Saskatchewan woman devastated by Lyme disease; misdiagnosed in Saskatchewan she says

[Trellie]

This is yet another story of a person who has seen the worst of the medical profession in her country; Canada. She was finally diagnosed in the US after a while.

Bit by a tick near Fishing Lake in June 2009, Tera Hunter said she was infected with Lyme disease — an affliction she’s had to live with ever since.

When she began to notice symptoms, she was pregnant with her son Harrison. When she visited a hospital, staff were unable to determine what was causing her physical and thinking problems, she said.

“At one point, they thought I had MS, so I did MRIs and CT scans and multiple blood tests.”

“Once I had my son, I plummeted terribly,” she recalled. “I couldn’t function at all.”

After her son’s birth, doctors told her she was just tired and depressed, Hunter said.

“I’d feed (my son) while I was laying down because I was too dizzy to get up.”

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[lymegreen]

I feel as if misdiagnosis seems to occur in just about every single case of Lyme Disease - it's tough because the symptoms mimic so many other things

Again I am so surprised that Canadians are having such a struggle with getting diagnosed and having to go to the US for diagnosis. Before reading some of these articles I always thought Canada was truly a leader with medical care but maybe it's just to do with so many instances of Lyme occurring in the US.

 

[Trellie]

They have free universal health care, and just like it happens with that kind of health care... there are limitations I think the main reason they are having to travel abroad to get that diagnosis, is the same one you mentioned: more Lyme cases. Because well, I think we can do more in terms of awareness.

 

[lymegreen]

They have free universal health care, and just like it happens with that kind of health care... there are limitations I think the main reason they are having to travel abroad to get that diagnosis, is the same one you mentioned: more Lyme cases. Because well, I think we can do more in terms of awareness.

Ahh, I see - I guess free doesn't necessarily mean that it covers everything! I absolutely think that like you said, awareness is key. I think slowly we are getting there. I guess Rome wasn't built in a day and the same goes for Lyme awareness and education - but piece by piece I think it's becoming more understood.

 

[oportosanto]

Yep, misdiagnoses will only disappear when more awareness is created.

 

[Azrile]

I feel as if misdiagnosis seems to occur in just about every single case of Lyme Disease - it's tough because the symptoms mimic so many other things

People need to UNDERSTAND this. If you did not see the tick, and you did not tell your doctor about the rash... then the other symptoms are MUCH more frequently seen in about 5 other conditions.

This is why our emphasis should be on educating the public about checking for ticks and recognizing the rash, because without those two pieces of information given to the doctor, all doctors WILL misdiagnose Lyme Disease.

There is a saying in medicine, when you hear hooves, think horses not zebras. In other words, when you see symptoms, you think first about the things most likely to cause it and work your way down the list. For most symptoms of Lyme Disease, Lyme Disease is waaaay down the list even for areas of the country where it is most common because there are other things much more common.

 

[lymegreen]

People need to UNDERSTAND this. If you did not see the tick, and you did not tell your doctor about the rash... then the other symptoms are MUCH more frequently seen in about 5 other conditions.

This is why our emphasis should be on educating the public about checking for ticks and recognizing the rash, because without those two pieces of information given to the doctor, all doctors WILL misdiagnose Lyme Disease.

There is a saying in medicine, when you hear hooves, think horses not zebras. In other words, when you see symptoms, you think first about the things most likely to cause it and work your way down the list. For most symptoms of Lyme Disease, Lyme Disease is waaaay down the list even for areas of the country where it is most common because there are other things much more common.

That's great advice! I only have experience with Lyme through my niece, and of course as a child that's tough trying to get a Lyme diagnosis because kids can't really explain what a tick is or that they got bitten by something necessarily.

Loved the analogy though about thinking horses not zebras - I totally see where you're coming from!

 

[Azrile]

That's great advice! I only have experience with Lyme through my niece, and of course as a child that's tough trying to get a Lyme diagnosis because kids can't really explain what a tick is or that they got bitten by something necessarily.

Loved the analogy though about thinking horses not zebras - I totally see where you're coming from!

I grew up on cental PA, and my grandparents did mention about looking for ticks ( and probably when i was very young, they did the inspections themselves).

The world has gotten busier though, and how many parents either don´t know about Lyme Disease or would not make the time to inspect their kid in the bathtub after a day in the woods. On the plus side, we have the internet now so kids and parents who do see the rash are able to easily find pictures of it. Back in they day, i would imagine just by going by word descriptions, ringworm and the Lyme Disease rash were frequently confused by parents because the description is the same even if they look nothing alike

 

[lymegreen]

I grew up on cental PA, and my grandparents did mention about looking for ticks ( and probably when i was very young, they did the inspections themselves).

The world has gotten busier though, and how many parents either don´t know about Lyme Disease or would not make the time to inspect their kid in the bathtub after a day in the woods. On the plus side, we have the internet now so kids and parents who do see the rash are able to easily find pictures of it. Back in they day, i would imagine just by going by word descriptions, ringworm and the Lyme Disease rash were frequently confused by parents because the description is the same even if they look nothing alike

That's absolutely one of the best things about the internet. I don't always agree with self diagnosing online (because it can make a person paranoid!) but certainly for help identifying rashes and so forth it's a brilliant tool just to get some idea of what you're looking for.

Plus, to me another great thing about the internet is the support. Being able to connect with others who are personally in the same boat, or who may have friends or family in the same boat, certainly makes it easier in not feeling alone with the disease.

 

[zerthi]

This proves how easily Lyme disease can be misdiagnosed when a tick or the rash are not clearly identified as one of the causes. Since lyme disease symptons are quite similar to other conditions.