"Tick bite related illness"

THE JOURNEY-Misdiagnosed and left to the mercy of late stage Lymes

(I am a 55 year old female)

Up until finding a tick with its head buried deep into my groin area in May 2006 I had been a lucky individual enjoying excellent health, having only needed a doctor's consultation two or three times in the previous 5 years. How things changed. This is my story that has left me not only traumatised by the treatment and verbal humiliation dished out to me by the learned local doctors but has consequently left me a very angry and frustrated person indeed re-living the nightmare on a regular basis. Thankfully I finally found a doctor in another part of the country who specialises in tick borne diseases since being bitten himself 20 years ago and developing a mystery illness. He has researched the subject extensively with both medics and acadamics in various universities both here and in America. God bless him because had I not have found him I am very fearful as to what would have happened to me. He has treated me with a repeated combination of antibiotics over the past year and thank goodness I can now say that I feel I am 95% there. I am lucky enough to have been able to afford to be seen privately, the anitbiotics having cost me a fortune. (The doctor's charges are not expensive, in my opinion he offers his services because he cares.)

This is my story. ( I have no interest in retribution/litigation)

As stated I was bitten in May 2006. I undertook the removal of the tick myself, wrongly as it transpires as it was a complete mess by the time I had managed to remove it - I now know that this can cause the insect to regurgitate the contents of it's stomach into you. My husband pursuaded me to ring the GP just as a precaution who immediately rang Musgrove for advice. He was told that as there was no rash it was highly unlikey that I had contracted Lymes disease and that there was a blood test that would diagnose if Lymes was a factor.

However, I now know that a) it was too early for the rash and b) that the blood test focuses on antibodies and antibodies would not have been present at that time. Having attended the annual Lymes conference last year chaired/panelled by consultants and doctors I am horrified how little attention is given to this illness at medical school (as stated by a current student). I was informed by a current student that at their medical school they are told that it is so rare that they need only to address the illness if they should come across it. But I feel that Lymes is becoming a real problem now in the UK and it is time that the medics address this illness. I know of 5 people within a 5 mile radius of myself who are all suffering after a tick bite. Etc