Athena Brownson
Appearances
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
Yeah, and that's what I would love nothing more is to be able to give people hope in whatever challenge or adversity that you're going through. But I would first say it's okay. It's okay to acknowledge when you're struggling. When you're going through hardship, there is somewhat of a toxic positivity that people can say, oh, just don't think about it. Like, you'll be fine.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
No, it's acknowledged that you're going through a significant challenge. But don't allow yourself to get stuck there. And oftentimes I believe that we have a thought, a vision that we have to make all of these changes at one time.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
That all of a sudden we're supposed to have a completely new mindset and we're supposed to be able to have the ability to rewire our brains and we're not supposed to hurt and Everything seems like it's supposed to all happen at once. But what I've learned is the key is to take baby steps. Every single day, if we can focus.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
One of my favorite books, Atomic Habits, talks about if we focus on being 1% better every day. then imagine how much that will accumulate over a year. If you're looking to get healthier, start by walking five minutes outside and then try six and then try 10.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
and that break everything into smaller steps if you're looking to you know create routines in your life for example a morning routine start with two things that you're gonna consistently do every day and commit to them and for me i have to keep myself accountable by actually like printing out
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
my my must do's and checking them off every day because if i don't keep if i don't do that i won't hold myself accountable to doing the the things that i have to do to stay in a positive mindset or in a healthier place so find what small items in your life activities that you can implement and that you can commit to implementing that are going to be small at first.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
But over time, those small changes that you hold yourself accountable to are going to add up to being completely life changing changes. And before you know it, the amount that the amount of growth and change and development that you can
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
create by having these small routines and being one percent better than you were the day before these are going to add up to monumental changes in your life and I promise that it's going to It's going to help you get through whatever challenge it is because you have something positive to focus on.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And when you have something positive to focus on, you can get through any challenge that life throws your way. And I truly believe that.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I completely agree. I write everything down by hand in a notebook. I believe that if you see yourself writing it, it gets into your brain and you're able to visualize it and internalize it in a completely different way. Thank you for adding that because I have a journal that I bring with me everywhere to write my positive affirmations that are my goals. It makes a huge difference.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And I really believe in the power of using just a pen and paper, which is something everyone can do. But these are tools that we have at our fingertips to hold ourselves accountable to being the best that we can be, no matter the situation that we're in.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
You just gave me the biggest smile because I am a huge supporter of writing. It needs to be hand, paper, put your phone away and go. Just make it simple.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
Thank you for your time and sharing. Thank you. I appreciate your time and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. And I hope this inspires anyone out there. Please feel free to contact me if you need support.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
Does that feel accurate? You couldn't say it better. I think that is a beautiful way of putting it. I completely agree. I believe that the mental aspect of it is at least 50% of the challenge.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
Our brains are wired in a way that if we continue to think a certain thought, whether that's I'm in pain or I don't want to do this, I don't feel good, I don't want to get out of bed, when we're continually reinforcing those thoughts, we will have those thoughts because when you're in pain, you're in pain and your brain notices that. And unfortunately, that's an unavoidable truth.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
But when we pair that with How am I creating new neural pathways? How am I creating positive affirmations in my life? How am I surrounding myself with positivity? What am I ingesting when it comes to what I'm listening to? What information I'm taking in? The people that I'm spending time with. For me, having routines is huge.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
So I talk about having your toolkit to get through challenging times, something for me that is really critical for my mental health and thus my physical health, because they do go so hand in hand. is having my morning and evening routines. And that involves doing breath work and meditation. That involves having time to journal and write out my affirmations and write out my goals.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I'm constantly writing out like I am healthy. I am healing my body. My body feels great because I want to tell my brain that I am doing okay.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I want to convince myself that my body can get through this because when I can convince my mind and nervous system that I'm going to be okay and that there's an end goal and I keep my eyes on really looking forward instead of downwards into the current state that I'm in,
