Mandy Green never found a tick on her 5-year-old son. Chase Green just woke up one day with a red patch on his cheek. By the next day, Mandy found the telltale circular rash on his shoulder. Her first thought was Lyme disease.
She took him to the Emergency Department, where they waited for hours, during which time more rashes appeared. Mandy took him home, thinking it was hives. Chase was given Benadryl, but then started complaining about a headache and stiff neck.
The symptoms persisted on Monday morning and they went back to the ER, where the doctor did blood work and a throat swab. He was sent home with a prescription for antihistamine. Chase saw his family doctor on Tuesday and they were told to wait for the test results. He had 10 rings now, all rapidly growing in size.
That afternoon, Chase was so ill he could barely stand. Mandy took him to CHEO, where he was diagnosed with early disseminated Lyme disease and Meningitis.
If left untreated, Lyme can cause permanent nervous system damage. Chase was hooked up to an IV and put on antibiotics.
He got home yesterday and is feeling much better, according to Mandy. She says his prognosis looks good and he should make a full recovery.
Mandy noted there’s been more cases of Lyme in the area since 2017 than there was between 2006 and 2017. She questioned why it’s still not being caught.
Mandy says it’s time for local doctors to learn the symptoms of Lyme, so something like this doesn’t happen again.
She urges people to check their kids and themselves twice a day for ticks. She noted ticks need to be on you for 36 to 48 hours to pass the bacteria that causes Lyme, so if you check twice a day you’ll never reach that point. Mandy says people need to advocate for themselves and if you think something’s wrong, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.