What happened is, we did it over and over until I got it right. It was the right thing to do by our customer and client [the audience on the ground].… - Nicole Malachowski

When I was a fighter pilot, when we would go into combat, which in a lot of ways is what we are in against this disease and the medical system that doesn't support us," she said. "I would say to my wingman before we would launch, "No matter what, be a help, not a hindrance. Ask yourself, is what I'm about to say or do going to be helpful? Or is it going to be a hindrance?"

I now know that your job shouldn’t be your identity. Boom, I go from this elite, high-performing person, physically and mentally, to just being completely broken overnight. I’m this independent confident type A fighter pilot, and now I can’t even go to the restroom by myself or bathe by myself—overnight,”

Despite the suffering, there are a lot of great things going on in the tick-borne illness community. “I have seen the momentum in the last three to five years accelerating at a pace that I could have never imagined. Look at the scientists, the doctors, the clinicians, the nonprofit leaders, the advocates who are out there making a difference. We are so close, I think, in my lifetime, to this tipping point. This is something we should all be excited about, and this is something that gives me hope.”