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
That is where we're able to keep, I really believe that you're able to create more healing in the body physically when you're mentally working on strengthening your mentality and
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I have many doctors, like my pain doctor, for instance, last week we did a class on breath work and there's been a huge number of studies done that show that when you're in pain and your nervous system is activated and is in fight or flight mode so frequently due to illness or pain, whatever you're going through, It's easy for your brain to get stuck in that pattern.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
So it's up to us to make sure that we're doing the work to teach our brains and our nervous system that we're okay and we're going to get through this. And it's a challenge. And like I said, there will be good days, there will be bad days. But I believe that having routines and being able to stay goal oriented in any aspect of your life is absolutely critical for overcoming adversity.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I love this, yes. So I firmly believe that I would not be where I am today in business, in life, in anything without the people that I am surrounded by. And as an only child and a professional skier, I was a one-man sport, a one-person activity all the time. Being an only child, I didn't have siblings to delegate or... really understand how delegation works.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
So for me, building out the right team was something that I continued to work on was a huge challenge for me because I was a athlete that believed that I could get everything done myself, that it was my job to make sure that I did everything perfectly. The truth of the matter is there is absolutely no way of getting through
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
any of anything in life by yourself, let alone a real estate career, which is extremely taxing. I would say there was you could work 24 hours a day and still have a 24 hour to do list easily. And then taken me a lot of coaching, a lot of surrounding myself with people that have taught me really the art of delegation and the art of
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
understanding that we are not going to always be the best at everything. We need to know what our strengths are and what our weaknesses are because we all have strengths and we should be focusing on those. Our strengths might be someone else's weaknesses or their strengths are weaknesses. So by assessing strengths, really who we are, what we're good at, what we're not good at.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And for me, coaching has always been really important because as an athlete, I learned that a discipline and accountability but having someone that can look over your business or your life whatever it is that you're doing and help you see where your blind spots are help you understand and build the path that you want to be on and understand what your strengths are that you should be focusing on
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
You have to understand that about yourself before you can attract or bring in the right people around you. So for me, coaching was absolutely paramount and it continues to be. And I continue to learn how to delegate because I still have a tendency to want to get everything done by myself. But illness has taught me that I don't have the physical stamina to do everything.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And nor should I, because there are people around me that are much better at certain activities than I am. So for me to be trying to do those activities is actually robbing them of the opportunity to really thrive at something that they love. So it's taken me a good decade, I would say, to build a team of people that are
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I look around me and I know that the people on my team would absolutely do anything for me. They want nothing more than for me to get my health back and they support me unconditionally through my treatments and they take amazing care of our clients. Honestly, my executive assistant, I like to call her my boss because Her skill set is so vast and incredible and the complete opposite of mine.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
I wouldn't be able to get any of this, anything done without her, honestly. So understanding that we're not meant to do life alone. We're meant to do life in community. Whatever that may be, whether it's at work or outside of work, for me, my business has become my family. It is a very demanding business. Real estate is to perform at a high level. We work very hard.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
But the most important thing that I've learned, and I had to learn and continue to learn the hard way through not having the physical ability to do everything, is understanding that we're not supposed to be able to do it all ourselves.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And when we can find like-minded individuals that have similar visions in terms of why they're doing business and what motivates them and really find the people, I like to call them like your tribe. Who are the people that have your back unconditionally, that care just as much as you do about the business or about your clients or whatever it may be as you do?
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
And it's taken me years and years to find those people. But now that I have, it's truly the only reason that I'm able to continue forward with having a really successful business. is because I have people around me that not only care about me and my health and making sure that I'm able to take care of myself.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
If I'm not able to get out of bed one day, I know that these people have my back and that they're going to take just as good of care of our clients. They want to build relationships. They put heart into everything that they do. And I honestly don't know what I would do without my amazing team.
