Episode 629: Lyme Disease Ended His Basketball Dreams. Now He's Helping Patients With AI – Carter Bradsky | LIVE from ILADS

19 minutes ago

He was preparing to play college basketball when Lyme disease changed everything. Now he's using artificial intelligence to help other patients navigate the journey he wishes he never had to face alone.

In this LIVE from ILADS episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, co-host Rich Johannesen sits down with Carter Bradsky, Lyme disease survivor and co-founder of LymeLess Health, to discuss how a devastating family experience with Lyme disease, Bartonella, and Babesia inspired an innovative patient-built healthcare platform.

Recorded at the 2025 International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) Conference in San Antonio, Texas, this conversation explores the challenges of living with chronic illness as a young adult, losing athletic opportunities, navigating college with debilitating brain fog, and struggling to find reliable information and community support.

Carter shares how his mother's prolonged search for a Lyme disease diagnosis helped his family recognize his own symptoms and connect with a healthcare provider.

After approximately two and a half years of treatment and recovery, Carter and his sister, Payton Bradsky, decided to build something they wish had existed during their own illnesses.

The result is LymeLess Health, an AI-powered care management platform designed specifically for people navigating Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infections.

Their mission is to make the Lyme disease journey less isolating, less confusing, and more manageable by bringing together patient experiences, health information, educational resources, and technology.

What if patients didn't have to spend years searching for the information, support, and guidance that others have already discovered through their own experiences?

That's the question driving Carter and Payton's work.

Episode 576: Can AI Transform Lyme Disease Care? Carter & Payton Bradsky of LymeLess

A Family's Journey Through Lyme Disease

Carter explains that his family's experience with Lyme disease began approximately a decade before this interview.

His mother developed debilitating symptoms while living in Arizona and spent years searching for an explanation.

According to Carter, she underwent more than 100 medical tests and encountered multiple physicians before receiving a diagnosis.

During that time, she experienced medical dismissal and was told that her symptoms might be psychological.

At one point, multiple sclerosis was considered as a possible explanation.

A chance conversation with the mother of one of Carter's high school friends—who was a naturopathic provider familiar with Lyme disease—encouraged the family to investigate tick-borne illness.

That encounter eventually helped his mother connect with a physician who diagnosed and treated her.

Carter emphasizes how much luck played a role in his mother's journey.

Without that unexpected connection, he wonders how much longer she might have continued searching for answers.

Her experience would later become critically important when Carter developed symptoms of his own.

From Competitive Basketball to Debilitating Brain Fog

As a high school senior in South Dakota, Carter was preparing for an exciting transition.

He was graduating, heading to college, and had an opportunity to play competitive basketball at the university level.

Basketball had been an important part of his identity.

Then his health began to deteriorate.

Carter describes developing symptoms that included:

Severe brain fog
Memory loss
Dissociation
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating
Cognitive challenges affecting academic performance
Fear and physical discomfort associated with athletic activity

He remembers going from feeling confident and engaged on the basketball court to experiencing anxiety about returning to play.

The sport that had once brought him tremendous happiness became something he could no longer participate in.

Because his mother had already experienced Lyme disease, she recognized similarities in his symptoms and encouraged him to seek evaluation.

They traveled to Northern California to see the physician who had helped her.

Carter reports that Bartonella and Babesia were identified as significant components of his illness.

He describes undergoing approximately two and a half years of treatment involving antibiotics, herbal support, and other interventions before regaining his health.

His treatment experience is personal testimony, not evidence that the same regimen is appropriate or effective for every patient.

Losing the College Experience to Chronic Illness

One of the most emotional parts of the conversation centers on what Lyme disease took away from Carter during college.

He explains that he had to abandon competitive athletics.

But the loss extended far beyond basketball.

While classmates were enjoying college life, making friends, attending social events, and pursuing academic goals, Carter was struggling simply to get through the day.

He recalls attending philosophy classes and being unable to remember assigned reading.

When professors called on him, he sometimes struggled to answer questions because of his cognitive symptoms.

He describes feeling embarrassed, isolated, and disconnected from the experiences his peers were having.

Instead of enjoying a typical college social life, Carter focused on three priorities:

Getting through class, spending time at church, and sleeping.

His academic goal shifted from excelling to simply being able to complete his coursework.

For a young adult who had previously been active, confident, and competitive, the experience was deeply challenging.

Carter explains that he did not know where to find Lyme disease support groups, educational resources, or organizations such as ILADS.

He felt as though he were navigating an overwhelming illness without a community that understood what he was experiencing.

That isolation eventually became one of the primary problems he wanted LymeLess to address.

The Hidden Burden of Managing Lyme Disease Treatment

Carter also discusses the practical challenges of managing complex treatment plans while attending college.

