This Mom Has a Major Warning About the Lesser Known Symptoms of Lyme Disease

During the summer, the risks of tick-based illnesses is dangerously high and the symptoms of lyme disease are sometimes easy to miss. Natalie Renee spelled that out in a devastating Facebook post that has nearly 250,000 shares as of July 12.

Last month, Renee posted on Facebook to explain what happened. She began by breaking down her daughter’s symptoms.

“So my healthy baby girl woke up Tuesday a.m. with a headache around 5 a.m. no fever just her head hurt more so on one side but nothing was there when I examined her,” she wrote. “By 10:30 a.m. she was unable to walk her fever was almost 104 and nothing touched it. I rechecked her head bc she kept complaining and found a quarter size lump on the right side of her head that by 4 p.m. had become the ugliest looking wound I have ever seen. I was told at first it was a spider bite she was treated and sent home.”

However, the treatments didn’t work, and Natalie Renee’s daughter only got worse.

“Within hours the wound looked even worse had a white and red ring around it the fever was unstoppable,” she wrote. “She screamed in pain nonstop bc (sic) she was unable to move her head /neck or even walk, she was dizzy, confused and her knees were swollen and painful and I drove her to children’s (Hospital) a mess scared to death bc (sic) I never saw anything like this in 13 years of nursing.”

While the children’s hospital had a team of specialists that made Renee feel more comfortable, answers were still hard to come by.

“Immediately upon arriving to children’s they reassured me everything would be done they would figure it out,” she wrote. “I was hopeful we were in the right place then every team from neurologists, infectious disease, dermatology and who knows what else saw her. Everyone scratched their heads just like me. Everyone wanted a picture of the bite bc it was definitely not something they had seen before and I think between the pics and telling the same story over and over and about 30 physical exams we both were frustrated. She was getting no better at all in fact worse despite the antibiotic and meds and fluids. So yesterday was hard.”

Hours later without any news, doctors finally reached a diagnosis.

“Then finally we had a diagnosis around 11 pm while it was not a typical presentation of a bulls eye bite and her symptoms were a little off she has lyme disease. She got her first does of cefuroxime late last night and thank god this morning is the first time in days I saw her walk by herself  eat, drink and is talking my ear off again about everything. I am so thankful we came to the right place. God is good, I m hopeful for a full recovery.”

While Renee’s daughter’s symptoms didn’t perfectly match up with those normally associated with Lyme disease — like the specific style of bite and rash — she did suffer from headaches, fever, and joint pain.

Natalie Renee ended her Facebook message with a call to parents to remain vigilant for ticks, bites, and any possibly signs of Lyme disease.

“I wanted to share so maybe we could help maybe prevent this from happening to anyone else,” she wrote. “Lyme disease is on the rise and the type Natasha has attacked her nervous system. I just ask to please take precautions to prevent ticks with your children and yourself. I never saw a tick on Natasha so even if you don’t see one check their skin for bites and know this is something in our local area and so scary.  I don’t know what would have happened to her had I not made the drive to have this team of highly educated minds figure her out and get her on the road to recovery.”