Reliving their pain to shed light on Lyme – Peace Arch News, BC, Canada
By Sarah Massah – Peace Arch News Published: November 12, 2013 1:00 PM Updated: November 12, 2013 1:18 PM
Walking through Karen Marchand’s South Surrey home, it’s apparent that every inch of the condo has been meticulously laid out and designed with an expert eye.
The walls are covered in textured wallpaper, a pop of colour is strategically placed here, an eye-catching light fixture there.
She points to art that hangs near the entrance.
“That’s what I used to paint,” she says. “I can’t do that anymore.”
For nearly three years, the commercial interior designer has had the brakes put on her life – including leaving her passion and the industry she had worked in for 24 years – to cope with Lyme disease. Every month, instead of looking to a new space to transform, Marchand, 54, has been pouring thousands of dollars into her treatment.
“I would prepare all the construction drawings and the design concepts for stores, restaurants, food courts, chain stores. And I just lost the ability to do any of it,” she says, tearing up.
“Because all my cognitive skills were affected. I couldn’t remember anything and I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t have conversations that were in-depth about anything, and I still can’t.”
Sitting next to Marchand is friend and fellow Lyme disease sufferer Linda Steele, who …