Lyme Symptoms

 What is Lyme.

The symptoms are so far-ranging and vague. I believe they are a little different for everyone, based on what your bodies weaknesses are. 

Lyme is caused by a bacteria in your body. Not just your blood, but your tissues and your fat and your muscles and your lymphatic system, even in your bones if it has been in there long enough. The tiniest little tick bite starts everything. I pulled the tick off, and washed the area twice I was so grossed out. But it was too late. Nature's dirty needles, I heard someone refer to ticks as. 

Often your tick is carrying more than one bacteria and the second one is called a co-infection. It can be any number of secondary diseases, some common ones are:
Babesia
Bartonella - also carried by cats, otherwise known as cat scratch fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Anaplasma.
And many more.

Each of the above have their own specific set of symptoms. The recurring fever co-infections sound just horrible. A fever at the same time every 24 hrs. Imagine having a 3 hr fever every night from 1-4am?

My symptoms are:

1. Pain in joints. Knees, wrists, fingers, ankles, toes. I feel 100 some days. The wrist pain is the most difficult as it's like having carpal tunnel. I can't open cans, carrying Henry is the hardest.
2. Fatigue. More tired than I was in the first trimester of my pregnancy (when my body was making a placenta - a new organ). I assume it’s because my body is working really hard at fighting the infection.
3. Rashes, moving red lines, that come and go all over just under the skin.
4. Swollen lymph nodes, like golf balls.
5. A lump on my thumb that doesn't hurt but gets in the way when I try to strap the kids in carseats. 
6. A compromised immune system that leads to other issues, secondary infections in different areas of the body.
7. Weight loss. I lost 10 lbs overnight. I just woke up one day and my butt was completely gone. It felt like a strangers body. 
8. Skin changes. My skin is losing its elasticity. All the folds are increasing. My elbow folds now have 12 lines, instead of one. The bacteria is stealing my collagen. First it stole my fat, now my skin, and I feel like it's moved into my muscles as they appear more swollen to me right now. I really don't want it to move into my brain, but I hear that's next. Then the bones.

So that's what Lyme is, for me.