Theories of infection

How and when and where I was infected with Lyme and the co-infections doesn't really matter. It won't change the treatment plan. But I'm curious. And I have theories. Which, because I can't sleep, I am going to share with you.

What we know: Lyme (caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria) and the common co-infections are transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. Some speculate that other vectors (fleas, mosquitoes) may be able to transmit as well, but we don't know. After initial infection, the bacteria can go dormant and just chill out, not bothering you, until your immune system is compromised or some other event allows them to flourish and multiply and make you sick.

Assumption 1: I know my current phase of illness began on Thanksgiving Day, 2007. I'd just moved into the new house and had been stressing and running myself ragged and all other sorts of things that are bad for me. I was not taking care of myself. My immune system was compromised.

Then on T-day I developed a sore throat. It may have been strep throat. Maybe it was mono. Whatever it was, it was the opening for Lyme and co-infections to get all excited and throw a frat party in my body. There's also potential involvement with other viral and bacterial infections, but I'm setting those aside for now.

So I'm thinking that I was infected at some past date, and the infection was activated (or reactivated) in November 2007. Which brings up the question--when was I bitten/infected?

A note on ticks: Many people who are infected with Lyme do not remember a tick bite. Deer ticks are very, very small and can bite, suck your blood, and detach without you ever knowing. That said, I've been bitten by so many ticks that one more bite would not register in my memory.

I grew up tromping through fields and farmland and it was common to come with at least one tick attached. It wasn't a big deal. I thought of them the same way I thought of chigger or mosquito bites. Annoying, but nothing that you remember.

So I know I've been bitten by ticks. I don't know if I was bitten in one of the more heavily Lyme-endemic areas (New England, Northern California).

Theory 1: I was infected while living in Oklahoma. Lyme is less common there, but is still present. And I certainly had the opportunity to be bitten. (Timeline: I left Oklahoma to attend school in Massachusetts when I was 17, in 1996.)

Theory 2: I was infected in Massachusetts (timeline: summer 1995 and school years 1996 - 2000). After leaving college, we lived in Tucson, and it is much less likely I was infected there. We did most of our outdoor adventuring in the desert, which is less friendly to ticks.

Theory 3: Northern California. We lived in the Bay area for about 20 months in 2005 - 2007. I spent much of my time leafleting on college campuses, many of which were in or near the suburban wooded areas so beloved by deer ticks. We also spent time hiking in the coastal ranges. During this time, I had several mysterious bites that I attributed to spiders. I also briefly developed what I know recognize as a classic bartonella rash.

Theory 4: Vacation in Oregon, Labor Day 2007. We divided our time between beach walking and hiking in the woods nearby.

Thoughts: It's entirely possible that I was infected multiple times. Or I was infected with Bb (Lyme bacteria) at one point and with bartonella at another point. So I shouldn't assume that everything happened at once. Not that it matters now. But we're speculating, right?

My preferred theory: I think I was likely infected in Massachusetts.

I base this on a few incidents pre-full-blown-Lyme. The fall/winter of 2002 - 2003, I was sick all the time. The symptoms I complained of then were very similar to what I have now. Leading up to this time was a great deal of stress (two companion animals dying, my job was really putting pressure on me, social/friend explosions), and I was very vulnerable to illness.

Also, I remember thinking that perhaps I was clinically depressed because my brain felt like it was made of fog. I couldn't think clearly...everything was slow, like wading through quicksand. I suppose it would be properly termed "depersonalization." In retrospect, this clearly reassembles my worst experiences of "Lyme fog."

Finally, during this time, I mildly sprained my ankle. While the injury healed quickly, I had intense, off-and-on joint pain for months afterward.

I think that after months of illness, my immune system was able to re-boot and fight back the bacteria into a dormant stage...mostly. A few symptoms remained, but they could be explained away on their own.

And so the bacteria waited, patiently, hanging out in tissue, until the environment (my body) was suitable for another attack. A massive, take-no-prisoners attack. As such, I've had to call in my allies to fight back. My immune system has been occupied, and I'm rallying the resistance fighters to my side, along with help from Western medicine, CAM, and energy work.

I think I'll win.