you can't make it" clause.

Friends who aren't afraid to bring takeout and sit in silence.

People who understand that laughing through the pain doesn't mean the pain magically disappeared.

In this article from The Mighty, 19 people with chronic illness share what they wish their friends understood about their experiences and what meaningful support can actually look like.

💬 What's one simple way a friend has shown up for you when you needed it most?

🔗 Read all 19 reflections at the link below or in our bio:
https://themighty.com/topic/chronic-illness/19-things-people-with-chronic-illness-want-their-friends-to-know/

"I want them to know I'm still me."