He remembers trying to organize numerous medications and supplements while keeping his illness private.

For patients managing multiple prescriptions, supplements, appointments, and changing symptoms, the organizational burden can become substantial.

Carter describes the experience of having a kitchen counter filled with bottles and trying to remember what to take and when.

At the same time, he was struggling with brain fog and memory difficulties.

The very symptoms he was experiencing made managing his care more difficult.

He also recalls uncertainty about whether his treatments were helping and whether he was making the right decisions.

Questions frequently occupied his thoughts:

Am I receiving the right care?
Are these treatments helping?
What should I do next?
Are other patients experiencing similar symptoms?
Where can I find reliable information?
Will I ever get better?

These challenges helped shape his vision for a technology platform that could support patients with organization, education, and care navigation.

Meet LymeLess Health: Built by Patients, for Patients

After Carter and Payton experienced their own Lyme disease journeys, they began discussing how technology could help address problems they had encountered.

They founded LymeLess Health, a patient-centered platform focused on Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infections, which the company collectively refers to as Lyme+.

Their goal is to help patients manage the complexity of chronic illness by bringing important information into one place.

During the interview, Carter describes the platform as a personalized AI companion informed by Lyme-related educational resources, individual health information, and insights from the patient community.

Rather than requiring patients to search across multiple websites, social media groups, medical records, and personal notes, LymeLess aims to make relevant information easier to organize and access.

The company's philosophy is rooted in a simple idea:

Patients should not have to rely on luck to find helpful information and support.

Carter and Payton want to use technology to make the experiences and knowledge accumulated throughout the Lyme disease community more accessible to others.

Learn more about LymeLess Health and its mission.

Meet Ella: An AI Companion for Lyme Disease Patients

At the center of LymeLess is Ella, an AI-powered companion designed to help people navigate Lyme disease and complex treatment journeys.

Carter describes the concept as creating a digital resource that could provide some of the organizational and informational support his mother offered him during his illness.

The platform is designed to help patients better understand their own health experiences while preparing for conversations with healthcare professionals.

LymeLess describes capabilities involving:

Symptom and Treatment Tracking

Patients can record symptoms, treatments, and changes in how they feel over time.

Tracking this information may help individuals identify patterns worth discussing with their healthcare providers.

Organizing Medical Information

The platform is designed to bring medical history, treatment details, and other health information into a more accessible format.

This may be particularly useful for patients who struggle with brain fog, memory difficulties, or extensive medical records.

Educational Support

Ella provides access to Lyme-related information and resources intended to help patients become more informed about their conditions.

Preparing for Medical Appointments

By organizing symptoms, treatment histories, and questions, patients may be better prepared to communicate with their healthcare professionals.

Learning From Community Experiences

LymeLess aims to use aggregated patient experiences to help identify patterns and provide additional context for people navigating similar challenges.

The company hopes this approach will eventually support more personalized care and research.

These are platform capabilities and goals described by LymeLess, not independently established evidence that AI can identify effective treatments or improve clinical outcomes.

Ella is a care management and educational tool, not a replacement for a licensed healthcare professional.

Can Artificial Intelligence Help Patients Navigate Lyme Disease?

Rich and Carter discuss how artificial intelligence could change the way patients access information.

Many people with Lyme disease spend substantial time researching symptoms, comparing treatment experiences, looking for specialists, and searching online communities for answers.

This process can become exhausting, especially for patients experiencing cognitive difficulties.

Carter believes AI may help reduce that burden by organizing information and making relevant resources easier to find.

He describes a future in which patients can draw on educational materials, personal health data, and insights from people with similar experiences.

The goal is not to replace medical judgment but to help patients arrive at appointments better informed and prepared.

AI-generated health information can still be incomplete or inaccurate, and patient experiences do not establish whether a treatment is safe or effective.

Treatment decisions should remain grounded in appropriate medical evaluation and discussions with qualified healthcare professionals.

Learning From the Lyme Disease Community

One of Carter's most ambitious goals involves the collective knowledge of the Lyme disease community.

He explains that patients frequently discover useful resources only after spending months or years searching.

Some find organizations, physicians, research, or support networks through chance encounters.

Others learn about potential treatment approaches through conversations with fellow patients.

Carter wants LymeLess to help people access relevant information earlier in their journeys.

He also believes that patient-reported experiences could eventually contribute to a better understanding of complex chronic illness.

By organizing information across many patients, the company hopes to identify patterns that could inform future research and care navigation.

This approach raises important questions about data quality, privacy, consent, and how patient-reported outcomes should be interpreted.

But it also reflects a growing interest in involving patients more directly in healthcare innovation.

People living with chronic illness have valuable experiences that deserve to inform research, technology development, and healthcare conversations.

