In late 2013 I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I wonder how many Marilyn baggers have also picked up this disease on the hills. We are especially vulnerable because most of our walking is in the Scottish Highlands which are a hotspot for the disease. To get to many of the pathless tops we often have to plough through kilometres of vegetation where the ticks are waiting.
I had never really taken ticks and Lyme disease very seriously; I just pulled them off thinking that the chance of one being infected was very remote. Although there were only nine cases in Wales in 2013, this disease is now becoming more common there. A real problem is that it is so difficult to diagnose.
My symptoms appeared in mid-2012 with numbness in my feet that soon spread up to my waist. I had caught it some time earlier but the usual tell-tale sign, a distinctive circular skin rash, called erythema migrans or red bull's-eye, had not been seen. I was checked for spinal injury and had what turned out to be a false negative test result. I spent ten days in a neurology unit undergoing further tests. The only positive outcome was confirmation that nerves in my legs were not functioning correctly.
I gradually got better until able to tackle some fairly easy Marilyns in the spring of 2013. Then in July it all came back, including the crippling fatigue plus more severe neurological symptoms. Further tests were made and then at last a Lyme disease diagnosis. I received the standard treatment of a daily intravenous dose of antibiotics for a month to kill off the bacteria. By the end of 2013 I was waiting to see how my body was going to recover. At the time of writing, I can only walk a few hundred yards, and overwhelming fatigue is a daily problem.
The key message is that should any of you out there get similar symptoms, seriously consider Lyme disease as being a possible cause, especially if your illness appears to be a mystery. Continuously remind your GP and consultant about Lyme disease even if you have got negative results for it.
Useful information about the disease and symptoms can be found at: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-disease and www.lymediseaseassociation.org
