Research, Thesis, What??!!!

This will be a different kind of post because I need people to help. Before I start, I want you to know that finally, by the 4th day off of the drug Rifampin, things started to come back around. That was one wild ride I tell you. However, just as things start to look like my body is not in the midst of a war zone, I start taking the drug again. My first dose was last night. Now, I am thankful that we haven't reached Friday's all time low; however, last time, it took about 3 days to build up in my system, so I am not holding my breath on this one. However, I am praying with all of my heart that maybe last week was the worst of it.

Now onto my graduate project. For those of you on Lyme Friends or Facebook, you probably already saw me post about this project and might even be sick of hearing about it at this point. J/K :) Anyways, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it is my research semester. Boy, is it putting me to the test. Working towards this master's degree has been demanding up until this point, but conducting this research study and writing this data-heavy big paper is certainly stretching me in many ways. However, I am not going to quit and give up now. I look at this project as challenge, and I am ready to take it on. :) I have decided to do my big research graduate project on...

Lyme Disease: Investigating the Impact of Social Media on Patient Education.

I can't do this project alone. I need to collect quite a bit of data in a couple of different ways. So, I need your help! The more participants we have, the more convincing it will be. My professor said a study like this has never been done, so we are on the frontlines! :)

Below are ways you can be a part of the study...

1. If you have Lyme Disease, would you please fill out a survey? I need about 50 to 100 participants. So far, after posting this one night, I have about 14 surveys completed...so we are on our way, but have quite a ways to go. The survey is completely anonymous, and I promise it's short. It's hosted on my project blog. The direct link is: http://lymegradproject.blogspot.com/p/survey.html.

2. The second way I am collecting research is through patient stories. Most of us have our Lyme Disease journeys typed up for one reason or another. If you would be willing to let me share these stories on my project blog, that would be yet another way our voices can be heard! I can post them anonymously or I can add your picture and your name to them. If you are willing, please send them to lymegradproject@gmail.com. If you would like to see an example, you can read my story: http://lymegradproject.blogspot.com/p/your-stories.html.

3. Finally, I will be holding a weekly discussion activity for the next couple of weeks. There will be two places where this will be hosted. The first place will be on my project blog: http://lymegradproject.blogspot.com/p/your-thoughts.html. The second place is on my dedicated Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Lyme-Disease-Graduate-Research-Study/192006907500201. Make sure to like this page if you are on Facebook so you can get up to date news about the project!!!

You can participate in any or all 3 activities! Thank you in advance for your assistance!! Please pass the word along to anyone you know who can participate. This is another opportunity for us to help raise awareness about this disease!

I'll try to make a post later this weekend to let you know how this week's adventure went. Since I will most likely want this information to be up for awhile, I will just make an "Update" section at the top of the page for you. I was thinking the other day, maybe, I should start titling this "Adventures in Rifampin-land". It's crazy here! I wouldn't recommend visiting. :) Talk to you soon!

Dawn :)