Jen Fisher discovered a distinct bullseye rash on her hip while wading through tall grass in Ramara on May 22, 2016, setting off a decade-long battle with persistent health complications. What initially appeared to be a minor issue requiring a prompt emergency room visit and a short round of antibiotics ultimately unfolded into a much deeper medical struggle.
Fisher also lives with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, autoimmune, and inflammatory form of arthritis targeting the spine that complicates other diagnoses. Following her initial treatment, her symptoms persisted and progressed unchecked. She endured weakness, brain fog, vision loss, an inability to retain food, and severe pain. My nerve endings were on fire … it felt like I was being held in a vat of acid at one point,
she recalled.
Initial Misdiagnosis Leaves Infection Untreated
Diagnosing Lyme disease remains a challenge because symptoms vary, mimic other illnesses, and rely on signs, exposure, and blood tests. Although Fisher presented the telltale bullseye rash left by a blacklegged tick—also known as the deer tick and the most common tick-borne disease in Canada—she was initially prescribed only three days of antibiotics. Thinking the infection was resolved, she lived with a general feeling of being unwell, requiring daily naps to get through her routine, and regularly asking her family doctor and rheumatologist about her ongoing symptoms.
It was not until 2018, while reviewing her entire medical history, that Lyme disease resurfaced. Fisher recalled the doctor telling her, Jen, you never had Lyme disease. You have Lyme disease.
Untreated Infections Cause Lasting Symptoms
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reports that untreated initial infections can lead to joint, heart, and neurological symptoms. A 2022 study by the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center and Clinical Care Program found that 14 per cent of patients promptly treated for 21 days developed post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), diagnosed when symptoms persist beyond six months.
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) established guidelines in 2014 recommending a minimum of 21 days of treatment, with longer courses required for immunocompromised patients. However, challenges remain regarding how chronic conditions are recognized in Canada. Health Canada recognizes PTLDS for managing symptoms rather than as a chronic illness, leaving Fisher advocating for a broader understanding and pointing out that there’s a false sense of security
surrounding the issue.
If you’re not treating the disease and you’re only treating symptoms, the disease remains,
Fisher said.
Keep reading