Chief Change Officer
#207 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part Two
But it's taken years and years of coaching and therapy and mentors to help me understand that I can't do it all by myself. And I need to, delegation is actually giving someone the opportunity to be their best and to empower them. And I will continue to learn how to do it, but I believe in teamwork more than anything.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Now it's taught me more in life than I think anything ever could. But people should be very aware that if you're in a heavily wooded area and there are ticks present, you should be aware of protecting yourself with long sleeves. They make tick repellent sprays. And if you do get bit, to go to the doctor because chronic Lyme disease, which is what stays for a long time,
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
is a very difficult disease to navigate. So if you know that you got bit and you can take a couple of weeks of antibiotics, then you'll never deal with it again. But unfortunately, that's usually not the case. Most people, I believe 70% of people with Lyme disease have no idea when or where they were bit.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Challenge is the perfect word because it is the most challenging thing that I have ever been through. And it is something that when you break a bone or have a surgery, you can talk to the doctor and they say, if you do A, B, C, and D, you'll get better. With chronic Lyme disease, unfortunately, there's no if you do A, B, C, and D, you'll get better. Different for everyone.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
It's something that is just starting to be really understood and studied on a global scale. And because it's different for everyone, there really is, you almost feel like a lab rat. with trying different therapies. But when I was diagnosed, I truly was naive because like I said, I was at the top of my real estate game.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I felt a little bit invincible before that having come from a professional skiing career. which I actually believe is what taught me the grit to get through each day and to get through this adversity and to keep pushing forward.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Because I believe that when we're hit with life, with difficulties and challenges and horrific incidents, that unfortunately all of us have different adversity that we do face in life.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And it's really difficult at that time to a moment and understand that although these are the most challenging times of my life, and it's been seven and a half years where I don't remember what it is like to not be in constant pain, I have Waking up in the morning is, it feels like the most difficult task I've ever done.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Every little thing that I do is so taxing on my body and exhausting on my body and painful. I spend a huge amount of time in hospitals. Like I said, I get sick. all of my plasma taken out once a month which is a huge transfusion it's really hard not to get stuck in the mud when you're dealing with something that is so challenging and so constant and chronic pain and chronic fatigue and
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
All of the symptoms that come with Lyme disease are enough to make anyone want to stay in bed and not do anything. And I truly... A lot of people do, and there's no right or wrong way of approaching life and its challenges, and that includes disease. Everyone has their own way to get through things, but what I personally have learned and what I hope to share with others is...
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
We have to really dig deep and understand that when you look back in life, nothing, you don't learn your greatest lessons. You don't grow when everything's going to plan. We make the biggest strides. We have the biggest periods of growth when we're going through difficulties and we figure out how we're going to get through them. And we don't allow ourselves to gets stuck in the mud, so to speak.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And I believe that there is a time and a place for mourning or being very upset and depressed and sad and angry that your life has... really been completely changed by a disease that is is some it's not something that every once in a while you don't feel good it's 24 hours a day seven days a week and it you can't escape it so within that how do we pivot our mentality
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
How do we create our tool pit of things that we know are going to get us through every day, even when we don't want to? There's never a day that I want to get out of bed. I feel horrible, absolutely horrible. But I know that if I put on some of my favorite music or podcast,
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
and just blast it and grab one of my, make myself a great cup of coffee, that those are things that are just gonna get my day started. And every little, I always try and find little hacks for how I can get through each part of my day. I really do believe that having something that you're passionate about
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
that can take your mind off of what you're going through a little bit and keep your eyes motivated looking forward. That's the key because it's so easy to just get stuck in the mud, give up and I believe that when your mentality is in that place of wanting to give up and just stay in bed or maybe stop looking for different solutions, different doctors, different treatments.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
There's such a wide variety of treatments all over the world that you have to be your own biggest advocate. I believe that a huge component of that is mental. So understanding how you can pivot your mentality from this disease is taking over, ruining my life, to... How can I use this to become a better, stronger, grittier version of myself? How can I use this to be the best version of me?
