Colter B. Frazier
Tuolumne County, California

Total cost: $3,300
Number of family members with LD: 4
Lost work/school:
Number of years sick: 8 months

The third member of our family to contract Lyme Disease was my son Colter. By the time he contracted it I was definitely onto this 'insidious spirochete'. In the middle of April, 1995, at which time Colter was 13.5 years old, he had high tick exposure at my dad's ranch in Hollister, CA. One month later he experienced flu-like symptoms which included stomach aches and fever. He was ill for about one week then recovered. Eight weeks after the initial tick exposure he passed out while playing his clarinet at band camp. He was a very healthy and physically fit boy who rode his mountain bike extensively so this was very unexpected. He was knocked unconscious and sustained a concussion. He spent the rest of the day in the hospital recovering, having X-rays, CAT scans, and lab work. At this point, I was highly suspicious that he had contracted Lyme. I expressed my concern to the E.R. doctor who promptly told me that this was not a symptom of Lyme disease. My son was released from the hospital and quickly recovered at home from his head trauma. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be an isolated incident. Over the remainder of the summer he experienced this 'passing out' feeling a couple more times and, by September, they became frequent. Sometimes it occurred while playing his clarinet and sometimes while doing nothing. At this point, he was also beginning to experience a sleeping disorder. He would thrash around at night disrupting his bedding, knocking over lamps and rearranging things during the night. I never actually saw any of these episodes but saw the result of them in the morning. I returned to his pediatrician for evaluation. He informed me that my son may be suffering from a neurological disorder. Yes, that's what my concern was ... neurological Lyme disease! I requested he have an ELISA, and Western blots, both IGG and IGM. He asked me what a Western blot was for!! Well, not suprisingly, his Western blot came back positive with reactivity to 39, 41, and 93 kDa protein bands. He still wasn't convinced. Exposure in an endemic area, symptoms consistent with Lyme disease, two other family members currently under treatment for Lyme disease, and a positive test. What else was there to pursue? I did get him to write me a prescription for antibiotics and told him I would seek further advice from Dr. *****, a Lyme specialist in northern California.

Colter's story did have a happy ending. He was treated for three months and has remained symptom free for nearly two years. He has been in a high school Dixieland Band for nearly as long and is a very accomplished musician.