As a child growing up in Pretoria, I loved to explore the outdoors. I spent hours in the fields and streams near my home and often ventured into the nearby Magaliesburg mountains. My love of exploring led to many tick bites, which caused me to contract tick bite fever several times, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks.
In those days, no laboratory testing available to confirm the diagnosis of tick bite fever. Treatment meant staying in bed and taking over-the-counter medications for fever and pain.
Tick bite fever is a serious condition that can be fatal, especially in young children and the elderly. If you think you may have been bitten by a tick, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible. Treatment with antibiotics can be effective in preventing serious complications.
Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when you are in tick-infested areas.
Use insect repellent that contains DEET or Permethrin. Both products are available in South Africa.
Check your body for ticks after spending time in tick-infested areas.
Remove ticks promptly if you find them.
Rickettsiae are a diverse group of vector-borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. The two common spotted fever diseases in existence in southern Africa are boutonneuse fever-like Tick Bite Fever, caused by Rickettsia conorii, and African Tick Bite Fever, caused by R. africae.
Quote: extract from karger.com/Article/Fulltext/495475
In addition to tick bite fever, I also suffered from schistosomiasis (bilharzia) twice during my teens. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that is transmitted through contact with contaminated freshwater. I contracted schistosomiasis from swimming in freshwater dams.
The symptoms of schistosomiasis can include fever, joint pain, muscle pain, and blood in the stool or urine. I remember experiencing all of these symptoms when I was infected with schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes.
Many individuals do not experience symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they usually take 4–6 weeks from the time of infection. The first symptom of the disease may be a general feeling of illness. Within 12 hours of infection, an individual may complain of a tingling sensation or light rash, commonly referred to as "swimmer's itch", due to irritation at the point of entrance. The rash that may develop can mimic scabies and other types of rashes. Other symptoms can occur 2–10 weeks later and can include fever, aching, a cough, diarrhea, chills, or gland enlargement.
Quote: Wikipedia.org
Post College
While doing my compulsory Military training at the Naval Gymnasium in Saldanha Bay, I had Rickettsia (tick bite fever) but was treated with antibiotics.
Many years later I moved to Zimbabwe (then named Rhodesia), I had Bilharzia again.
I've been bitten by ticks in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Spain, Germany and the U.S.A over the years and suffered from severe symptoms.
New discovery, changes things
After reading a PDF document I recently discovered on the internet, my understanding of the source of my Chronic Lyme Disease (sometimes referred to as PTLD - Post Treatment Lyme Disease) has changed.
The document is a 126 page dissertation for a Master Science Degree written by Khethiwe Mtshali at the University of the Free State titled Molecular Detection of Zoonotic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Livestock in Different Provinces of South Africa.
It shows that "Borrelia burgdorferi" bacterium has been found in ticks in South Africa.
The PDF document will open in a new browser tab if you wish to read it.
View Document
Borrelia burgdorferi are bacterial species of the spirochete class in the genus Borrelia, some of which cause Lyme borreliosis (also known as Lyme disease) in humans.
Quote: Wikipedia.org
This study, therefore, reports on the positive detection of B. burgdorferi with PCR, detected from ticks collected from livestock in Eastern Cape and Free State Provinces. Moreover, it can be suggested that the aforementioned ticks are possible vectors of the pathogen and that the ruminants act as hosts for adult stages of the tick vectors as well as reservoirs of the pathogen.
Quote: From page 88 of Khethiwe Mtshali's dissertation
What changed?
Step back in time
My understanding of where my Lyme disease originated changed when I revisited my medical and diary notes going back to my childhood. Khethiwe Mtshali's dissertation made all the pieces of my medical puzzle fit.
I now believe that there is a strong possibility that I was infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease before it was named by the scientist Willy Burgdorfer in 1982.
I first experienced fainting and heart palpitations in Zimbabwe in 1969. I strongly suspect that this was the start of Lyme carditis, or some tick-borne variant of carditis, which progressively got more frequent.
