Where Did I Get This?

When I first started looking at Lyme as a possibility, I had no idea when or where I would have picked it up, having no recollection of ever having had a tick bite or rash. But as I have researched more and more, I am pretty confident that I know exactly when I got it. 

First, a few facts:

Ticks that can transmit Lyme to humans are in the nymph stage of their two-year life cycle. At this stage, they are usually about the size of a poppy seed, but can be as small as the period at the end of this sentence. 

Ticks like to hang out on blades of grass, the bark of trees, and ends of branches, waiting to latch on to unsuspecting passers-by.

Most Lyme rashes are not the well-known "bull's eye" that everyone associates with Lyme. In fact, the majority of reported rashes are nothing like that. One of the rashes that can indicate Lyme is a large, solid, oval-shaped, raised rash at least 4-5" in diameter that doesn't itch or burn. 

Rashes generally appear 10-14 days after a tick bite.

New England, particularly parts of Connecticut, Maine, New York and Massachusetts are considered endemic for Lyme Disease. Cape Cod is one of these places. 

The initial symptoms of Lyme (after the rash and immediate flu-like symptoms that occur in the first couple of weeks following a bite) begin to occur within 6 months to one year of an infected tick bite. 

How This Applies to Me:

In the summer of 2003 I spent 6 weeks in Boston, MA with my mom. We were there for her to get treatment for cancer at Brigham & Women's Hospital. While we were there, at the end of August, we visited Cape Cod for the day. This included a trip to the beach where we enjoyed the picturesque views and took a lot of pictures, including a few in the sea grass. 

About two weeks later, on September 11, 2003, (I remember the exact date because it was September 11th) we were back in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. As I undressed to shower that evening I noticed a large, red, raised rash on my hip. It was probably 6-7" in length and 4-5" high. It didn't itch or burn. I showed my mom, who encouraged me to see the doctor. When I did go to the doctor, the rash was dismissed as an allergic reaction of some kind, possibly to laundry soap. I remember seriously doubting that at the time, but not knowing of any other plausible explanation, I let it go. 

My first strange symptoms, (that I've had on and off for the last five years) began in January of 2004. Random low-grade fevers, usually at night, coupled with night sweats, frequent sore throats, and mild joint pain & swelling, all combined to cause me more than a little concern. When I went to the doctor about these and other symptoms including heart palpitations and thinning hair, (I know it's hard for some of you to believe, but my hair used to be much thicker) I felt completely dismissed. 

My mom had died in late December 2003, less than a month previous, and the doctors felt that I was having anxiety associated with what they described as the fear that I had cancer, too. At the time I remember thinking sarcastically that fevers could not be triggered by anxiety...but I didn't say that to the doctor. Initially, back in 2004, as my symptoms and doctors visits continued, I was put on a couple different anti-depressants. They didn't provide any relief from the symptoms, and I soon quit taking them. Over the last five years, as the symptoms have not only continued, but have gotten progressively worse, I have continued to feel dismissed by doctors. I think the timing of all of this probably made my journey to a diagnosis a lot more difficult, although most people with Lyme are routinely misdiagnosed for several years. 

When I went to my appointment on Monday to get my test results, the doctor told me that I had the East Coast Lyme profile, (infected ticks from different geographical areas carry different co-infections...other tick-bourne bacteria that can help to determine where a person became infected. East coast ticks carry Erlichia, west coast ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, etc.) She then quizzically looked at me and said, "But you've never lived on the East Coast." I then explained the six weeks I had spent in Boston, and her chin nearly hit the floor. After explaining the other details I listed above, we are both convinced that I got this in late August 2003. 

The good news is that I've only had this for five years. Sure, it's longer than what you would hope to have these bugs in your body, trying to take over. But it's not as long as what the doctor had originally thought, and that's great news. It means I have a very good chance that we'll be able to resolve and reverse all of the symptoms, perhaps within the next six months; AND that I have an excellent shot at making a full recovery, within possibly the next two years. I'm absolutely elated at the thought of getting my life back.