DAYTON -- Imagine waking up every morning with the flu. That's how Angela Turner lives. On Wednesday morning, she was feeling well enough to step outside.
"Just fatigue, flu-like symptoms that were coming and going. All I could do was go to work, come home and go to bed, and I just felt like this isn't normal," said Angela.
Seven years and 35 doctors later, Angela finally got her diagnosis: Lyme Disease.
"I don't think it's that they were not wanting to help, but I just think that in this area, it's not on their radar," said Angela.
It is carried and transmitted through small black-legged ticks, known as deer ticks. It's rampant on the East Coast. In Ohio, much less so; but local health leaders say it is on the rise.
"It's something we're trying to catch up on in terms of reporting and identifying cases. But it's not something that's been here for a while, it's relatively new in Ohio."
"I used to go camping a lot, go hiking a lot, do all kinds of things, so I could have picked it up anywhere," said Angela.
Deer ticks are so hard to detect because they're so small. They're about the size of the tip of a sharpie pen. Hundreds of them can fit on the top of a dime.
"It just harbors in all of the tissues and it can even cross the blood-brain barriers so it causes neurological symptoms as well," said Angela, who never saw the tick and never got the tell-tale rash. Only about half do.
She takes 35 different medicines and supplements each day to combat the sore and inflamed joints, intense headaches, and fatigue. She mustered the strength to speak out, with the support of her mom, in hopes that her story will help others detect their illness earlier.
"Go to your doctor right away, it's not going to hurt having a two-week course of antibiotics preventatively, in case it was Lyme disease," said Angela, who is starting IV treatments that should help. At 32, she's ready to start living again
"When I feel better, I'm going to train for a marathon. You can't stop me, I'm going to be making up for lost time."
To protect your family, make sure you and your kids are all covered up, especially in grassy areas, and remember light-clothing helps repel ticks. You can use DEET because the ticks hate the chemicals. Most importantly, when you come in, always check you and your child's body thoroughly. If you see one, remove it with tweezers.
The state is no longer testing the ticks due to budget cuts, but Dayton Montgomery County Public Health will identify it for you, so you know if you need treatment.
"Just fatigue, flu-like symptoms that were coming and going. All I could do was go to work, come home and go to bed, and I just felt like this isn't normal," said Angela.
Seven years and 35 doctors later, Angela finally got her diagnosis: Lyme Disease.
"I don't think it's that they were not wanting to help, but I just think that in this area, it's not on their radar," said Angela.
It is carried and transmitted through small black-legged ticks, known as deer ticks. It's rampant on the East Coast. In Ohio, much less so; but local health leaders say it is on the rise.
"It's something we're trying to catch up on in terms of reporting and identifying cases. But it's not something that's been here for a while, it's relatively new in Ohio."
"I used to go camping a lot, go hiking a lot, do all kinds of things, so I could have picked it up anywhere," said Angela.
Deer ticks are so hard to detect because they're so small. They're about the size of the tip of a sharpie pen. Hundreds of them can fit on the top of a dime.
"It just harbors in all of the tissues and it can even cross the blood-brain barriers so it causes neurological symptoms as well," said Angela, who never saw the tick and never got the tell-tale rash. Only about half do.
She takes 35 different medicines and supplements each day to combat the sore and inflamed joints, intense headaches, and fatigue. She mustered the strength to speak out, with the support of her mom, in hopes that her story will help others detect their illness earlier.
"Go to your doctor right away, it's not going to hurt having a two-week course of antibiotics preventatively, in case it was Lyme disease," said Angela, who is starting IV treatments that should help. At 32, she's ready to start living again
"When I feel better, I'm going to train for a marathon. You can't stop me, I'm going to be making up for lost time."
To protect your family, make sure you and your kids are all covered up, especially in grassy areas, and remember light-clothing helps repel ticks. You can use DEET because the ticks hate the chemicals. Most importantly, when you come in, always check you and your child's body thoroughly. If you see one, remove it with tweezers.
The state is no longer testing the ticks due to budget cuts, but Dayton Montgomery County Public Health will identify it for you, so you know if you need treatment.
