The many faces of Lyme disease continue to appear on the Cochrane landscape, as Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria-carrying blacklegged ticks do not know borders.
While public interest of the perplexing disease is piqued in the warmer months, as May is Lyme Awareness Month, advocates continue to drive the message that seasonal shifts have paved the way for ticks to be a year-round concern.
Cochranite Dale Rae, who penned a letter for the Nov. 9 edition of the Cochrane Eagle, told her story of her dog, Zorra, whose deteriorating health condition, beginning with a slight limp, led to a positive Lyme test and subsequent antibiotic treatment this past Thanksgiving.
Rae said she was startled that her “backyard dog” that never travels far from home was able to contract an illness long believed to be contracted in the deep woods.
“I’d read how often it gets overlooked or misdiagnosed in humans … that’s pretty scary, too, especially considering how many people were dubious that my backyard dog could possibly have encountered a tick,” said Rae, a 13-year Cochrane resident.
Although Zorra had the misfortunate of also having cancer, which was diagnosed shortly after her Lyme treatments began and ultimately led to her euthanasia earlier this month, Rae credits the proactive care of the staff at Arrowhead Veterinary Clinic for alleviating the suffering experienced by Zorra due to the Lyme. She said the clinic allowed her beloved companion of nine years to “die happy.”
Dr. Libby Fulton of Arrowhead confirmed the year-round concerns about Lyme disease are warranted.
Fulton has participated in the voluntary government tick surveillance program for several years and estimates that around 20 per cent of the deer ticks that are submitted and sent for Lyme testing are coming back positive.
“I think we do need to be concerned … there are a lot of concerns that the climate is getting warmer and that the tick species (the deer tick) associated with carrying Lyme disease is much more prevalent in Alberta,” said Fulton, a vet of 27 years.
It was in January of 2015 that Fulton discovered a Lyme-carrying tick between the toes of a dog that came into the clinic. This past summer, a lady with another “backyard dog” discovered her sheltered pooch had carried in a tick that was shaken off on the bed next to her sleeping toddler.
While the tick was not tested for Lyme, the discovery was a reminder of the quick transmission of ticks from household pets to humans.
Lyme: a human face
Cochranite Mike Stevenson, who has lived with the debilitating illness for six years and, like many Lyme sufferers, has fallen through the cracks of the medical system.
“The hardest part of fighting this disease is finding the proper medical care,” said Stevenson, who contracted Lyme following the discovery of an imbedded tick on his upper leg while undergoing mountain guide training.
Six weeks later he wound up in Foothills Hospital in Calgary via ambulance with heart concerns, which Stevenson explained was diagnosed and treated as myocarditis – a cardiac inflammation that can be caused by a viral infection.
Over the years, Stevenson began experiencing increasing symptoms common among Lyme sufferers – fatigue, headaches turning to chronic migraines, extreme light sensitivity, muscle and joint pain and sleeplessness.
His worsening symptoms affected every facet of his life, impeding his ability to work and function.
This past spring, Stevenson took an online questionnaire that revealed his symptoms were in line with Lyme disease, but when Stevenson initially tested for it, the test came back negative.
Upon learning that this was common due to the “inaccurate testing” afforded through the medical system, he was retested for the enzyme contained in Lyme by a local doctor, rather than the bacteria, which is often missed by the standard testing and wound up with a positive diagnosis.
He has been diagnosed as a Stage 3 Lyme sufferer, meaning that sporadic antibiotic treatment can only temporarily alleviate his symptoms as he awaits securing funds travel to the U.S. for more aggressive therapy to better treat his Lyme disease and buy him back some quality of life.
His current treatment includes bouts of doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat infections caused by bacteria, and his refusal to manage his pain with opioids has him taking cymbalta for nerve pain.
Lyme sufferers previously interviewed by the Eagle have frequently made the case that the medical community is behind in both testing and treatment – leaving sufferers misdiagnosed with other diseases that mimic the symptoms of Lyme, including fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, among others.
This sentiment is echoed by the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, CanLyme.
While early diagnosis of Lyme is usually effective when treated short-term with antibiotics, diagnoses and treatment of Lyme once the disease has set in and becomes chronic remains a grey area and sufferers are often left paying out-of-pocket for naturopathic and alternate therapies.
Lyme sufferers in Alberta maintain that the government statistics are not an accurate representation of those living with the disease. According to the Centre for Disease Control in the U.S., Lyme is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the country, with the highest concentrations in the northeastern states.
This has prompted Stevenson to found the Cochrane-based Lyme support foundation – Lyme Warriors of Canada. The foundation seeks to raise funds for Lyme sufferers to seek treatment and proper medical care in the United States.
The foundation is in the midst of setting up their charitable status and currently fundraises for the U.S-based LymeLight Foundation.
Lyme Warriors of Canada will be holding a fundraiser, Dance 4 Lyme, on Jan. 26, 2018, at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre. The event is $10, from 5 to 11 p.m. and for ages 15 years and up.
Members of the public are encouraged to submit ticks to most veterinary clinics, as there is no cost to those who participate associated with the government-funded tick surveillance program.
Those who wish to learn more about Lyme disease can visit canlyme.com or www.health.alberta.ca.
