A New Brunswick woman is encouraging everyone to take steps to protect themselves from ticks.
During the first day of vacation, Christina Kitchen started to feel really sick.
“I came down with a fever, a really bad headache, chills, pains everywhere, mostly in my knees. So I just thought, I’ve got the flu. I just thought it’ll go away. So I thought, we’ll go ahead with the trip. So we went up to Woodstock to Yogi Bear camping. The cabin was already booked. My kids were really looking forward to it, so I decided to tough it out. But during the trip, I started to go downhill. By the last day, I was feeling so bad, I had to get to the hospital,” Kitchen told our newsroom.
The symptoms she was having matched those of meningitis, so they began treatment, but when the blood tests came back, the results were negative.
“I was on fluids through an IV for about five or six days. I was in isolation. If I had visitors, they had to put on the full gown, the mask, and the shield. But then, once the blood test came back, my results showed that I actually didn’t have meningitis. I also had to have a spinal tap. Towards the end of my hospital stay, my fevers were getting a little bit better, and my symptoms were getting a tiny bit better. One of the doctors said they were going to test me for Lyme disease.”
Kitchen said it’s something she never ever considered, because she didn’t have a tick bite, and she didn’t have the rash, and she had never removed a tick from her body.
“She just suggested it because she knew I lived in an area where ticks were a really bad problem. So she had me tested for Lyme, and then 10 days later, my results came back and I was positive,” Kitchen says.
She lives in the Millidgeville area near Saint John.
After doing some research, Kitchen discovered that 20 to 30 per cent of people do not develop a rash, and that makes it very tricky because many of the symptoms of Lyme disease are very similar to other diseases and infections.
Kitchen is undergoing treatment now, and is on antibiotics for 21 days.
“Then they’ll do a check to make sure that it’s gone. I’m feeling small improvements, but still dealing with really bad pain in my joints and the fatigue and brain fog, I think they call it Lyme brain,” Kitchen explained.
Last week, she shared her story on social media to raise awareness surrounding ticks and Lyme disease and the risks.
“I originally shared my experience on Facebook just to update my family and friends, just because a lot of them had questions and concerns. But then the post started getting shared, and I think it’s been shared over 1600 times. I just hope that it does spread awareness. I just want people to take prevention seriously and just know the signs and symptoms to protect yourself. If you’re going out in the woods or grassy areas, wear long socks or long pants if possible. I know it’s hard when it’s hot, but it’s worth it.
Use tick repellent and then do regular checks of your entire body,” Kitchen says
She adds that if she can just help one person get diagnosed sooner, or take tick prevention more seriously. It’s worth it.
“I just want people to know that Lyme doesn’t always come with a rash or a warning.”
