Today Georgia Papazisi talks to okmag about her illness, explains where she draws her strength and energy from and presents her book that yes, she wrote it with her own eyes!

Let’s start with your book that is published by Sirtari and is entitled “Why not me?” True Story of Courage. How did the idea to write this book start and how difficult was it?

Almost from the beginning of my health adventure, I had a need to share what was going on and that’s why I had a blog that I wrote. At some point I started thinking that if I wrote a book with material from the blog, and from my experience with the disease in general, it might help other people with similar health issues. But I dreamed of it for when I would get well and so the years went by, instead of getting well I got worse and it was practically impossible to write. Until I got the gadget that changed my life and along with other activities, I started writing a book!

A book you managed to write with your eyes alone… Tell us about it.

This is eye gaze technology. A small rod-like machine is attached to the computer and placed at the bottom of the screen, so that it can “read” the eye and operate the computer, move the cursor, type on the keyboard that appears on the screen and essentially give access to anyone who does not have functional hands. It’s really amazing!

In your book you describe in your own unique way your life and the great adventure of your health. What is Lyme disease and what are the effects it has had on your health.

This disease is controversial and complex. There’s a lot of information on the internet, I’ll just say that if it’s not addressed in time, can become a chronic infection and cause other diseases, depending on where the bacterium strikes. I now have some form of motor neurone disease (ALS), which means motor disability and speech problems.

Looking back on this adventure, do you think medical mistakes were made?

What can I say, probably happened, but I can’t change anything in the past, so I choose not to look back. I prefer to live in the present, creating and focusing on the best possible future.

Your message despite the suffering and trials you have gone through is that hope is here. Send us your own optimistic message through Okmag.

Hope is always here, especially in the current era, when technology and medicine are running at an unimaginable pace. If hope becomes faith and certainty, success is guaranteed.

How much did the internet help you to communicate with the world during this time of your illness?

As you will see in the book, the help of the internet for me was and is invaluable. I honestly don’t know how or if I would have made it to this day without the love and support from people I know and don’t know online.

How do you spend your day? What makes you smile and have a good time?

I spend many hours on the computer learning Spanish, managing the social media of my dear friends’ nursery, communicating with people, doing research, reading books or writing. Of course I do physiotherapy, sit on the terrace in the sun and smile into the future while listening to music! I love doggies and there is no way I won’t be in a good mood when I see a video of Teddy (Aguyandagolden). I have learned to appreciate every day and when I “fall”, as is logical and human, to get up immediately, so as not to lose a minute of the gift called life!

See the original article in okmag!