August Shell Exchange
Welcome to the August Shell Exchange!
Midway through each month, I drop a list of recommended reads. I try to feature winning hermit crab essays (🦀) when possible. But those charming crabbies aren’t always easy to find. So I also make it a point to share pieces on invisible illness.
If you come across an essay or article I haven’t mentioned that you feel warrants attention, drop the link in the comments, and I’ll add it to the rotation next month.
1. “What It’s Like to Live With a Tick-Borne Disease” by Dana G. Smith from New York Times
“Without a rash, Lyme can be challenging to identify because its early symptoms are similar to those of many other infections. A blood test can detect antibodies the immune system makes in response to the bacteria that causes it, but those tests often don’t come back positive for several weeks.”
2. “Cases of alpha-gal syndrome caused by tick bites on the rise, CDC reports” by Bree Iskandar from STAT
“Like other food allergies, symptoms can worsen with alcohol, exercise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers like aspirin, or existing infections. If symptoms only present in the presence of one of these factors, pinpointing alpha-gal as a culprit can be exceedingly tricky.”
3. “Fatigue Can Shatter a Person” by Ed Yong from The Atlantic
“And though normal fatigue is temporary and amenable to agency—even after a marathon, you can will yourself into a shower, and you’ll feel better after sleeping—rest often fails to cure the fatigue of long COVID or ME/CFS. ‘I wake up fatigued,’ Letícia Soares, who has long COVID, told me.”
4. “How to Discuss Pain With Your Doctor” by Christina Caron from New York Times
“And if your doctor doesn’t think a specific drug is appropriate — for example, an opioid — ask for an explanation of when your doctor would use it.”