May is Lyme Awareness month where we shout out about Lyme Disease,
Raising awareness of an illness that can bring you to your knees,
It is spread by a bite from a tiny blood sucking parasite called a tick,
That can change your life forever and make you extremely sick,
You don’t often see the bite or tick or get the typical bullseye rash,
But if you notice either then go to your GP – don’t hesitate but dash,
Diagnosing early is the best chance of treating Lyme,
It really is the case where the key to recovery is time,
If you get treated straight away and correctly you have a good chance of success,
It is those that get missed or left that cause the body great distress,
As if it goes unnoticed or you get misdiagnosed,
The bacteria spreads around your body and the symptoms start to grow,
It can affect your heart, your nervous system, your lungs, your bones, your brain,
It can cause huge amounts of suffering and unbearable daily pain,
It affects everyone who gets it in very different ways,
It depends how long you’ve been infected whether it is years or months or days,
Treatment is not easy as there isn’t one size that fits all,
And often getting medical help feels like hitting a brick wall,
It is a debilitating illness and a continuous daily fight,
So it is important to be aware of ticks and what to do if you get a bite,
As well as Lyme there are other bacterias which are known as Co-infections,
These can all cause illness in their own right and the best cure for all is protection,
Now the weather is warmer and you are spending a lot more time outside,
Please ALWAYS check for ticks especially the places they can hide,
Ticks are extremely small comparable to the size of a poppy seed,
They latch onto a pet or person and off your blood they feed,
They often find a place to bite that you wouldn’t necessarily think to check,
Behind your ear, back of your leg, in your groin or nestled in your neck,
For information and advice look no further than Lyme Disease UK,
And if you follow the guidelines they provide then no doubt you’ll be okay,
There is not a lot of knowledge or experience of Lyme Disease on the NHS,
So we need to talk about it more to see the world of Lyme progress,
Ticks can be found anywhere and you can catch Lyme Disease going on a walk,
The best way to spread awareness is to educate ourselves and talk,
Please talk about it to friends and family and raise awareness in any way,
As Lyme Disease is on the rise and ticks are here to stay.