While living in Durban from 1973 to 1982, I lost many days from work due to these spells. The doctors I consulted had no idea what the cause was.
I believe that I was infected with the Lyme disease bacterium during my childhood, and that the symptoms of my infection have been getting progressively worse over time.
I hope that my story will help to raise awareness of the risks of Lyme disease and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
World Famous Heart Surgeon
In 1983, while living in Johannesburg, South Africa, I again experienced a series of severe fainting spells. I sought the help of a world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Marius Barnard, who together with his brother Professor Chris Barnard, performed the world's first heart transplant operation in 1967.
Dr. Barnard examined me and asked me to walk on a treadmill while wired up to instruments. As expected, no unusual symptoms appeared. However, while we were seated talking at his desk, I began to feel dizzy and faint. Fortunately, I was still wired up, and Dr. Barnard saw that my heart rate and blood pressure had dropped dramatically. The E.C.G didn't make any sense to him, and there was no obvious reason for what was happening.
Dr. Barnard called on a fellow heart surgeon, Dr. Girdwood, who was in the same building, to give a second opinion. They were both puzzled and could not explain the cause of my problem. After 30 minutes, the problem went away and my blood pressure and heart rate returned to normal.
If only I had known about the long-term side effects that tick bites can have, I might have been able to get treatment sooner and avoid some of the damage that was done to my heart.
I am now sharing my story in the hope that it will help others who are experiencing similar symptoms. If you have ever been bitten by a tick, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment can help to prevent serious complications.
Lyme carditis is inflammation of the heart caused by a Lyme infection. It occurs when B. burgdorferi – Lyme-causing bacteria – enter the heart tissues and interfere directly with the electrical signals that regulate the heartbeat. This is sometimes referred to as “conduction derangement.
Quote: "https://igenex.com/tick-talk/what-is-lyme-carditis/"
Sonoma, California
In the first quarter of 1994, I visited Sonoma, California for an extended period. I spent a lot of time walking in bushy areas, and I did not see any visible tick bites. However, I later learned that ticks can be so small that they can be difficult to see. They are also very good at hiding, often crawling into the folds of skin or under clothing. This makes it difficult to detect them, even if you are checking yourself for ticks regularly.
I was surprised to learn this information, as I had always thought that ticks were relatively large and easy to spot. However, I now know that this is not the case. Ticks can be very small, and they can be difficult to see, even if you are looking for them. This makes it possible that I got bitten by a deer tick during my stay.
This information is important for anyone who spends time in areas where ticks are common. It is important to be aware of the risks of tick bites, and to take steps to prevent them.
If you find a tick on your body, it is important to remove it promptly. You can remove a tick using a pair of tweezers. Be sure to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the head to break off and remain in the skin.
After you have removed the tick, it is important to clean the bite site with soap and water. You should also see a doctor to make sure that you do not have any tick-borne diseases.
Borrelia organisms are among the most malevolent bacteria known to humankind. They can evade antibiotic therapy; down-regulate the immune system; withstand very cold temperatures and "starvation"; change their shape to become more resistant or invisible to the immune system; invade cells and "hide" inside them, and can even "cloak" themselves by pulling their host's tissue around then!
Quote: Dr. C. Evers Whyte
www.the centerforhealthrenewal.com
URL now www.tcfhr.com but article no longer appears in his blog
The following comments are from Diary notes and log files I made.
By mid-October 1999 I experienced severe pain and swelling in my right knee, speech impairment, severe headaches, dizziness, and a feeling of disorientation, almost as if I was out of my body. I could hardly walk.
8 November 1999 I was experiencing chest pains, so I went to see a doctor. The doctor ordered a chest X-ray, which showed chondritis at the left fourth costochondral junction.
Chondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum (breastbone). It can be caused by a number of things, including Infection, and Autoimmune diseases.
12 November 1999 - I was referred a Rheumatologist (I had to wait for a month for this appointment) because of severe right knee pain. The back of the knee was also swollen. He prescribed Cortisone -- BIG mistake - after this my Lyme disease symptoms really manifested
The swelling behind my knee was found by my radiologist to be a "Baker's like Cyst".
