I've not written about Lyme for a while now, as I've been concentrating on other projects to keep my house door open and food on the table However, I will not give up until there is an accurate, affordable, available diagnostic test for Lyme Disease.

The disease is clever, you might not know you or your child has been bitten, you don't get the tell-tale bulls eye rash, and don't feel any symptoms for a while - then BAM it's hits you with all its might.

There are reported to be 83 million people in China with Lyme, 1.5 million new cases in Germany, approximately 3 million in the US, 25% of which are children, 50,000 cases in the UK and furthermore there are cases in Ireland, I have several references and also proof of a US citizen contracting Lyme in the West of Ireland - so this disease is real.

I'm in touch with a young lady, who is very close with a dear family member of mine and here is what she shared with me.... "I'm at my wits end, I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, I've had 4 miscarriages, I've got SVT (heart condition), I've slept for most of my teens, I've been tested for cystic fibrosis, costochondritis, every single tummy condition you can think of I'm getting worse" My mum remembers me having a bite when I was about 6, and she remembers the bullseye rash, clearly. I've had a Lyme test on the NHS, but it's come back negative - can you help me?'

I'm providing as much information to this lady as I can, and have spoken to several of the Lyme literate doctors that I know and they state it's clearly Lyme - but there are no accurate tests available, appointments with LLMD's are few and far between as they are inundated with requests and often have to keep their Lyme work a secret for fear of retribution. Furthermore, it's so expensive, many people have go fund me accounts to help them pay for the myriads of treatments that they need, just to be able to eat. Just imagine not being able to eat a square of chocolate, because if you did, you'd be so ill for many days. People with chronic Lyme, tell me they'd rather have cancer as they may have more days where they feel some respite from the pain.

I ask, how can we begin to understand a disease, when we can't diagnose it? There are so many groups, Facebook pages, charities & alliances all trying to make a difference, yet I'm struggling to see it. I adore and respect the fight within all the Lyme Warriors out there, they keep going, they share information, they're aiming for policy change and they're desperately ill......they want to protect future generations from suffering what they have suffered.

If we can get a test on the market, I'll feel that we've done some good - the key to Lyme disease is timing - if you can diagnose it early, you can get rid of the spirochete bacteria that burrows into every single one of your internal organs, creates havoc and then hides. Chronic Lyme is devastating, causing neurology problems, heart problems, kidney & bladder problems, respiratory problems, reproductive problems - the list is endless.

All I ask is get educated about Lyme, and watch the space for a new diagnostic - because it's coming - believe me!