Lyme Disease Mistaken for Pleurisy, Nearly Fatal

A woman's health crisis unfolded after she was repeatedly misdiagnosed, initially told she had pleurisy and prescribed Oramorph for severe pain. The actual diagnosis was Lyme disease, which had progressed to affect her brain due to the diagnostic delays. Her ordeal began with a peculiar rash in August 2024, followed by intense pain under her ribs and numbness in November 2024.

Despite presenting clear symptoms, including a rash and spreading numbness, medical professionals failed to connect the dots. She was sent home with painkillers, first for suspected radiculopathy or costochondritis, and then for pleurisy. It took a hospital admission and five days, including a neurologist's assessment, for Lyme disease to be suspected and subsequently confirmed through a lumbar puncture.

This delay meant the Lyme disease had likely spread to her brain, leading to ongoing symptoms like tremors and mobility issues. In addition to Lyme disease, she was later found to have multiple gallstones. She is now undergoing treatment and pain management, but reflects on how a quicker diagnosis might have altered her health trajectory, emphasizing the importance of listening to patients.

The experience has significantly impacted her life, costing her job and altering her sense of self. She advocates for persistent communication with healthcare providers if a patient feels unheard, believing that earlier antibiotic treatment could have prevented her current health struggles. She also noted the ongoing challenge of unexplained daily diarrhea since mid-summer.