Mary El’s Story
Mary El, Mama, Wifey & Lyme Warrior
“Hi, I’m Mary El. I’ve been living with chronic Lyme disease for over eight years — though for most of that time, I had no idea what was actually causing my pain. My symptoms began after a surgical complication at 21 that triggered TMJ and widespread pain. I was told it was fibromyalgia, so I pushed through college, work, marriage, and motherhood while quietly fighting for my health.
After my second high-risk pregnancy, my body completely crashed. I developed neurological symptoms, digestive dysfunction, and severe pain that no doctor could explain. Through prayer and persistence, I finally found an integrative provider who dug deeper with comprehensive testing — and I tested positive for Lyme disease and multiple co-infections. It was heartbreaking, but also a relief to finally understand what had been happening to my body for so long.
Since then, I’ve been slowly rebuilding my health through faith, functional medicine, and lifestyle changes. I began intensive treatment at Envita Medical Center in Arizona in November, and I’ll be documenting my journey on social media to raise awareness and offer hope to others walking this same road.
The neurological complications I’ve developed from Lyme make reading, retaining information, and spending time on screens really challenging — but I still feel called to step into the Lyme advocacy and chronic illness community. Hearing from others on this journey has helped me so much, and I hope that by sharing my story, I can help someone else feel less alone.”
Stories reflect the experiences and perspectives of the individuals featured and are not intended as medical advice.
