Tick Bites: A Cautionary Tale

In 2019, my sister, Margaret, was scheduled to arrive about 1:00 PM, so I had plenty of time to run over to the Verizon store on Route 7 in Lenox and be back to greet her. I was hoping to find out why my phone wouldn’t ring. And then it happened, the sudden onset of anaflosmosis induced by an unseen, unfelt tick bite. I had turned my car off on a hot day and didn’t move. I passed out.

Remember 911? If you see something, say something. Do something.

Two Verizon reps, Seth Violette and Steven James, noticed me, realized I was in serious distress, and did the right thing. Thy called 911, thereby saving my life. A Lenox police officer knocked on my window, roused me, and opened my door. He knew this was a real emergency. The rescue squad arrived, carefully put me on a gurney, and raced with lights and sirens to the Emergency Room at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

Among my symptoms: confusion, disorientation, rapidly falling blood pressure, tremors, weakness everywhere, and a temperature of 105. I thought 104 and you’re out. Physicians in the ER and ICU told me when I was coherent that I had about an hour before septic shock would have brought on organ failures leading to my inevitable death. I was brought in literally in the nick of time.

I spent three nights and four days at BMC receiving phenomenal care from physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff. Most important for my survival was standing protocol with patients who have a high fever. No longer do we wait five days for results of sophisticated blood culture tests to confirm a diagnosis of anaflosmosis or its less destructive cousin, Lyme disease. Strong antibiotics are administered immediately via IV along with hydration via IV to lower blood pressure. BMC saved my life.

Since being discharged, we have come to realize there is a quiet epidemic going on in the spring and summer in our region of the country. We have met several area residents who have been treated for anaflosmosis. My wife noticed a neighbor’s red face. The neighbor went to the ER at BMC and treatment was begun.

Having spent 20 years as the CEO of a community health education center in Connecticut, we were familiar with Lyme disease. We offered community health forums on Lyme disease, which originated in Lyme, Connecticut. We passed out literature, gave talks at senior centers and schools. We were aware of Lyme and the need for awareness by consumers and professionals, as well as the urgency of rapid diagnosis and initiation of antibiotics.

Our advice. If you’re outdoors and we all are, take common sense precautions about ticks and avoiding them. If you have a fever, whether you’re aware of a tick bite or not, head immediately to the nearest emergency room. The life you save might be your own,