However I wanted to write this for 3 primary reasons.
Like I stated: I understand its method previous time for me to take a more public role in the battle against Lyme illness– a fight that Ive been battling mainly privately for years. I hope this is a start.
Second, I understand that the decision Im facing– risk my life or surrender my paycheck– is far from a distinct one. I understand that countless Americans today, in scenarios that are much even worse than my own, are facing comparable decisions. And of course many are dealing with even worse than that: Millions more run out work totally. Much of them– brown and particularly black individuals, and particularly Black and brown LGBTQ people– are handling food insecurity and homelessness. I desire to express my deepest solidarity with them.
And then the last thing I desired to state here– and probably the very best lesson Ive found out through my experience with Lyme disease– is this: Theres so much worldwide that we do not know..
When I first began showing symptoms for Lyme, its something that I began to think about around. I had these migraines, and these night sweats. I had severe tiredness and body pains. I felt horrible, all the time. We still had no idea what it was. For a while we had no hint. One medical professional would look and think it was one thing, another doctor would look and believe it was another thing, and so on. Even when I went to the ideal physician, finally, a Lyme-literate doctor, who appropriately diagnosed me– even then there was still a lot that we had no clue about. There were a million different treatments; there was a lot of trial and error; there was a bit of whatever..
Its method past time for me to take a more public role in the fight versus Lyme illness– a fight that Ive been battling mostly privately for many years.
And in an unusual way, going through that became this sort of realization for me..
I think when youre younger, and growing up, if youre fairly healthy, you believe of the world as extremely black and white, extremely solutions-oriented: When this occurs, we do that, and then its repaired. Or: When I feel sick, I go to the doctor, and then I get better.
Now, 12 years into that journey, its still hitting me how much we do not know.
And whether its these last several months of pandemic that weve been dealing with and doing our best to adapt to, or its these last numerous weeks of advocacy that have actually influenced the rethinking of numerous of our old class structure, or its anything else … I feel like this whole year, in some way, has been one long example of that exact same kind of journey– of individuals discovering things that they didnt learn about the world, and recognizing how much they still need to discover.
And that can be pretty challenging, for sure. It can be demanding to consider..
But I also believe theres an important idea in there– simply in terms of how we treat other individuals..
I think the idea is something like: We can never ever fully understand what somebody else is going through, or what theyve been through– in the very same method that nobody else can ever totally understand what were going through, or what weve been through.
Theres a lot on the planet that we do not know.
Which indicates the very best that we can do is to listen to each other, and to gain from each other– with as much humility as possible.
I hope that in the future the WNBA can aim to do the exact same
.
Thanks,.
Elena.
I take 64 pills a day.
Sixty-four tablets: Thats 25 before breakfast, another 20 after breakfast, another 10 prior to dinner, and another 9 before bed.
Or if its not eliminating me, straight, then I at least understand one thing for sure: Its actually bad for me. Longterm, taking that much medicine on that routine of a routine is simply straight-up bad for you.
Its a nonstop, exhausting, unpleasant cycle.
But I do it anyway.
I do it anyway because I have Lyme disease. Taking 64 pills a day is the only method to keep my condition under any sort of control.
Healthy adequate to live something approaching a regular life.
Thanks To Elena Delle Donne.
I are sorry for not having actually done more in the past to speak up about Lyme illness. Its a scary thing to live with, yet not lots of individuals understand much about it– and I take my fair share of duty for that.
I understand that I need to help a lot more.
I know that I require to help us get to a location with Lyme disease where what occurred to me this previous week never occurs to anyone else.
Heres the essence of what occurred.
When news of COVID began spreading, I right away took it seriously. Thats not me bragging; those are simply the instincts Ive developed after more than a years of living with Lyme illness. Ive been told time and time again throughout the years that my condition makes me immunocompromised– that part of what Lyme does is it cripples my immune system. Ive had a cold that sent my immune system spiraling into a severe regression. Ive fallen back off of a basic flu shot. Theres just been so many instances where Ive contracted something that shouldnt have actually been that huge of a deal, but it blew my immune system out and turned into something scary.
Its a frightening thing to cope with, yet few people know much about it– and I take my fair share of responsibility for that.
Thats simply something I deal with. And so when I check out that immunocompromised individuals are at a greater danger with COVID, I took every possible precaution.
When the WNBA started the process of organizing the bubble, I paid careful attention to what steps they were putting in place to make it safe. I understand how much work went into this, and I understand so numerous individuals at the league put in crazy hours to safeguard the gamers and make it as safe as possible. The truth of the matter is, I was told that when it came down to it, it would be impossible to keep COVID-19 out of the bubble totally. And after that Florida cases began increasing. And even if the bubble is the best place in Florida … if I needed to go to a health center, and the health center was overwhelmed, then what?.
I still desired to play, however I was scared. I spoke to my personal doctor about what the league prepared to do, and he felt it was still too dangerous.
When the league started reviewing players cases to see who should be approved a health exemption from the bubble (indicating the league reasons you from playing, but you dont have to offer up your wage), I didnt even believe it was a concern whether I would be exempt or not. I didnt need a panel of league doctors to inform me that my immune system was high-risk– Ive played my entire profession with an immune system thats high-risk!!!
I LIVE with a body immune system thats high-risk.
Todd Rosenberg/The Players Tribune
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I made sure to follow procedure.
The physician who treats my Lyme disease wrote a full report, detailing my case history and confirming my high-risk status. The Mystics group physician (who is awesome, however whos never ever treated my Lyme illness) composed a report essentially delaying to my Lyme disease medical professional, and agreeing about my high threat profile. I filed both reports to the league, as needed, along with a signed kind waiving my right to an appeal.
A couple of days later, the leagues panel of physicians– without ever once speaking with me or to either of my doctors– informed me that they were denying my request for a health exemption.
Im now entrusted two choices: I can either risk my life … or surrender my paycheck.
Truthfully? That injures.
And I know that, as professional athletes, were not truly expected to talk about our sensations. Sensations are quite much all I have left right now. I do not have the desire to go to war with the league on this.
Truly all Im left with is how much this hurts. How much it hurts that the W– a place thats been my one huge dream in life for as long as I can remember, and that Ive given my blood, sweat and tears to for seven going on eight seasons– has basically informed me that Im incorrect about whats happening in my own body.
I do not have NBA player cash. I dont have the desire to go to war with the league on this. And I cant appeal.
Yup … they captured me.
Thats why I played in the finals last year with THREE HERNIATED DISCS IN MY BACK.
Thats why I exercise during the 7 months a year when were not in season, when no ones viewing me, when Im not gathering my player salary..
Thats why Ive crammed my 6 5″ body into so lots of coach class flights that I nearly forget what its like to have legs and feet that arent alarmingly inflamed.
Thats why I take 64 pills a day.
Due to the fact that Im the kind of player who comprises a condition to prevent playing basketball.
They figured me out.
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post/Getty Images.
For the record: Im not writing this letter to announce my plans. Im still believing extremely carefully and weighing my choices.
Its a frightening thing to live with, yet not numerous individuals know much about it– and I take my fair share of obligation for that. I know how much work went into this, and I know so lots of individuals at the league put in crazy hours to safeguard the players and make it as safe as possible. The Mystics group doctor (who is remarkable, but whos never treated my Lyme illness) composed a report essentially delaying to my Lyme illness doctor, and agreeing about my high danger profile. Like I stated: I know its method previous time for me to take a more public function in the fight against Lyme illness– a fight that Ive been combating primarily independently for years. I know that millions of Americans right now, in circumstances that are much worse than my own, are dealing with comparable choices.
