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Marie Turley
Davidson County, Tennessee
Total cost:
$29,000
Number of family members with LD: 1
Lost work/school: work--$20,000
Number of years sick: 5
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In June of 1990,
I discovered a tick on my back. It was surprising because my
clothes and body had been sprayed with bug repellent. I had been
out in the woods for six hours, two days in a row as a performer
at a Renaissance Festival. For a few days, I felt a little under
the weather but attributed it to the exhausting work. A few days
after the bite, I noticed a very large rash with central clearing
around the bite area. Since it did not itch or hurt, I did not
seek medical treatment. I was unaware that what I had witnessed
was a telltale sign of Lyme disease. About one month after the
bite, I began to have unexplainable pain in my right shoulder
joint. A conversation with a friend convinced me to have a test
for Lyme. The results of an ELISA were negative so I eliminated
the possibility of Lyme disease. I didn't realize then that a
negative test was not conclusive proof of lack of infection.
At the time, I was working as a wallpaper hanger, singing professionally,
going to graduate school, and studying kung fu. This was very
normal for me because I thrived on the amount of diverse activity.
However, the fall following my bite, I felt overwhelmed and dropped
one of my graduate courses. I began to feel very stressed and
irritable. I noticed occasional pain in my right knee and feelings
of dizziness. Soon I began to cut back on work because I was
exhausted. By spring 1991, I was experiencing almost constant
pain in my joints, dizziness, extreme fatigue, chest pain, skin
sensitivity and ringing in my ears. My friend who had previously
suggested Lyme disease gave me some literature to read. I began
to see the connection between the onset of my symptoms and the
tick bite. Another ELISA came back negative. A third test was
performed and this time a Western blot was positive. I had to
go out of state to be treated by a knowledgeable doctor. In the
fall of 1991, he put me on a course of Biaxin which I continued
for three and a half years. During my illness, I was forced to
discontinue kung fu training, stop working almost completely
and reduce my course load to one class a semester. There were
many days when simply walking down the hall in my house was overwhelming.
I battled severe suicidal depression which was treated with Paxil.
Medication was also used to treat insomnia. A former professional
actress, I experienced difficulty speaking including stumbling
over words and stuttering. Many times I had great trouble with
my previously excellent memory. There were many days when I thought
I would never feel good again. However, thanks to treatment,
I am now well, off medication entirely and recently gave birth
to a healthy child. This past spring (1997), I finally graduated
with my Master of Arts degree. If I had not been fortunate enough
to have a friend who informed me of this terrible disease and
locate a doctor courageous enough to treat me, I believe that
I would either be dead now or crippled, bedridden and severely
mentally ill. Lyme disease is a real threat to our population.
With proper diagnosis and treatment, there is hope. My fear is
that so many more will continue to suffer, with needless cost
in terms of lives and productivity. |
