I think I should probably take this whole 'be checked for lyme' thing seriously.
I've done more reading on it and there's a lot of 'gets mistaken for...' and 'has symptoms in common with...' fibromyalgia. So there's that.
There's also a whole big: 'there's a very high risk if you were never actually treated for lyme.'
And I wasn't when I got bitten by the tick. Or well, accurately: had it buried in my arm for 3+ days. When I got sick, my dad did his handwave 'it's normal, it's like having the flu, she'll get better eventually.' So I was never given the run of antibiotics.
I mean, it's not like the whole 'there's no cure' doesn't phase me. There isn't one for fibro, either, but lyme at least has treatment programs. Fibro's is 'exercise works for some people' (every time I've thrown myself into an exercise program, I've gotten immensely worse), 'NSAIDs work for some people' (I'm largely immune to them all), etc.
Mind a lot of lyme's is bouts of antibiotics but. I do wonder if this is why every time I'm given even short runs of antibiotics, I feel fucking amazing for a few days. Like I can have people going 'no, Auspice, you should still be resting, you're still sick' and I'm all 'I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I FEEL AWESOME THIS IS GREAT' I always assumed that was just a standard side effect of antibiotics and everyone got that way.
So. Either way. It's something to look into at least. I mean. The symptom list (physical and mental) of late stage / post / whatever term you use of lyme is... p much exactly everything I deal with. From fatigue to muscle problems to my legs to my depression and anxiety. If it is what's going on and I can find a treatment program? It'd be worth trying.
Once I've got money to spare to afford rides to/from the specialist and the specialist co-pay, I'mma do it.