- Kirsty Heisman had to travel thousands of kilometers to Mexico to be diagnosed
- After being crowned Miss Hertfordshire, her body began to tire and swell
A former beauty queen bedridden by Lyme disease claims her suffering was down to NHS doctors failing to miss her condition.
Kirsty Heisman, from Watford, said the tick-borne disease has “disfigured” her and now has to be carried to the toilet by her husband because her body is “shutting down”.
But the mother-of-one claims years of suffering could have been avoided if medics had tested her for Lyme disease when symptoms began in 2015.
Instead, she only got a proper explanation for her condition in February, after she went to Mexico to be diagnosed.
The 34-year-old, who was crowned Miss Hertfordshire in 2015, said: “It could have cleared up in 28 days with antibiotics.
“Now my body is shutting down and my husband has to pick me up to use the toilet and shower.
“I used to train at a high intensity, I was very fit and now I’m at a point where I wake up and my whole body is weak and I ache everywhere.
“I’m praying it gets better so I can walk around – I’ve been out twice in the last six weeks. Besides, my life is in bed.
“All of this could have been avoided if they had done a simple Lyme test.”
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by infected ticks.
Symptoms can include headaches, loss of energy, as well as muscle aches and swollen joints.
Symptoms include a distinct rash at the site of the bite, followed by high fever, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and loss of energy.
Lyme disease is usually diagnosed by a special blood test, but the NHS says these are not always reliable, especially in the early stages of the disease.
Although they are treatable with a short course of antibiotics if caught early, some patients report suffering persistent symptoms that last for years. This can include fatigue and aches.
Ms Heisman said her difficulties began shortly after she won Miss Hertfordshire in 2015, when she became strangely tired despite being in fairly good shape.
After visiting West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s Hemel Hempstead Hospital, Ms Haysman said general blood tests were inconclusive, so doctors assumed she was suffering from some type of autoimmune disease.
After visiting a rheumatologist, she claims she was told she had a connective tissue disease and prescribed a high dose of steroids.
Ms Heisman said her hands eventually became “disfigured” by Lyme, leaving her with painful swollen joints and unable to pick things up.
Compounding her joint problems, she also claims doctors have told her long-term steroid use has caused her bones to deteriorate, with one specialist saying she has “the bones of a 70-year-old”.
Desperate for answers, Ms Heisman traveled to Mexico in February this year for blood tests specifically for Lyme disease and the results came back positive.
Returning to the UK with her diagnosis, Ms Heysman said she was already on a 12-month course of antibiotics.
She said: “It wasn’t until this year that I met someone who said, ‘Do you think you have Lyme disease?’
“I was on steroids, living on painkillers and had tried every low-inflammation diet you could think of.
“I just assumed I had an autoimmune disease like lupus — Lyme is called the ‘great imitator’ because it mimics these autoimmune conditions.
“I am bedridden and have had to quit my job as a healthcare professional. I had a pedicure and could no longer use my hands.
While people with Lyme disease get better after antibiotic treatment, some people may continue to suffer from symptoms for long periods of time.
These patients are often referred to a specialist for further treatment.
It is estimated that there are between 3,000 and 4,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the UK each year.
There are approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme disease annually in the United States.
The ticks that can cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.
Although the telltale soft eye-shaped rash is the most well-known sign of the disease, it is unreliable, appearing only in some people.
A spokesman for West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust told MailOnline: ‘We cannot comment on the patient’s care without breaching their right to privacy.
“We are keen to investigate Ms Heisman’s concerns and would urge her to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.”