Lyme disease has really affected my life, says mum
53-YEAR-OLD OPENS UP ON DEBILITATING ILLNESS
A NORTH East woman has opened up on the “isolation” of living with Lyme disease after contracting the condition three years ago.
Kay Gibb, 53, who lives in Pennywell, Sunderland, now spends “a lot of time in bed” and only goes out “once every couple of months” after catching the tick-borne disease.
It is thought to affect around 2,0003,000 people very year in the UK, though charity Lyme Disease UK estimates that this number could be far higher.
Kay caught the disease during the summer of 2021, when her dog Buddy passed ticks onto her at home.
What Kay didn’t know is there was a hedgehog nest in her garden which the boxer/staffordshire bull terrier cross lay on before coming inside.
As Buddy wasn’t up to date with his latest flea and tick treatment, he passed the blood-sucking insects onto her.
A few hours later, Kay noticed eight ticks on her body, which she pulled out with tweezers.
Days later, she found “bullseye” rashes on her legs, chest and feet.
Bullseye rashes are circular or oval shaped and develop around the tick bite, and can appear up to three months after being bitten by an infected tick.
For Kay, it was just a matter of days before her rashes appeared, and the 53-year-old went straight to her GP for a course of antibiotics.
However, she is one of the unlucky five to 10% of people infected with Lyme disease who now has what the NHS calls post-treatment Lyme syndrome.
Though many people recover fully and have no long-term symptoms when Lyme disease is correctly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics, some do not recover and continue to have symptoms.
The NHS says it is unclear why this happens, and as such there is no agreed treatment for the chronic condition.
Former bank account manager Kay told the Sunday Sun: “I didn’t realise how bad it would be. I’d heard of Lyme disease but I didn’t think it was something you’d get in this country.
“I thought you’d only get it abroad. Before I Googled how to remove a tick and found out about Lyme disease, I hadn’t heard much about it.”
Kay was already registered as disabled before she contracted Lyme disease, due to having ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) and
Meniere’s disease, an ear condition that can cause sudden attacks of vertigo. The severity of her conditions means she had to take early retirement.
Kay added: “It’s really affected my life completely now. The initial symptoms are like flu, so you’re very achy and poorly.
“It’s frustrating because you can’t get the treatment that you need unless you pay privately, which because I’m not working,
“I can’t afford to do it. It’s very frustrating, it’s very isolating, and there’s not enough research into it.”
The last three years have also had an effect on Kay’s teenage daughter Chloe, 17.
Kay added: “It was upsetting for her to see me so bad at first.
“Now, she’s terrified of going out in long grass, she’s very paranoid about getting ticks, or seeing ticks on things. What’s happened to me has made her aware of what could happen.”
Despite Buddy bringing the ticks into Kay’s home, she said that he is a huge comfort to her. She said: “I don’t blame him, it’s not his fault.
“He’s the reason I’m still here because if I’m down, if I’m really poorly, he’s giving me cuddles, he’s a very good support.
“If I’m really good, everybody knows because the dog won’t leave me – he’s really good, I love him.”
And, she makes sure that she is up to date on Buddy’s flea and tick treatment.
She said: “It was partly my own fault because he was overdue his flea and tick treatment, I’m very vigilant now and because of his treatment if he gets anything on him, it would just fall straight off.”
Charity Lyme Disease UK has supported Kay during her ordeal and aims to raise awareness of the condition.
They say that misdiagnosis and late diagnosis can be common with the condition, especially if the person doesn’t develop a rash or isn’t aware that they have been bitten.
Not all ticks are infected with Lyme disease, but those which most commonly are the nymph and female adult.
Ticks can be as small as poppy seeds when they are in the nymph stage of development.
A spokesperson for Lyme Disease UK said: “Lyme disease can be a very debilitating illness and it’s important it is diagnosed and treated started as quickly as possible. Generally awareness amongst the general public and frontline health professionals is low in the UK but it is improving. It’s essential to prevent it if you can and to know what to look out for if you have been bitten.