Making Lyme Disease Support More Accessible

During the interview, Carter explains that LymeLess had recently moved from private beta testing into an open beta phase.

He describes spending approximately 18 months speaking with patients, clinicians, and organizations, including members of ILADS and the Lyme Clinical Trials Network, to better understand what patients needed.

The platform was designed with accessibility and affordability in mind.

Carter discusses a subscription model, scholarship opportunities, and the longer-term goal of obtaining insurance coverage for services like LymeLess.

He recognizes that many people with complex chronic illness already face substantial financial burdens.

The company's goal is to make supportive technology available to as many patients as possible.

Since this interview, LymeLess has continued developing its platform. Its current website and app listings provide information about availability, features, and subscription options.

Explore the LymeLess Health website or find the app through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A Potential Collaboration With Tick Boot Camp

During the interview, Rich expresses enthusiasm for Carter and Payton's work.

He recognizes the similarities between the mission of LymeLess and Tick Boot Camp's commitment to educating and empowering people affected by Lyme disease.

Rich discusses how Tick Boot Camp has built an extensive library of interviews featuring patients, physicians, researchers, advocates, and other members of the Lyme disease community.

He suggests that this educational content could potentially contribute to the resources available through LymeLess.

Carter welcomes the idea of exploring collaboration and explains that partnerships with trusted voices in the Lyme community are important to the company's mission.

The discussion is exploratory; no formal partnership is announced during the interview.

Rich also invites Carter and Payton to return for a longer Tick Boot Camp interview to explore their experiences and technology in greater depth.

Their conversation highlights a shared belief that access to information, community, and patient experiences can help people feel less alone while navigating illness.

From Lyme Disease Patient to Healthcare Entrepreneur

Perhaps the most inspiring part of Carter's story is how his perspective changed after recovering.

He explains that losing basketball and struggling through college were painful experiences.

But those challenges also gave him a new sense of purpose.

He and Payton began thinking about how they could use their experiences to help others avoid similar difficulties.

Rather than allowing their illnesses to define their futures, they decided to build something for the community.

Carter's experience also illustrates the importance of family support.

His mother's persistence helped him recognize his symptoms and access medical care.

Today, he wants LymeLess to offer some of that same sense of support and direction to patients who may not have someone in their lives with similar knowledge or experience.

His story is a reminder that healing is possible, and the experiences of people who have lived through Lyme disease can become powerful tools for helping others.

Key Takeaways From Carter Bradsky

Lyme disease can affect entire families. Carter's mother, Carter, and his sister Payton all experienced significant health challenges.
Medical dismissal can delay answers. Carter describes his mother's lengthy diagnostic journey and the importance of finding a provider who considered tick-borne illness.
Lyme disease can disrupt major life milestones. Carter lost the opportunity to play competitive college basketball and struggled academically and socially.
Brain fog and cognitive symptoms can be debilitating. Memory loss and concentration difficulties affected his ability to participate in college life.
Chronic illness can be profoundly isolating. Carter remembers feeling disconnected from classmates and unaware of available support resources.
Treatment management can become overwhelming. Organizing medications, supplements, appointments, and symptoms adds another burden to patients already feeling unwell.
Family and community support matter. Carter credits his mother's experience and guidance with helping him navigate his illness.
Patient experiences can inspire innovation. Carter and Payton created LymeLess to address challenges they personally encountered.
AI may help organize complex health information. LymeLess aims to support symptom tracking, education, and preparation for medical appointments.
Technology should support—not replace—medical care. AI-generated insights require appropriate clinical interpretation.
Affordability is an important part of access. LymeLess is exploring ways to reduce barriers for patients who need support.
Recovery can create new purpose. Carter transformed a difficult personal experience into a mission to help the Lyme disease community.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

LymeLess Health

Lyme Disease Education and Community Resources

About This LIVE from ILADS Episode

This episode was recorded at the 2025 ILADS Conference in San Antonio, Texas, where Tick Boot Camp co-host Rich Johannesen interviewed Carter Bradsky, Lyme disease survivor and co-founder of LymeLess Health.

Carter shares his family's experience with Lyme disease, his reported Bartonella and Babesia coinfections, the loss of his college basketball opportunity, and the challenges of managing chronic illness while attending university.

He also introduces LymeLess, the AI-powered platform he founded with his sister Payton to help patients organize health information, track symptoms, access educational resources, and navigate complex care.

Their discussion explores the future of patient-centered technology, the value of lived experience, and the importance of making reliable information and supportive communities more accessible.

For anyone who has felt overwhelmed, isolated, or uncertain while navigating Lyme disease, Carter's story offers a message of hope: your experience matters, your voice deserves to be heard, and your journey may one day help someone else find their way forward.