Write On: ‘It Bit My Wife’

By PETER S. FERRARA<br>Record Columnist

The dermatologist (skin specialist) looked sad and serious. “In all the years I’ve been practicing medicine,” Dr. M.L.F. Knuckles said last week in her office in Corbin, “I have never seen this many tick bites. We have a bumper crop this year, along with the diseases they carry.”

Then she looked at my wife’s leg, frowned, and began writing prescriptions.

Like the rockets of old-- my wife’s infection has three stages. In Stage One, there is a red circle or bull’s-eye lesion (erythema migrans)) that spreads out from the site of the bite. This round marking can be as much as four or more inches wide. When it appears, influenza (flu) symptoms may accompany it. These might include fever, headache, and arthralgias, which are joint pains. It should be noted that this danger sign doesn’t always appear, so just because one doesn’t show up is no proof that you don’t have the disease.

As it progresses to Stage Two and traces of the bite disappear, the victim may develop heart trouble or neurological and brain disorders. But wait! It only gets worse from here. By the time you get to Stage Three, the illness has taken a firm hold that may stay with you for the rest of your life. Add arthritis and advanced neurological problems into the mix and you have one of the truly catastrophic diseases plaguing mankind.

What is it? It’s Lyme Disease, a devastating illness spread by certain ticks that is a growing menace we should all be aware of and know about. The most common carrier of this dreadful malady is the lowly deer tick (Ixodes Scapularis). Not much bigger than a pin head, this pest is hard to spot on the body and is present year round. Just because Summer’s over doesn’t mean the danger has passed.

It takes two years for this tick to complete its life cycle. That means that going from egg to adult to laying eggs is a long process, even lasting through the winter. So there is never a time when these ticks are not out there, hanging on blades of grass or the leaves of bushes, waiting for a “host” to wander by so they can hop on and cause their damage.

First detected in Lyme, Connecticut, this tick-borne menace has spread far and wide.

Depending on where you live, Lyme Disease may be present in from one percent to 90% of all ticks tested. Treated early, antibiotics like Doxycycline are highly effective in neutralizing the infection. Left untreated, this disease is a really nasty, life-changing menace.

The disease is actually delivered by the saliva of the infected tick as it bites. The tick also numbs the area around the bite, so you may never feel it. Lyme Disease utilizes a family of spirochetes to spread in the victim’s body. Spirochetes are bacteria so-named because they spin as they travel. Some spirochetes carry syphilis. You would be better off with those than with the Lyme spirochete. For as dreadful as syphilis is, Lyme Disease is worse.

Lyme spirochetes have the hefty Latin handle Borrelia burgdorferi. They may be microscopic, but the havoc they can wreak is awesome. Besides the common and tiny deer tick, other ticks have also been shown to carry it. These include the Western Black-legged Tick, the Lone Star Tick, and may also include the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick and Brown Dog Tick among others. The more we learn about Lyme Disease, the more “carriers” we discover for it.

The bottom line is to take every tick bite seriously. If you see the obvious warning signs, go immediately to the doctor. Lab testing for Lyme is also a tricky and not infallible process, so if you are going to make a mistake do it on the side of caution and assume you have the disease.

Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion, either. While the good folks at the McCreary Primary Care Center correctly diagnosed my wife’s condition, I sought a second opinion just to make sure.

That’s why I drove her to Corbin to see Dr. Knuckles.

My wife is taking the antibiotic Doxycycline along with an antihistamine. She is also using an ointment to treat the topical infection. She will be okay and not suffer the dire effects of this disease when left untreated. Look closely at the picture of her bite. If you or someone you love shows such a symptom-- Act Immediately! Time is of the essence. Get treatment. When in doubt, assume you have Lyme Disease and act accordingly. The destructive power of this illness cannot be overstated!

If you have access to the Internet, just “Google” “Lyme Disease Tick” and you’ll find 948,000 websites relating to it. “www.canlyme.org” is a great place to start. If you don’t have a computer, their phone number (in Canada) is (250) 768- 0978. Don’t fool around with this. What you don’t know or don’t do about Lyme Disease can dramatically change your life for the worse!

All this came from a tiny little deer tick. It bit my wife. But we bit back!