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And how am I going to do that? And it's usually by the people that you're surrounding yourself with and the coaches that are in your life or your family members or whoever it may be. But you have to find those anchors that keep you grounded to really push forward and not give up because you have to be your own biggest advocate.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And I think that's the case with any adversity or challenge in life is... Nothing ever goes to plan, but you're your own biggest advocate. You are the one that can take the reins and say, even when things are not going right, I'm going to figure out a way to make the best out of it and to be the best version of myself.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Does that feel accurate? You couldn't say it better. I think that is a beautiful way of putting it. I completely agree. I believe that the mental aspect of it is at least 50% of the challenge.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
Good afternoon, or good morning to you, I should say. Thank you so much for having me. It is a cold, snowy night. So Asena, let's start with your story. As you mentioned, I am in Denver, Colorado. I was born and raised here in Colorado. I was actually raised in a small mountain town called Breckenridge.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
For those of you who are skiers or snowboarders, you've probably heard of Breckenridge at some point. Knowing this piece of information, it will set you up for how really my life unfolded because I learned I could walk. So I believe I was two years old. My dad was a professional skier and I like to say I didn't even have a chance.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
He had me on skis from the time I could walk and at age 15, I ended up going professional at skiing. So at a very young age, I was basically traveling the world skiing about 300 days a year with some of the top coaches in the entire world. And
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I always say that skiing is the best business school that I ever could have asked for or could have gone to because skiing truly set the stage for my success in business, which I'll get into a little bit later. And after becoming a professional skier, after I think nine knee surgeries, I decided it was time for me to hang up the skis and go into another field. And
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I ended up going into the field that I never in a million years thought I would end up in, and that is real estate. Now, I say I never thought I would end up in real estate because A, I don't think anyone grows up saying, oh, I'm going to be a real estate agent when I grow up. That's just not something you hear very often. But more in the small town that I was raised in, Breckenridge,
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
There were more real estate offices than t-shirt shops. I grew up thinking real estate was, I had the preconceived notion that it was a little bit corny and there were the kind of used car salesman mentality, even though my dad is a home builder. So I grew up on job sites. I Followed him.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I have very fond but funny memories of going to job sites with him in the freezing cold, watching his projects unfold and develop, and watching the impact that he had on this town. And it was pretty incredible, but it was something that my dad did. Because of that, as a young person, I wanted to make my own path.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I went into interior design after graduating from college, and I was working in the interior design industry, both in Denver and Breckenridge, designing hotels, high-end residences, but I didn't feel that I was being fulfilled. To me, it was a nine-to-five job that I was counting down the hours to get through. I had a dear girlfriend at the time, still one of my best friends.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And she is one of the most successful real estate agents in the country. She is top 1%. Thank you, Charlotte. And I was having dinner with her one evening and she said, Athena, you love people. You love homes. You love design. Why are you not a real estate agent? And I scratched my head. And to be honest, I had never even thought about it. This was 10 years ago that this conversation happened.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And she said, just meet with the owner of my company. I really think that you two would hit it off. You have very similar, like how you do business and how you view people. You're very relational. I really think that you two would hit it off. So I met with the owner of her company actually two days later. And this was a small real estate brokerage in Denver.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And I was so impressed with his approach to business being relationship based business and not transactional. I was so blown away with this. He's like sunshine in human form. Still a dear mentor, friend of mine that I quit my job the next day, signed up for real estate school and got my real estate license about two months later. And that was 10 years ago. And here we are.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
The path since I got my real estate license has been one that I never in a million years could have predicted. I say that as you will learn more of my story throughout this episode. I think we go into life and all things with an idea of what life is going to look like for us. And for me, the beginning of my real estate career, I was Studying under one of the most amazing agents. He was my mentor.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I had an amazing coach. I had really incredible people around me and I was succeeding pretty early on. And in real estate, you generally say it takes time. A year to really get going and three years to really start being successful. After a year, I found myself having great success, really building amazing relationships. By year three, I like to say I thought I was at the top of the world.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I had grand visions of what my real estate future was going to look like. Life never goes to plan. And I learned that the hard way. And I think we all learned that the hard way. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which I will also explain more of about seven and a half years ago. So in my three and a half years into real estate, I was like at the top of my game, thought I was invincible.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
