Chris Meloni says his family member’s first signs of Lyme disease were mistaken for stomach flu

After a family member was diagnosed with Lyme disease, actor Chris Meloni had a lot of questions, but he was sure of one thing: life as he knew it had changed.

“If Lyme disease is a part of your life, your life will literally never be the same,” the “Law & Order: Organized Crime” star told TODAY.com.

As an ambassador for the Global Lyme Alliance, the father of two has recently focused on raising awareness about the tick-borne illness, particularly how difficult it is to diagnose in some people. In the fall, he and his wife, Sherman Williams, attended an event for the organization, at which he gave a speech.

In an Instagram post about the evening, he called Williams a “tenacious warrior” for his efforts to help a family member get the care he needed.

In an interview with TODAY.com, Meloni talks about a family member’s journey with Lyme disease and her advocacy work.

Chris Meloni’s family history with Lyme disease

The warning signs of Lyme disease in a family member were a little confusing at first, Meloni says – and there were many of them.

“At first we thought it was a stomach flu,” he recalls.

Antibiotics seemed to help the problem at first, but symptoms quickly returned, including brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, migraines and depression.

“Before you know it, you’re dealing with a completely debilitated human being,” he recalls of his loved one.

After a litany of tests and visits to specialists, from gastroenterologists to neurologists, a diagnosis finally came back. Previously, Meloni didn’t know much about Lyme disease, a disease the Mayo Clinic describes as a “disease caused by the borrelia bacteria,” most commonly transmitted through tick bites.

The majority of cases of Lyme disease are successfully treated with antibiotics, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But in some people, symptoms may persist after treatment, including pain, fatigue, and brain fog. More research is needed to better treat people with Lyme disease syndrome after treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 63-year-old notes that navigating the Lyme disease landscape is not for the faint of heart.

“For those who witness it, you literally see the people you love being tortured before your eyes,” he says of a family member’s prolonged symptoms.

Watching a loved one go through a “very debilitating illness” hasn’t been easy for Meloni. Even though their family member is doing better, they are still hesitant to celebrate.

“You get back up and you just have to climb the mountain again,” he says of his loved one’s journey with Lyme disease. “Now when things are fantastic, I don’t want to fall off the mountain. So things are going well today. Talk to me tomorrow.

Chris Meloni’s Lyme Disease Advocacy

These days, the actor is soaking up as much information as possible from the Global Lyme Alliance, as well as from his wife, whose quest for answers about the disease inspired him.

“Without my wife and her dogged determination, we would not have been able to get to the bottom of this,” he says.

Meloni says his wife was the first to learn about the Global Lyme Alliance, and he is grateful for the sense of community the organization has given them.

“The community is very important. … The Global Alliance is a very specific tribe of people who are either directly affected or, like me, indirectly affected by it,” he says.

The actor encourages anyone who may be experiencing health issues to “be their own detective” and maintain a positive attitude, even if it’s not always easy.

“You either live in darkness or you live in hope. I guess it’s hope with a yellowed eye or you just have to lean toward the light,” he says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com