Symptoms Tick Borne Diseases - ACA Swelling, Vessel Damage, Nerve Involvement

Swelling, Vessel Damage & Nerve Involvement

Chronic Lyme, Babesiosis, Bartonella and other tick borne diseases patient with the late ACA stage of Lyme disease.

September 18, 2016- Prior to this date, two weeks of random, wide spread pin-like pain in both feet developed— eventually with the same sensation developing in both hands. Two more weeks went by with symptoms continuing. There was no swelling in feet, legs or elsewhere.

Patient suddenly began experiencing very itchy, painful palms (both hands) with the sensations extending into some fingers on both hands.

Skin on palms and fingers blanched with slight pressure and hands were tender to touch. Reddish discoloration along peripheral surfaces of hands, on/off swelling and extreme itching was prominent and continued- not relieved with anti-itch creams. Worse at night.

*No new injuries, illnesses, new soaps or chemical products, new dietary items or medications introduced.

One week later the Bartonella-like, bottom of feet severe pain was occurring only in palms of both hands. Feet no longer were experiencing any symptoms. On September 17, 2016 swelling and additional redness developed in both hands within hours. The following day, beneath the visible skin layer on the right palm a very painful, firm, quarter-sized, disc shaped area developed.

Within hours a small dark grey membrane (blood vessel?) began protruding slightly from opening in skin where swelling was most prominent and had slightly cracked open the skin. Severe Bartonella-like pain continued. Within 2-3 hours the palm of the right hand looked like this….

A few hours before the right hand became more involved (as seen in above pictures), both hands had been exposed to on/off cool rinse water while salad was being prepared. Those few rinses in cool water spread over two hours (no washing dishes, no submersions of hands in water) caused hands and finger surfaces to wrinkle severely as if hands had been immersed in water for hours. Skin on hands became rubbery, pale white, loose and appeared to be missing underlying collagen or fatty layers, resulting in an exaggerated wrinkled skin and bones appearance. This is a fairly normal occurrence since Lyme ACA was first diagnosed in this patient- progressively becoming worse.

Patient dried hands thoroughly and kept hands dry from that point forward. It was at least 3 hours before the wrinkled skin reverted to an almost normal appearance and the above complication (pictured above) appeared.

September 19, 2016- The swelling was eventually reduced with repeated applications of ice. During this time the ring finger of the left hand (below first finger joint and hand) began swelling more than other areas on the hands, causing additional pain and concern. Swelling and mild pain in the lower ring finger continues 24+ later, but has not gotten worse.

Pin-prick sensations have subsided in both hands, and swelling has mostly disappeared along with most of the severe Bartonella- like foot pain in both hands.

Lucy Barnes

AfterTheBite@gmail.com