18 November 1999 - I experienced Bell palsy, also known as facial palsy, which is a temporary paralysis of the facial nerve. This is a common symptom of Lyme disease, and it was the final personal confirmation for me that I had the disease. However, there were no tests available in South Africa at the time to confirm this medically.
I also saw a doctor for chest pain, which is another possible symptom of Lyme disease. The doctor could not find any underlying cause for the chest pain, so I believe that it was also a symptom of Lyme disease.
By the beginning of February 2000 I was not getting relief from any of the medication I was taking.
I suggested to my doctor that we try a cocktail of antibiotics as seen in several Lyme disease blogs as well as in documents written by the famous Lyme disease doctor Joseph J. Burrascano JR. who practised in New York, U.S.A.
The Struggle to Obtain Plaquenil in South Africa
My doctor agreed in principal but Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) which is used to prevent or treat malaria caused by mosquito bites is not approved for use by South Africans - it was only available to foreign passport holders with overseas prescriptions.
My choice was to get on a flight to New York to buy the drug and return home on the next flight or to file a section 21 request with the registrar of Medicines in South Africa which I duly did with the help of Sanofi, the manufacturers and distributers of the antibiotic. It was going to take months to get approval for the drug, leaving me with no option but to request the South African President to use his powers to allow me to get the antibiotic.
Thanks Mr. President
Early in the year 2000, I contacted the South African President's office in Pretoria. I spoke to a charming and understanding lady who took all of my contact information. She said that she would speak to President Thabo Mbeki in Cape Town that evening and ask for his consent to release the antibiotic Plaquenil to me.
The next morning, I received a call from the lady who informed me that my request had been approved. Sanofi had been faxed with the paperwork required to release the antibiotic to me. I went to Sanofi to collect the Plaquenil and signed all sorts of paperwork to exempt them from liability should something go wrong with my "experiment."
I am grateful to the South African President's office for their help in approving my request. I am also grateful to Sanofi for releasing the antibiotic to me. I believe that the Plaquenil helped to improve my condition, and I am glad that I was able to access it.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Zelda La Grange, who was President Mandela's private assistant, for her help in this matter. She was incredibly understanding and helpful, and I am very grateful for her assistance.
I had four "pulsed" 6 day treatments of a cocktail of Doxycycline, Plaquenil, Zithromax and Flagyl. (Pulsed meaning a one day or more gap between treatments.) That treatment lasted 30 days, I suffered terribly from a "Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction" but had no Lyme symptoms for about 2 years after that.
A Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is a reaction to endotoxin-like products released by the death of harmful micro-organisms within the body during antibiotic treatment.
Quote: Wikipedia.org
At last, I got my life back - no more pain!
It was mid March 2000 and my health was back to normal - the past suffering was almost like I just had a bad dream and all was soon forgotten.
Two years later (mid March 2002) the dreaded Lyme symptoms were back. I was devastated.
I have documented my treatment for the waves of Lyme disease symptoms on my "Medication" page. I continued to take antibiotic cocktails until the end of 2013, when it became clear that my body had become immune to the medication.
At this point I bought a high-quality laboratory dark-field microscope. I intended to use it to visualize spirochetes in my blood.
I soon mastered the technique of looking at my blood, and once I spotted a spirochete I knew what the "enemy" looked like. All I had to do now was kill it.
I began experimenting with many electronic circuits, always checking my blood for a reaction.
In mid-March 2014 when I saw "struggling" spirochetes while viewing my blood in my dark-field microscope. I then used the circuit I had developed as the basis for my experimental device.
My next test on the 27th of March 2014 with the completed experimental device caused me to suffer from a severe Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction lasting over 24 hours.
By the end of March 2014, I was pain free for the first time in years.
I named my experimental device "eLymenator".
It has been over over 11 years since that day, and my Chronic Lyme disease has not relapsed.
