Hello, World.

When something goes wrong with our bodies, when we feel ill, or when we don’t feel “quite right,” we turn to physicians. We might be referred to a specialist, for example, a pulmonologist if it’s our lungs or breathing, but all the same we look towards physicians. But even physicians are only human, and humans make mistakes or sometimes simply don’t know.

In my experience, the lack of knowledge left my condition undiagnosed for two extra months. Two extra months of pain and mystery, and frustration from friends and family that claimed I was “faking it.” One day, pain began in the back of my neck and my upper back. Like any healthy teen, I presumed it was a strained muscle from lifting something heavy or sleeping in an odd position. When the pain became too severe, I went to the Urgent Care which claimed it was from a heavy backpack and tight muscles. The treatment was muscle relaxants.

The pain continued, but I faithfully took my medication as prescribed, hoping the issue would resolve. It never did. Rather it became worse, until a visible growth appeared in my neck. This time, the Urgent Care proceeded to do more tests, and two masses were revealed, one in my neck and another in front of my heart.

The final diagnosis was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Cancer. The word no one wants to hear. After two years of treatment, I can say I lived to tell the tale. Not without the scars and effects from various drug cocktails, but I am alive.

Other people dance with death in different forms, not a miscalculation when replication in cells goes awry, but sometimes by having a living organism grow inside you, a parasite. Like a tumor grows uncontrollably by potentially hijacking your circulatory system to receive more blood flow, a parasite grows by harvesting nutrients from their host. Some are relatively harmless with only minor symptoms, but others are notorious for killing many of their hosts if left alone. Even if one lives to tell the tale, there may be visible scars of one’s battle. And time is almost always a factor when dealing with parasitic infection.

How do these organisms survive within our bodies? Why do they use us to survive? Are parasites a major threat to our health?

Parasites remain a prime topic regarding tropical medicine, but are a vague or under researched topic among other areas. A parasite is never one’s first thought when trying to figure the cause of one’s illness. Is it because the mind always yields to common causes such as bacteria or viruses, or is it because there is a lack of knowledge overall? Maybe it is because the thought of a “creepy crawly” inside of us is too stomach-turning to bear. But when our physicians cannot diagnose parasites, it puts our health at risk.

I hope to cover why these organisms continue to thrive in the world and their relationship with us along with our relationship with them. What are the dangers to watch out for? Or are we safe in our temperate climate? What are the signs to look for parasitic infection? Let’s go beyond the vague name of “tapeworm” and look at the different types. How about turning towards the parasites your own pet can pick up and potentially infect you? And what about the aquatic amoeba that likes to eat your brain?

Maybe along with disgust and revulsion, we can step back and admire the amazing ability of parasites to live off a host by slipping past our defenses or fighting them… as long as the host isn’t us.