Out of the Lyme Light and Into the Sunlight

Book excerpt: Out of the Lyme Light and into the Sunlight: An Introduction to Birding as Therapy for the Chronically Ill" describes the journey the author took after developing a bizarre set of seemingly unrelated symptoms, which became increasingly debilitating, and were eventually diagnosed as Lyme disease. He describes the frustration of dealing with a highly skeptical Canadian medical system that simply did not believe Lyme exists, at least not in Canada, resulting in him seeking out-of-country medical treatment in the United States. Even with that treatment, the damage done by the Lyme disease led to his premature retirement, whereupon he quickly discovered the therapeutic benefits of birding to his health. The author then provides numerous tips on how to get into birding and reflects on how the joy of birding has been his ideal therapy for dealing with a chronic disease and chronic pain.