A woman who was bitten by a tick and told she’d be fine says undiagnosed Lyme Disease left her bedbound. Alayna Bellquist was left with a small, red pattern on her stomach after the parasite nipped her when she was out riding her horse.But it took an entire year for a whole host of serious symptoms – including a vibrating sensation in her brain – to develop.
And it wasn’t until a freak riding accident a further two years later, that the now 42-year-old knew something dreadful was happening to her body. “I started experiencing strange symptoms such as a vibrating sensation in my brain, body aches, severe anxiety and arthritic pain about a year after the bite,” said Alayna, a marine biologist.
“I dismissed all of them as stress-related but then after a serious riding accident when my horse fell on top of me, my symptoms suddenly became severe. My health took a dramatic turn for the worse.
“The fall not only caused physical injuries, but also seemed to trigger a cascade of debilitating symptoms. I was bedbound for a year. I was stuck in bed and on the couch, only leaving the house to go to the doctor.Other symptoms include a stiff neck, neuropathy in limbs and on the face, reduced taste and smell and burning skin.”
Alayna says she went to the hospital the day she was bitten in 2017. She said: “Unfortunately the doctor who tended to me had no experience with ticks or Lyme Disease, which is common.“I was given two doxycycline pills and was told that I would be fine.
“I now know that this minimal treatment is grossly inadequate for preventing the disease. I was sent home with a false sense of security – convinced that I was not at risk.”
Alayna says she continued with her life as normal following the bite and brief hospital visit. She said: “I was unaware of the ticking time bomb within me.”
Alayna developed worrying symptoms in 2018 but didn’t think they had anything to do with the tick bite a year earlier. It wasn’t until a riding accident in 2020, when her symptoms dramatically worsened to ones that stopped her from being able to live her daily life, that she went to her doctor
She said: “Every single day felt like a terrible flu combined with the worst hangover of my life.”
And after a diagnosis affirming blood test, along with the doctors’ suspicions, Alayna was officially diagnosed with late-stage or chronic Lyme Disease, a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks.
According to the NHS website, it is much easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early. She said: “I was wholly supported by my husband, I was too weak to drive myself to the doctor at times.Had to drop my work by 80%.My life became all about healing.It is what I did all day, every day.
“Lyme Disease has been the most gruelling experience of my entire life. I was put on multiple double doses of oral and injectable antibiotics, IV ozone and herbal antimicrobials.I also tried Chinese medicine, fire cupping, acupuncture, infrared sauna, cold plunging, therapy, radical diet change and parasite cleansing.”
And now, she is around 90% healed. “My advice to others is to listen to your body’s whispers before they become screams.I am now about 90% healed and I am grateful for my journey because it has dramatically changed the trajectory of my life.From being bedbound for a year to where I am today…my story is a testament to resilience and ferocious determination.
“Adversity can be a powerful teacher.”
Alayna says her healing journey has been “arduous” but she is now testing negative for Lyme Disease and believes her future looks “calmer – more peaceful and joyful”. She said: “Lyme forced me to slow down and listen to my body.I have become a more passionate advocate for nature and for the wellbeing of others who are battling illnesses.”
But she doesn’t hold any grudges with ticks. She said: “I now run workshops on how to heal from Lyme with a heavy focus on nature and what I know as a biologist.
“Ticks are not the enemy. They play a vital role in ecosystem health and functioning.When we label them as “bad” we victimise ourselves.”