Sadly, that is not the case for everyone. Studies show that 1/2 of those bitten by the tick never see the tick or the rash. Heather was that person - she never saw the tick, she never had a rash.
It is still unclear when she was bitten. Was it during her summer beach trip to the Outer Banks, a trip home in August and September, or one of her many trips to Long Beach? She will never know.
Looking back, she started to express concerns about fatigue in Fall of 2014, but this seemed somewhat normal considering her 60+ hour work week. From late October until Thanksgiving, Heather was diagnosed and treated for the flu and several kidney infections.
It was Thanksgiving day when the tingling appeared in her fingers and toes. Within a week, the symptoms progressed and one day she was unable to feel her toes and she had a stabbing severe pain that shot up from her feet to her knees. It was then that Heather was admitted to the hospital and within days she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
Until then I never knew about Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium that is carried by a deer tick. I never knew that it could affect your central nervous system.
Keep in mind, Lyme is not easy to diagnose - I am sure you have heard that it is the great imitator. In Heather's case, even with the diagnosis, there were still concerns that she had another autoimmune disorder.
After a five day stay in the hospital, Heather was released from the hospital with a PICC line and she started a four week intravenous course of Ceftriaxone.
The American Lime Disease Foundation provides the following checklist of
common symptoms seen in various stages of Lyme Disease.
Localized Early (Acute) Stage:
Localized Early (Acute) Stage:
- Solid red or bull's-eye rash, usually at site of bite
- Swelling of lymph glands near tick bite
- Generalized achiness
- Headache
Early Disseminated Stage:
- Two or more rashes not at site of bite
- Migrating pains in joints/tendons
- Headache
- Stiff, aching neck
- Facial palsy (facial paralysis similar to Bell's palsy)
- Tingling or numbness in extremities
- Multiple enlarged lymph glands
- Abnormal pulse
- Sore throat
- Changes in vision
- Fever of 100 to 102 F
- Severe fatigue
Late Stage:
- Arthritis (pain/swelling) of one or two large joints
- Disabling neurological disorders (disorientation; confusion;
dizziness; short-term memory loss; inability to
concentrate, finish sentences or follow conversations;
mental "fog")
- Numbness in arms/hands or legs/feet
