Hi Writeart.
I also tried to put a timeline on my illness. Boy it was tough.
I was one of those annoying never-been-sick-a-day-in-her-life people. I didn't have my 1st headache till I was 30 yrs old.
I had a red itchy oval on my right shin. It was roughly circular but no bulls-eye at all. It came and went for a year or two or even three? I dismissed it. I was a type-A single mom and had 2 kids to put through private school, a fixer-upper house, a full time job and a gig teaching ballroom dance.
I didn't have time to stop for an itchy rash. (stupid move for such a smart woman!)
One winter after the rash appeared, my knees were killing me. I thought middle-age was kicking in and I dismissed that also.
My debilitating symptoms didn't kick in for a long time; at least one year, three years possibly.
I had an accident where my truck flipped over and soon after that the rest of my symptoms kicked it into high gear. A stressful event can reduce the body's immunity and bring out Lyme in full force. I think that's what happened to me.
Shortly afterwards I began to walk into walls, had facial numbness, frequently could not comprehend what people were saying to me, fatigue like you wouldn't believe, short term memory almost non-existent, trouble speaking, gained 90 lbs in 3 months and my hair fell out in clumps.
I was a wreck!!
So it took years for my full-blown symptoms to come to the surface.
After bouncing from one specialist to anotherr, I got my real diagnosis of Lyme, CDC positive and all.
I used to never sit down- I was always doing yard work, or spackling, or installing cabinets or something. I could have bitten but unless that tick bit me on the tip of my nose and left her autograph in neon green - no way I would have been aware.
I don't have deer around my property. I live in Ocean County. However, I have since learned that ticks can bite any mammal and transmit bacteria: squirrels, pigeons, rabitts, etc.
So I could have bitten mowing the lawn, pulling ivy, cutting down trees, pulling up shrubs, etc and got Lyme disease. Scary thought!
My memory was just too much like swiss cheese to try to pin down the date. I wish I could!
I do know that when I Herx, that old itchy rash comes back. I also get a bulls-eye rash on my left calf.
So guess what? That is my proof that I have Lyme and I got bit on my right and left legs and I will fight this to the death.
If you can nail it to a month or season or year, you're lucky. That may help your doctor with your treatment.
Maybe you body was able to fight off the infection until your stress hit?
I remember that warm winter - I'll take that weather any year!
Good luck with your appointment. Maybe you can take notes of your timeline and bring it to the doctors with you?
Peace and health to you,
Mickie