All of a sudden I started getting very strange illnesses for a young, healthy person. And I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and Lyme disease, unfortunately, for me, took out my immune system and caused multiple autoimmune diseases. So the last seven years of my life have been, first of all, I don't even remember what it's like to feel okay. I live in constant chronic pain.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I get plasma transfusions four days every month. My world pretty much revolves around trying to stay alive and trying to fight this really horrific disease that never in a million years I thought I would get. And I like to say that if life did not give us adversity and challenges, we would never have the opportunity for growth. But man, I would not wish this way of growing on anyone.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
But that's where I am. I run a successful team at Compass here in Denver. I still love real estate as much as I did on day one, if not more. Love the people I work with. And through this journey, I have learned so many incredible things that I'm excited to share with you. But it has come through adversity and through fighting every single day to keep going because
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
There are most days I don't want to. And to be able to have a career for me, real estate, that is something I'm so passionate about and is my why. I work with people that I love, that I built lifelong relationships with and helping them to really buy and sell a home is the biggest transaction you do in your life. And to be a part of people's lives in that way and a part of
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
each chapter through home, that's my why. And it keeps me getting out of bed even when I don't want to. So it's really been an evolution of understanding what my why is and building my toolkit for continuing forward even when I don't want to.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
So I was 25 years old and that's when I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I am not actually sure when I was bit. So the way you get Lyme disease is a tick bite. I personally have never even seen a tick. We don't have a ton of ticks in Colorado, but as a professional skier, I was traveling globally, and I was in heavily wooded areas. So at some point, I was bit by a tick.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
That tick was carrying Lyme disease along with two other co-infections that I am also fighting. And... Lyme is interesting as it lays dormant in your system until something weakens your immune system and it can come out and take over. For me, I ended up having neck surgery. I broke my neck skiing and my immune system took a hit from having neck surgery.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
It was weekend, and that's when all of my symptoms started to act up with Lyme disease. And I was really fortunate that a doctor knew a lot about Lyme disease. It's something that is a little bit new in the medical field. There's not a ton of doctors that are very Lyme literate, I like to say. And I was very fortunate to be diagnosed immediately.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
It's been seven and a half years, almost eight now of fighting Lyme disease.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
I would love nothing more. And I was in the same boat. I had no idea what Lyme disease was before I was diagnosed with it. In fact, when my doctor suggested that we do testing for it, I laughed because I was so unaware of Lyme disease. And I also was very naive to how significant it is. So Lyme disease is interesting because it affects everyone differently.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
So depending on what you're genetically predisposed to, whatever your genetic weaknesses are, Lyme... attacks that so for some people that can be myalgia or rheumatoid arthritis a multitude of autoimmune diseases like i have i have an autoimmune disease where my body attacks my nerves so that's why i'm in pain all the time because my own body is attacking my nerves
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
It can look like psychiatric issues for some people. It can range from such a variety of symptoms that that's what makes it difficult to diagnose. However, Lyme is the fastest growing epidemic in the United States right now. So the number of people that are contracting Lyme from a tick, like I said, You get it from being bit by a tick.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
And if you are aware that you're bit by a tick immediately, you should go to the doctor. You'll usually see a red ring around the bite if it is carrying a disease. But I would say if you get bit by a tick, just go to the doctor because they can give you a short cycle of antibiotics and you'll never deal with it again.
Chief Change Officer
#206 Athena Brownson vs. Lyme Disease: A Story of Grit and Comebacks — Part One
It's cases like mine where you don't know that you were bit, so it lays dormant in your system. And then when you least expect it, no one ever expects all of a sudden to start having the horrific symptoms. My life has made a complete 180 from being a professional athlete to trying to get myself through each day. It's a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone.