Gretchen Perkowski loved her job as a hair stylist.
But constant fatigue and searing joint pain made it almost unbearable at times for Perkowski to work.
"There were times when I didn't know how I would get through the day," said Perkowski, 41. "When I wasn't working, all I'd do was sleep and lie on the couch. I was even starting to get confused about things, like I'd get up to go somewhere and forget where I was going."
Perkowski visited several physicians before one finally diagnosed the Erie woman with late-stage, or chronic, Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread primarily by black legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. The ticks pass the bacteria to humans when they feed on us.
Unlike swine flu, SARS and West Nile virus, Lyme disease has sickened people who live in northwestern Pennsylvania. Between five and 17 cases have been reported in Erie County every year since 1988.
"This is the time of year when we usually see cases," said Howard Nadworny, M.D., director of infection control at Saint Vincent Health Center. "The younger ticks are looking to feed."
And those ticks appear to be spreading out.
Deer ticks used to be found primarily at Presque Isle State Park, where more than half of them are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Now people are finding deer ticks in wooded areas throughout Erie County, said Nicole Phinney, an environmental protection specialist with the Erie County Department of Health.
"People are bringing in deer ticks from places like Corry," Phinney said. "We don't know if the ticks are infected, but they're out there."
Deer ticks are small, especially the nymphs, the young ticks that often feed on humans this time of year. They are about the size of a pinhead.
Most people don't realize it when a tick is feeding on them. They tend to like dark, moist areas, such as the back of the head or knees, the groin, or the armpit.
"That's why it's so important to check yourself over for ticks -- and have someone help you look in places you can't see -- whenever you go into the woods," said Christopher Keller, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology/immunology at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. "Ticks don't feed for up to 24 hours, so you have some time to remove them."
Phinney recommended removing a tick by using a pair of tweezers to grab it as close to your skin as you can.
"Then firmly pull it out as straight as you can," Phinney said. "But don't yank on it. Use steady, even pressure."
You can take or mail the tick to the Erie County Health Department, 606 W. Second St., for identification.
People who develop Lyme disease often see the initial symptoms seven to 14 days after a tick bite.
A bull's-eye skin rash is the most well-known symptom, but not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash. Other symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, stiff neck, fatigue and muscle aches.
"At this stage, Lyme disease responds well to the antibiotic doxycycline," Nadworny said. "That's why it's important to see your doctor."
Left untreated, the initial symptoms of Lyme disease will go away, but other, more serious symptoms will develop such as arthritis, muscle weakness, mood changes and sleep problems.
Perkowski said she felt some of those symptoms for years when they suddenly worsened about five years ago.
"I went through a time of stress and the joint pain and fatigue got much more unbearable," Perkowski said. "I was tired all the time."
The physician who diagnosed Perkowski with Lyme disease prescribed powerful antibiotics, which she has been taking now for more than three years.
It has improved her symptoms but not totally eliminated them.
"Most days I feel 90 to 95 percent normal," Perkowski said. "I still have some joint pain, but not what I used to feel."
Perkowski isn't alone in her battle. She said that two other members of her immediate family have been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
"You couldn't tell from looking at us that we all have this disease," said Perkowski, who asked that her family members not be identified. "But it has affected us. We're all still fighting it."
DAVID BRUCE can be reached at 870-1736 or by e-mail. To see more of the Erie Times-News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.GoErie.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Erie Times-News, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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