For 17 years, Kate Asher battled with Lyme disease undiagnosed. Sharing her story on how she contracted it from her family dog as a child, Kate urges pet owners to regularly administer flea and tick treatments.
Tell me about your journey to being diagnosed with Lyme disease?
My journey to being diagnosed with Lyme disease began when I was around 10 years old. My parents noticed that I was frequently unwell and took me to our family GP. At that time, I was diagnosed with IBS and prescribed medication.
My health gradually became worse. What began as IBS progressed to cardiac-related symptoms, including episodes that were investigated as angina, requiring ECGs and consultations with cardiology specialists while I was still in school. I was later diagnosed with low blood pressure, and subsequently developed anaemia. During my final high school exams, my iron levels became so low that I required intravenous iron infusions. While my friends were home studying, I was sitting on an IV line trying to study. As time went on, additional symptoms emerged, including joint pain, anxiety, depression, circulatory issues, chronic fatigue, severe widespread body pain, gastrointestinal problems, numbness in my hands and feet with discolouration (turning blue), and a persistent feeling of not getting enough oxygen. I was often too unwell to get out of bed and felt my body giving up on me. I was admitted to hospital multiple times a year, but each symptom was treated in isolation rather than being viewed as part of a larger picture.
At one point during a hospital admission, my family was told that my symptoms were psychosomatic and that nothing medically was wrong and that I may need therapy. Despite this, my parents continued to advocate for me and brought me to numerous specialists over the years, but no clear diagnosis was ever reached. After I gave birth, my symptoms significantly worsened and my health declined further. I reached a point where I genuinely believed I was dying and felt that I was not being taken seriously or helped. Eventually, an endocrinologist suggested a radical approach involving complete thyroid ablation, which would have required lifelong hormone replacement medication and temporary separation from my newborn due to radiation exposure. I was not comfortable with this option.
At that stage, I began researching further and came across a former school friend sharing her experience with Lyme disease. As we spoke, many of her symptoms mirrored my own, and it began to make sense. I arranged an appointment with a Lyme specialist who carried out appropriate testing. After years of unexplained illness, I finally received a diagnosis: Lyme disease. It was a late-stage case, and had already begun to affect my heart tissue. Receiving the diagnosis was both overwhelming and relieving. For the first time, I had an explanation for everything I had been experiencing for a period of almost 17 years. It validated what I had known for years – that I was not imagining my symptoms – and gave me hope that there was finally a path forward for treatment and recovery.
I contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite that was transferred from my dog onto me. My family and I often reflect on whether, had we been using consistent preventative parasite treatments for our dog at the time, my exposure to the tick could potentially have been avoided.
How has having Lyme disease impacted your life?
As a teenager, it affected much of my day-to-day life and my ability to experience things the same way as my peers. While my friends were able to go out, socialise, and enjoy school life, I found myself in hospital or unwell, dealing with health episodes or undergoing iron transfusions. Persistent fatigue was a constant struggle, which made even basic day-to-day activities difficult at times.
In my adult life, the impact had continued in different but equally challenging ways. It has affected my ability to work consistently and be as productive as I would like, particularly during periods of fatigue, pain, or breathlessness. Managing a busy working day while also dealing with unpredictable symptoms was difficult, and at times I have had to push through significant discomfort just to function.
It also had a major impact on my role as a mother. There were times when I had not felt well enough to fully engage in daily activities with my child, which had been emotionally challenging. In addition, I have experienced ongoing hospital admissions, both short and long term, which have interrupted normal life and limited my ability to make plans or maintain routine activities. Alongside the physical symptoms, I have also needed support for my mental health, including therapy and medication for anxiety and depression that looking back was never needed had I been diagnosed earlier. Overall, Lyme disease has affected both my physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as my ability to function daily , but I continued to manage it as best as I could. I constantly had to fight to survive.
What advice do you have for others also living with Lyme disease?
My advice to others living with Lyme disease is that it can be an incredibly difficult and often overwhelming journey (which they will know), both physically and emotionally. There are times when it can feel like your body is out of your control and that recovery is far away or uncertain.
However, I would encourage people not to lose hope and to keep advocating for themselves, even when answers are not immediately clear. You know your body better than anyone else. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment can take time, but it is worth persisting until you are taken seriously and properly supported. The journey to recovery is not always straightforward or easy – mine definitely wasn’t – at times the recovery was worse than the Lyme itself , but the possibility of having your life back again – to feel more in control of your body, and to return to the things you love – is absolutely worth fighting for. You are not alone in the experience, even when it feels that way. Rely on your loved ones – the support will help you get to the end of the dark tunnel!
Regarding prevention, this experience has made me very aware of how important prevention is for both animal and family health. Because pets live closely with us in our homes and often share our living spaces, including sofas and beds, effective flea and tick prevention is an important part of reducing risk. I would strongly encourage pet owners to speak with their veterinarians about appropriate and regular preventative treatments for fleas and ticks. While it may seem like a small step, it can significantly reduce the risk of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme and protect the health of both pets and the people they live with. It could have for me.
Lucy Jerram, Veterinary Surgeon at Highfield Veterinary Group shares her advice for flea and tick prevention in pets.
“Fleas and ticks are common parasites of Irish pets and this is not just a summer problem – we see them all year round. Pet owners are juggling their busy lives and even with the best intentions, it is easy to forget to collect or administer the next treatment dose to ensure continuous cover. This can leave the dog or cat exposed to flea and tick infestations. We regularly see pets suffering with preventable parasite-related illnesses, some of which can cause long term health issues. Additionally, these parasites can carry diseases that affect people including, Lyme disease. A recent survey showed that 30% of Irish dogs sleep on the bed, so protecting your pets will also protect your family.”
We know that the lack of cover isn’t due to a lack of care, but due to the challenges of consistency. At Highfield we offer pet health plans which include year-long parasite control, and we still see lapses in treatment frequency. Owners may struggle to administer tablets to fussy pets, and there is increasing concern about the environmental impact of some ‘spot-on’ medications. People are looking for simpler, longer-term treatments, and we are seeing increasing interest in the injectable option that lasts for 12 months. Like all veterinary surgeons, I discuss flea and tick products multiple times a day and find there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, so would encourage pet owners to discuss this with their local vet to find a parasite prevention plan that suits their needs.”
